Psalms 56

1 `In Ebreu thus, To the ouercomyng on the doumb culuer of fer drawing awei, the comely song of Dauid, whanne Filisteis helden hym in Geth. `In Jeroms translacioun thus, To the ouercomer for the doumb culuer, for it yede awei fer. Dauid meke and symple made this salm, whanne Palesteyns helden hym in Geth. God, haue thou merci on me, for a man hath defoulid me; al dai he impugnyde, and troublide me.

To the chief music-maker; put to Jonath elem rehokim. Of David. Michtam. When the Philistines took him in Gath. Have mercy on me, O God, for man is attempting my destruction; every day he makes cruel attacks against me.

2 Myn enemyes defouliden me al dai; for manye fiyteris weren ayens me.

My haters are ever ready to put an end to me; great numbers are lifting themselves up against me.

3 Of the hiynesse of dai Y schal drede; but God Y schal hope in thee.

In the time of my fear, I will have faith in you.

4 In God Y schal preise my wordis; Y hopide in God, Y schal not drede what thing fleisch schal do to me.

In God will I give praise to his word; in God have I put my hope; I will have no fear of what flesh may do to me.

5 Al dai thei cursiden my wordis; ayens me alle her thouytis weren in to yuel.

Every day they make wrong use of my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil.

6 Thei schulen dwelle, and schulen hide; thei schulen aspie myn heele.

They come together, they are waiting in secret places, they take note of my steps, they are waiting for my soul.

7 As thei abiden my lijf, for nouyt schalt thou make hem saaf; in ire thou schalt breke togidre puplis.

By evil-doing they will not get free from punishment. In wrath, O God, let the peoples be made low.

8 God, Y schewide my lijf to thee; thou hast set my teeris in thi siyt. As and in thi biheest, Lord;

You have seen my wanderings; put the drops from my eyes into your bottle; are they not in your record?

9 thanne myn enemyes schulen be turned abak. In what euere dai Y schal inwardli clepe thee; lo! Y haue knowe, that thou art my God.

When I send up my cry to you, my haters will be turned back; I am certain of this, for God is with me.

10 In God Y schal preise a word; in the Lord Y schal preyse a word.

In God will I give praise to his word; in the Lord will I give praise to his word.

11 Y schal hope in God; Y schal not drede what thing a man schal do to me.

In God have I put my hope, I will have no fear of what man may do to me.

12 God, thin auowis ben in me; whiche Y schal yelde heriyngis to thee.

I keep the memory of my debt to you, O God; I will give you the offerings of praise.

13 For thou hast delyuerid my lijf fro deth, and my feet fro slidyng; that Y pleese bifore God in the liyt of hem that lyuen.

Because you have taken my soul from the power of death; and kept my feet from falling, so that I may be walking before God in the light of life.