Psalms 109
1 To victorye, the salm of Dauid.
For the leader. Of David, a psalm. O God whom I 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 their wicked mouths they have opened against me, they speak to me with tongues that are false,
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 beset me with words of hatred, and fight without cause against me.
4 For that thing that thei schulden loue me, thei bacbitiden me; but Y preiede.
My love they requite with hostility, while for them I lift up my prayer.
5 And thei settiden ayens me yuelis for goodis; and hatrede for my loue.
Evil for good they reward me, and hatred for my love.
6 Ordeyne thou a synner on him; and the deuel stonde on his riyt half.
“Set over him one who is godless,” they say, “an opponent at his right hand.
7 Whanne he is demed, go he out condempned; and his preier `be maad in to synne.
From his trial let him come forth guilty, may his prayer be counted as sin.
8 Hise daies be maad fewe; and another take his bischopriche.
Grant that his days may be few, that his office be seized by another.
9 Hise sones be maad faderles; and his wijf a widewe.
Grant that his children be fatherless, and that his wife be a widow.
10 Hise sones tremblinge be born ouer, and begge; and be cast out of her habitaciouns.
Up and down may his children go begging, expelled from their desolate home.
11 An vsurere seke al his catel; and aliens rauysche hise trauelis.
May all that he owns be seized by the creditor may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil.
12 Noon helpere be to him; nether ony be that haue mercy on hise modirles children.
“May none extend to him kindness, or pity his fatherless children.
13 Hise sones be maad in to perisching; the name of him be don awei in oon generacioun.
His descendants be doomed to destruction! Blotted out be his name in one generation!
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.
May his father’s guilt be remembered, and his mother’s sin not blotted out:
15 Be thei maad euere ayens the Lord; and the mynde of hem perische fro erthe.
on record always before the Lord, and his memory root from the earth;
16 For that thing that he thouyte not to do merci,
for he gave no thought to show kindness, but pursued the poor and the needy, drove the downhearted to death.
17 and he pursuede a pore man and beggere; and to slee a man compunct in herte.
“May the curses he loved light upon him, may the blessings he loathed be afar.
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.
Like a garment he clothed him with curses; may they pierce to his inwards like water, and cling to his bones like oil.
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 them be like the robe he wraps round him, like the belt he wears every day.”
20 This is the werk of hem that bacbiten me anentis the Lord; and that speke yuels ayens my lijf.
Be this the reward of my adversaries, of those who speak evil against me.
21 And thou, Lord, Lord, do with me for thi name; for thi merci is swete.
But you, Lord my God, be true to your name, deal kindly with me; in your gracious kindness save 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 a lengthening shadow, I am shaken off like a locust.
24 Mi knees ben maad feble of fasting; and my fleische was chaungid for oile.
My knees totter from fasting, my flesh is shrivelled and spare.
25 And Y am maad schenschipe to hem; thei sien me, and moueden her heedis.
They heap insults upon me: 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, and save me in your kindness.
27 And thei schulen wite, that this is thin hond; and thou, Lord, hast do it.
Teach them that this is your hand, and your own doing, O Lord.
28 Thei schulen curse, and thou schalt blesse, thei that risen ayens me, be schent; but thi seruaunt schal be glad.
Let them curse, if only you bless. Put my assailants to shame, and make your servant glad.
29 Thei that bacbiten me, be clothid with schame; and be thei hilid with her schenschipe as with a double cloth.
My opponents be clothed with dishonor, and wrapped in a robe of shame.
30 I schal knouleche to the Lord greetli with my mouth; and Y schal herie hym in the myddil of many men.
I give thanks to you, Lord, with loud voice, I give praise in the midst of the throng;
31 Which stood nyy on the riyt half of a pore man; to make saaf my soule fro pursueris.
for he stands by the poor, at his right hand, to save them from those who condemn them.
