< Psalms 18 >
1 To victorie, the word of the Lord to Dauid; which spak the wordis of this song, in the dai in which the Lord delyuerede hym fro the hond of alle hise enemyes, and fro the hond of Saul; and he seide: Lord, my strengthe, Y schal loue thee; the Lord is my stidfastnesse, and my refuyt, and mi deliuerere.
2 Mi God is myn helpere; and Y schal hope in to hym. My defendere, and the horn of myn helthe; and myn vptakere.
3 I schal preise, and ynwardli clepe the Lord; and Y schal be saaf fro myn enemyes.
4 The sorewis of deth cumpassiden me; and the strondis of wickidnesse disturbliden me.
5 The sorewis of helle cumpassiden me; the snaris of deeth `bifor ocupieden me. (Sheol )
6 In my tribulacioun Y inwardli clepide the Lord; and Y criede to my God. And he herde my vois fro his hooli temple; and my cry in his siyt entride in to hise eeris.
7 The erthe was mouede togidere, and tremblede togidere; the foundementis of hillis weren troblid togidere, and weren moued togidere; for he was wrooth to hem.
8 Smoke stiede in the ire of hym, and fier brente out fro his face; coolis weren kyndlid of hym.
9 He bowide doun heuenes, and cam doun; and derknesse was vndur hise feet.
10 And he stiede on cherubym, and flei; he fley ouer the pennes of wyndis.
11 And he settide derknesses his hidyng place, his tabernacle `in his cumpas; derk water was in the cloudes of the lowere eir.
12 Ful cleer cloudis passiden in his siyt; hail and the coolis of fier.
13 And the Lord thundrid fro heuene; and the hiyeste yaf his vois, hail and the coolis of fier `camen doun.
14 And he sente hise arowis, and distriede tho men; he multipliede leytis, and disturblide tho men.
15 And the wellis of watris apperiden; and the foundementis of the erthe weren schewid. Lord, of thi blamyng; of the brething of the spirit of thin ire.
16 He sente fro the hiyeste place, and took me; and he took me fro many watris.
17 He delyuerede me fro my strongeste enemyes; and fro hem that hatiden me, fro thei weren coumfortid on me.
18 Thei camen bifor me in the dai of my turment; and the Lord was maad my defendere.
19 And he ledde out me in to breede; he maad me saaf, for he wolde me.
20 And the Lord schal yelde to me bi my riytfulnesse; and he schal yelde to me bi the clennesse of myn hondis.
21 For Y kepte the weies of the Lord; and Y dide not vnfeithfuli fro my God.
22 For alle hise domes ben in my siyt; and Y puttide not awei fro me hise riytfulnessis.
23 And Y schal be vnwemmed with hym; and Y schal kepe me fro my wickidnesse.
24 And the Lord schal yelde to me bi my riytfulnesse; and bi the clennesse of myn hondis in the siyt of hise iyen.
25 With the hooli, thou schalt be hooli; and with `a man innocent, thou schalt be innocent.
26 And with a chosun man, thou schalt be chosun; and with a weiward man, thou schalt be weiward.
27 For thou schalt make saaf a meke puple; and thou schalt make meke the iyen of proude men.
28 For thou, Lord, liytnest my lanterne; my God, liytne thou my derknessis.
29 For bi thee Y schal be delyuered fro temptacioun; and in my God Y schal `go ouer the wal.
30 Mi God, his weie is vndefoulid, the speches of the Lord ben examyned bi fier; he is defendere of alle men hopynge in hym.
31 For whi, who is God out takun the Lord? ethir who is God outakun oure God?
32 God that hath gird me with vertu; and hath set my weie vnwemmed.
33 Which made perfit my feet as of hertis; and ordeynynge me on hiye thingis.
34 Which techith myn hondis to batel; and thou hast set myn armys as a brasun bouwe.
35 And thou hast youe to me the kyueryng of thin helthe; and thi riythond hath vptake me. And thi chastisyng amendide me in to the ende; and thilke chastisyng of thee schal teche me.
36 Thou alargidist my paaces vndur me; and my steppis ben not maad vnstidefast.
37 Y schal pursue myn enemyes, and Y schal take hem; and Y schal not turne til thei failen.
38 I schal al to-breke hem, and thei schulen not mowe stonde; thei schulen falle vndur my feet.
39 And thou hast gird me with vertu to batel; and thou hast `supplauntid, ether disseyued, vndur me men risynge ayens me.
40 And thou hast youe myn enemyes abac to me; and thou hast distried `men hatynge me.
41 Thei crieden, and noon was that maad hem saaf; `thei crieden to the Lord, and he herde not hem.
42 And Y schal al to-breke hem, as dust bifor the face of wynd; Y schal do hem awei, as the cley of stretis.
43 Thou schalt delyuere me fro ayenseiyngis of the puple; thou schalt sette me in to the heed of folkis.
44 The puple, which Y knewe not, seruede me; in the herynge of eere it obeiede to me.
45 Alien sones lieden to me, alien sones wexiden elde; and crokiden fro thi pathis.
46 The Lord lyueth, and my God be blessid; and the God of myn helthe be enhaunsid.
47 God, that yauest veniaunces to me, and makist suget puplis vndur me; my delyuerere fro my wrathful enemyes.
48 And thou schalt enhaunse me fro hem, that risen ayens me; thou schalt delyuere me fro a wickid man.
49 Therfor, Lord, Y schal knouleche to thee among naciouns; and Y schal seie salm to thi name.
50 Magnyfiynge the helthis of his kyng; and doynge merci to his crist Dauid, and to his seed til in to the world.
