Psalms 109

1 To victorye, the salm of Dauid.

For the Leader. A Psalm of David. O God of my praise, keep not silence;

2 God, holde thou not stille my preisyng; for the mouth of the synner, and the mouth of the gileful man is openyd on me.

For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit have they opened against me; they have spoken unto me with a lying tongue.

3 Thei spaken ayens me with a gileful tunge, and thei cumpassiden me with wordis of hatrede; and fouyten ayens me with out cause.

They compassed me about also with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.

4 For that thing that thei schulden loue me, thei bacbitiden me; but Y preiede.

In return for my love they are my adversaries; but I am all prayer.

5 And thei settiden ayens me yuelis for goodis; and hatrede for my loue.

And they have laid upon me evil for good, and hatred for my love:

6 Ordeyne thou a synner on him; and the deuel stonde on his riyt half.

'Set Thou a wicked man over him; and let an adversary stand at his right hand.

7 Whanne he is demed, go he out condempned; and his preier `be maad in to synne.

When he is judged, let him go forth condemned; and let his prayer be turned into sin.

8 Hise daies be maad fewe; and another take his bischopriche.

Let his days be few; let another take his charge.

9 Hise sones be maad faderles; and his wijf a widewe.

Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

10 Hise sones tremblinge be born ouer, and begge; and be cast out of her habitaciouns.

Let his children be vagabonds, and beg; and let them seek their bread out of their desolate places.

11 An vsurere seke al his catel; and aliens rauysche hise trauelis.

Let the creditor distrain all that he hath; and let strangers make spoil of his labour.

12 Noon helpere be to him; nether ony be that haue mercy on hise modirles children.

Let there be none to extend kindness unto him; neither let there be any to be gracious unto his fatherless children.

13 Hise sones be maad in to perisching; the name of him be don awei in oon generacioun.

Let his posterity be cut off; in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

14 The wickidnesse of hise fadris come ayen in to mynde in the siyt of the Lord; and the synne of his modir be not don awei.

Let the iniquity of his fathers be brought to remembrance unto the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

15 Be thei maad euere ayens the Lord; and the mynde of hem perische fro erthe.

Let them be before the LORD continually, that He may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

16 For that thing that he thouyte not to do merci,

Because that he remembered not to do kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy man, and the broken in heart he was ready to slay.

17 and he pursuede a pore man and beggere; and to slee a man compunct in herte.

Yea, he loved cursing, and it came unto him; and he delighted not in blessing, and it is far from him.

18 And he louede cursing, and it schal come to hym; and he nolde blessing, and it schal be maad fer fro him. And he clothide cursing as a cloth, and it entride as water in to hise ynnere thingis; and as oile in hise boonus.

He clothed himself also with cursing as with his raiment, and it is come into his inward parts like water, and like oil into his bones.

19 Be it maad to him as a cloth, with which he is hilyd; and as a girdil, with which he is euere gird.

Let it be unto him as the garment which he putteth on, and for the girdle wherewith he is girded continually.'

20 This is the werk of hem that bacbiten me anentis the Lord; and that speke yuels ayens my lijf.

This would mine adversaries effect from the LORD, and they that speak evil against my soul.

21 And thou, Lord, Lord, do with me for thi name; for thi merci is swete.

But Thou, O GOD the Lord, deal with me for Thy name's sake; because Thy mercy is good, deliver Thou me.

22 Delyuere thou me, for Y am nedi and pore; and myn herte is disturblid with ynne me.

For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

23 I am takun awei as a schadowe, whanne it bowith awei; and Y am schakun awei as locustis.

I am gone like the shadow when it lengtheneth; I am shaken off as the locust.

24 Mi knees ben maad feble of fasting; and my fleische was chaungid for oile.

My knees totter through fasting; and my flesh is lean, and hath no fatness.

25 And Y am maad schenschipe to hem; thei sien me, and moueden her heedis.

I am become also a taunt unto them; when they see me, they shake their head.

26 Mi Lord God, helpe thou me; make thou me saaf bi thi merci.

Help me, O LORD my God; O save me according to Thy mercy;

27 And thei schulen wite, that this is thin hond; and thou, Lord, hast do it.

That they may know that this is Thy hand; that Thou, LORD, hast done it.

28 Thei schulen curse, and thou schalt blesse, thei that risen ayens me, be schent; but thi seruaunt schal be glad.

Let them curse, but bless Thou; when they arise, they shall be put to shame, but Thy servant shall rejoice.

29 Thei that bacbiten me, be clothid with schame; and be thei hilid with her schenschipe as with a double cloth.

Mine adversaries shall be clothed with confusion, and shall put on their own shame as a robe.

30 I schal knouleche to the Lord greetli with my mouth; and Y schal herie hym in the myddil of many men.

I will give great thanks unto the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise Him among the multitude;

31 Which stood nyy on the riyt half of a pore man; to make saaf my soule fro pursueris.

Because He standeth at the right hand of the needy, to save him from them that judge his soul.