XL.
[1]
Seli þat wil vnderstande
Ouer nedeful and pouer in lande:
Fra wickednesse in iuel daie
Lauerd lese him sal he aie.
2
Lauerd yeme him and quiken him sal,
And seli make him in land with-al;
And noght giue him þene sal he
In hende of his faas to be.
3
Lauerd helpe [sal] bring him to
Ouer bed of sorwe and wo;
Alle þe straile of him þat es
Torned þou in his sekenes.
4
.I. saide: “lauerd, haf merci of me;
Hele mi saule, for .I. sinned to þe”.
5
Mi faas saiden to me iuels, þis:
“When sal he die, and forworth name his?”
6
And ife he inyode þat he segh, vnnaitnes
Spake he; his hert samened to him wicnes.
7
He yhede out and held him þare,
And he spake in him-seluen mare.
8
Againe me rouned al mi faas stille;
Againe me thoght þai to me ille.
9
Wike worde set þa againes me.
Nou þat slepes, noght ekes þat rise sal he?
10
For man of mi pees sothli,
In wham mikel hoped .I.,
Þat ete mi laues best might be,
Mikled vnderganginge ouer me.
11
Bot þou, lauerd, of me hafe merci,
And rere me; and yheld am sal .I..
12
In þat knew .I. þat þou wald me sa,
For mirth ouer me sal noght mi faa.
13
And me for vnderandnes onfanged þou,
And fest me in þi sight in ai nou.
14
Lauerd god ofe Irael blissed be he,
Fra werld, and in werld: swa be, swa be.
