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,

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

Laudabilem invocabo Dominum, et ab inimicis meis salvus ero.

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

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

Quia circumdederunt me contritiones mortis: torrentes Belial terruerunt me.

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

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

Funes inferni circumdederunt me: prævenerunt me laquei mortis.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Præ fulgore in conspectu ejus, succensi sunt carbones ignis.

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

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

Tonabit de cælo Dominus, et excelsus dabit vocem suam.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cum sancto sanctus eris, et cum robusto perfectus.

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

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

Cum electo electus eris, et cum perverso perverteris.

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

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

Et populum pauperem salvum facies: oculisque tuis excelsos humiliabis.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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,

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

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.

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

Filii alieni resistent mihi; auditu auris obedient mihi.

Aliens offering battle, and then brought to my allegiance,

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

Filii alieni defluxerunt, et contrahentur in angustiis suis.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.