Psalms 16: The LORD, My Portion and Cup
David finds his goodly heritage and future hope in God alone.
Following the moral portrait of Psalms 15, this chapter has David calling the LORD his portion and cup, rejecting other gods and their drink offerings, and rejoicing that his lines have fallen in pleasant places. His confidence is set always before him.
The title of the sixtenthe salm. The preier of Dauid. Lord, here thou my riytfulnesse; biholde thou my preier. Perseuye thou with eeris my preier; not maad in gileful lippis.
Mi doom come `forth of thi cheer; thin iyen se equite.
Thou hast preued myn herte, and hast visitid in niyt; thou hast examynyd me bi fier, and wickidnesse is not foundun in me.
That my mouth speke not the werkis of men; for the wordis of thi lippis Y haue kept harde weies.
Make thou perfit my goyngis in thi pathis; that my steppis be not moued.
I criede, for thou, God, herdist me; bowe doun thin eere to me, and here thou my wordis.
Make wondurful thi mercies; that makist saaf `men hopynge in thee.
Kepe thou me as the appil of the iye; fro `men ayenstondynge thi riyt hond. Keuere thou me vndur the schadewe of thi wyngis;
fro the face of vnpitouse men, that han turmentid me. Myn enemyes han cumpassid my soule;
thei han closide togidere her fatnesse; the mouth of hem spak pride.
Thei castiden me forth, and han cumpassid me now; thei ordeyneden to bowe doun her iyen in to erthe.
Thei, as a lioun maad redi to prey, han take me; and as the whelp of a lioun dwellynge in hid places.
Lord, rise thou vp, bifor come thou hym, and disseyue thou hym; delyuere thou my lijf fro the `vnpitouse,
delyuere thou thi swerd fro the enemyes of thin hond. Lord, departe thou hem fro a fewe men of `the lond in the lijf of hem; her wombe is fillid of thin hid thingis. Thei ben fillid with sones; and thei leften her relifis to her litle children.
But Y in riytfulnesse schal appere to thi siyt; Y schal be fillid, whanne thi glorie schal appere.