Psalms 55
1 To the chief Musician. On stringed instruments: an instruction. Of David. Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.
`In Ebreu thus, To victorie in orguns, the lernyng of Dauid. `In Jeroms translacioun thus, To the ouercomer in salmes of Dauid lernid. God, here thou my preier, and dispise thou not my biseching;
2 Attend unto me, and answer me: I wander about in my plaint, and I moan aloud,
yyue thou tent to me, and here thou me. I am sorewful in myn exercising; and Y am disturblid of the face of the enemye,
3 Because of the voice of the enemy; because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in anger they persecute me.
and of the tribulacioun of the synner. For thei bowiden wickidnessis in to me; and in ire thei weren diseseful to me.
4 My heart is writhing within me, and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
Myn herte was disturblid in me; and the drede of deth felde on me.
5 Fear and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.
Drede and trembling camen on me; and derknessis hiliden me.
6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away, and be at rest;
And Y seide, Who schal yyue to me fetheris, as of a culuer; and Y schal fle, and schal take rest?
7 Behold, I would flee afar off, I would lodge in the wilderness; (Selah)
Lo! Y yede fer awei, and fledde; and Y dwellide in wildirnesse.
8 I would hasten my escape from the stormy wind, from the tempest.
I abood hym, that made me saaf fro the litilnesse, `ether drede, of spirit; and fro tempest.
9 Swallow [them] up, Lord; divide their tongue: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
Lord, caste thou doun, departe thou the tungis of hem; for Y siy wickidnesse and ayenseiyng in the citee.
10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof; and iniquity and mischief are in the midst of it.
Bi dai and nyyt wickidnesse schal cumpasse it on the wallis therof;
11 Perversities are in the midst thereof; and oppression and deceit depart not from its streets.
and trauel and vnriytfulnesse ben in the myddis therof. And vsure and gile failide not; fro the stretis therof.
12 For it is not an enemy that hath reproached me — then could I have borne it; neither is it he that hateth me that hath magnified [himself] against me — then would I have hidden myself from him;
For if myn enemye hadde cursid me; sotheli Y hadde suffride. And if he, that hatide me, hadde spoke greet thingis on me; in hap Y hadde hid me fro hym.
13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, mine intimate, my familiar friend. ...
But thou art a man of o wille; my leeder, and my knowun.
14 We who held sweet intercourse together. To the house of God we walked amid the throng.
Which tokist togidere swete meetis with me; we yeden with consent in the hous of God.
15 Let death seize upon them, let them go down alive into Sheol. For wickedness is in their dwellings, in their midst. (Sheol h7585)
Deth come on hem; and go thei doun quyk in to helle. For weiwardnessis ben in the dwelling places of hem; in the myddis of hem. (Sheol h7585)
16 As for me, unto God will I call; and Jehovah will save me.
But Y criede to thee, Lord; and the Lord sauede me.
17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray and moan aloud; and he will hear my voice.
In the euentid and morewtid and in myddai Y schal telle, and schewe; and he schal here my vois.
18 He hath redeemed my soul in peace from the battle against me: for there were many about me.
He schal ayenbie my soule in pees fro hem, that neiyen to me; for among manye thei weren with me.
19 God will hear, and afflict them: he that is seated of old, (Selah) ...because there is no change in them, and they fear not God.
God schal here; and he that is bifore the worldis schal make hem low. For chaungyng is not to hem, and thei dredden not God;
20 He hath put forth his hands against such as are at peace with him; he hath profaned his covenant.
he holdith forth his hoond in yelding. Thei defouliden his testament,
21 Smooth were the milky [words] of his mouth, but his heart was war; his words were softer than oil, yet are they drawn swords.
the cheris therof weren departid fro ire; and his herte neiyede. The wordis therof weren softer than oyle; and tho ben dartis.
22 Cast thy burden upon Jehovah, and he will sustain thee: he will never suffer the righteous to be moved.
Caste thi cure on the Lord, and he schal fulli nurische thee; and he schal not yyue with outen ende flotering to a iust man.
23 And thou, O God, wilt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. But as for me, I will confide in thee.
But thou, God, schalt lede hem forth; in to the pit of deth. Menquelleris and gilours schulen not haue half her daies; but, Lord, Y schal hope in thee.
