Psalms 12: The LORD's Pure Words

A complaint about deceit answered by trust in God's promises.

Psalms 12: Pure Words Amid Flattery

Following Psalms 11, David laments that godly, faithful people have grown rare while everyone around him speaks with flattering lips and a double heart. He asks the LORD to cut off proud, boastful speech that claims no one rules over it.


The title of the twelfthe salm. To the victorie of Dauid. Lord, hou long foryetist thou me in to the ende? hou long turnest thou awei thi face fro me?

Hou long schal Y sette counsels in my soule; sorewe in my herte bi dai?

Hou long schal myn enemy be reisid on me?

My Lord God, biholde thou, and here thou me. Liytne thou myn iyen, lest ony tyme Y slepe in deth;

lest ony tyme myn enemye seie, Y hadde the maistri ayens hym. Thei, that troblen me, schulen haue ioie, if Y schal be stirid; forsothe Y hopide in thi merci.

Myn herte schal fulli haue ioie in thin helthe; Y schal synge to the Lord, that yyueth goodis to me, and Y schal seie salm to the name of the hiyeste Lord.

In contrast to human deceit, David describes the words of the LORD as pure, like silver refined in a furnace and purified seven times, a standard of trustworthiness echoed in <a href="/bible/wycliffe/proverbs/chapter-30/5">Proverbs 30:5</a>, closing before <a href="/bible/wycliffe/psalms/chapter-13">Psalms 13</a>.