The Paris Psalter: Psalm 77

Geheald þu, min folc, mine fæste æ; ahyldað eowre earan, þæt ge holdlice mines muðes word mihte gehyran. Ic on anlicnessum ærest ontyne mines sylfes muð, secggean onginne, þa on worldricum wæron æt frymðe. Ealle þa we oncneowan, cuð ongeaton, and ure fæderas us æror sægdon. Noldan hi þa swiðe heora synna dyrnan, ac ylda gehwylc oðrum cyðde. Sægdon lof symble leofum drihtne and his þa myclan miht, mænigu wundur, þa he geworhte wera cneorissum. He aweahte gewitnesse

on Iacobe goode and strange, and Israhelum æ gesette. þa he fæste bebead fæderum ussum, þæt hi heora bearnum budun and sægdun, and cinn oðrum cyðden and mærden. Gif bearn wære geboren þam fæder, him sceolde se yldra eall gesæcgan, þæt hi gleawne hiht to gode hæfdan, and his weorðlicu weorc gemundon, and godes bebodu georne heoldan. Ne wesen hi on facne fæderum gelice; þæt wæs earfoðcynn yrre and reðe; næfdon heora heortan hige gestaðelod; nis to wenanne, þætte wolde god

hiora gasta mid him gyman awiht. Effremes bearn ærest ongunnan of bogan stræle bitere sendan, þæs hi on wiges dæge wendon æfter. Ne heoldan hi halgan drihtnes gewitnesse, ne his weorca æ awiht wislice woldan begangan. Ealra goddæda hi forgiten hæfdon, and þara wundra, þe he worhte ær, þara heora yldran on locadan. He on ægypta agenum lande him worhte fore wundur mære and on Campotanea eac mid soðe. He sæ toslat, sealte yþa

gefæstnade, and hi foran þurh. Him wisode wolcen unlytel daga æghwylce, swa hit drihten het, and him ealle niht oðer beacen fyres leoma folcnede heold. He on westene wide ædran him of stane let, strange burnan. Of þam wæter cwoman weorude to helpe, swyþe wynlice wætera þryðe. þa hi hira firene furþur ehtan, and hine on yrre eft gebrohtan, heora heafodweard holdne on lande. Hi þa on heortan hogedon to niðe, and geornlice godes costadan,

bædan hiora feorum foddur geafe, and gramlice be gode spræcan: "Ac we þæs ne wenað, þæt us witig god mæge bringan to beod gegearwod on þisum westene widum and sidum, þeah þe he of stane streamas lete wæter on willan wynnum flowan, Ne we hwæðere wenað, þæt he wihte mæge mid hlafe þis folc her afedan." Syþþan þæt gehyrde halig drihten, he ylde þa gyt and eft gespræc; wæs gegleded fyr on Iacobe and his yrre barn on Israhelas, Forþon þe hi ne woldon wordum drihtnes

lustum gelyfan, lare forhogedon. Het he þa widan duru wolcen ontynan hea of heofenum and hider rignan manna to mose manna cynne, sealde him heofenes hlaf hider on foldan, and engla hlaf æton mancynn, and hwætenne hæfdon to genihte. And awehte þa windas of heofenum, Auster ærest and þa Affricum. Him þa eac feoll ufan flæsc to genihte; swa sand sæs oððe þiss swearte dust coman gefiðrade fugelas swylce. And on middan þa wic manige feollan and ymb hiora selegescotu swiðe geneahhe.

Swiðe ætan and sade wurdan, and hiora lusta lifdan hwile; næron hi bescyrede sceattes willan. þa gyt hi on muðe heora mete hæfdon, þa him on becwom yrre drihtnes and heora mænige mane swultan, æðele Israhela eac forwurdan. In eallum hi þissum ihtan synne, and noldan his wundrum wel gelyfan. Hi heora dagena tid dædun idle and heora geara gancg eac unnytte. þonne he hi sare sloh, þonne hi sohton hine, and ær leohte to him lustum cwoman. Syððan hi ongeaton, þæt wæs god heora

fæle fultum, freond æt þearfe; 100 wæs hea god heora alysend, Hi hine lufedan lease muðe, ne þæs on heortan hogedan awiht. Næs him on hreðre heorte clæne, ne hi on gewitnesse wisne hæfdon, 105 on hiora fyrhþe fæstne geleafan. He þonne is mildheort and manðwære hiora fyrendædum, nolde hi to flymum gedon. He þa manige fram him mangewyrhtan yrre awende, eall ne wolde 110

þurh hatne hyge hæleðum cyþan. And he gemunde þæt hi wæran moldan and flæsc gast gangende, næs se geancyr eft. Hi hine on westenne wordum and dædum on yrre mod eft gebrohtan, 115 aweahtan hine on eorðan oft butan wætere. Oft hi grimlice godes costodan and Israhela god eac abulgan. Na gemynd hæfdan, hu his seo mycle hand on gewindæge werede and ferede. 120 He ægypti egesan geþywde mid feala tacna and forebeacna

in Campotaneos; þæt wæs cuð werum. þær he wæterstreamas wende to blode; ne meahte wæter drincan wihta ænig. 125 Sette him heard wite, hundes fleogan, and hi ætan eac yfle tostan; hæfdan hi eallunga ut aworpen. Sealde erucan, yfelan wyrme, let hiora wyrta wæstme forslitan, 130 and hiora gram gewinn hæfdan gærshoppan. Heora wingeardas wraþe hægle nede fornamon; nænig moste heora hrorra hrim æpla gedigean.

Sealde heora neat eac swylce hæglum, 135 and heora æhta ealle fyre. He æbyligðe on hi bitter and yrre, sarlic sende oð sawlhord and þæt wið yfele englas sende. He him weg worhte wraðan yrres, 140 ne he heora sawlum deað swiðe ne sparude and heora neat niðcwealm forswealh. He þa on þam folce frumbearna gehwylc on ægiptum eall acwealde and frumwæstme folce Chames. 145

þa he his folc genam swa fæle sceap, lædde geliccast leofe eowde þurh westenas wegas uncuðe. And he hi on hihte holdre lædde; næs him on fyrhtu feondes egsa, 150 ac ealle þa yþa fornamon. He hi þa gelædde on leofre byrig and haligre, ða his hand begeat. And he manige for him mære þeode awearp of wicum, sealde him weste land, 155 þæt hi mid tane getugan rihte. þa Israelas æhte gesætan

hrores folces, þa hi heanne god gebysmredan, noldon his bebodu fæste healdan. 160 Hi awendan aweg, nalæs wel dydan, swa heora fæderas beforan heoldan, and on wiðermede wendan and cyrdan. Swa hi his yrre oft aweahtan, þonne hi oferhydig up ahofan, 165 and him wohgodu worhtan and grofun. þa þæt gehyrde halig drihten, he hi forhogode, and hraðe syþþan Israhela cynn egsan geðyde.

And he þa swa gelome wiðsoc snytruhuse, 170 wæs his agen hus, þær he eard genam ær mid mannum, mihtig hæfde. He hi þa on hæftnyd hean gesealde and heora fæger folc on feondes hand. Sealde þa his swæs folc sweorde under ecge, 175 and his yrfe eac eall forhogode. Heora geoguðe eac grimme lige fyr fæðmade; fæmnan ne wæran geonge begrette, þeah ðe hi grame swultan. Wæran sacerdas heora sweordum abrotene; 180

ne þæt heora widwan wepan mostan. þa wearð aweaht wealdend drihten, swa he slæpende softe reste oððe swa weorð man wine druncen. He þa his feondas sloh and him ætfæste eac 185 ece edwit awa to feore. And he georne wiðsoc Iosepes huse, ne þon ær geceas Effremes cynn, ac he geceas Iudan him geswæs frumcynn on Sione byrig, þær him wæs symble leof. 190 He þa anhornan ealra gelicast his halige hus her on eorðan

getimbrade; het ðæt teala syððan on worldrice wunian ece. And him ða Dauid geceas, deorne esne, 195 and genam hine æt eowde ute be sceapum, fostur feormade; he him onfencg hraðe. He þonne fedeð folc Iacobes and Israhela yrfelafe. And he hi þonne butan facne fedeð syþþan, 200 and his folmum syþþan hi forð lædeð.