At the end of his life, David sings this Psalm as a sort of swan song, one of the most beautiful compositions in the Psalter.  He looks back over the battles of his life and his final victory over all his enemies―a note of courage for the coming conflicts of the week.  God's Kingdom, too, must battle in Church and soul―but under God's sure guidance, it will be victorious.  Note particularly the magnificent description of God's apparition, in the figure of a thunder storm.

God, my helper

Díligam te, Dómine, fortitúdo mea: * Dóminus firmaméntum meum, et refúgium meum, et liberátor meus.
2  Deus meus adjútor meus, * et sperábo in eum.
3  Protéctor meus, et cornu salútis meæ, * et suscéptor meus.
4  Laudans invocábo Dóminum: * et ab inimícis meis salvus ero.

I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. * The Lord is my firmament, my refuge, and my deliverer.
2  My God is my helper, * and in him will I put my trust.
3  My protector, the horn also of my salvation, * and my guardian.
4  With high praises will I call upon the Lord, * and I shall be saved from all mine enemies.

Cry for help

5  Circumdedérunt me dolóres mortis: * et torréntes iniquitátis conturbavérunt me.
6  Dolóres inférni circumdedérunt me: * præoccupavérunt me láquei mortis.
7  In tribulatióne mea invocávi Dóminum, * et ad Deum meum clamávi.
8  Et exaudívit de templo sancto suo vocem meam: * et clamor meus in conspéctu ejus, introívit in aures ejus.

5  The sorrows of death compassed me, * and the torrents of ungodliness made me afraid.
6  The sorrows of hell came about me; * the snares of death overtook me.
7  In my affliction I called upon the Lord, * and I cried out unto my God :
8  And he hath heard my voice out of his holy temple, * and my cry was before him, and hath entered even into his ears.

God hastens to aid in a thunder storm

9  Commóta est, et contrémuit terra: * fundaménta móntium conturbáta sunt, et commóta sunt, quóniam irátus est eis.
10  Ascéndit fumus in ira ejus: et ignis a fácie ejus exársit: * carbónes succénsi sunt ab eo.
11  Inclinávit cælos, et descéndit: * et calígo sub pédibus ejus.
12  Et ascéndit super Chérubim, et volávit: * volávit super pennas ventórum.
13  Et pósuit ténebras latíbulum suum, in circúitu ejus tabernáculum ejus: * tenebrósa aqua in núbibus áëris.
14  Præ fulgóre in conspéctu ejus nubes transiérunt, * grando et carbónes ignis.
15  Et intónuit de cælo Dóminus, et Altíssimus dedit vocem suam: * grando et carbónes ignis.
16  Et misit sagíttas suas, et dissipávit eos: * fúlgura multiplicávit, et conturbávit eos.
17  Et apparuérunt fontes aquárum, * et reveláta sunt fundaménta orbis terrárum:
18  Ab increpatióne tua, Dómine, * ab inspiratióne spíritus iræ tuæ.

9  The earth trembled and quaked, * the very foundations also of the hills shook, and were removed, because he was wroth with them.
10  There went up a smoke in his wrath, and a fire flamed from his face : * so that coals were kindled at it.
11  He bowed the heavens also, and came down, * and it was dark under his feet.
12  He ascended above the Cherubims, and did fly; * he came flying upon the wings of the wind.
13  He made darkness his secret place, his pavilion round about him : * dark waters in the clouds of the air.
14  At the brightness of his presence his clouds removed; * hailstones and coals of fire.
15  The Lord also thundered out of heaven, and the Highest gave his voice; * hailstones and coals of fire.
16  He sent out his arrows, and scattered them; * he multiplied the lightnings, and confounded them.
17  Then were springs of water seen, * and the foundations of the round world were discovered.
18  At thy chiding, O Lord, * at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure.

Salvation

19  Misit de summo, et accépit me: * et assúmpsit me de aquis multis.
20  Erípuit me de inimícis meis fortíssimis, et ab his qui odérunt me: * quóniam confortáti sunt super me.
21  Prævenérunt me in die afflictiónis meæ: * et factus est Dóminus protéctor meus.
22  Et edúxit me in latitúdinem: * salvum me fecit, quóniam vóluit me.

19  He hath sent down from on high to fetch me, * and hath taken me out of many waters.
20  He hath delivered me from my strongest enemy, and from them which hate me; * for they were too mighty for me.
21  They prevented me in the day of my trouble; * but the Lord was my upholder.
22  He brought me forth also into a place of liberty; * he hath saved me, even because he had a favour unto me.

The reward for fidelity to the Law

23  Et retríbuet mihi Dóminus secúndum justítiam meam: * et secúndum puritátem mánuum meárum retríbuet mihi :
24  Quia custodívi vias Dómini, * nec ímpie gessi a Deo meo.
25  Quóniam ómnia judícia ejus in conspéctu meo: * et justítias ejus non répuli a me.
26  Et ero immaculátus cum eo: * et observábo ab iniquitáte mea.
27  Et retríbuet mihi Dóminus secúndum justítiam meam: * et secúndum puritátem mánuum meárum in conspéctu oculórum ejus.

23  And the Lord shall reward me after my righteous dealing, * according to the cleanness of my hands shall he recompense me.
24  Because I have kept the ways of the Lord, * and have not done wickedly against my God.
25  For all his judgments are in my sight, * and I have not cast out his commandments from me.
26  And I shall be uncorrupt before him, * and eschew mine own wickedness.
27  Therefore shall the Lord reward me after my righteous dealing, * and according unto the cleanness of my hands before his eyes.

Thank the just Judge

28  Cum sancto sanctus eris, * et cum viro innocénte ínnocens eris :
29  Et cum elécto eléctus eris: * et cum pervérso pervertéris.
30  Quóniam tu pópulum húmilem salvum fácies: * et óculos superbórum humiliábis.
31  Quóniam tu illúminas lucérnam meam, Dómine: * Deus meus, illúmina ténebras meas.
32  Quóniam in te erípiar a tentatióne, * et in Deo meo transgrédiar murum.
33  Deus meus, impollúta via ejus: elóquia Dómini igne examináta: * protéctor est ómnium sperántium in se.

28  With the holy thou shalt be holy, * and with the innocent man thou shalt be innocent.
29  With the chosen thou shalt be chosen, * and with the perverse thou shalt learn perversion.
30  For thou shalt save the humble people that are in adversity, * and shalt bring down the high looks of the proud.
31  For thou lightest my candle, O Lord; * O my God,  make my darkness to be light.
32  For in thee shall I be delivered from temptation, * and with the help of my God I shall leap over the wall.
33  As for my God, his way is undefiled, the word of the Lord also is tried in the fire; * he is the defender of all them that put their trust in him.

Thank the almighty Helper

34  Quóniam quis Deus præter Dóminum? * aut quis Deus præter Deum nostrum?
35  Deus, qui præcínxit me virtúte: * et pósuit immaculátam viam meam.
36  Qui perfécit pedes meos tamquam cervórum, * et super excélsa státuens me.
37  Qui docet manus meas ad prælium: * et posuísti, ut arcum æreum, bráchia mea.

34  For who is God, but the Lord? * or who is God, except our God?
35  It is God that hath girded me with strength, * and hath made my way blameless.
36  He maketh my feet like harts' feet, * and setteth me up on high.
37  He teacheth mine hands to fight, * and thou hast made mine arms even as a brazen bow.

God gave me victory

38  Et dedísti mihi protectiónem salútis tuæ: * et déxtera tua suscépit me:
39  Et disciplína tua corréxit me in finem: * et disciplína tua ipsa me docébit.
40  Dilatásti gressus meos subtus me: * et non sunt infirmáta vestígia mea:
41  Pérsequar inimícos meos et comprehéndam illos: * et non convértar, donec defíciant.
42  Confríngam illos, nec póterunt stare: * cadent subtus pedes meos.
43  Et præcinxísti me virtúte ad bellum: * supplantásti insurgéntes in me subtus me.
44  Et inimícos meos dedísti mihi dorsum, * et odiéntes me disperdidísti.
45  Clamavérunt, nec erat qui salvos fáceret ad Dóminum: * nec exaudívit eos.
46  Et commínuam illos, ut púlverem ante fáciem venti: * ut lutum plateárum delébo eos.

38  Thou hast given me the defence of thy salvation; * thy right hand also hath upholden me.
39  And thy discipline hath corrected me unto the end : * and thy discipline, the same shall teach me.
40  Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, * that my footsteps shall not slide.
41  I will follow upon mine enemies, and overtake them; * neither will I turn again till they are consumed.
42  I will smite them, that they shall not be able to stand, * but they shall fall under my feet.
43  Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle; * thou hast thrown them down under me that rise up against me.
44  Thou hast made mine enemies also to turn their backs upon me, * and hast destroyed them that hate me.
45  They have cried out, but there was none to save them;  * yea, even unto the Lord did they cry, but he heard them not.
46  I will beat them as small as the dust before the wind: * I will bring them to nought as the clay in the streets.

God gave me power and glory

47  Eripe me de contradictiónibus pópuli: * constítues me in caput géntium.
48  Pópulus quem non cognóvi servívit mihi: * in audítu auris obedívit mihi.
49  Fílii aliéni mentíti sunt mihi, * fílii aliéni inveteráti sunt, et claudicavérunt a sémitis suis.

47  Thou shalt deliver me from the contradictions of the people, * and thou shalt make me the head of the heathen.
48  A people whom I have not known hath served me : * at the hearing of the ear, they have obeyed me.
49  But the children that are strangers have dissembled with me, * the strange children have faded away, and have halted from their paths.

Finale

50 Vivit Dóminus, et benedíctus Deus meus: * et exaltétur Deus salútis meæ.
51  Deus, qui das vindíctas mihi, et subdis pópulos sub me: * liberátor meus de inimícis meis iracúndis.
52  Et ab insurgéntibus in me exaltábis me: * a viro iníquo erípies me.
53  Proptérea confitébor tibi in natiónibus, Dómine: * et nómini tuo psalmum dicam.
54  Magníficans salútes Regis ejus, et fáciens misericórdiam Christo suo David: * et sémini ejus usque in sæculum.

50  The Lord liveth; and blessed be my God, * and praised be the God of my salvation;
51  Even the God that seeth that I be avenged, and subdueth the people unto me : * it is he that delivereth me from my cruel enemies.
52  And thou shalt set me up above them that rise up against me: * thou shalt deliver me from the wicked man.
53  For this cause will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the nations, * and sing praises unto thy Name.
54  Great prosperity giveth he unto his King, and sheweth loving-kindness unto David his Anointed, * and unto his seed for evermore.