Bible Reading : Psalms 11 and 12

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

1 I have taken refuge in the Lord. 
How can you say to me, "Escape to the mountain like a bird! 
2 For look, the wicked string the bow; 
they put the arrow on the bowstring to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.  
3 When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" 
4 The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven.
His eyes watch; He examines everyone.  
5 The Lord examines the righteous and the wicked. 
He hates the lover of violence.
6 He will rain burning coals and sulfur on the wicked; 
a scorching wind will be their portion. 
7 For the Lord is righteous; He loves righteous deeds. 
The upright will see His face.

     This psalm was written by David while he was fleeing for his life from Saul, traditionally believed to be written after the events in 1Samuel: 23. David is now on the run for his life, but still trying to do what is right, protecting villages from the philistines even as Saul is hunting him down with his army. David trusts God to see him through, even in this difficult time, beset on all sides by enemies and betrayers as the very people he helped protect then attempt to turn him over to Saul.. 

Psalms 12 HCSB

Oppression by the Wicked

For the choir director: according to Sheminith. A psalm of David.

1 Help, Lord, for no faithful one remains; 
the loyal have disappeared from the human race.
2 They lie to one another; 
they speak with flattering lips and deceptive hearts. 
3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaks boastfully.
4 They say, "Through our tongues we have power; 
our lips are our own-who can be our master?"
5 "Because of the oppression of the afflicted and the groaning of the poor,
I will now rise up," says the Lord. 
"I will put in a safe place the one who longs for it."  
6 The words of the Lord are pure words, 
like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times.
7 You, Lord, will guard us; 
You will protect us from this generation forever.  
8 The wicked wander everywhere, and what is worthless is exalted by the human race.

      It is unknown at what point in his life David wrote this psalm. The Sheminith is the lowest octave singable by the male voice, was most likely meant to be a low and contemplative song.