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¹ The title of the hundrid and eiytthe salm. To victorye, the salm of Dauid.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.³ Thei spaken ayens me with a gileful tunge, and thei cumpassiden me with wordis of hatrede; and fouyten ayens me with out cause.⁴ For that thing that thei schulden loue me, thei bacbitiden me; but Y preiede.⁵ And thei settiden ayens me yuelis for goodis; and hatrede for my loue.

⁶ Ordeyne thou a synner on him; and the deuel stonde on his riyt half.⁷ Whanne he is demed, go he out condempned; and his preier `be maad in to synne.⁸ Hise daies be maad fewe; and another take his bischopriche.⁹ Hise sones be maad faderles; and his wijf a widewe.¹⁰ Hise sones tremblinge be born ouer, and begge; and be cast out of her habitaciouns.¹¹ An vsurere seke al his catel; and aliens rauysche hise trauelis.¹² Noon helpere be to him; nether ony be that haue mercy on hise modirles children.¹³ Hise sones be maad in to perisching; the name of him be don awei in oon generacioun.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.¹⁵ Be thei maad euere ayens the Lord; and the mynde of hem perische fro erthe.¹⁶ For that thing that he thouyte not to do merci,¹⁷ and he pursuede a pore man and beggere; and to slee a man compunct in herte.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.¹⁹ Be it maad to him as a cloth, with which he is hilyd; and as a girdil, with which he is euere gird.²⁰ This is the werk of hem that bacbiten me anentis the Lord; and that speke yuels ayens my lijf.

²¹ And thou, Lord, Lord, do with me for thi name; for thi merci is swete.²² Delyuere thou me, for Y am nedi and pore; and myn herte is disturblid with ynne me.²³ I am takun awei as a schadowe, whanne it bowith awei; and Y am schakun awei as locustis.²⁴ Mi knees ben maad feble of fasting; and my fleische was chaungid for oile.²⁵ And Y am maad schenschipe to hem; thei sien me, and moueden her heedis.²⁶ Mi Lord God, helpe thou me; make thou me saaf bi thi merci.²⁷ And thei schulen wite, that this is thin hond; and thou, Lord, hast do it.²⁸ Thei schulen curse, and thou schalt blesse, thei that risen ayens me, be schent; but thi seruaunt schal be glad.²⁹ Thei that bacbiten me, be clothid with schame; and be thei hilid with her schenschipe as with a double cloth.³⁰ I schal knouleche to the Lord greetli with my mouth; and Y schal herie hym in the myddil of many men.³¹ Which stood nyy on the riyt half of a pore man; to make saaf my soule fro pursueris.