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¹ The title of the nyne and threttithe salm. For victorie, the song of Dauid. Y abidynge abood the Lord; and he yaf tent to me.² And he herde my preieris; and he ledde out me fro the lake of wretchidnesse, and fro the filthe of draft. And he ordeynede my feet on a stoon; and he dresside my goyngis.³ And he sente in to my mouth a newe song; a song to oure God. Many men schulen se, and schulen drede; and schulen haue hope in the Lord.⁴ Blessid is the man, of whom the name of the Lord is his hope; and he bihelde not in to vanitees, and in to false woodnesses.⁵ Mi Lord God, thou hast maad thi merueils manye; and in thi thouytis noon is, that is lijk thee. I teld, and Y spak; and thei ben multiplied aboue noumbre.

⁶ Thou noldist sacrifice and offryng; but thou madist perfitli eeris to me. Thou axidist not brent sacrifice, and sacrifice for synne;⁷ thanne Y seide, Lo! Y come. In the heed of the book it is writun of me,⁸ that Y schulde do thi wille; my God, Y wolde; and thi lawe in the myddis of myn herte.⁹ I telde thi riytfulnesse in a greet chirche; lo! Y schal not refreine my lippis, Lord, thou wistist.¹⁰ I hidde not thi riytfulnesse in myn herte; Y seide thi treuthe and thin helthe. I hidde not thi mercy and thi treuthe; fro a myche counsel.

¹¹ But thou, Lord, make not fer thi merciful doyngis fro me; thi mercy and treuthe euere token me vp.¹² For whi yuels, of whiche is no noumbre, cumpassiden me; my wickidnessis token me, and y myyte not, that Y schulde se. Tho ben multiplied aboue the heeris of myn heed; and myn herte forsook me.¹³ Lord, plese it to thee, that thou delyuere me; Lord, biholde thou to helpe me.¹⁴ Be thei schent, and aschamed togidere; that seken my lijf, to take awei it. Be thei turned abac, and be thei schamed; that wolen yuels to me.¹⁵ Bere thei her confusioun anoon; that seien to me, Wel! wel! `that is, in scorn.¹⁶ Alle men that seken thee, be fulli ioyful, and be glad on thee; and seie thei, that louen thin helthe, The Lord be magnyfied euere.¹⁷ Forsothe Y am a beggere and pore; the Lord is bisi of me. Thou arte myn helpere and my defendere; my God, tarie thou not.