(Of David.)
Lord, espouse my quarrel; disarm the enemies who rise in arms against me;

Ipsi David.
Judica, Domine, nocentes me; expugna impugnantes me.

For David himself.
Judge thou, O Lord, them that wrong me: overthrow them that fight against me.

grip target and shield, bestir thyself in my defence.

Apprehende arma et scutum, et exsurge in adjutorium mihi.

Take hold of arms and shield: and rise up to help me.

With poised lance, bar the way against my pursuers; whisper in my heart, I am here to save thee.

Effunde frameam, et conclude adversus eos qui persequuntur me; dic animæ meæ: Salus tua ego sum.

Bring out the sword, and shut up the way against them that persecute me: say to my soul: I am thy salvation.

For my mortal enemies, shame and disappointment; for my ill-wishers one and all, ruin and remorse;

Confundantur et revereantur quærentes animam meam; avertantur retrorsum et confundantur cogitantes mihi mala.

Let them be confounded and ashamed that seek after my soul. Let them be turned back and be confounded that devise evil against me.

chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord to scatter them,

Fiant tamquam pulvis ante faciem venti, et angelus Domini coarctans eos.

Let them become as dust before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord straiten them.

benighted and bemired on their way, with the angel of the Lord in pursuit!

Fiat via illorum tenebræ et lubricum, et angelus Domini persequens eos.

Let their way become dark and slippery; and let the angel of the Lord pursue them.

Wantonly they have spread their nets for me, wantonly they have dug the cruel snare;

Quoniam gratis absconderunt mihi interitum laquei sui; supervacue exprobraverunt animam meam.

For without cause they have hidden their net for me unto destruction: without cause they have upbraided my soul.

now let sudden doom overtake them, their own nets enmesh, their own snare entrap them!

Veniat illi laqueus quem ignorat, et captio quam abscondit apprehendat eum, et in laqueum cadat in ipsum.

Let the snare which he knoweth not come upon him: and let the net which he hath hidden catch him: and into that very snare let them fall.

Mine to triumph in the Lord, to boast of the aid he brings me;

Anima autem mea exsultabit in Domino, et delectabitur super salutari suo.

But my soul shall rejoice in the Lord; and shall be delighted in his salvation.

this be the cry of my whole being, There is none like thee, Lord; who else rescues the afflicted from the hand of tyranny, the poor, the destitute, from his oppressors?

Omnia ossa mea dicent: Domine, quis similis tibi? eripiens inopem de manu fortiorum ejus; egenum et pauperem a diripientibus eum.

All my bones shall say: Lord, who is like to thee? Who deliverest the poor from the hand of them that are stronger than he; the needy and the poor from them that strip him.

See how perjured witnesses have come forward, to browbeat me over charges of which I know nothing;

Surgentes testes iniqui, quæ ignorabam interrogabant me.

Unjust witnesses rising up have asked me things I knew not.

how they have repaid my kindness with cruelty, and left me friendless!

Retribuebant mihi mala pro bonis, sterilitatem animæ meæ.

They repaid me evil for good: to the depriving me of my soul.

Time was, when these were sick; what did I then? Sackcloth was my wear; rigorously I kept fast, prayed from my heart’s depths.

Ego autem, cum mihi molesti essent, induebar cilicio; humiliabam in jejunio animam meam, et oratio mea in sinu meo convertetur.

But as for me, when they were troublesome to me, I was clothed with haircloth. I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer shall be turned into my bosom.

I went my way sadly, as one that mourns for brother or friend, bowed with grief, as one that bewails a mother’s loss.

Quasi proximum et quasi fratrem nostrum sic complacebam; quasi lugens et contristatus sic humiliabar.

As a neighbour and as an own brother, so did I please: as one mourning and sorrowful so was I humbled.

And now it was my turn to reel under fortune’s blows; what did they?

Et adversum me lætati sunt, et convenerunt; congregata sunt super me flagella, et ignoravi.

But they rejoiced against me, and came together: scourges were gathered together upon me, and I knew not.

Gleeful they met, and plotted to attack me unawares; tore at me without ceasing, baited and mocked me, gnashing their teeth in hatred.

Dissipati sunt, nec compuncti; tentaverunt me, subsannaverunt me subsannatione; frenduerunt super me dentibus suis.

They were separated, and repented not: they tempted me, they scoffed at me with scorn: they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

Lord, wilt thou look on unheeding still? Wilt thou leave my life at the mercy of these roaring lions?

Domine, quando respicies? Restitue animam meam a malignitate eorum; a leonibus unicam meam.

Lord, when wilt thou look upon me? rescue thou my soul from their malice: my only one from the lions.

Let me live to praise and thank thee before the multitude that throngs thy courts.

Confitebor tibi in ecclesia magna; in populo gravi laudabo te.

I will give thanks to thee in a great church; I will praise thee in a strong people.

No more the leer of triumph in the eye of yonder treacherous foe, that wantonly assails me!

Non supergaudeant mihi qui adversantur mihi inique, qui oderunt me gratis, et annuunt oculis.

Let not them that are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: who have hated me without cause, and wink with the eyes.

In all their whispering, never a word of peace; they will still be plotting against the land’s repose.

Quoniam mihi quidem pacifice loquebantur; et in iracundia terræ loquentes, dolos cogitabant.

For they spoke indeed peaceably to me; and speaking in the anger of the earth they devised guile.

See how they mop and mow at me, crying out, Joy, joy that we should have lived to see this!

Et dilataverunt super me os suum; dixerunt: Euge, euge! viderunt oculi nostri.

And they opened their mouth wide against me; they said: Well done, well done, our eyes have seen it.

Thou too, Lord, hast seen it, do not pass it by in silence; Lord, do not abandon me.

Vidisti, Domine: ne sileas; Domine, ne discedas a me.

Thou hast seen, O Lord, be not thou silent: O Lord, depart not from me.

Bestir thyself and take my part, give me speedy redress, my Lord and my God.

Exsurge et intende judicio meo, Deus meus; et Dominus meus, in causam meam.

Arise, and be attentive to my judgment: to my cause, my God, and my Lord.

As thou art just, O Lord my God, give thy award for me, never let them triumph over me;

Judica me secundum justitiam tuam, Domine Deus meus, et non supergaudeant mihi.

Judge me, O Lord my God according to thy justice, and let them not rejoice over me.

never let them think, All goes well, and boast that they have made a prey of me.

Non dicant in cordibus suis: Euge, euge, animæ nostræ; nec dicant: Devoravimus eum.

Let them not say in their hearts: It is well, it is well, to our mind: neither let them say: We have swallowed him up.

Disappoint them, fill them with confusion, the men who delight in my misfortune; cover them with shame and self-reproach, the enemies that triumph over me.

Erubescant et revereantur simul qui gratulantur malis meis; induantur confusione et reverentia qui magna loquuntur super me.

Let them blush: and be ashamed together, who rejoice at my evils. Let them be clothed with confusion and shame, who speak great things against me.

Joy and gladness be theirs, who applaud my innocence; Praise to the Lord! be their cry, the Lord who defends his servant.

Exsultent et lætentur qui volunt justitiam meam; et dicant semper: Magnificetur Dominus, qui volunt pacem servi ejus.

Let them rejoice and be glad, who are well pleased with my justice, and let them say always: The Lord be magnified, who delights in the peace of his servant.

And all day long, for thy just awarding, this tongue shall make known thy praise.

Et lingua mea meditabitur justitiam tuam; tota die laudem tuam.

And my tongue shall meditate thy justice, thy praise all the day long.