What Bible translation does Bruckner use for his Psalm settings?

The headline Q you're asking you can verify by looking up the score. and then relating the set text to established German biblical translations.Plain spadework which needs no further comment.

> why did he set the Psalms in German?

Why on earth *wouldn't* he? His native tongue, Austrian flavour of, what else would he instinctively turn to. Would you, presumably English native speaker, set your first or any other Psalm setting in, say, Maltese? On a whim? To be contrary?

Let's turn things on their head: what language did you expect the Psalms to be set in, to prompt the Q? Maybe that will get us further ahead...

All the best,

Why should be easy. Bruckner was Austrian, German is the language of Austria.

As for translation, they are most likely paraphrases.

... rarely do textual translations of the Psalms work out to a nice musical meter.

It was from Martin Luther's 1534 translation of the Bible.

Surprising actually, since Bruckner was Catholic.