Psalmus ipsi David, quarta sabbati.

A psalm for David himself on the fourth day of the week.

Deus ultionum Dominus; Deus ultionum libere egit.

The Lord is the God to whom revenge belongeth: the God of revenge hath acted freely.

In thy divine vengeance, Lord, in thy divine vengeance stand revealed!

Exaltare, qui judicas terram; redde retributionem superbis.

Lift up thyself, thou that judgest the earth: render a reward to the proud.

Judge of the world, mount thy throne, and give the proud their deserts!

Usquequo peccatores, Domine, usquequo peccatores gloriabuntur;

How long shall sinners, O Lord: how long shall sinners glory?

Must it be the sinners still, Lord, the sinners still that triumph?

effabuntur et loquentur iniquitatem; loquentur omnes qui operantur injustitiam?

Shall they utter, and speak iniquity: shall all speak who work injustice?

Shall there be no end to the prating, the rebellious talk, the boastfulness of wrong-doers?

Populum tuum, Domine, humiliaverunt, et hæreditatem tuam vexaverunt.

Thy people, O Lord, they have brought low: and they have afflicted thy inheritance.

See, Lord, how they crush down thy people, afflict the land of thy choice,

Viduam et advenam interfecerunt, et pupillos occiderunt.

They have slain the widow and the stranger: and they have murdered the fatherless.

murder the widow and the stranger, slay the orphan!

Et dixerunt: Non videbit Dominus, nec intelliget Deus Jacob.

And they have said: The Lord shall not see: neither shall the God of Jacob understand.

And they think, The Lord will never see it, the God of Israel pays no heed.

Intelligite, insipientes in populo; et stulti, aliquando sapite.

Understand, ye senseless among the people: and, you fools, be wise at last.

Pay heed, rather, yourselves, dull hearts that count among my people; fools, learn your lesson ere it is too late.

Qui plantavit aurem non audiet? aut qui finxit oculum non considerat?

He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? or he that formed the eye, doth he not consider?

Is he deaf, the God who implanted hearing in us; is he blind, the God who gave us eyes to see?

Qui corripit gentes non arguet, qui docet hominem scientiam?

He that chastiseth nations, shall he not rebuke: he that teacheth man knowledge?

He who gives nations their schooling, who taught man all that man knows, will he not call you to account?

Dominus scit cogitationes hominum, quoniam vanæ sunt.

The Lord knoweth the thoughts of men, that they are vain.

The Lord looks into men’s hearts, and finds there illusion.

Beatus homo quem tu erudieris, Domine, et de lege tua docueris eum:

Blessed is the man whom thou shalt instruct, O Lord: and shalt teach him out of thy law.

Happy, Lord, is the man whom thou dost chasten, reading him the lesson of thy law!

ut mitiges ei a diebus malis, donec fodiatur peccatori fovea.

That thou mayst give him rest from the evil days: till a pit be dug for the wicked.

For him, thou wilt lighten the time of adversity, digging a pit all the while to entrap the sinner.

Quia non repellet Dominus plebem suam, et hæreditatem suam non derelinquet,

For the Lord will not cast off his people: neither will he forsake his own inheritance.

God will not abandon his people, will not desert his chosen land;

quoadusque justitia convertatur in judicium: et qui juxta illam, omnes qui recto sunt corde.

Until justice be turned into judgment: and they that are near it are all the upright in heart.

ere long his justice will reappear in judgement, claiming all upright hearts for its own.

Quis consurget mihi adversus malignantes? aut quis stabit mecum adversus operantes iniquitatem?

Who shall rise up for me against the evildoers? or who shall stand with me against the workers of iniquity?

Who takes my part against the oppressor? Who rallies to my side against the wrong-doers?

Nisi quia Dominus adjuvit me, paulominus habitasset in inferno anima mea.

Unless the Lord had been my helper, my soul had almost dwelt in hell.

It is the Lord that helps me; but for that, the grave would soon be my resting-place.

Si dicebam: Motus est pes meus: misericordia tua, Domine, adjuvabat me.

If I said: My foot is moved: thy mercy, O Lord, assisted me.

Still, when my foothold seems lost, thy mercy, Lord, holds me up;

Secundum multitudinem dolorum meorum in corde meo, consolationes tuæ lætificaverunt animam meam.

According to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, thy comforts have given joy to my soul.

amid all the thronging cares that fill my heart, my soul finds comfort in thy consolation.

Numquid adhæret tibi sedes iniquitatis, qui fingis laborem in præcepto?

Doth the seat of iniquity stick to thee, who framest labour in commandment?

What part have these unjust judges with thee, that make mischief in the name of law?

Captabunt in animam justi, et sanguinem innocentem condemnabunt.

They will hunt after the soul of the just, and will condemn innocent blood.

Let them harry the just as they will, pass sentence of death upon the innocent,

Et factus est mihi Dominus in refugium, et Deus meus in adjutorium spei meæ.

But the Lord is my refuge: and my God the help of my hope.

the Lord will be my defence, in my God I shall find a rock-fastness still.

Et reddet illis iniquitatem ipsorum, et in malitia eorum disperdet eos: disperdet illos Dominus Deus noster.

And he will render them their iniquity: and in their malice he will destroy them: the Lord our God will destroy them.

He will punish the wrong, destroy them in their wickedness; doubt not the Lord our God will destroy them.