Locutus est autem David Domino verba carminis hujus in die qua liberavit eum Dominus de manu omnium inimicorum suorum, et de manu Saul.

And David spoke to the Lord the words of this canticle, in the day that the Lord delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul,

And this was David’s song of thanksgiving when he found that the Lord had rescued him from the power of Saul, and from his other enemies:

Et ait: Dominus petra mea, et robur meum, et salvator meus.

And he said: The Lord is my rock, and my strength, and my saviour.

The Lord is my rock-fastness, my bulwark, my rescuer.

Deus fortis meus: sperabo in eum; scutum meum, et cornu salutis meæ: elevator meus, et refugium meum; salvator meus: de iniquitate liberabis me.

God is my strong one, in him will I trust: my shield, and the horn of my salvation: he lifteth me up, and is my refuge: my saviour, thou wilt deliver me from iniquity.

It is my God that brings me aid, and gives me confidence; he is my shield, my weapon of deliverance, my protector, my stronghold; he it is that preserves me and frees me from wrong.

Laudabilem invocabo Dominum, et ab inimicis meis salvus ero.

I will call on the Lord who is worthy to be praised: and I shall be saved from my enemies.

Praised be the Lord! When I invoke him I am secure from my enemies.

Quia circumdederunt me contritiones mortis: torrentes Belial terruerunt me.

For the pangs of death have surrounded me: the floods of Belial have made me afraid.

Death’s terrors were near at hand, deep flowed the tide of wickedness, to daunt me;

Funes inferni circumdederunt me: prævenerunt me laquei mortis.

The cords of hell compassed me: the snares of death prevented me.

the toils of the grave were all about me, deadly snares had trapped my feet.

In tribulatione mea invocabo Dominum, et ad Deum meum clamabo: et exaudiet de templo suo vocem meam, et clamor meus veniet ad aures ejus.

In my distress I will call upon the Lord, and I will cry to my God: and he will hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry shall come to his ears.

One cry to the Lord, in my affliction, one word of summons to my God, and he, from his sanctuary, listens to my voice; the complaint I make before him finds a hearing.

Commota est et contremuit terra; fundamenta montium concussa sunt, et conquassata: quoniam iratus est eis.

The earth shook and trembled, the foundations of the mountains were moved, and shaken, because he was angry with them.

Earth shivered and shook, the very foundations of the hills quailed and quaked before his anger;

Ascendit fumus de naribus ejus, et ignis de ore ejus vorabit: carbones succensi sunt ab eo.

A smoke went up from his nostrils, and a devouring fire out of his mouth: coals were kindled by it.

smoke went up before his indignant presence, and a consuming fire; burning coals were kindled as he went.

Inclinavit cælos, et descendit: et caligo sub pedibus ejus.

He bowed the heavens, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.

He bade heaven stoop, and came down to earth, with mist at his feet;

Et ascendit super cherubim, et volavit: et lapsus est super pennas venti.

And he rode upon the cherubims, and flew: and slid upon the wings of the wind.

he came, mounted on the cherubim, borne up on the wings of the wind,

Posuit tenebras in circuitu suo latibulum, cribrans aquas de nubibus cælorum.

He made darkness a covering round about him: dropping waters out of the clouds of the heavens.

shrouded in a pall of darkness, wringing out the rainstorm from the clouds of heaven;

Præ fulgore in conspectu ejus, succensi sunt carbones ignis.

By the brightness before him, the coals of fire were kindled.

burning coals were kindled by the lightning that went before him;

Tonabit de cælo Dominus, et excelsus dabit vocem suam.

The Lord shall thunder from heaven: and the most high shall give forth his voice.

the Lord, sending his thunder from heaven, the Most High, letting his voice be heard.

Misit sagittas et dissipavit eos; fulgur, et consumpsit eos.

He shot arrows and scattered them: lightning, and consumed them.

How they scattered when he rained down his arrows on them, fled in confusion before his lightning!

Et apparuerunt effusiones maris, et revelata sunt fundamenta orbis ab increpatione Domini, ab inspiratione spiritus furoris ejus.

And the overflowings of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid open at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the spirit of his wrath.

The secret springs of ocean came to light, the very foundations of the world were laid bare, when the Lord threatened them, blew upon them with the breath of his anger.

Misit de excelso, et assumpsit me, et extraxit me de aquis multis.

He sent from on high, and took me, and drew me out of many waters.

Then he reached down from heaven, caught hold of me,

Liberavit me ab inimico meo potentissimo, et ab his qui oderant me: quoniam robustiores me erant.

He delivered me from my most mighty enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.

rescued me from that flood, saved me from triumphant malice, from the enemies that held me at their mercy.

Prævenit me in die afflictionis meæ, et factus est Dominus firmamentum meum.

He prevented me in the day of my affliction, and the Lord became my stay.

In that evil day he came to my side; the Lord upheld me

Et eduxit me in latitudinem: liberavit me, quia complacui ei.

And he brought me forth into a large place, he delivered me, because I pleased him.

and brought me out into freedom again; his great love befriended me.

Retribuet mihi Dominus secundum justitiam meam: et secundum munditiam manuum mearum reddet mihi.

The Lord will reward me according to my justice: and according to the cleanness of my hands he will render to me.

And still as he sees me dutiful, the Lord will requite me; as he sees me guiltless in act, he will make return.

Quia custodivi vias Domini, et non egi impie a Deo meo.

Because I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

Have I not kept true to the Lord’s paths? Have I not been loyal to my God?

Omnia enim judicia ejus in conspectu meo, et præcepta ejus non amovi a me.

For all his judgments are in my sight: and his precepts I have not removed from me.

No law of his, but I have kept it before my eyes; no task he laid upon me have I refused;

Et ero perfectus cum eo, et custodiam me ab iniquitate mea.

And I shall be perfect with him: and shall keep myself from my iniquity.

ever stainless in his presence, ever watchful to keep myself clear of guilt.

Et restituet mihi Dominus secundum justitiam meam, et secundum munditiam manuum mearum in conspectu oculorum suorum.

And the Lord will recompense me according to my justice: and according to the cleanness of my hands in the sight of his eyes.

Surely the Lord will requite me as he sees me dutiful, as he sees me guiltless in act.

Cum sancto sanctus eris, et cum robusto perfectus.

With the holy one thou wilt be holy: and with the valiant perfect.

Lovingly thou dost treat those who love thee, faithfully the courageous;

Cum electo electus eris, et cum perverso perverteris.

With the elect thou wilt be elect: and with the perverse thou wilt be perverted.

he that is thy own shall find thee his very own, from the man who turns against thee thou wilt turn away.

Et populum pauperem salvum facies: oculisque tuis excelsos humiliabis.

And the poor people thou wilt save: and with thy eyes thou wilt humble the haughty.

To humble folk thou wilt bring deliverance; the proud, with their haughty looks, thou wilt bring down to earth.

Quia tu lucerna mea, Domine, et tu, Domine, illuminabis tenebras meas.

For thou art my lamp, O Lord: and thou, O Lord, wilt enlighten my darkness.

Thou, Lord, art the lamp of my hope; thou, Lord, dost shine on the darkness about me.

In te enim curram accinctus: in Deo meo transiliam murum.

For in thee I will run girded: in my God I will leap over the wall.

In thy strength I shall run well girded; in the strength of my God I will leap over a wall.

Deus, immaculata via ejus; eloquium Domini igne examinatum: scutum est omnium sperantium in se.

God, his way is immaculate, the word of the Lord is tried by fire: he is the shield of all that trust in him.

Such is my God, unsullied in his dealings; his promises are like metal tried in the fire; he is the sure defence of all who trust in him.

Quis est Deus præter Dominum, et quis fortis præter Deum nostrum?

Who is God but the Lord: and who is strong but our God?

Who but the Lord is God? What other power can there be except our God?

Deus qui accinxit me fortitudine, et complanavit perfectam viam meam.

God who hath girded me with strength, and made my way perfect.

It is he that girds me with strength, he that makes me go on a smooth way, untroubled.

Coæquans pedes meos cervis, et super excelsa mea statuens me;

Making my feet like the feet of harts, and setting me upon my high places.

He makes me sure-footed as the deer, and gives me the freedom of the hills;

docens manus meas ad prælium, et componens quasi arcum æreum brachia mea.

He teacheth my hands to war: and maketh my arms like a bow of brass.

these hands, through him, are skilled in battle, these arms are a match for any bow of bronze.

Dedisti mihi clypeum salutis tuæ, et mansuetudo tua multiplicavit me.

Thou hast given me the shield of my salvation: and thy mildness hath multiplied me.

Thy saving power, Lord, is my defence, thy tender care fosters me.

Dilatabis gressus meos subtus me, et non deficient tali mei.

Thou shalt enlarge my steps under me: and my ankles shall not fail.

Through thee, my steps are untrammelled as I go, foot of mine never falters;

Persequar inimicos meos, et conteram, et non convertar donec consumam eos.

I will pursue after my enemies, and crush them: and will not return again till I consume them.

I can master the enemies I pursue, and never turn home till I have made an end of them;

Consumam eos et confringam, ut non consurgant: cadent sub pedibus meis.

I will consume them and break them in pieces, so that they shall not rise: they shall fall under my feet.

made an end of them, beating them to their knees, hurling them down at my feet.

Accinxisti me fortitudine ad prælium: incurvasti resistentes mihi subtus me.

Thou hast girded me with strength to battle: thou hast made them that resisted me to bow under me.

Thou girdest me about with a warrior’s strength; whatever power challenges me thou dost subdue before me,

Inimicos meos dedisti mihi dorsum; odientes me, et disperdam eos.

My enemies thou hast made to turn their back to me: them that hated me, and I shall destroy them.

putting my enemies to flight, and throwing all their malice into confusion.

Clamabunt, et non erit qui salvet; ad Dominum, et non exaudiet eos.

They shall cry, and there shall be none to save: to the Lord, and he shall not hear them.

Loudly they cry out to the Lord, bereft of aid, but he makes no answer to their cries.

Delebo eos ut pulverem terræ; quasi lutum platearum comminuam eos atque confringam.

I shall beat them as small as the dust of the earth: I shall crush them and spread them abroad like the mire of the streets.

I can crush them to pieces, like dust on the ground, spurn and trample them like mire in the streets.

Salvabis me a contradictionibus populi mei; custodies me in caput gentium: populus quem ignoro serviet mihi.

Thou wilt save me from the contradictions of my people: thou wilt keep me to be the head of the Gentiles: the people which I know not, shall serve me,

Thou wilt deliver me, then, from sedition among my people; nay, thou hast a higher destiny for me yet, to rule over other nations, with alien folk for my subjects.

Filii alieni resistent mihi; auditu auris obedient mihi.

The sons of the stranger will resist me, at the hearing of the ear they will obey me.

Aliens offering battle, and then brought to my allegiance,

Filii alieni defluxerunt, et contrahentur in angustiis suis.

The strangers are melted away, and shall be straitened in their distresses.

so feeble have they grown, so hard pinched by distress!

Vivit Dominus, et benedictus Deus meus, et exaltabitur Deus fortis salutis meæ.

The Lord liveth, and my God is blessed: and the strong God of my salvation shall be exalted:

Blessed be the living Lord who is my God, praised be the God who rescues me!

Deus qui das vindictas mihi, et dejicis populos sub me.

God who giveth me revenge, and bringest down people under me,

It is thou, my God, that bringest me redress, that grantest me dominion over my people,

Qui educis me ab inimicis meis, et a resistentibus mihi elevas me: a viro iniquo liberabis me.

Who bringest me forth from my enemies, and liftest me up from them that resist me: from the wicked man thou shalt deliver me.

that savest me from my enemies, so that I am high above the reach of their assaults, proof against their violence.

Propterea confitebor tibi, Domine, in gentibus, et nomini tuo cantabo:

Therefore will I give thanks to thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and will sing to thy name.

Then, Lord, I will give thee thanks in the hearing of all nations, singing in praise of thy name;

magnificans salutes regis sui, et faciens misericordiam christo suo David, et semini ejus in sempiternum.

Giving great salvation to his king, and shewing mercy to David his anointed, and to his seed for ever.

how powerful thou art to protect the king thou hast chosen, how merciful thou art towards him thou hast anointed, towards David, and David’s line for ever.