Psalms 40

1 For victorie, the song of Dauid. Y abidynge abood the Lord; and he yaf tent to me.

“To the chief musician, a psalm of David.” I had waited patiently for the Lord, when he inclined himself unto me, and heard my cry.

2 And he herde my preieris; and he ledde out me fro the lake of wretchidnesse, and fro the filthe of draft. And he ordeynede my feet on a stoon; and he dresside my goyngis.

And he brought me up out of the noiseful deep, out of the miry clay, and he set up my feet upon a rock, making firm my steps.

3 And he sente in to my mouth a newe song; a song to oure God. Many men schulen se, and schulen drede; and schulen haue hope in the Lord.

And he placed in my mouth a new song, a praise unto our God: many will see it, and fear; and they will trust in the Lord.

4 Blessid is the man, of whom the name of the Lord is his hope; and he bihelde not in to vanitees, and in to false woodnesses.

Happy is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and turneth not unto the proud, nor such as stray aside unto lies.

5 Mi Lord God, thou hast maad thi merueils manye; and in thi thouytis noon is, that is lijk thee. I teld, and Y spak; and thei ben multiplied aboue noumbre.

Many things hast thou done, O Lord my God; thy wonderful deeds and thy thoughts toward us—there is none to be compared unto thee—will I tell and speak of, [though] they are too numerous to be counted.

6 Thou noldist sacrifice and offryng; but thou madist perfitli eeris to me. Thou axidist not brent sacrifice, and sacrifice for synne;

Sacrifice and meat-offering thou desirest not—ears hast thou hollowed out unto me—burnt-offering and sin-offering thou demandest not.

7 thanne Y seide, Lo! Y come. In the heed of the book it is writun of me,

Then said I, Lo, I come: in the roll of the book it is written down for me;

8 that Y schulde do thi wille; my God, Y wolde; and thi lawe in the myddis of myn herte.

To fulfill thy will, O my God, do I desire; and thy law is within my heart.

9 I telde thi riytfulnesse in a greet chirche; lo! Y schal not refreine my lippis, Lord, thou wistist.

I announce [thy] righteousness in the great assembly: lo, I will not refrain my lips, O Lord, thou well knowest it.

10 I hidde not thi riytfulnesse in myn herte; Y seide thi treuthe and thin helthe. I hidde not thi mercy and thi treuthe; fro a myche counsel.

Thy righteousness have I never hidden within my heart; thy faithfulness and thy salvation have I spoken of openly: I have not concealed thy kindness and thy truth before the great assembly.

11 But thou, Lord, make not fer thi merciful doyngis fro me; thi mercy and treuthe euere token me vp.

Do thou, O Lord, not withhold thy mercies from me: let thy kindness and thy truth continually watch over me.

12 For whi yuels, of whiche is no noumbre, cumpassiden me; my wickidnessis token me, and y myyte not, that Y schulde se. Tho ben multiplied aboue the heeris of myn heed; and myn herte forsook me.

For evils without number have compassed me about; my iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see: they are more numerous than the hairs of my head; and my courage hath forsaken me.

13 Lord, plese it to thee, that thou delyuere me; Lord, biholde thou to helpe me.

Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, hasten to my help.

14 Be thei schent, and aschamed togidere; that seken my lijf, to take awei it. Be thei turned abac, and be thei schamed; that wolen yuels to me.

May those be made ashamed and put to the blush together that seek after my soul to take her away: let them be driven backward and be confounded, that wish for my mishap.

15 Bere thei her confusioun anoon; that seien to me, Wel! wel! `that is, in scorn.

May they be astonished in consequence of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha!

16 Alle men that seken thee, be fulli ioyful, and be glad on thee; and seie thei, that louen thin helthe, The Lord be magnyfied euere.

[But] may all those that seek thee be glad and rejoice in thee: may they say continually, The Lord be magnified, —those that love thy salvation.

17 Forsothe Y am a beggere and pore; the Lord is bisi of me. Thou arte myn helpere and my defendere; my God, tarie thou not.

But though I be poor and needy, the Lord will think of me: my help and my deliverer art thou: O my God, delay not.