A. 1 Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth;
for the faithful fail from among the children of men.
B. 2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbour:
with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
3 The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips,
and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail;
our lips are our own: who is lord over us?
C. 5 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.
B’. 6 The words of the LORD are pure words:
as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
A’. 7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD,
thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
8 The wicked walk on every side,
when the vilest men (Heb. children of men) are exalted.
I have just checked Alden on this Psalm. He separates verses 3-4 and the first of a double centre, with verse 5 and C’. “God condemns wicked’, “God vindicates righteous”.