12
To the director: With the sheminith. A song of David.
Save me, LORD!
We can no longer trust anyone!
All the good, loyal people are gone.
People lie to their neighbors.
They say whatever they think people want to hear.
The LORD should cut off their lying lips
and cut out their bragging tongues.
Those people think they can win any argument.
They say, “We are so good with words,
no one will be our master.”
 
They took advantage of the poor
and stole what little they had.
But the LORD knows what they did, and he says,
“I will rescue those who are poor and helpless,
and I will punish those who hurt them.”* I will rescue … hurt them Or “I will rescue poor, helpless people who were hurt and asked me for help.”
 
The LORD’S words are true and pure,
like silver purified by fire,
like silver melted seven times to make it perfectly pure.
 
LORD, take care of the helpless.
Protect them forever from the wicked people in this world.
The wicked are all around us,
and everyone thinks evil is something to be praised!
 

*12:5 I will rescue … hurt them Or “I will rescue poor, helpless people who were hurt and asked me for help.”