The Paris Psalter: Psalm 108

Nelle ic lofes þines, lifigende god, geswigian, þeah þe me synfulra inwitfulra muðas on ganian. Hio þa innwit feala ywdan on tungan, and me wraðra wearn worda spræcon, fæcne firenlicu, and afuhtan me ealle earwunga ungemete swyðe. Hi me wið lufan laþum dædum torne telnysse teodan mænige; ic him a gebæd ungemete georne. Hi me yfel settan a wið goode and feounge for minre lufan. Gesete him synnfulle symble to ealdrum, stande him on þa swyþeran hand swylce deoful.

Gange of dome gehwam deope gehyned, and him his gebed hweorfe to fyrenum. Gewurðe him weste eall his onwunung and on hys eardungstowe næfre gewurþe þæt þær on gewunige awiht lifigendes. Wesan him dagas deorce and dimme and feawe, and his bisceophad brucan feondas. Weorðan his agene bearn ealle steopcild and his wif wyrðe wydewe hreowlic. Syn his bearn swylce toboren wide, and he ut weorpe earme þearfan, þonne hi to his huse hleowes wilnian. Ealle his æhta unholde fynd rice reðemann rycene gedæle,

and his feoh onfon fremde handa. Ne him ahwær wese ænig fultum, ne his steopcildum stande to helpe. Gangan ealle his bearn on ece forwyrd, and on anum cneowe eall gewyrðe his nama nyhsta nede adilgad. Eall þæt unriht þe his ealdras ær manes gefremedan, on gemynd cume and on ansyne ures drihtnes; ne adilgode wesan deorce fyrene, þa his modur ær mane fremede. Wesan hi wið drihtne dædum swylce, and hine adilgie dome ealne of ðysse eorðan awa to feore.

Næs him milde gemynd on modsefan, and he þearfendra ðriste ehte; symble þæt on heortan hogode geornust, hu he mid searuwe swylce acwealde. He wolde wergðu wyrcean georne, and hine seo ylce on eft gesette; nolde he bletsunge biddan ne tilian, forðon hio him wæs afyrred of ferhðcofan. He hine gegyrede mid grame wyrgðu, swa he hine wædum wræstum geteode, and sio his innað ywde swylce wan wætere gelic and wynele, se þe banes byrst beteð and hæleð. Wese he hrægle gelic þe her hraðe ealdað,

and gyrdelse, ðe hine man gelome gyrt. þis is weorc þara þe oft wraðe me trage tældan; tyne hine dryhten þam þe sar sprece sawle minre. And þu, min drihten god, do me þine nu mycle mildheortnesse for þinum þam mæran naman, swa ðu oft þin milde mod manegum cyðdest. Alys me, lifes weard, forþan ic eom lama þearfa; is me heorte on hearde gedrefed. Ic eom scuan gelic swyþe ahylded, oðlæded godum swa se gærshoppa. Me synt cneowu swylce cwicu unhale for fæstenum; is min flæsc swylce for fægrum ele frecne onwended;

eom ic to edwitstæfe eallum geworden. Swa hi me gesawon, sona hig wegdan, hrerdan heora heafod; help min, drihten god, and me halne gedo, hælynde Crist, for þinre þære myclan mildheortnysse. þæt hi soð witan, þæt si þin sylfes hand and þu þas gedydest, drihten usser. Weorðan þa awyrgde, wes þu gebletsad; and þa þe me mid unryhte ænige styrian, and hi þær sceande sylfe agon; wese þin esne on þe ungemete bliðe. Syn ða butan are ealle gegyrede þe me tælnysse teonan ætfæstan, and him si abrogden swa of brechrægle

hiora sylfra sceamu swyþust ealra. Ic on minum muðe mihta drihtnes ealle andette, and eac swylce hine on midle manna herige. He sylfa gestod on ða swyðran hand, þær he þearfendra þinga teolode; he mine sawle swylce gehealde wið ehtendra egsan griman.