To the Chief Musician. Upon Sheminith. A Psalm of David.
1Help, Lord! for the godly man ceaseth;
for the faithful fail from the children of men.
2They speak vanity every one with his neighbor;
with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
3The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips,
and the tongue that speaketh proud things,
4who have said, With our tongue will we prevail;
our lips are with us; who is lord over us?
5For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy,
now will I arise, saith the Lord;
I will set him in the safety for which he panteth.
6The words of the Lord are words that are pure,
as silver tried in a furnace,
on the earth, purified seven times.
7Thou shalt keep them, O Lord,
Thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever.
8The wicked walk on every side,
when vileness is exalted among the children of men.
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, both now and ever,
and unto ages of ages. Amen.
1Help, Lord! for the god- | ly ( man ) ceaseth;*
for the faithful fail from the | children ( of ) men.
2They speak vanity every one | with ( his ) neighbor;*
with flattering lips and with a double | heart do ( they ) speak.
3The Lord shall cut off all | flat- ( ter- ) ing lips,*
and the tongue that | speaketh ( proud ) things,
4who have said, With our | tongue ( will we ) prevail;*
our lips are with us; who is | lord ov- ( er ) us?
5For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the need- | y,†
now will I a- | rise, ( saith ) the Lord;
I will set him in the safety for | which he ( pant- ) eth.
6The words of the Lord are words that | are pure,†
as silver tried | in ( a ) furnace,*
on the earth, pur- | ified ( seven ) times.
7Thou shalt | keep ( them, ) O Lord,*
Thou shalt preserve them from this genera- | tion for- ( ev- ) er.
8The wicked | walk ( on ev- ) ’ry side,*
when vileness is exalted among the | children ( of ) men.
and to the | Holy ( Spir- ) it;
as it was in the beginning, both | now ( and ) ever,*
and unto ages of | ages. ( A- ) men.
The 12th Psalm is sung as the Ninth Psalm of the First Nocturn at Matins on Sunday. It is the basis of Martin Luther’s hymn “O Lord, Look Down from Heaven, Behold” (“Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein“).