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

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

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

grip target and shield, bestir thyself in my defence.

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

Apprehende arma et scutum, et exsurge in adjutorium mihi.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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?

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.

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

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

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

Surgentes testes iniqui, quæ ignorabam interrogabant me.

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

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

Retribuebant mihi mala pro bonis, sterilitatem animæ meæ.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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