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¹ The title of the foure and fiftithe salm. `In Ebreu thus, To victorie in orguns, the lernyng of Dauid. `In Jeroms translacioun thus, To the ouercomer in salmes of Dauid lernid. God, here thou my preier, and dispise thou not my biseching;² yyue thou tent to me, and here thou me. I am sorewful in myn exercising; and Y am disturblid of the face of the enemye,³ and of the tribulacioun of the synner. For thei bowiden wickidnessis in to me; and in ire thei weren diseseful to me.⁴ Myn herte was disturblid in me; and the drede of deth felde on me.⁵ Drede and trembling camen on me; and derknessis hiliden me.⁶ And Y seide, Who schal yyue to me fetheris, as of a culuer; and Y schal fle, and schal take rest?⁷ Lo! Y yede fer awei, and fledde; and Y dwellide in wildirnesse.⁸ I abood hym, that made me saaf fro the litilnesse, `ether drede, of spirit; and fro tempest.

⁹ Lord, caste thou doun, departe thou the tungis of hem; for Y siy wickidnesse and ayenseiyng in the citee.¹⁰ Bi dai and nyyt wickidnesse schal cumpasse it on the wallis therof;¹¹ and trauel and vnriytfulnesse ben in the myddis therof. And vsure and gile failide not; fro the stretis therof.¹² For if myn enemye hadde cursid me; sotheli Y hadde suffride. And if he, that hatide me, hadde spoke greet thingis on me; in hap Y hadde hid me fro hym.¹³ But thou art a man of o wille; my leeder, and my knowun.¹⁴ Which tokist togidere swete meetis with me; we yeden with consent in the hous of God.¹⁵ Deth come on hem; and go thei doun quyk in to helle. For weiwardnessis ben in the dwelling places of hem; in the myddis of hem.

¹⁶ But Y criede to thee, Lord; and the Lord sauede me.¹⁷ In the euentid and morewtid and in myddai Y schal telle, and schewe; and he schal here my vois.¹⁸ He schal ayenbie my soule in pees fro hem, that neiyen to me; for among manye thei weren with me.¹⁹ God schal here; and he that is bifore the worldis schal make hem low. For chaungyng is not to hem, and thei dredden not God;²⁰ he holdith forth his hoond in yelding. Thei defouliden his testament,²¹ the cheris therof weren departid fro ire; and his herte neiyede. The wordis therof weren softer than oyle; and tho ben dartis.²² Caste thi cure on the Lord, and he schal fulli nurische thee; and he schal not yyue with outen ende flotering to a iust man.²³ But thou, God, schalt lede hem forth; in to the pit of deth. Menquelleris and gilours schulen not haue half her daies; but, Lord, Y schal hope in thee.