The Paris Psalter: Psalm 140

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

Ic þe, drihten, to dyrum clypige;
gehyr me hrædlice holdre stefne,
þonne ic bene to þe bidde ceare full.
Sy on þinre gesihþe mines sylfes gebed

5

ful recene gereht, swa ricels byð,
þonne hit gifre gleda bærnað.
Swylce is ahafenes handa minra,
þonne ic þe æfenlac estum secge.
Sete swæse geheald swylce, drihten,

10

muðe minum, ne læt man sprecan,
and æþele dor ymbstandende,
þæt on welerum wisdom healde.
Ne hyld þu mine heortan, þæt ic hearme word
þuruh inwitstæf ut forlæte,

15

and ic lædend wese laðra firena.
Ne ic æfre mid mannum manfremmendum
gemænnesse micle hæbbe,
ne on heora gecorenesse becume æfre.
Ac me soðfæst symble gerecce

20

and mildheorte mode þreage;
ele synfulra æfre ne mote
heafde minum hrinan ahwær.
Forþon min gebed nu gyt becnum standeð,
þæt him on wisum is wel lycendlice;

25

syndon hi æt strangum stane forswolgene;
noldan heora deman mine gedefe word
earan gehyran, eft ne mihton.
Swa unefne is eorþe þicce,
syndon þas moras myclum asprotene,

30

swa ure ban syndon bitere toworpene
be helwarena hæfteneodum.
Forþon ic, drihten, on þe dædum minum
eagum and mode æghwær gelyfe;
ne ascuf þu fram me sawle mine.

35

Geheald me wið þare gryne þe me grame setton,
þæt me ne beswice synwyrcende,
þa þe unrihtes æghwær þenceað.
Feallað firenfulle on heora fengnettum;
ic me syndrig eom, oþþæt ic swa fere.