Psalm 34 - O Taste and See That the LORD Is Good
A psalm of praise inviting all to taste God's goodness and nearness to the brokenhearted.
Psalm 34 follows Psalms 33's call to praise with David's personal resolve to bless the LORD "at all times," inviting everyone to "O taste and see that the LORD is good." He recalls how God heard him, delivered him from fear, and sent His angel to encamp around those who fear Him.
The title of the foure and thrittithe salm. `To Dauid. Lord, deme thou hem, that anoien me; ouercome thou hem, that fiyten ayens me.
Take thou armeris and scheeld; and rise vp into help to me.
Schede out the swerd, and close togidere ayens hem that pursuen me; seie thou to my soule, Y am thin helthe.
Thei that seken my lijf; be schent, and aschamed. Thei that thenken yuels to me; be turned awei bacward, and be schent.
Be thei maad as dust bifor the face of the wynd; and the aungel of the Lord make hem streit.
Her weie be maad derknesse, and slydirnesse; and the aungel of the Lord pursue hem.
For with out cause thei hidden to me the deth of her snare; in veyn thei dispisiden my soule.
The snare which he knoweth not come to hym, and the takyng which he hidde take hym; and fall he in to the snare in that thing.
But my soule schal fulli haue ioye in the Lord; and schal delite on his helthe.
Alle my boonys schulen seie, Lord, who is lijk thee? Thou delyuerist a pore man fro the hond of his strengere; a nedi man and pore fro hem that diuersely rauischen hym.
Wickid witnessis risynge axiden me thingis, whiche Y knewe not.
Thei yeldiden to me yuels for goodis; bareynnesse to my soule.
But whanne thei weren diseseful to me; Y was clothid in an heire. I mekide my soule in fastyng; and my preier schal be turned `with ynne my bosum.
I pleside so as oure neiybore, as oure brother; Y was `maad meke so as morenynge and sorewful.
And thei weren glad, and camen togidere ayens me; turmentis weren gaderid on me, and Y knew not.
Thei weren scaterid, and not compunct, thei temptiden me, thei scornyden me with mowyng; thei gnastiden on me with her teeth.
Lord, whanne thou schalt biholde, restore thou my soule fro the wickidnesse of hem; `restore thou myn oon aloone fro liouns.
I schal knowleche to thee in a greet chirche; Y schal herie thee in a sad puple.
Thei that ben aduersaries wickidli to me, haue not ioye on me; that haten me with out cause, and bikenen with iyen.
For sotheli thei spaken pesibli to me; and thei spekynge in wrathfulnesse of erthe thouyten giles.
And thei maden large her mouth on me; thei seiden, Wel, wel! oure iyen han sien.
Lord, thou hast seen, be thou not stille; Lord, departe thou not fro me.
Rise vp, and yyue tent to my doom; my God and my Lord, biholde in to my cause.
Mi Lord God, deme thou me bi thi riytfulnesse; and haue thei not ioye on me.
Seie thei not in her hertis, Wel, wel, to oure soule; nether seie thei, We schulen deuoure hym.
Shame thei, and drede thei togidere; that thanken for myn yuels. Be thei clothid with schame and drede; that speken yuele thingis on me.
Haue thei ful ioie, and be thei glad that wolen my riytfulnesse; and seie thei euere, The Lord be magnyfied, whiche wolen the pees of his seruaunt.
And my tunge schal bithenke thi riytfulnesse; al day thin heriyng.