Psalms 63 – My Soul Thirsteth for Thee
David's longing for God in a dry and weary wilderness.
Written while David was in the wilderness, this chapter (see the Psalms overview) opens with one of Scripture's most vivid pictures of longing: a soul thirsting for God like parched ground thirsts for water. From that image David moves to praise, blessing God with lifted hands and a satisfied heart.
The titil of the thre and sixtithe salm. `In Ebrewe thus, To the victorie, the salm of Dauid. `In Jerom `thus, To the ouercomer, the song of Dauid.
God, here thou my preier, whanne Y biseche; delyuere thou my soule fro the drede of the enemy.
Thou hast defendid me fro the couent of yuele doers; fro the multitude of hem that worchen wickidnesse.
For thei scharpiden her tungis as a swerd, thei benten a bowe, a bittir thing;
for to schete in priuetees hym that is vnwemmed.
Sodeynli thei schulen schete hym, and thei schulen not drede; thei maden stidefast to hem silf a wickid word. Thei telden, that thei schulden hide snaris; thei seiden, Who schal se hem?
Thei souyten wickidnessis; thei souyten, and failiden in sekinge. A man neiyhe to deep herte;
and God schal be enhaunsid. The arowis of `litle men ben maad the woundis of hem;
and the tungis of hem ben maad sijk ayens hem. Alle men ben disturblid, that sien hem;
and ech man dredde. And thei telden the werkis of God; and vndurstoden the dedis of God.
The iust man schal be glad in the Lord, and schal hope in hym; and alle men of riytful herte schulen be preisid.