A World Full of Liars
Study note
David sees that godly people are becoming rare. Everyone speaks lies and flattery. The arrogant boast that their words are unstoppable.
1 Come to the rescue, Lord! People who are faithful are vanishing. People you can count on are disappearing from the earth. Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.
2 Everybody tells lies to the people around them. They say one thing with their lips but mean something completely different in their hearts. They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
3 May the Lord silence every smooth-talking tongue and every mouth that speaks with arrogance. The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
4 They keep saying, "Our words are our weapons — who can overpower us?" Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?
God's Pure Words
Study note
God promises to protect the poor and needy. Unlike human words, God's words are pure like silver refined seven times.
5 "Because the poor are being trampled and the needy are crying out in pain, I will stand up right now," says the Lord. "I will wrap them in safety from those who attack them with words." For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.
6 Every word from the Lord is pure. It is like silver heated in a furnace. It has been made clean seven times over. The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
7 You will keep your promises, Lord. You will guard us from this kind of people forever. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
8 Wicked people strut around freely on every side. They do this when the world cheers on evil. The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.