< Psalms 73 >
1 `The salm of Asaph. God of Israel is ful good; to hem that ben of riytful herte.
2 But my feet weren moued almeest; my steppis weren sched out almeest.
3 For Y louede feruentli on wickid men; seynge the pees of synneris.
4 For biholdyng is not to the deth of hem; and stidefastnesse in the sikenesse of hem.
5 Thei ben not in the trauel of men; and thei schulen not be betun with men.
6 Therfore pride helde hem; thei weren hilid with her wickidnesse and vnfeithfulnesse.
7 The wickidnesse of hem cam forth as of fatnesse; thei yeden in to desire of herte.
8 Thei thouyten and spaken weiwardnesse; thei spaken wickidnesse an hiy.
9 Thei puttiden her mouth in to heuene; and her tunge passide in erthe.
10 Therfor my puple schal be conuertid here; and fulle daies schulen be foundun in hem.
11 And thei seiden, How woot God; and whether kunnyng is an heiye, `that is, in heuene?
12 Lo! thilke synneris and hauynge aboundance in the world; helden richessis.
13 And Y seide, Therfor without cause Y iustifiede myn herte; and waischide myn hoondis among innocentis.
14 And Y was betun al dai; and my chastisyng was in morutidis.
15 If Y seide, Y schal telle thus; lo! Y repreuede the nacioun of thi sones.
16 I gesside, that Y schulde knowe this; trauel is bifore me.
17 Til Y entre in to the seyntuarie of God; and vndurstonde in the last thingis of hem.
18 Netheles for gilis thou hast put to hem; thou castidist hem doun, while thei weren reisid.
19 Hou ben thei maad into desolacioun; thei failiden sodeynli, thei perischiden for her wickidnesse.
20 As the dreem of men that risen; Lord, thou schalt dryue her ymage to nouyt in thi citee.
21 For myn herte is enflaumed, and my reynes ben chaungid;
22 and Y am dryuun to nouyt, and Y wiste not.
23 As a werk beeste Y am maad at thee; and Y am euere with thee.
24 Thou heldist my riythond, and in thi wille thou leddist me forth; and with glorie thou tokist me vp.
25 For whi what is to me in heuene; and what wolde Y of thee on erthe?
26 Mi fleische and myn herte failide; God of myn herte, and my part is God withouten ende.
27 For lo! thei that drawen awei fer hem silf fro thee, `bi deedli synne, schulen perische; thou hast lost alle men that doen fornycacioun fro thee.
28 But it is good to me to cleue to God; and to sette myn hope in the Lord God. That Y telle alle thi prechyngis; in the yatis of the douyter of Syon.