Human Faithlessness and God’s Faithfulness

¹ For the music director; on the Sheminith.¹ A psalm of David.² Save, O Yahweh, for the pious have ceased to be; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of humankind.

1. Meaning uncertain
2. The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one

² They speak falseness ⌞to each other⌟.¹ With flattering lips, with ⌞a double heart⌟² they speak.

1. Literally “each with his companion”
2. Literally “a heart and a heart”

³ May Yahweh cut off all flattering lips, the tongue speaking great boasts—

⁴ those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail. Our lips are on our side. Who is master over us?”

⁵ “Because of the oppression of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the poor, now I will rise up,” Yahweh says. “I shall put them in the safety for which they¹ long.”

1. Hebrew “he”

⁶ The words of Yahweh are pure words like silver refined in the crucible on the ground, refined seven times.

⁷ You, O Yahweh, will protect them. You will preserve him¹ from this generation always.

1. Or “us”

⁸ The wicked prowl about when vileness is exalted among the children of humankind.