Unto the end, for David, the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this canticle, in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. (2 Kings 22.)

Diligam te, Domine, fortitudo mea.

Shall I not love thee, Lord, my only defender?

I will love thee, O Lord, my strength:

Dominus firmamentum meum, et refugium meum, et liberator meus. Deus meus adjutor meus, et sperabo in eum; protector meus, et cornu salutis meæ, et susceptor meus.

The Lord is my rock-fastness, my stronghold, my rescuer; to God, my hiding-place, I flee for safety; he is my shield, my weapon of deliverance, my refuge.

The Lord is my firmament, my refuge, and my deliverer. My God is my helper, and in him will I put my trust. My protector and the horn of my salvation, and my support.

Laudans invocabo Dominum, et ab inimicis meis salvus ero.

Praised be the Lord! When I invoke his name, I am secure from my enemies.

Praising I will call upon the Lord: and I shall be saved from my enemies.

Circumdederunt me dolores mortis, et torrentes iniquitatis conturbaverunt me.

All about me surged the waves of death, deep flowed the perilous tide, to daunt me;

The sorrows of death surrounded me: and the torrents of iniquity troubled me.

Dolores inferni circumdederunt me; præoccupaverunt me laquei mortis.

the grave had caught me in its toils, deadly snares had trapped my feet.

The sorrows of hell encompassed me: and the snares of death prevented me.

In tribulatione mea invocavi Dominum, et ad Deum meum clamavi: et exaudivit de templo sancto suo vocem meam; et clamor meus in conspectu ejus introivit in aures ejus.

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

In my affliction I called upon the Lord, and I cried to my God: And he heard my voice from his holy temple: and my cry before him came into his ears.

Commota est, et contremuit terra; fundamenta montium conturbata sunt, et commota sunt: quoniam iratus est eis.

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

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

Ascendit fumus in ira ejus, et ignis a facie ejus exarsit; carbones succensi sunt ab eo.

at the fiery smoke that breathed from his mouth and nostrils, kindling coals to flame.

There went up a smoke in his wrath: and a fire flamed from his face: coals were kindled by it.

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

He bade heaven stoop, and came down to earth, with a dark cloud at his feet;

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

Et ascendit super cherubim, et volavit; volavit super pennas ventorum.

he came, cherub-mounted, borne up on the wings of the wind,

And he ascended upon the cherubim, and he flew; he flew upon the wings of the winds.

Et posuit tenebras latibulum suum; in circuitu ejus tabernaculum ejus, tenebrosa aqua in nubibus aëris.

shrouded in darkness, canopied with black rain-storm and deep mist.

And he made darkness his covert, his pavilion round about him: dark waters in the clouds of the air.

Præ fulgore in conspectu ejus nubes transierunt; grando et carbones ignis.

Then, while coals were kindled at the brightness as he came,

At the brightness that was before him the clouds passed, hail and coals of fire.

Et intonuit de cælo Dominus, et Altissimus dedit vocem suam: grando et carbones ignis.

the Lord sent his thunder from heaven, the most High let his voice be heard.

And the Lord thundered from heaven, and the highest gave his voice: hail and coals of fire.

Et misit sagittas suas, et dissipavit eos; fulgura multiplicavit, et conturbavit eos.

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

And he sent forth his arrows, and he scattered them: he multiplied lightnings, and troubled them.

Et apparuerunt fontes aquarum, et revelata sunt fundamenta orbis terrarum, ab increpatione tua, Domine, ab inspiratione spiritus iræ tuæ.

The sea’s bed came to light, the very foundations of the world were laid bare, when thou didst threaten them, Lord, when thou didst blow upon them with the breath of thy anger.

Then the fountains of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were discovered: At thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the spirit of thy wrath.

Misit de summo, et accepit me; et assumpsit me de aquis multis.

Then he reached down from heaven, caught hold of me, rescued me from that flood,

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

Eripuit me de inimicis meis fortissimis, et ab his qui oderunt me. Quoniam confortati sunt super me;

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

He delivered me from my strongest enemies, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.

prævenerunt me in die afflictionis meæ: et factus est Dominus protector meus.

Evil days, when they faced me at every turn! Yet the Lord stood by me,

They prevented me in the day of my affliction: and the Lord became my protector.

Et eduxit me in latitudinem; salvum me fecit, quoniam voluit me,

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

And he brought me forth into a large place: he saved me, because he was well pleased with me.

et retribuet mihi Dominus secundum justitiam meam, et secundum puritatem manuum mearum retribuet mihi:

So, for my faithfulness, the Lord would requite me, as he sees me guiltless in act, he would make return.

And the Lord will reward me according to my justice; and will repay me according to the cleanness of my hands:

quia custodivi vias Domini, nec impie gessi a Deo meo;

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

Because I have kept the ways of the Lord; and have not done wickedly against my God.

quoniam omnia judicia ejus in conspectu meo, et justitias ejus non repuli a me.

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

For all his judgments are in my sight: and his justices I have not put away from me.

Et ero immaculatus cum eo; et observabo me ab iniquitate mea.

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

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

Et retribuet mihi Dominus secundum justitiam meam, et secundum puritatem manuum mearum in conspectu oculorum ejus.

ever faithful, ever guiltless in act, the Lord has requited me.

And the Lord will reward me according to my justice; and according to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes.

Cum sancto sanctus eris, et cum viro innocente innocens eris,

Lovingly wilt thou treat those who love thee, with the loyal keep troth;

With the holy, thou wilt be holy; and with the innocent man thou wilt be innocent.

et cum electo electus eris, et cum perverso perverteris.

pure of heart the pure of heart shall find thee, the cunning thou wilt overreach.

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

Quoniam tu populum humilem salvum facies, et oculos superborum humiliabis.

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

For thou wilt save the humble people; but wilt bring down the eyes of the proud.

Quoniam tu illuminas lucernam meam, Domine; Deus meus, illumina tenebras meas.

It is thou, Lord, that keepest the lamp of my hopes still burning; shinest on the darkness about me, O my God.

For thou lightest my lamp, O Lord: O my God enlighten my darkness.

Quoniam in te eripiar a tentatione; et in Deo meo transgrediar murum.

In thy strength I will engage a host of the enemy, in my God’s strength I shall leap over all their defences.

For by thee I shall be delivered from temptation; and through my God I shall go over a wall.

Deus meus, impolluta via ejus; eloquia Domini igne examinata: protector est omnium sperantium in se.

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

As for my God, his way is undefiled: the words of the Lord are fire tried: he is the protector of all that trust in him.

Quoniam quis deus præter Dominum? aut quis deus præter Deum nostrum?

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

For who is God but the Lord? or who is God but our God?

Deus qui præcinxit me virtute, et posuit immaculatam viam meam;

It is he that girds me with strength, bids me go on my way untroubled.

God, who hath girt me with strength; and made my way blameless.

qui perfecit pedes meos tamquam cervorum, et super excelsa statuens me;

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

Who hath made my feet like the feet of harts: and who setteth me upon high places.

qui docet manus meas ad prælium. Et posuisti, ut arcum æreum, brachia mea,

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

Who teacheth my hands to war: and thou hast made my arms like a brazen bow.

et dedisti mihi protectionem salutis tuæ: et dextera tua suscepit me, et disciplina tua correxit me in finem, et disciplina tua ipsa me docebit.

Thy saving power, Lord, is my defence, thy right hand supports me; thy tender care fosters me.

And thou hast given me the protection of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath held me up: And thy discipline hath corrected me unto the end: and thy discipline, the same shall teach me.

Dilatasti gressus meos subtus me, et non sunt infirmata vestigia mea.

Through thee, my steps are untrammelled as I go, my tread never falters;

Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; and my feet are not weakened.

Persequar inimicos meos, et comprehendam illos; et non convertar donec deficiant.

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

I will pursue after my enemies, and overtake them: and I will not turn again till they are consumed.

Confringam illos, nec poterunt stare; cadent subtus pedes meos.

I can beat them to their knees, and hurl them down at my feet.

I will break them, and they shall not be able to stand: they shall fall under my feet.

Et præcinxisti me virtute ad bellum, et supplantasti insurgentes in me subtus me.

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

And thou hast girded me with strength unto battle; and hast subdued under me them that rose up against me.

Et inimicos meos dedisti mihi dorsum, et odientes me disperdidisti.

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

And thou hast made my enemies turn their back upon me, and hast destroyed them that hated me.

Clamaverunt, nec erat qui salvos faceret; ad Dominum, nec exaudivit eos.

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

They cried, but there was none to save them, to the Lord: but he heard them not.

Et comminuam eos ut pulverem ante faciem venti; ut lutum platearum delebo eos.

I can crush them to pieces, like the dust which the wind blows along; I can trample them down like mire from the streets.

And I shall beat them as small as the dust before the wind; I shall bring them to nought, like the dirt in the streets.

Eripies me de contradictionibus populi; constitues me in caput gentium.

Nor was it enough, of domestic broils to rid me; a world should be my vassal;

Thou wilt deliver me from the contradictions of the people: thou wilt make me head of the Gentiles.

Populus quem non cognovi servivit mihi; in auditu auris obedivit mihi.

new realms should pay me homage, quick to do my bidding.

A people, which I knew not, hath served me: at the hearing of the ear they have obeyed me.

Filii alieni mentiti sunt mihi, filii alieni inveterati sunt, et claudicaverunt a semitis suis.

See where they come, the alien born, come slinking out of their strongholds, pale of cheek, to cringe before me.

The children that are strangers have lied to me, strange children have faded away, and have halted from their paths.

Vivit Dominus, et benedictus Deus meus, et exaltetur Deus salutis meæ.

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

The Lord liveth, and blessed be my God, and let the God of my salvation be exalted:

Deus qui das vindictas mihi, et subdis populos sub me; liberator meus de inimicis meis iracundis.

It is thou, my God, that bringest me redress, that bendest peoples to my will, that savest me from the spite of my enemies:

O God, who avengest me, and subduest the people under me, my deliverer from my enemies.

Et ab insurgentibus in me exaltabis me; a viro iniquo eripies me.

so that I am high above the reach of their assaults, proof against their violence.

And thou wilt lift me up above them that rise up against me: from the unjust man thou wilt deliver me.

Propterea confitebor tibi in nationibus, Domine, et nomini tuo psalmum dicam;

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

Therefore will I give glory to thee, O Lord, among the nations, and I will sing a psalm to thy name.

magnificans salutes regis ejus, et faciens misericordiam christo suo David, et semini ejus usque in sæculum.

victory thy mercy grants to the King thou hast anointed, to David, and David’s line for ever.

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