Memoria Josiæ in compositionem odoris facta opus pigmentarii.

The memory of Josias is like the composition of a sweet smell made by the art of a perfumer:

Josias, too, is still remembered; a memory grateful as some mingled scent, pride of the perfumer’s art,

In omni ore quasi mel indulcabitur ejus memoria, et ut musica in convivio vini.

His remembrance shall be sweet as honey in every mouth, and as music at a banquet of wine.

or the honey that tastes sweet in all men’s mouths, or music over the wine.

Ipse est directus divinitus in pœnitentiam gentis, et tulit abominationes impietatis.

He was directed by God unto the repentance of the nation, and he took away the abominations of wickedness.

A king divinely ordained to make a nation’s amends, how he swept away all the foul idols of the law-breakers;

Et gubernavit ad Dominum cor ipsius, et in diebus peccatorum corroboravit pietatem.

And he directed his heart towards the Lord, and in the days of sinners he strengthened godliness.

how true he kept his heart to the Lord’s bidding, what comfort he gave to piety, when wickedness abounded!

Præter David et Ezechiam et Josiam, omnes peccatum commiserunt:

Except David, and Ezechias and Josias, all committed sin.

David, Ezechias, Josias, these three only were exempt from the guilt of their line;

nam reliquerunt legem Altissimi reges Juda, et contempserunt timorem Dei.

For the kings of Juda forsook the law of the most High, and despised the fear of God.

the other kings of Juda forsook the law of the most High, and counted the fear of God a light matter.

Dederunt enim regnum suum aliis, et gloriam suam alienigenæ genti.

So they gave their kingdom to others, and their glory to a strange nation,

What wonder if they were doomed to bequeath all the glories of their kingdom to strangers, to princes of an alien race,

Incenderunt electam sanctitatis civitatem, et desertas fecerunt vias ipsius in manu Jeremiæ.

They burnt the chosen city of holiness, and made the streets thereof desolate according to the prediction of Jeremias.

who set fire to the city that was God’s chosen sanctuary, and left the ways unfrequented?… By means of Jeremias;

Nam male tractaverunt illum qui a ventre matris consecratus est propheta, evertere, et eruere, et perdere, et iterum ædificare, et renovare:

For they treated him evil, who was consecrated a prophet from his mother’s womb, to overthrow, and pluck up, and destroy, and to build again, and renew.

so ill they used him, that was set apart to be a prophet when he was yet in his mother’s womb, empowered to overthrow, to uproot, to destroy, then to rebuild and to plant anew.

Ezechiel, qui vidit conspectum gloriæ quam ostendit illi in curru cherubim.

It was Ezechiel that saw the glorious vision, which was shewn him upon the chariot of cherubims.

And next Ezechiel, to whose eyes God shewed the vision of glory, by wheeling cherubs borne aloft …

Nam commemoratus est inimicorum in imbre, benefacere illis qui ostenderunt rectas vias.

For he made mention of the enemies under the figure of rain, and of doing good to them that shewed right ways.

And in storm he remembered the enemy … to reward all such as pointed men to the right path.

Et duodecim prophetarum ossa pullulent de loco suo: nam corroboraverunt Jacob, et redemerunt se in fide virtutis.

And may the bones of the twelve prophets spring up out of their place: for they strengthened Jacob, and redeemed themselves by strong faith.

May life spring from the bones of the twelve prophets, where they lie buried; men that put heart into the sons of Jacob, and by trusting in God’s power won deliverance.

Quomodo amplificemus Zorobabel? nam et ipse quasi signum in dextera manu:

How shall we magnify Zorobabel? for he was as a signet on the right hand;

The fame of Zorobabel what words of ours shall enhance? The jewel God wore on his right hand for signet-ring;

sic et Jesum filium Josedec, qui in diebus suis ædificaverunt domum, et exaltaverunt templum sanctum Domino, paratum in gloriam sempiternam.

In like manner Jesus the son of Josedec who in their days built the house, and set up a holy temple to the Lord, prepared for everlasting glory.

he, with Josue son of Josedec, rebuilt God’s house that then lay ruined; raised up a holy temple, of the divine glory the eternal dwelling-place.

Et Nehemias in memoriam multi temporis, qui erexit nobis muros eversos, et stare fecit portas et seras, qui erexit domos nostras.

And let Nehemias be a long time remembered, who raised up for us our walls that were cast down, and set up the gates and the bars, who rebuilt our houses.

Nor shall Nehemias be soon forgotten, that mended these ruined walls of ours, our gates built and barred, our homes restored to us.

Nemo natus est in terra qualis Henoch, nam et ipse receptus est a terra:

No man was born upon earth like Henoch: for he also was taken up from the earth.

Enoch no man born on earth can match, that from earth was taken away;

neque ut Joseph, qui natus est homo princeps fratrum, firmamentum gentis, rector fratrum, stabilimentum populi:

Nor as Joseph, who was a man born prince of his brethren, the support of his family, the ruler of his brethren, the stay of the people:

nor Joseph, that was born to be his brethren’s master, and the bulwark of a great nation. Lord of his brethren, stay of a people,

et ossa ipsius visitata sunt, et post mortem prophetaverunt.

And his bones were visited, and after death they prophesied.

he left his bones to await the day of God’s deliverance, in death prophetic still.

Seth et Sem apud homines gloriam adepti sunt, et super omnem animam in origine Adam.

Seth and Sem obtained glory among men: and above every soul Adam in the beginning,

Seth and Sem are among the heroes of their race, and Adam, too, that when earth began was made Lord of all living creatures.