Psalms 59

¹The title of the nyne and fiftithe salm. `In Ebreu thus, To victorie, on the witnessyng of roose, the swete song of Dauid, to teche, `whanne he fauyte ayens Aram of floodis, and Sirie of Soba; and Joab turnede ayen, and smoot Edom in the `valei of salt pittis, twelue thousynde. `In Jeroms translacioun thus,

²To the ouercomer for lilies, the witnessing of meke and parfit Dauid, to teche, whanne he fauyte ayens Sirie of Mesopotamye, and Soba, and so forth.

³God, thou hast put awei vs, and thou hast distried vs; thou were wrooth, and thou hast do merci to vs.

⁴Thou mouedist the erthe, and thou disturblidist it; make thou hool the sorewis therof, for it is moued.

⁵Thou schewidist harde thingis to thi puple; thou yauest drynk to vs with the wyn of compunccioun.

⁶Thou hast youe a signefiyng to hem that dreden thee; that thei fle fro the face of the bouwe. That thi derlyngis be delyuered;

⁷make thou saaf with thi riyt hond `the puple of Israel, and here thou me.

⁸God spak bi his hooli; Y schal be glad, and Y schal departe Siccimam, and Y schal meete the greet valei of tabernaclis.

⁹Galaad is myn, and Manasses is myn; and Effraym is the strengthe of myn heed.

¹⁰Juda is my king; Moab is the pot of myn hope. In to Idumee Y schal stretche forth my scho; aliens ben maad suget to me.

¹¹Who schal lede me in to a citee maad strong; who schal leede me til in to Ydumee?

¹²Whether not thou, God, that hast put awei vs; and schalt thou not, God, go out in oure vertues?

¹³Lord, yyue thou to vs help of tribulacioun; for the heelthe of man is veyn.

¹⁴In God we schulen make vertu; and he schal bringe to nouyt hem that disturblen vs.

Psalms 59

¹Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.

²Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.

³For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Lord.

⁴They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold.

⁵Thou therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah.

⁶They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.

⁷Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?

⁸But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.

⁹Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.

¹⁰The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.

¹¹Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.

¹²For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.

¹³Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.

¹⁴And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.

¹⁵Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied.

¹⁶But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.

¹⁷Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.