Psalms 109

1 To victorye, the salm of Dauid.

For the end, a Psalm of David. For the end, a Psalm of David. O God, pass not over my praise in 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 sinner and the mouth of the crafty [man] have been opened against me: they have spoken against me with a crafty 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.

And they have compassed me 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.

Instead of loving me, they falsely accused me: but I continued to pray.

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

And they rewarded 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 you a sinner against him; and let the devil 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 become sin.

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

Let his days be few: and let another take his office of overseer.

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

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

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

Let his children wander without a dwelling-place, and beg: let them be cast out of their habitations.

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

Let [his] creditor exact all that belongs to him: and let strangers spoil his labors.

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

Let him have no helper; neither let there be any one to have compassion on his fatherless children.

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

Let his children be [given up] to utter destruction: in one generation let his 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 remembered before 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; and let their memorial be blotted out from the earth.

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

Because he remembered not to show mercy, but persecuted the needy and poor man, and [that] to kill him that was pricked in the heart.

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

He loved cursing also, and it shall come upon him; and he took not pleasure in blessing, so it shall be removed 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.

Yes, he put on cursing as a garment, and it is come as water into his bowels, and as 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 to him as a garment which he puts on, and as a girdle with which he girds himself continually.

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

This is the dealing of the Lord with those who falsely accuse me, and of them that speak evil against my soul.

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

But you, O Lord, Lord, deal [mercifully] with me, for your name's sake: for your mercy is good.

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

Deliver me, for I am poor and needy; and my heart is troubled within me.

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

I am removed as a shadow in its going down: I am tossed up and down like locusts.

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

My knees are weakened through fasting, and my flesh is changed by reason of [the lack of] oil.

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

I became also a reproach to them: [when] they saw me they shook their heads.

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

Help me, O Lord my God; and save me according to your mercy.

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

And let them know that this is your hand; and [that] you, Lord, have wrought 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 you shall bless: let them that rise up against me be ashamed, but let your servant rejoice.

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

Let those that falsely accuse me be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their shame as with a mantle.

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 thanks to the Lord abundantly with my mouth; and in the midst of many I will praise him.

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

For he stood on the right hand of the poor, to save [me] from them that persecute my soul.