Sealm 49 - Anglo-Saxon Psalms c.890-950 AD

Sealm 48

¹ Gehyrað nu þas word, ealle þeoda, and onfoð heora mid eowrum earum, ealle þa þe eorðan buiað,

² and ealle þa þe þæron acende synt, and eall manna bearn, ægðer ge welige ge heane.

³ Min muð wile sprecan wisdom and seo smeaung minre heortan foreþancolnesse.

⁴ Ic onhylde min earan to þam bispellum þæs ðe me innan lærð, and ic secge on þys sealme hwæs ic wylle ascian,

⁵ and hwæt ic ondræde on þæm yflan dagum, þæt is, unrihtwisnes minra hoa and ealles mines flæsces, sio me hæfð utan behrincged.

⁶ Ongitan nu, þa þe truwiað heora agenum mægene, and þære mycelnesse hiora speda gylpað and wuldrað:

⁷ þæt nan broðor oþres sawle nele alysan of helle, ne ne mæg (þeah he wylle), gif he sylf nanwuht nyle, ne ne deð to goode þa hwile þe he her byð.

⁸ Gylde for þy him sylf and alyse his sawle þa hwyle ðe he her sy, for þam se broðor oþþe nyle oððe ne mæg, gif he sylf na ne onginð to tilianne þæt he þæt weorð agife to alysnesse his sawle.

⁹ Ac þæt ys wyrse þæt fullneah ælc mann þæs tiolað fram þæm anginne his lifes oþ þæne ende, hu he on ecnesse swincan mæge,

¹⁰ and næfð nænne forðanc be his deaðe, þonne he gesyhð þa welegan and þa weoruldwisan sweltan. Se unwisa and se dysega forweorþað him ætsamne, and læfað fremdum heora æhte. (Þeah hy gesibbe hæbben, hy beð him swyðe fremde þonne hi nan good æfter him ne doð.)

¹¹ Ac heora byrgen byð heora hus on ecnesse, and heora geteld of cynne on cynn; and hi nemnað hiora land and hiora tunas be heora naman.

¹² Þa hwile þe mon on are and on anwealde byð, næfð he fullneah nan andgyt nanes goodes, ac onhyred dysegum neatum; swa hi eac beoð him swyðe gelice.

¹³ Ac þes weg and þeos orsorgnes þyses andweardan lifes him fet witu on þam toweardan, for þam heo on last tiliað to cwemanne Gode and mannum mid wordum næs mid weorcum, ne furþum gearone willan nabbað to þam weorce.

¹⁴ Mid swylcum monnum byð hell gefylled swa swa fald mid sceapum, and se deað hy forswylcð on ecnesse. And sona on þam ylcan morgene þa rihtwisan heora wealdað, and hyra fultum and hyra anweald forealdað on helle, for þæm hy beoð adrifene of heora wuldre.

¹⁵ Ac God, þeah, alyst mine sawle of helle handa; þeah ic þyder cume, þonne he me underfehð.

¹⁶ Ne wundrige ge na, ne ne andgiað on þone welegan, þeah he welig seo geworden, and þeah gemanigfealdod sy þæt wuldor his huses,

¹⁷ for þam þe he ðyder ne læt þæt eall mid him, þonne he heonan færþ, ne hit him æfter þyder ne færeð.

¹⁸ For þæm he hæfde his heofonrice her on eorðan, þa him nanes willan næs forwyrnd her, ne nanes lustes on þysse weorulde; for ðam he nyste him nænne þanc ne Gode ne mannum, þæs ðe him man sealde syððan he hit hæfde, butan þa ane hwile þe hit him man sealde,

¹⁹ for þæm he færð þær his foregengan beoð, þæt is, to helle, þær he næfre nan leoht ne gesyhð.

²⁰ Ac þas spræce ne ongit na swylc mann, þonne he byð on welan and on weorðscipe, and onhyreð þonne dysegum neatum, and byð him swiðe gelic geworden.