Song (Psalm) 12

Note: This is still a very early look into the unfinished text of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check the text in advance before using in public. Some things (like capitalisation of ‘him’ referring to Jesus or ‘father’ referring to God) in the RV haven’t been decided yet so we’re still testing both ways.

Note: The Readers’ Version on the left is a translation into contemporary English aimed at the person on the street who hasn’t necessarily been brought up with exposure to Biblical jargon and/or 500-year old English. It’s designed to be used alongside the Literal Version on the right which gives the English reader a window into what’s actually written in the original languages. (See the introduction for more details—we recommend that you read the introduction first if you’re wanting to fully understand the Literal Version.) By comparing the left and right columns, you should be able to easily get the message of the text, while at the same time keeping an eye on what it was actually translated from.

Note that greyed words in the RV are words that the translators consider were most probably in the mind of the writer, but as none of us can double-check with the original speakers or writers, the reader is free to disagree. They are clearly marked because we’ve tried to be as honest and transparent as possible.

The lighter coloured words in the LV are words which aren’t needed in the grammar of the original languages but are required or implied in English. You can read the Key to learn more about them. The underlines joining words in the LV show when one original language word needs to be translated into two or more English words. (Just hide them with the button if you don’t need that information and find it distracting.) Also, the majority of sentences in the LV don’t have the words put into a sensible English order yet. (This should be completed by the end of 2023.)

Readers’ Version

Literal Version

12:1 The requesting of God

A Prayer for Help; Plea for Help in Evil Times

For the musical director: a song by David ?≈to be played on the eight-stringed instrument.

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by an eight-stringed instrument.; For the leader: according to the sheminith: a psalm: for David; To the leader: according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.; For the director of music. According to sheminith. A psalm of David.

12 Help, Yahweh, because faithful >people seem to have disappeared.

≈Those who have integrity have vanished from among humanity.

2 Everyone says empty words to #their neighbours.

≈Everyone speaks with flattering lips and ≈deceitful motives.

3 Yahweh, cut off all those flattering lips,

≈and every tongue ≈that exaggerates.

4 These are those who have said, “With our tongues ≈we’ll get whatever we want.

≈When our lips speak, who can ≈tell us what to do?”

5 Yahweh says, “I’ll ≈take action

because of the violence against the poor and the groans of the needy.

I’ll provide the safety that they’ve been longing for.”

6 Yahweh’s words are pure words,