Psalm 35 - Plead My Cause, O LORD
David's plea for God to defend him against enemies who repay good with evil.
Psalm 35 shifts from the praise of Psalms 34 into lament, picturing David asking the LORD to take up shield and spear and fight for him against enemies who dig pits for his soul without cause. He recalls mourning in sackcloth for friends who later turned against him, rewarding his kindness with false witness and mockery.
`The title of the fyue and thrittithe salm. `To victorie, to Dauid, `the seruaunt of the Lord.
The vniust man seide, that he trespasse in hym silf; the drede of God is not bifor hise iyen.
For he dide gilefuli in the siyt of God; that his wickidnesse be foundun to hatrede.
The wordis of his mouth ben wickidnesse and gile, he nolde vndirstonde to do wel.
He thouyte wickidnesse in his bed, he stood nyy al weie not good; forsothe he hatide not malice.
Lord, thi merci is in heuene; and thi treuthe is `til to cloudis.
Thi riytfulnesse is as the hillis of God; thi domes ben myche depthe of watris. Lord, thou schalt saue men and beestis;
as thou, God, hast multiplied thi merci. But the sones of men; schulen hope in the hilyng of thi wyngis.
Thei schulen be fillid gretli of the plentee of thin hows; and thou schalt yyue drynke to hem with the steef streem of thi likyng.
For the wel of life is at thee; and in thi liyt we schulen se liyt.
Lord, sette forth thi mercy to hem, that knowen thee; and thi ryytfulnesse to hem that ben of riytful herte.
The foot of pryde come not to me; and the hond of the synnere moue me not.
There thei felden doun, that worchen wickidnesse; thei ben cast out, and myyten not stonde.