LXXII.
[1]
Hou gode god of Irael es,
To þa of hert þat ere rightwis!
2
Mi fete sothlyke negh stired ere þai,
Negh yhoten ere mi steppes ai;
3
For .i. loued oure wicke in land,
Pees of sinful men seand.
4
For noght es bihalte to dede of þa,
And festenes in þare woundes ma.
5
In swynke of men noght ere þai alle,
And with men noght [be] swongen þai salle.
6
Forthi helde þam pride; hiled ere þai
With wickednes and þar quednes ai.
7
Forthyhode als of fattenes wickednes of þa;
Þai fore in ȝerninge of hert swa.
8
Þai thought and spake quedenes vnrighte;
Quedenes spake þai on heghte.
9
Þai sete þair mouth to be in heuen,
And þair tunge in erthe it ferde ful euen.
10
For-þi be torned mi folke hider alle,
And fulle daies in þam be funden salle.
11
And þai saide: “hou wate god þis?
And wher wisdome in heght is?”
12
Bihald, þai sinfulle, and in werld mightsomand,
Haden welthes fulle þaire hand.
13
And .i. saide: “withouten skille for-þi
Mi hert with-inne me righted .i.,
And bitwix vnderand ware
Mine handes wesche .i. þare,
14
And .i. was swongen al þe dai,
And in vghteninges mi þhraying ai.
15
Ife .i. saide: “.i. salle telle swa”,
Lo, birthe of mennes sones schoned .i. þa.
16
.I. wend þat .i. knewe þisse;
Swynke bifore me mikel isse:
17
Til in god halines in .i. ga,
And vndirstand in newest of þa.
18
Noght-forþi for swikedomes [þou] set to þam ai;
Þou outþhrew þam when vphouen ware þai.
19
Hou ere þai made in vnronyngnesse!
Ferinkli bathe mare and lesse
Waned þai, forworþed þare
For þaire wickenes þai in ware.
20
Als of risand of slepe, lauerd, in þi cite nou
Liknes of þa to noght thryng sal tou.
21
For inlowed es mi hert,
And mi neres ere torned for vnquert;
And .i. am to noghte for-þi
Thrungen, and na thinge wiste .i.;
22
Als mere made .i. am at se,
And .i. am ai with þe to be.
23
Þou toke mi righthand, and in þi wille
Led me, and toke me with blisse mi fille.
24
What sothlyke to me es in heuen,
And on erthe fra þe, þat .i. wild neuen?
25
Waned mi flesche and mi hert al dai;
God of mi hert, and mi dele god in ai.
26
For loke, þa þat þam ferre þe fra,
Forworth sal þai euer swa;
Þou forlest alle saufe to be
Þat strenen with-outen þe.
27
And me, cliue to god gode isse,
And set mi hope in lauerd god of blisse;
28
Þat .i. schewe þi spellinges ilkon
In yhates of doghtre of Syon.
