Psalms 109

1 To victorye, the salm of Dauid.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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