Psalm 12:1-8

God's promises are true

1 Lord, please help me!

All the good people have gone away!

No kind or faithful people remain.

2 Everybody tells lies to one another.

When they say nice things,

they do it to deceive their friends.

3 Lord, please shut their mouths!

When they deceive people or they boast,

stop them doing that!

4 They say:

‘Nobody can tell us what to do!

We will say what we like to get what we want!’

5 But the Lord says:

‘Now I will do something!

I know the cruel things that wicked people do to poor people.

When weak people cry with pain, I hear them.

So I will make them safe,

as they want me to do for them.’

6 The Lord's promises are true.

We can trust them,

because they are pure.

They are as pure as silver

that people have put in a hot fire seven times.

7 Yes Lord, you will take care of the poor people.

You will always keep each one of them safe

from all those evil people.

8 But if people praise evil things,

then wicked people will boast more and more.