King James Version

Psalms 12:2

They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Psalms 12:3.

שָׁ֤וְאshavefalseשָׁוְאnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “false”, the ordinary formH7723evil (as destructive), literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile); figuratively idolatry (as false, subjective), uselessness (as deceptive, objective; also adverbially, in vain)false(-ly), lie, lying, vain, vanity.יְֽדַבְּרוּ֮yedabrvspeakדָבַרverb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “speak”, an unfinished actionH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.אִ֤ישׁisha certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…אֶתetamongאֵתpreposition — “among”H854properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc.against, among, before, by, for, from, in(-to), (out) of, with. Often with another prepositional prefix.רֵ֫עֵ֥הוּreehvbrotherרֵעַnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “brother”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7453an associate (more or less close)brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbour, [idiom] (an-) other.שְׂפַ֥תsefatlanguageשָׂפָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “language”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8193the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.)band, bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language, lip, prating, (sea-)shore, side, speech, talk, (vain) words.חֲלָק֑וֹתchalaqotfieldחֶלְקָהadjective, adjective, feminine, plural, absolute — “field”, the ordinary formH2513properly, smoothness; figuratively, flattery; also an allotmentfield, flattering(-ry), ground, parcel, part, piece of land (ground), plat, portion, slippery place, smooth (thing).בְּלֵ֖בbelevin comfortablyלֵבpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in comfortably”, the ordinary formH3820the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything[phrase] care for, comfortably, consent, [idiom] considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), [idiom] heed, [idiom] I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), [idiom] regard(-ed), [idiom]…וָלֵ֣בvalevand comfortablyלֵבconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and comfortably”, the ordinary formH3820the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything[phrase] care for, comfortably, consent, [idiom] considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), [idiom] heed, [idiom] I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), [idiom] regard(-ed), [idiom]…יְדַבֵּֽרוּyedabervspeakדָבַרverb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “speak”, an unfinished actionH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(12-3) They speak falsehood every one with his neighbour; with flattering lip, and with a double heart, do they speak.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

They speak falsehood every one with his neighbor: With flattering lip, and with a double heart, do they speak.

Young’s Literal Translation

Vanity they speak each with his neighbour, Lip of flattery! With heart and heart they speak.

World English Bible

Everyone lies to his neighbor. They speak with flattering lips, and with a double heart.

Darby Translation

They speak falsehood every one with his neighbour: [with] flattering lip, with a double heart, do they speak.

Douay-Rheims

How long shall I take counsels in my soul, sorrow in my heart all the day?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(12-3) They speak falsehood every one with his neighbour; with flattering lip, and with a double heart, do they speak.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Every one has spoken vanity to his neighbour: their lips are deceitful, they have spoken with a double heart.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Μάταια ἐλάλησεν ἕκαστος πρὸς τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ, χείλη δόλια, ἐν καρδίᾳ καὶ ἐν καρδίᾳ ἐλάλησαν.