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

Psalmus ipsi David, quarta sabbati.

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

Deus ultionum Dominus; Deus ultionum libere egit.

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

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

Exaltare, qui judicas terram; redde retributionem superbis.

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

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

Usquequo peccatores, Domine, usquequo peccatores gloriabuntur;

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

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

effabuntur et loquentur iniquitatem; loquentur omnes qui operantur injustitiam?

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

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

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

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

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

Viduam et advenam interfecerunt, et pupillos occiderunt.

murder the widow and the stranger, slay the orphan!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Qui corripit gentes non arguet, qui docet hominem scientiam?

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

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

Dominus scit cogitationes hominum, quoniam vanæ sunt.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Captabunt in animam justi, et sanguinem innocentem condemnabunt.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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