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¹ The title of the foure and thrittithe salm. `To Dauid. Lord, deme thou hem, that anoien me; ouercome thou hem, that fiyten ayens me.² Take thou armeris and scheeld; and rise vp into help to me.³ Schede out the swerd, and close togidere ayens hem that pursuen me; seie thou to my soule, Y am thin helthe.⁴ Thei that seken my lijf; be schent, and aschamed. Thei that thenken yuels to me; be turned awei bacward, and be schent.⁵ Be thei maad as dust bifor the face of the wynd; and the aungel of the Lord make hem streit.⁶ Her weie be maad derknesse, and slydirnesse; and the aungel of the Lord pursue hem.⁷ For with out cause thei hidden to me the deth of her snare; in veyn thei dispisiden my soule.⁸ The snare which he knoweth not come to hym, and the takyng which he hidde take hym; and fall he in to the snare in that thing.⁹ But my soule schal fulli haue ioye in the Lord; and schal delite on his helthe.¹⁰ Alle my boonys schulen seie, Lord, who is lijk thee? Thou delyuerist a pore man fro the hond of his strengere; a nedi man and pore fro hem that diuersely rauischen hym.

¹¹ Wickid witnessis risynge axiden me thingis, whiche Y knewe not.¹² Thei yeldiden to me yuels for goodis; bareynnesse to my soule.¹³ But whanne thei weren diseseful to me; Y was clothid in an heire. I mekide my soule in fastyng; and my preier schal be turned `with ynne my bosum.<sup>14</sup> I pleside so as oure neiybore, as oure brother; Y was `maad meke so as morenynge and sorewful.¹⁵ And thei weren glad, and camen togidere ayens me; turmentis weren gaderid on me, and Y knew not.¹⁶ Thei weren scaterid, and not compunct, thei temptiden me, thei scornyden me with mowyng; thei gnastiden on me with her teeth.

¹⁷ Lord, whanne thou schalt biholde, restore thou my soule fro the wickidnesse of hem; `restore thou myn oon aloone fro liouns.¹⁸ I schal knowleche to thee in a greet chirche; Y schal herie thee in a sad puple.¹⁹ Thei that ben aduersaries wickidli to me, haue not ioye on me; that haten me with out cause, and bikenen with iyen.²⁰ For sotheli thei spaken pesibli to me; and thei spekynge in wrathfulnesse of erthe thouyten giles.²¹ And thei maden large her mouth on me; thei seiden, Wel, wel! oure iyen han sien.²² Lord, thou hast seen, be thou not stille; Lord, departe thou not fro me.²³ Rise vp, and yyue tent to my doom; my God and my Lord, biholde in to my cause.²⁴ Mi Lord God, deme thou me bi thi riytfulnesse; and haue thei not ioye on me.²⁵ Seie thei not in her hertis, Wel, wel, to oure soule; nether seie thei, We schulen deuoure hym.²⁶ Shame thei, and drede thei togidere; that thanken for myn yuels. Be thei clothid with schame and drede; that speken yuele thingis on me.²⁷ Haue thei ful ioie, and be thei glad that wolen my riytfulnesse; and seie thei euere, The Lord be magnyfied, whiche wolen the pees of his seruaunt.²⁸ And my tunge schal bithenke thi riytfulnesse; al day thin heriyng.