Psalm 20

Praise to God for Christ's exaltation after his passion.

Does this psalm differ from what you were expecting? Don't be confused. There are two systems for arranging the psalms: the Septuagint and the Masoretic. We use the Septuagint system here. In the Masoretic system, which is used in most modern Bible translations, this psalm is called Psalm 21, and the previous psalm is known as Psalm 20.

English (Douay-Rheims)

1 Unto the end. A psalm for David.

2 In thy strength, O Lord, the king shall joy; and in thy salvation he shall rejoice exceedingly.
3 Thou hast given him his heart's desire: and hast not withholden from him the will of his lips.
4 For thou hast prevented him with blessings of sweetness: thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones.
5 He asked life of thee: and thou hast given him length of days for ever and ever.
6 His glory is great in thy salvation: glory and great beauty shalt thou lay upon him.
7 For thou shalt give him to be a blessing for ever and ever: thou shalt make him joyful in gladness with thy countenance.
8 For the king hopeth in the Lord: and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved.
9 Let thy hand be found by all thy enemies: let thy right hand find out all them that hate thee.
10 Thou shalt make them as an oven of fire, in the time of thy anger: the Lord shall trouble them in his wrath, and fire shall devour them.
11 Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth: and their seed from among the children of men.
12 For they have intended evils against thee: they have devised counsels which they have not been able to establish.
13 For thou shalt make them turn their back: in thy remnants thou shalt prepare their face. In thy remnants thou shalt prepare their face... Or thou shalt set thy remnants against their faces. That is, thou shalt make them see what punishments remain for them hereafter from thy justice. Instead of remnants, St. Jerome renders it funes, that is, cords or strings, viz., of the bow of divine justice, from which God directs his arrows against the faces of his enemies.
14 Be thou exalted, O Lord, in thy own strength: we will sing and praise thy power.

Old Testament first published 1609 by the English College at Douay
New Testament first published 1582 by the English College at Rheims
Revised and Annotated 1749 by Bishop Richard Challoner
Imprimatur. +James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, September 1, 1899

Latin (Clementine Vulgate)

1 In finem. Psalmus David.

2 Domine, in virtute tua lætabitur rex,
et super salutare tuum exsultabit vehementer.
3 Desiderium cordis ejus tribuisti ei,
et voluntate labiorum ejus non fraudasti eum.
4 Quoniam prævenisti eum in benedictionibus dulcedinis;
posuisti in capite ejus coronam de lapide pretioso.
5 Vitam petiit a te, et tribuisti ei longitudinem dierum,
in sæculum, et in sæculum sæculi.
6 Magna est gloria ejus in salutari tuo;
gloriam et magnum decorem impones super eum.
7 Quoniam dabis eum in benedictionem in sæculum sæculi;
lætificabis eum in gaudio cum vultu tuo.
8 Quoniam rex sperat in Domino,
et in misericordia Altissimi non commovebitur.
9 Inveniatur manus tua omnibus inimicis tuis;
dextera tua inveniat omnes qui te oderunt.
10 Pones eos ut clibanum ignis in tempore vultus tui:
Dominus in ira sua conturbabit eos,
et devorabit eos ignis.
11 Fructum eorum de terra perdes,
et semen eorum a filiis hominum,
12 quoniam declinaverunt in te mala;
cogitaverunt consilia quæ non potuerunt stabilire.
13 Quoniam pones eos dorsum;
in reliquiis tuis præparabis vultum eorum.
14 Exaltare, Domine, in virtute tua;
cantabimus et psallemus virtutes tuas.

Transcribed as part of the Clementine Vulgate Project
Please notify the original transcriber (little.mouth@soon.com) of any errors in this Latin edition