Psalm 12 Text

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Listen & Read: Psalm 12

Read along and listen to our audio recordings for Psalm 12. Choose between simple, unaffected audio recordings (in Hebrew or English), or a dramatized reading that takes into account our emotional and discourse analyses. You can also choose between a text-only view, or a view overlaid with our summary At-a-Glance, Expanded Paraphrase, or Participant Analysis tracking.

Simple Reading (Hebrew)
Forthcoming. 		Simple Reading (English)
Forthcoming.
Dramatic Reading (Hebrew)
Forthcoming. 		Dramatic Reading (English)
Forthcoming.

Text Only (Hebrew and English) The text below is divided according to the psalm's poetic lines. For additional information, see our Poetic Structure layer.

Text (Hebrew) Verse Text (CBC) The Close-but-clear translation (CBC) exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text according to how we understand its syntax and word-to-phrase-level semantics. It is not intended to be used as a stand-alone translation or base text, but as a supplement to Layer-by-Layer materials to help users make full use of these resources.
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַֽל־הַשְּׁמִינִ֗ית מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃
 1a
For the director. On the eight-tone scale. A psalm by David.
הוֹשִׁ֣יעָה יְ֭הוָה
 2a
Help, YHWH!
כִּי־גָמַ֣ר חָסִ֑יד
 2b
For the loyal one has disappeared;
כִּי־פַ֥סּוּ אֱ֝מוּנִ֗ים מִבְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃
 2c
for faithful ones have vanished from among humanity.
שָׁ֤וְא ׀ יְֽדַבְּרוּ֮ אִ֤ישׁ אֶת־רֵ֫עֵ֥הוּ
 3a
They speak falsehood, each with his neighbor.
שְׂפַת חֲלָק֑וֹת בְּלֵ֖ב וָלֵ֣ב יְדַבֵּֽרוּ׃
 3b
With flattering lips, with duplicity they speak.
יַכְרֵ֣ת יְ֭הוָה כָּל־שִׂפְתֵ֣י חֲלָק֑וֹת
 4a
May YHWH exterminate all flattering lips,
לָ֝שׁ֗וֹן מְדַבֶּ֥רֶת גְּדֹלֽוֹת׃
 4b
[every] tongue speaking great things,
אֲשֶׁ֤ר אָֽמְר֨וּ ׀
 5a
[all] who have said,
לִלְשֹׁנֵ֣נוּ נַ֭גְבִּיר
 5b
"We can speak boldly.
שְׂפָתֵ֣ינוּ אִתָּ֑נוּ
 5c
Our lips are under our control;
מִ֖י אָד֣וֹן לָֽנוּ׃
 5d
who is our master?"
מִשֹּׁ֥ד עֲנִיִּים֮ מֵאַנְקַ֪ת אֶבְי֫וֹנִ֥ים
 6a
"Because afflicted ones are devastated, because poor ones groan,
עַתָּ֣ה אָ֭קוּם
 6b
now I will rise up,"
יֹאמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה
 6c
says YHWH.
אָשִׁ֥ית בְּ֝יֵ֗שַׁע יָפִ֥יחַֽ לֽוֹ׃
 6d
"I will place in safety the one for whom someone sets traps."
אִֽמֲר֣וֹת יְהוָה֮ אֲמָר֪וֹת טְהֹ֫רוֹת
 7a
YHWH's words are pure words,
כֶּ֣סֶף צָ֭רוּף בַּעֲלִ֣יל לָאָ֑רֶץ
 7b
silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
מְ֝זֻקָּ֗ק שִׁבְעָתָֽיִם׃
 7c
purified seven times over.
אַתָּֽה־יְהוָ֥ה תִּשְׁמְרֵ֑ם
 8a
You, YHWH, will guard them.
תִּצְּרֶ֓נּוּ ׀ מִן־הַדּ֖וֹר ז֣וּ לְעוֹלָֽם׃
 8b
You will protect him from the generation which is forever.
סָבִ֗יב רְשָׁעִ֥ים יִתְהַלָּכ֑וּן
 9a
Wicked ones roam around
כְּרֻ֥ם זֻ֝לּ֗וּת לִבְנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃
 9b
when vileness is esteemed among humans.

Structure Overlay Below, the text has been overlaid with our summary structural analysis. For details on the structure, see the Structure At-a-Glance here.

Text (Hebrew) Verse Text (CBC)
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַֽל־הַשְּׁמִינִ֗ית מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃ 1a For the director. On the eight-tone scale. A psalm by David.
הוֹשִׁ֣יעָה יְ֭הוָה 2a Help, YHWH!
כִּי־גָמַ֣ר חָסִ֑יד 2b For the loyal one has disappeared;
כִּי־פַ֥סּוּ אֱ֝מוּנִ֗ים מִבְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃ 2c for faithful ones have vanished from among humanity.
שָׁ֤וְא ׀ יְֽדַבְּרוּ֮ אִ֤ישׁ אֶת־רֵ֫עֵ֥הוּ 3a They speak falsehood, each with his neighbor.
שְׂפַת חֲלָק֑וֹת בְּלֵ֖ב וָלֵ֣ב יְדַבֵּֽרוּ׃ 3b With flattering lips, with duplicity they speak.
יַכְרֵ֣ת יְ֭הוָה כָּל־שִׂפְתֵ֣י חֲלָק֑וֹת 4a May YHWH exterminate all flattering lips,
לָ֝שׁ֗וֹן מְדַבֶּ֥רֶת גְּדֹלֽוֹת׃ 4b [every] tongue speaking great things,
אֲשֶׁ֤ר אָֽמְר֨וּ ׀ 5a [all] who have said,
לִלְשֹׁנֵ֣נוּ נַ֭גְבִּיר 5b "We can speak boldly.
שְׂפָתֵ֣ינוּ אִתָּ֑נוּ 5c Our lips are under our control;
מִ֖י אָד֣וֹן לָֽנוּ׃ 5d who is our master?"
מִשֹּׁ֥ד עֲנִיִּים֮ מֵאַנְקַ֪ת אֶבְי֫וֹנִ֥ים 6a "Because afflicted ones are devastated, because poor ones groan,
עַתָּ֣ה אָ֭קוּם 6b now I will rise up,"
יֹאמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה 6c says YHWH.
אָשִׁ֥ית בְּ֝יֵ֗שַׁע יָפִ֥יחַֽ לֽוֹ׃ 6d "I will place in safety the one for whom someone sets traps."
אִֽמֲר֣וֹת יְהוָה֮ אֲמָר֪וֹת טְהֹ֫רוֹת 7a YHWH's words are pure words,
כֶּ֣סֶף צָ֭רוּף בַּעֲלִ֣יל לָאָ֑רֶץ 7b silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
מְ֝זֻקָּ֗ק שִׁבְעָתָֽיִם׃ 7c purified seven times over.
אַתָּֽה־יְהוָ֥ה תִּשְׁמְרֵ֑ם 8a You, YHWH, will guard them.
תִּצְּרֶ֓נּוּ ׀ מִן־הַדּ֖וֹר ז֣וּ לְעוֹלָֽם׃ 8b You will protect him from the generation which is forever.
סָבִ֗יב רְשָׁעִ֥ים יִתְהַלָּכ֑וּן 9a Wicked ones roam around
כְּרֻ֥ם זֻ֝לּ֗וּת לִבְנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃ 9b when vileness is esteemed among humans.

Expanded paraphrase The expanded paraphrase seeks to capture the implicit information within the text and make it explicit for readers today. It is based on the CBC translation and uses italic text to provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences.

This resource is forthcoming.

Participant Tracking Text Participant Analysis focuses on the characters in the psalm and asks, “Who are the main participants (or characters) in this psalm, and what are they saying or doing? Our full analysis can be found in the Participant Analysis layer.

This resource is forthcoming.