XVII.
[1]
I sal loue þe, lauerd, [mi] stalworthhede;
Lauerd mi festnes ai in nede
And mi toflight þat es swa,
And mi leser oute ofe wa;
2
Lauerd mi helper þat es alle,
And in him ai hope .i. salle;
3
Mi schelder, and ofe mi hele horne,
And mi fonger: ai þer-forne
4
Louand lauerd calle sal .i.,
And fra mi faas be saufe for-þi.
5
Vmgafe me sorwes ofe dede,
Vmgriped me weeles ofe quede.
6
Soreghes vmgafe me ofe helle,
Bisied me snares ofe dede ful felle.
7
In mi drouing lauerd called .i.,
And to mi god cried .i. witerli:
8
And he herd fra his hali kirke mi steuen,
And mi crie in his sighte in eres yhode euen.
9
Stired and quoke þe erthe þare;
Groundes ofe hilles todreued are,
And þai ere stired, ofe þaim be lath,
For þat he es with þaim wrath.
10
Vpstegh reke in his ire,
And ofe face ofe him brent þe fire,
Koles þat ware dounfalland
Kindled ere ofe him glouand.
11
He helded heuens, and doune come he;
And dimnes vnder his fete to be.
12
And he stegh ouer cherubin, and flegh þare;
He flegh ouer fetheres ofe windes ware.
13
And he set mirkenes his lurkinge lange,
His telde to be in his vmgange,
Mirke watres þat ware ofe hewe
In þe kloudes of þe skewe.
14
For leueninge in his sighte cloudes schire
Forthyhoden: haile and koles ofe fire.
15
And lauerd thonered fra heuen, and hegheste sire
Gafe his steuen: haile, coles ofe fire.
16
And he sent his arwes, and skatered þa;
Felefalded leueninge, and dreued þam swa.
17
And schewed welles ofe watres ware,
And groundes ofe ertheli werlde vnhiled are,
18
For þi snibbing, lauerd myne,
For onesprute of gast of wreth þine.
19
He sent fra hegh, and vptoke me;
Fra many watres me nam he;
20
He outtoke me þare amange
Fra mi faas þat war sa strange,
And fra þa me þat hated ai;
For samen-strenghþed ouer me war þai.
21
Þai forcome me in daie ofe twinginge,
And made es lauerd mi forhilinge.
22
And he led me in brede to be;
Saufe made he me, for he wald me.
23
And foryhelde to me lauerd sal
After mi righwisenes al,
And after clensing ofe mi hende
Sal he yhelde to me at ende.
24
For waies of lauerd yemed .I.,
Ne fra mi god dide .I. wickedly.
25
For al his domes in mi sighte ere þa,
And his rightwisenes noght put .I. me fra.
26
And .I. sal be with him wemmeles,
And loke me fra mi wickednes.
27
And lauerd to me foryhelde he sal
After mi rightwisnes al,
And after clennes of mi hend swa
In sight of eghen his twa.
28
With hali, halgh bes of þe,
With man vnderand, vnderand be,
29
With chosen and be chosen þou sal;
With il torned and il torneste al.
30
For þou meke folke saufe make sal nou,
And eghen of proude meke sal tou.
31
For þou lightes mi lantern bright;
Mi god, mi mirkenes lighte.
32
For in þe be .I. outtane fra fandinge al,
And in mi god sal .i. ouerfare þe wal.
33
Mi god vnfiled es his wai;
Speche of lauerd with fire es ai
Fraisted; forhiler es he
Ofe al þat in him hopand be.
34
For wha god bot lauerd we calle?
Or wha god bote our god of alle?
35
Lauerd þat girde me with might,
And set vnwemmed mi wai right;
36
Þat set mi fete als of hertes ma,
And ouer heghnes settand me swa;
37
Þat leres mi hend at fight nou,
And mine armes als brasen bow set þou;
38
And þou gaf me forhilinge of hele of þe,
And þi righthand onfanged me;
39
And þi lare in ende me rightid al,
And þi lare, it me lere sal.
40
Þou to breddeste mi gainges vnder me,
And mi steppes noght vnfest þai be.
41
.I. sal filghe mi faas, and vmlap þa;
And noght ogaintorne to þai wane swa.
42
.I. sal þam breke, ne stand þai mighte;
Þai sal falle vnder mi fete dounrighte.
43
And þou girde me with might at fight in land,
And vnderlaide vnder me in me riseand.
44
And mi faas obak þou gaf me nou,
And hatand me forlesed þou.
45
Þai cried, ne was þat sauf made oughte;
To lauerd, and he herde þam noghte.
46
And .I. sal gnide als duste bifor winde likam,
Als fen of gates owai do þam.
47
Outtake fra ogainsaghes of folk þou sal,
In heued of genge me set with-al.
48
Folke, whilke .I. ne knewe, serued to me;
In heringe of ere me boghed he.
49
Outen sones to me lighed þai,
Outen sones elded er þai;
And þai halted þare þai yhode,
Fra þine sties þat ere gode.
50
Lauerd liues! and mi god blissed be!
And god ofe mi hele vphouen be he!
51
God þat giues wrekes me to,
And vnders folke vnder me so;
Mi leser artou night and dai
Fra mi faes ben wrathful ai.
52
And fra in me risand vpheue sal tou me,
Fra wickeman outtake me to fle.
53
For-þi in birþes sal .I. to þe schryue
Lauerd, and to þi name salm sai mi liue;
54
Heles of his kinge mikeland,
And als-swa mercy doand
To his criste þat es Dauid,
And to his sede til in werld þar-wid.
