Væ qui opulenti estis in Sion, et confiditis in monte Samariæ: optimates capita populorum, ingredientes pompatice domum Israël!

Woe to you that are wealthy in Sion, and to you that have confidence in the mountain of Samaria: ye great men, heads of the people, that go in with state into the house of Israel.

Poor fools, that in Sion or high Samaria take your ease, and fear nothing! That lord it over the Gentiles, and pass proudly through Israel’s domain,

Transite in Chalane, et videte, et ite inde in Emath magnam, et descendite in Geth Palæstinorum, et ad optima quæque regna horum: si latior terminus eorum termino vestro est.

Pass ye over to Chalane, and see, and go from thence into Emath the great: and go down into Geth of the Philistines, and to all the best kingdoms of these: if their border be larger than your border.

bidding us make our way to Chalane, and thence to noble Emath, or go down to Gath, where the Philistines are, and see if land of theirs be fairer, borders of theirs be wider, than these of ours.

Qui separati estis in diem malum, et appropinquatis solio iniquitatis;

You that are separated unto the evil day: and that approach to the throne of iniquity;

Poor fools, with the evil day ever at arm’s length, wrong enthroned ever close at hand!

qui dormitis in lectis eburneis, et lascivitis in stratis vestris; qui comeditis agnum de grege, et vitulos de medio armenti;

You that sleep upon beds of ivory, and are wanton on your couches: that eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the herd;

Sleep they on beds of ivory, sprawl they at table, eating the best lambs flock can provide, calves fattened at the stall;

qui canitis ad vocem psalterii, sicut David putaverunt se habere vasa cantici,

You that sing to the sound of the psaltery: they have thought themselves to have instruments of music like David;

and ever must harp and voice nicely accord, ay, very Davids they think themselves for musical invention!

bibentes vinum in phialis, et optimo unguento delibuti, et nihil patiebantur super contritione Joseph.

That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the best ointments: and they are not concerned for the affliction of Joseph.

All their drinking is from the bowl, all their ointment of the best, and what care they for Joseph’s ruin?

Quapropter nunc migrabunt in capite transmigrantium, et auferetur factio lascivientium.

Wherefore now they shall go captive at the head of them that go into captivity: and the faction of the luxurious ones shall be taken away.

Lead their folk they shall, but into exile; the revel must break up at last.

Juravit Dominus Deus in anima sua, dicit Dominus Deus exercituum: Detestor ego superbiam Jacob, et domos ejus odi, et tradam civitatem cum habitatoribus suis.

The Lord God hath sworn by his own soul, saith the Lord the God of hosts: I detest the pride of Jacob, and I hate his houses, and I will deliver up the city with the inhabitants thereof.

By my divine power I swear it, says the Lord God of hosts, pride of yours shall weary me, great houses of yours shall offend my sight, no longer; city and citizens, I will leave you at the enemy’s mercy.

Quod si reliqui fuerint decem viri in domo una, et ipsi morientur.

And if there remain ten men in one house, they also shall die.

Be there ten men left alive in a house, death shall take toll of them … …

Et tollet eum propinquus suus, et comburet eum, ut efferat ossa de domo; et dicet ei, qui in penetralibus domus est: Numquid adhuc est penes te?

And a man’s kinsman shall take him up, and shall burn him, that he may carry the bones out of the house; and he shall say to him that is in the inner rooms of the house: Is there yet any with thee?

Kinsman that comes to take him away must burn him first, and so carry his bones without. Ho, there! cries he to one that lurks in the inner rooms, hast thou any left?

Et respondebit: Finis est. Et dicet ei: Tace, et non recorderis nominis Domini.

And he shall answer: There is an end. And he shall say to him: Hold thy peace, and mention not the name of the Lord.

And when he hears the task is over, bids him say no more, unless it be to call the Lord’s name to memory  …

Quia ecce Dominus mandabit, et percutiet domum majorem ruinis, et domum minorem scissionibus.

For behold the Lord hath commanded, and he will strike the greater house with breaches, and the lesser house with clefts.

A word from the Lord, and all shall be a gaping ruin, palace and cottage both.

Numquid currere queunt in petris equi, aut arari potest in bubalis? quoniam convertistis in amaritudinem judicium, et fructum justitiæ in absinthium.

Can horses run upon the rocks, or can any one plough with buffles? for you have turned judgment into bitterness, and the fruit of justice into wormwood.

Strange, if yonder mountain-crags men should climb on horseback, or plough with oxen! Stranger still, that people of mine should poison the springs of right and justice, all wormwood now!

Qui lætamini in nihilo; qui dicitis: Numquid non in fortitudine nostra assumpsimus nobis cornua?

You that rejoice in a thing of nought: you that say: Have we not taken unto us horns by our own strength?

And still you boast over some conquest of little worth; To what greatness, you say, valour of ours has brought us!

Ecce enim suscitabo super vos, domus Israël, dicit Dominus Deus exercituum, gentem, et conteret vos ab introitu Emath usque ad torrentem deserti.

But behold, I will raise up a nation against you, O house of Israel, saith the Lord the God of hosts; and they shall destroy you from the entrance of Emath, even to the torrent of the desert.

Trust me, men of Israel, the Lord God of hosts says, I mean to embroil you with such an enemy as shall crush the life out of you, from Emath pass to the brook that bounds the desert.