Psalm 16.  Exaudi, Domine

Plea of the innocent

Battle in the kingdom

After seeing the lines drawn up, friend and foe, we see the battle itself.  Innocency and justice fight with sin.  It is a fierce struggle, but God is the mighty champion.  The temptations of the devil are vividly portrayed.  This is the Psalm that St. Lawrence prayed while he was being martyred.

Protestation of innocency

Exáudi, Dómine, justítiam meam: * inténde deprecatiónem meam.
2  Auribus pércipe oratiónem meam, * non in lábiis dolósis.
3   De vultu tuo judícium meum pródeat: * óculi tui vídeant æquitátes.
4  Probásti cor meum, et visitásti nocte: * igne me examinásti, et non est invénta in me iníquitas.
5  Ut non loquátur os meum ópera hóminum: * propter verba labiórum tuórum ego custodívi vias duras.
6  Pérfice gressus meos in sémitis tuis: * ut non moveántur vestígia mea.

Hear, O Lord, my righteousness, * consider my supplication.
2  Hearken unto my prayer, * that goeth not out of feigned lips.
3  Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; * and let thine eyes look upon the thing that is equal.
4  Thou hast proved and visited mine heart in the night season;  * thou hast tried me by fire, and wickedness hath not been found in me.
5  That my mouth may not speak the works of men : * for the sake of the words of thy lips I have kept me in the ways that are hard.
6  O hold thou up my goings in thy paths, * that my footsteps slip not.

Plea for protection from enemies

7  Ego clamávi, quóniam exaudísti me, Deus: * inclína aurem tuam mihi, et exáudi verba mea.
8  Mirífica misericórdias tuas, * qui salvos facis sperántes in te.
9  A resisténtibus déxteræ tuæ custódi me, * ut pupíllam óculi.
10  Sub umbra alárum tuárum prótege me: * a fácie impiórum qui me afflixérunt.
11  Inimíci mei ánimam meam circumdedérunt, ádipem suum conclusérunt : * os eórum locútum est supérbiam.
12  Projiciéntes me nunc circumdedérunt me: * óculos suos statuérunt declináre in terram.
13  Suscepérunt me sicut leo parátus ad prædam: * et sicut cátulus leónis hábitans in ábditis.

7  I have called upon thee, O God, for thou hast heard me: * incline thine ear to me, and hearken unto my words.
8  Shew thy marvellous loving-kindness, * thou that art the Saviour of them which put their trust in thee.
9  From such as resist thy right hand, keep me * as the apple of an eye.
10  Hide me under the shadow of thy wings : * from the face of the ungodly, that trouble me.
11  Mine enemies compass my soul round about, they are inclosed in their own fat, * and their mouth hath spoken proud things.
12  They have cast me forth and now they have compassed me on every side, * they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
13  They have taken me like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, * and as it were a lion's whelp lurking in secret places.

Punishment and reward

14  Exsúrge, Dómine, prævéni eum, et supplánta eum: * éripe ánimam meam ab ímpio, frámeam tuam ab inimícis manus tuæ.
15  Dómine, a paucis de terra dívide eos in vita eórum: * de abscónditis tuis adimplétus est venter eórum.
16  Saturáti sunt fíliis: * et dimisérunt relíquias suas párvulis suis.
17  Ego autem in justítia apparébo conspéctui tuo: * satiabor cum apparúerit glória tua.

14  Up, Lord, disappoint him, and cast him down; * deliver my soul from the ungodly, thy sword from the enemies of thine hand.
15  Divide them, O Lord, from the few of the earth in their life : * their bellies are filled with thy hid treasure.
16  They are full of children, * and they have left the rest of their substance for their little ones.
17  But as for me, I will behold thy presence in righteousness; * and when thy glory shall appear, I shall be satisfied with it.