Psalm 51.  Quid gloriaris

The hardened sinner

With a frightening picture of the sinner and his final end, eternal ruin, the Church strengthens us in our battle against sin.

Evils of the sinner

Quid gloriáris in malítia, * qui potens es in iniquitáte?
2  Tota die injustítiam cogitávit lingua tua: * sicut novácula acúta fecísti dolum.
3  Dilexísti malítiam super benignitátem: * iniquitátem magis quam loqui æquitátem.
4  Dilexísti ómnia verba præcipitatiónis: * lingua dolósa.

Why dost thou glory in malice, * thou that art mighty in wickedness?
2  All the day long thy tongue hath imagined injustice : * as a sharp razor, thou hast wrought deceit.
3  Thou hast loved malice more than goodness, * and wickedness more than righteousness.
4  Thou hast loved all the words of ruin, * O thou false tongue.

Due punishment

5  Proptérea Deus déstruet te in finem, * evéllet te, et emigrábit te de tabernáculo tuo: et radícem tuam de terra vivéntium.

5  Therefore shall God destroy thee for ever; * he shall take thee, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling, and root thee out of the land of the living.

Effect on the righteous

6  Vidébunt justi, et timébunt, et super eum ridébunt et dicent: *  Ecce homo, qui non pósuit Deum adjutórem suum:
7  Sed sperávit in multitúdine divitiárum suárum: * et præváluit in vanitáte sua.

6  The righteous also shall see this, and fear, and shall laugh him to scorn, saying : * Lo, this is the man that took not God for his strength.
7  But trusted unto the multitude of his riches, * and prevailed in his vanity.

Newly strengthened trust

8  Ego autem, sicut olíva fructífera in domo Dei: * sperávi in misericórdia Dei in ætérnum : et in sæculum sæculi.
9  Confitébor tibi in sæculum, quia fecísti: * et exspectábo nomen tuum, quóniam bonum est in conspéctu sanctórum tuórum.

8  As for me, like a green olive-tree in the house of God, * I have hoped in the tender mercy of God for ever, yea, for ever and ever.
9  I will alway give thanks unto thee for that thou hast done; * and I will hope in thy Name, for it is good in the sight of thy saints.