The Bible, Douay-Rheims

Psalms Chapter 56

Miserere mei, Deus. The prophet prays in his affliction, and praises G.o.d for his delivery.

56:1. Unto the end, destroy not, for David, for an inscription of a t.i.tle, when he fled from Saul into the cave. [1 Kings 24.]

Destroy not... Suffer me not to be destroyed.

56:2. Have mercy on me, O G.o.d, have mercy on me: for my soul trusteth in thee. And in the shadow of thy wings will I hope, until iniquity pa.s.s away.

56:3. I will cry to G.o.d the most high; to G.o.d who hath done good to me.

56:4. He hath sent from heaven and delivered me: he hath made them a reproach that trod upon me. G.o.d hath sent his mercy and his truth,

56:5. And he hath delivered my soul from the midst of the young lions. I slept troubled. The sons ofmen, whose teeth are weapons and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

56:6. Be thou exalted, O G.o.d, above the heavens, and thy glory above all the earth.

56:7. They prepared a snare for my feet; and they bowed down my soul.

They dug a pit before my face, and they are fallen into it.

56:8. My heart is ready, O G.o.d, my heart is ready: I will sing, and rehea.r.s.e a psalm.

56:9. Arise, O my glory, arise psaltery and harp: I will arise early.

56:10. I will give praise to thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing a psalm to thee among the nations.

56:11. For thy mercy is magnified even to the heavens: and thy truth unto the clouds.

56:12. Be thou exalted, O G.o.d, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth.

Psalms Chapter 57

Si vere utique.

David reproveth the wicked, and foretelleth their punishment.

57:1. Unto the end, destroy not, for David, for an inscription of a t.i.tle.

57:2. If in very deed ye speak justice: judge right things, ye sons of men.

57:3. For in your heart you work iniquity: your hands forge injustice in the earth.

57:4. The wicked are alienated from the womb; they have gone astray from the womb: they have spoken false things.

57:5. Their madness is according to the likeness of a serpent: like the deaf asp that stoppeth her ears:

57:6. Which will not hear the voice of the charmers; nor of the wizard that charmeth wisely.

57:7. G.o.d shall break in pieces their teeth in their mouth: the Lord shall break the grinders of the lions.

57:8. They shall come to nothing, like water running down; he hath bent his bow till they be weakened.

57:9. Like wax that melteth they shall be taken away: fire hath fallen on them, and they shall not see the sun.

57:10. Before your thorns could know the brier; he swalloweth them up, as alive, in his wrath.

Before your thorns, etc... That is, before your thorns grow up, so as to become strong briers, they shall be overtaken and consumed by divine justice, swallowing them up, as it were, alive in his wrath.

57:11. The just shall rejoice when he shall see the revenge: he shall wash his hands in the blood of the sinner.

Shall wash his hands, etc... Shall applaud the justice of G.o.d, and take occasion from the consideration of the punishment of the wicked to wash and cleanse his hands from sin.

57:12. And man shall say: If indeed there be fruit to the just: there is indeed a G.o.d that judgeth them on the earth.

Psalms Chapter 58

Eripe me.

A prayer to be delivered from the wicked, with confidence in G.o.d's help and protection. It agrees to Christ and his enemies the Jews.

58:1. Unto the end, destroy not, for David for an inscription of a t.i.tle, when Saul sent and watched his house to kill him. [1 Kings 19.]

58:2. Deliver me from my enemies, O my G.o.d; and defend me from them that rise up against me.

58:3. Deliver me from them that work iniquity, and save me from b.l.o.o.d.y men.

58:4. For behold they have caught my soul: the mighty have rushed in upon me:

58:5. Neither is it my iniquity, nor my sin, O Lord: without iniquity have I ren, and directed my steps.

58:6. Rise up thou to meet me, and behold: even thou, O Lord, the G.o.d of hosts, the G.o.d of Israel. Attend to visit all the nations: have no mercy on all them that work iniquity.

58:7. They shall return at everning, and shall suffer hunger like dogs: and shall go round about the city.

58:8. Behold they shall speak with their mouth, and a sword is in their lips: for who, say they, hath heard us?

58:9. But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them: thou shalt bring all the nations to nothing.

58:10. I will keep my strength to thee: for thou art my protector:

58:11. My G.o.d, his mercy shall prevent me.

58:12. G.o.d shall let me see over my enemies: slay them not, lest at any time my people forget. Scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord, my protector:

58:13. For the sin of their mouth, and the word of their lips: and let them be taken in their pride. And for their cursing and lying they shall be talked of,

58:14. When they are consumed: when they are consumed by thy wrath, and they shall be no more. And they shall know that G.o.d will rule Jacob, and all the ends of the earth.