PRO MILITIA

PSALMVS IV — CVM INVOCAREM (Contra Iram)

Psalm 4 — When I Called (Against Anger)

Psalm 4 contains the verse 'Be angry and sin not' (Irascimini et nolite peccare), quoted by St. Paul in Ephesians 4:26. This evening psalm teaches the proper response to provocation: silence, reflection, and trust in God rather than sinful wrath. It distinguishes righteous indignation from the vice of ira. The psalm appears at Compline in the 1962 Breviary.

LATINE
Cum invocarem, exaudivit me Deus iustitiae meae;
in tribulatione dilatasti mihi.
Miserere mei et exaudi orationem meam.
Filii hominum, usquequo gravi corde?
Ut quid diligitis vanitatem et quaeritis mendacium?
Et scitote quoniam mirificavit Dominus sanctum suum;
Dominus exaudiet me cum clamavero ad eum.
Irascimini et nolite peccare
Irascimini et nolite peccare;
quae dicitis in cordibus vestris,
in cubilibus vestris compungimini.
Sacrificate sacrificium iustitiae et sperate in Domino.
Multi dicunt: Quis ostendit nobis bona?
Signatum est super nos lumen vultus tui, Domine.
Dedisti laetitiam in corde meo,
a fructu frumenti, vini et olei sui multiplicati sunt.
In pace in idipsum dormiam et requiescam.
Quoniam tu, Domine, singulariter in spe constituisti me.
ENGLISH
When I called upon Him, the God of my justice heard me;
when I was in distress, Thou hast enlarged me.
Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
O ye sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart?
Why do you love vanity and seek after lying?
Know ye also that the Lord hath made His holy one wonderful;
the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto Him.
Be Angry and Sin Not
Be angry and sin not;
the things you say in your hearts,
be sorry for them upon your beds.
Offer up the sacrifice of justice and trust in the Lord.
Many say: Who showeth us good things?
The light of Thy countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us.
Thou hast given gladness in my heart,
from the fruit of their corn, wine, and oil they are multiplied.
In peace in the selfsame I will sleep and I will rest.
For Thou, O Lord, singularly hast settled me in hope.
NOTA
FONS
Psalmus 4, Vulgata / Douay-Rheims
USUS
Evening prayer, against anger, Compline
CONTEXT
This psalm is part of Compline in the Divine Office. St. Paul's quotation 'Be angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your anger' (Eph 4:26) shows the psalm's relevance to the vice of ira.