Psalms 109

1 To victorye, the salm of Dauid.

To the chief music-maker. Of David. A Psalm. God of my praise, let my prayer be answered;

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.

For the mouth of the sinner is open against me in deceit: his tongue has said false things against 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.

Words of hate are round about me; they have made war against me without cause.

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

For my love they give me back hate; but I have given myself to prayer.

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

They have put on me evil for good; hate in exchange for my love.

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

Put an evil man over him; and let one be placed at his right hand to say evil of him.

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

When he is judged, let the decision go against him; and may his prayer become sin.

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

Let his life be short; let another take his position of authority.

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

Let his children have no father, and his wife be made a widow.

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

Let his children be wanderers, looking to others for their food; let them be sent away from the company of their friends.

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

Let his creditor take all his goods; and let others have the profit of his work.

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

Let no man have pity on him, or give help to his children when he is dead.

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

Let his seed be cut off; in the coming generation let their name go out of memory.

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.

Let the Lord keep in mind the wrongdoing of his fathers; and may the sin of his mother have no forgiveness.

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

Let them be ever before the eyes of the Lord, so that the memory of them may be cut off from the earth.

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

Because he had no mercy, but was cruel to the low and the poor, designing the death of the broken-hearted.

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

As he took pleasure in cursing, so let it come on him; and as he had no delight in blessing, let it be far from him.

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.

He put on cursing like a robe, and it has come into his body like water, and into his bones like oil.

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

Let it be to him as a robe which he puts on, let it be like a band which is round him at all times.

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

Let this be the reward given to my haters from the Lord, and to those who say evil of my soul.

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

But, O Lord God, give me your help, because of your name; take me out of danger, because your mercy is good.

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

For I am poor and in need, and my heart is wounded in me.

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

I am gone like the shade when it is stretched out: I am forced out of my place like a locust.

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

My knees are feeble for need of food; there is no fat on my bones.

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

As for me, they make sport of me; shaking their heads when they see me.

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

Give me help, O Lord my God; in your mercy be my saviour;

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

So that they may see that it is the work of your hand; that you, Lord, have done it.

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

They may give curses but you give blessing; when they come up against me, put them to shame; but let your servant be glad.

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

Let my haters be clothed with shame, covering themselves with shame as with a robe.

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

I will give the Lord great praise with my mouth; yes, I will give praise to him among all the people.

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

For he is ever at the right hand of the poor, to take him out of the hands of those who go after his soul.