Benedictus Deus Israel

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General Information

The Canticle of Zachary (taken from Luke 1:68-79), chanted at the end of Lauds, was the song of thanksgiving uttered by Zachary on the occasion of the birth of his son, St. John the Baptist. It is Jewish in form, but Christian in sentiment. The first part is a song of thanksgiving for the realization of the Messianic hopes of the Jewish nation. The second part ("Et tu, puer...") is an address to St. John the Baptist, who was to take an important part in the fulfillment of the Redemption; for he was to be a prophet, and to preach the remission of sins before the coming of the Orient, or Dawn, from on high.

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Text and translations

Vulgate

Latin.png Latin text

Benedíctus [Dóminus,] Deus Israël,
quia visitávit, et fecit redemptiónem plebis suæ:
Et eréxit cornu salútis nobis
in domo David, púeri sui.
Sicut locútus est per os sanctórum,
qui a sǽculo sunt, prophetárum ejus:
Salútem ex inimícis nostris,
et de manu ómnium, qui odérunt nos.
Ad faciéndam misericórdiam cum pátribus nostris:
et memorári testaménti sui sancti.
Jusjurándum, quod jurávit ad Abraham patrem nostrum,
datúrum se nobis:
Ut sine timóre, de manu inimicórum nostrórum liberáti,
serviámus illi.
In sanctitáte, et justítia coram ipso,
ómnibus diébus nostris.
Et tu, puer, Prophéta Altíssimi vocáberis:
præíbis enim ante fáciem Dómini, paráre vias ejus:
Ad dandam sciéntiam salútis plebi ejus:
in remissiónem peccatórum eórum:
Per víscera misericórdiæ Dei nostri:
in quibus visitávit nos, óriens ex alto:
Illumináre his, qui in ténebris, et in umbra mortis sedent:
ad dirigéndos pedes nostros in viam pacis.

Book of Common Prayer

English.png English text

BLESSED be the Lord God of Israel :
for he hath visited and redeemed his people;
And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us :
in the house of his servant David;
As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets :
which have been since the world began;
That we should be saved from our enemies :
and from the hand of all that hate us.
To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers :
and to remember his holy Covenant;
To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham :
that he would give us;
That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies :
might serve him without fear;
In holiness and righteousness before him :
all the days of our life.
And thou, Child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest :
for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people :
for the remission of their sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God :
whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;
To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death :
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Vietnamese.png Vietnamese translation

Chúc tụng Đức Chúa là Thiên Chúa Ítraen,
Đã viếng thăm cứu chuộc dân Người.
Từ dòng dõi trung thần Đavít,
Người đã cho xuất hiện Vị Cứu Tinh quyền thế để giúp ta.
Như Người đã dùng miệng các vị thánh ngôn sứ
Mà phán hứa tự ngàn xưa:

Sẽ cứu ta thoát khỏi địch thù,
Thoát tay mọi kẻ hằng ghen ghét;
Sẽ trọn bề nhân nghĩa với tổ tiên
Và nhớ lại lời xưa giao ước;
Chúa đã thề với tổ phụ Ápraham
Rằng sẽ giải phóng ta khỏi tay địch thù,
Và cho ta chẳng còn sợ hãi,
Để ta sống thánh thiện công chính trước nhan Người,
Mà phụng thờ Người
suốt cả đời ta.

Hài nhi hỡi, con sẽ mang tước hiệu là ngôn sứ của Đấng Tối Cao:
Con sẽ đi trước Chúa, mở lối cho Người,
Bảo cho Dân Chúa biết: Người sẽ cứu độ
Là tha cho họ hết mọi tội khiên.
Thiên Chúa ta đầy lòng trắc ẩn,
Cho Vầng Đông tự chốn cao vời viếng thăm ta,
Soi sáng những ai ngồi nơi tăm tối
Và trong bóng tử thần,
dẫn ta bước vào đường nẻo bình an.
Translation by Nhóm Phiên Dịch Các Giờ Kinh Phụng Vụ from ktcgkpv.org

Challoner Revision Douay–Rheims

English.png English translation

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel:
because He hath visited and wrought the redemption of His people
And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us
in the house of David his servant.
As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets,
who are from the beginning:
Salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all that hate us.
To perform mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy testament.
The oath, which he swore to Abraham our father:
that he would grant to us:
That, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
we may serve him without fear.
In holiness and justice before him,
all our days.
And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest:
for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways:
To give knowledge of salvation to his people:
unto the remission of their sins:
Through the bowels of the mercy of our God:
in which the Orient from on high hath visited us:
To enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death:
to direct our feet into the way of peace.

Common Worship

English.png English text

Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel
who has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets
God promised of old
to save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all that hate us,
To show mercy to our ancestors,
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free
from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of all their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

External links

Article on the Canticle of Zachary, from the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia