Psalm 71

A prophecy of the coming of Christ, and of his kingdom: prefigured by Solomon and his happy reign.

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 72, and the previous psalm is known as Psalm 71.

English (Douay-Rheims)

1 A psalm on Solomon.

2 Give to the king thy judgment, O God, and to the king's son thy justice: To judge thy people with justice, and thy poor with judgment.
3 Let the mountains receive peace for the people: and the hills justice.
4 He shall judge the poor of the people, and he shall save the children of the poor: and he shall humble the oppressor.
5 And he shall continue with the sun and before the moon, throughout all generations.
6 He shall come down like rain upon the fleece; and as showers falling gently upon the earth.
7 In his days shall justice spring up, and abundance of peace, till the moon be taken away.
8 And he shall rule from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
9 Before him the Ethiopians shall fall down: and his enemies shall lick the ground.
10 The kings of Tharsis and the islands shall offer presents: the kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall bring gifts:
11 And all kings of the earth shall adore him: all nations shall serve him.
12 For he shall deliver the poor from the mighty: and the needy that had no helper.
13 He shall spare the poor and needy: and he shall save the souls of the poor.
14 He shall redeem their souls from usuries and iniquity: and their names shall be honourable in his sight.
15 And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Arabia, for him they shall always adore: they shall bless him all the day.
16 And there shall be a firmament on the earth on the tops of mountains, above Libanus shall the fruit thereof be exalted: and they of the city shall flourish like the grass of the earth. A firmament on the earth, etc... This may be understood of the church of Christ, ever firm and visible: and of the flourishing condition of its congregation.
17 Let his name be blessed for evermore: his name continueth before the sun. And in him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed: all nations shall magnify him.
18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone doth wonderful things.
19 And blessed be the name of his majesty for ever: and the whole earth shall be filled with his majesty. So be it. So be it.

20 The praises of David, the son of Jesse, are ended. Are ended... By this it appears that this psalm, though placed here, was in order of time the last of those which David composed.

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 Psalmus, in Salomonem.

2 Deus, judicium tuum regi da,
et justitiam tuam filio regis;
judicare populum tuum in justitia,
et pauperes tuos in judicio.
3 Suscipiant montes pacem populo,
et colles justitiam.
4 Judicabit pauperes populi,
et salvos faciet filios pauperum,
et humiliabit calumniatorem.
5 Et permanebit cum sole, et ante lunam,
in generatione et generationem.
6 Descendet sicut pluvia in vellus,
et sicut stillicidia stillantia super terram.
7 Orietur in diebus ejus justitia, et abundantia pacis,
donec auferatur luna.
8 Et dominabitur a mari usque ad mare,
et a flumine usque ad terminos orbis terrarum.
9 Coram illo procident Æthiopes,
et inimici ejus terram lingent.
10 Reges Tharsis et insulæ munera offerent;
reges Arabum et Saba dona adducent:
11 et adorabunt eum omnes reges terræ;
omnes gentes servient ei.
12 Quia liberabit pauperem a potente,
et pauperem cui non erat adjutor.
13 Parcet pauperi et inopi,
et animas pauperum salvas faciet.
14 Ex usuris et iniquitate redimet animas eorum,
et honorabile nomen eorum coram illo.
15 Et vivet, et dabitur ei de auro Arabiæ;
et adorabunt de ipso semper,
tota die benedicent ei.
16 Et erit firmamentum in terra in summis montium;
superextolletur super Libanum fructus ejus,
et florebunt de civitate sicut fœnum terræ.
17 Sit nomen ejus benedictum in sæcula;
ante solem permanet nomen ejus.
Et benedicentur in ipso omnes tribus terræ;
omnes gentes magnificabunt eum.
18 Benedictus Dominus Deus Israël,
qui facit mirabilia solus.
19 Et benedictum nomen majestatis ejus in æternum,
et replebitur majestate ejus omnis terra. Fiat, fiat.

20 Defecerunt laudes David, filii Jesse.

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