Post hæc surrexit Nathan, propheta in diebus David.

Then Nathan the prophet arose in the days of David.

Among prophets, Nathan was the next to arise, and it was then the reign of David began.

Et quasi adeps separatus a carne, sic David a filiis Israël.

And as the fat taken away from the flesh, so was David chosen from among the children of Israel.

Only the fat from the sacrifice, only David out of all Israel; the Lord must have ever the best!

Cum leonibus lusit quasi cum agnis, et in ursis similiter fecit sicut in agnis ovium, in juventute sua.

He played with lions as with lambs: and with bears he did in like manner as with the lambs of the flock, in his youth.

Here was one that would use lion or bear as playthings for his sport, tussle with them as if they had been yearling lambs. Such was his boyhood;

Numquid non occidit gigantem, et abstulit opprobrium de gente?

Did not he kill the giant, and take away reproach from his people?

and who but he should save the honour of his people, by slaying the giant?

In tollendo manum, saxo fundæ dejecit exsultationem Goliæ:

In lifting up his hand, with the stone in the sling he beat down the boasting of Goliath:

He had but to lift his hand, and the stone aimed from his sling brought low the pride of Goliath;

nam invocavit Dominum omnipotentem, et dedit in dextera ejus tollere hominem fortem in bello, et exaltare cornu gentis suæ.

For he called upon the Lord the Almighty, and he gave strength in his right hand, to take away the mighty warrior, and to set up the horn of his nation.

prayer to the Lord, the Almighty, gave him the mastery over a great warrior, and retrieved the fortunes of his race.

Sic in decem millibus glorificavit eum: et laudavit eum in benedictionibus Domini, in offerendo illi coronam gloriæ:

So in ten thousand did he glorify him, and praised him in the blessings of the Lord, in offering to him a crown of glory:

Ere long, they had given him the title, Slayer of ten thousand, and sang his praises, blessing the Lord’s name; kingly honours they accorded him.

contrivit enim inimicos undique, et extirpavit Philisthiim contrarios usque in hodiernum diem: contrivit cornu ipsorum usque in æternum.

For he destroyed the enemies on every side, and extirpated the Philistines the adversaries unto this day: he broke their horn for ever.

He it was that laid their enemies low all about them, extirpating, to this day, the malice of the Philistines, shattering their power for ever.

In omni opere dedit confessionem Sancto, et Excelso in verbo gloriæ.

In all his works he gave thanks to the holy one, and to the most High, with words of glory.

Yet there was no feat of David’s but made him thank the most High, the most Holy, and to him give the glory;

De omni corde suo laudavit Dominum: et dilexit Deum, qui fecit illum, et dedit illi contra inimicos potentiam:

With his whole heart he praised the Lord, and loved God that made him: and he gave him power against his enemies:

still with all his heart he praised the Master he loved so well, the God who had created him and endowed him with strength to meet his enemies.

et stare fecit cantores contra altare, et in sono eorum dulces fecit modos.

And he set singers before the altar, and by their voices he made sweet melody.

He would have musicians wait around the altar, and rouse sweet echoes with their chant;

Et dedit in celebrationibus decus, et ornavit tempora usque ad consummationem vitæ, ut laudarent nomen sanctum Domini, et amplificarent mane Dei sanctitatem.

And to the festivals he added beauty, and set in order the solemn times even to the end of his life, that they should praise the holy name of the Lord, and magnify the holiness of God in the morning.

feast-days should be kept with splendour, times and seasons duly observed, all his life long; morning after morning the Lord’s holy name should be praised, God should receive his full tribute of worship.

Dominus purgavit peccata ipsius, et exaltavit in æternum cornu ejus: et dedit illi testamentum regni, et sedem gloriæ in Israël.

The Lord took away his sins, and exalted his horn for ever: and he gave him a covenant of the kingdom, and a throne of glory in Israel.

So it was that the Lord pardoned his sins, and bade him carry his head high evermore; his by right was the kingship, and the proud throne of Israel.

Post ipsum surrexit filius sensatus, et propter illum dejecit omnem potentiam inimicorum.

After him arose up a wise son, and for his sake he cast down all the power of the enemies.

To a wise son of his that throne passed; for David’s sake all the threats of the enemy were stilled,

Salomon imperavit in diebus pacis, cui subjecit Deus omnes hostes, ut conderet domum in nomine suo, et pararet sanctitatem in sempiternum. Quemadmodum eruditus es in juventute tua,

Solomon reigned in days of peace, and God brought all his enemies under him, that he might build a house in his name, and prepare a sanctuary for ever: O how wise wast thou in thy youth!

and Solomon might reign undisturbed. If God gave him mastery all around, it was because he would have a temple built in his honour, to be his sanctuary for all time. Ah, Solomon, how well schooled in thy youth!

et impletus es, quasi flumen, sapientia, et terram retexit anima tua.

And thou wast filled as a river with wisdom, and thy soul covered the earth.

Deep as a river flowed thy wisdom; thy ambition it was to lay bare all the secrets of earth;

Et replesti in comparationibus ænigmata: ad insulas longe divulgatum est nomen tuum, et dilectus es in pace tua.

And thou didst multiply riddles in parables: thy name went abroad to the islands far off, and thou wast beloved in thy peace.

full scope thou wouldst have for riddle and proverb. Even to the distant isles thy renown spread, and everywhere thy peaceful reign made thee beloved.

In cantilenis, et proverbiis, et comparationibus, et interpretationibus, miratæ sunt terræ:

The countries wondered at thee for thy canticles, and proverbs, and parables, and interpretations,

The whole earth stood in awe of song and proverb and parable and interpretation of thine;

et in nomine Domini Dei, cui est cognomen Deus Israël.

And at the name of the Lord God, whose surname is, God of Israel.

in awe, too, of the name of the Lord God, who is known among men as the God of Israel.

Collegisti quasi auricalcum aurum, et ut plumbum complesti argentum:

Thou didst gather gold as copper, and didst multiply silver as lead,

Gold thou didst amass in such plenty, as it had been only bronze; silver was abundant in thy domains as lead.

et inclinasti femora tua mulieribus: potestatem habuisti in corpore tuo.

And thou didst bow thyself to women: and by thy body thou wast brought under subjection.

Yet women bowed thee to their will; of body’s appetites thou wouldst brook no restraint,

Dedisti maculam in gloria tua, et profanasti semen tuum, inducere iracundiam ad liberos tuos, et incitari stultitiam tuam:

Thou hast stained thy glory, and defiled thy seed so as to bring wrath upon thy children, and to have thy folly kindled,

and thus thy renown was tarnished with the gendering of a breed unhallowed. So it was that vengeance fell upon thy children, that must rue thy folly in after times;

ut faceres imperium bipartitum, et ex Ephraim imperare imperium durum.

That thou shouldst make the kingdom to be divided, and out of Ephraim a rebellious kingdom to rule.

the kingdom divided, and in Ephraim a rebel dynasty exercising dominion, through thy fault.

Deus autem non derelinquet misericordiam suam: et non corrumpet, nec delebit opera sua, neque perdet a stirpe nepotes electi sui, et semen ejus qui diligit Dominum non corrumpet.

But God will not leave off his mercy, and he will not destroy, nor abolish his own works, neither will he cut up by the roots the offspring of his elect: and he will not utterly take away the seed of him that loveth the Lord.

Yet God is ever merciful; his own design he will not mar fruitlessly, nor undo; should he destroy it root and branch, the posterity of his chosen servant? Should the man that so loved him have begotten sons in vain?

Dedit autem reliquum Jacob, et David de ipsa stirpe.

Wherefore he gave a remnant to Jacob, and to David of the same stock.

Jacob must have a stock to breed from; the root of David should burgeon yet.

Et finem habuit Salomon cum patribus suis.

And Solomon had an end with his fathers.

Solomon once laid to rest with his fathers, what heirs left he?

Et dereliquit post se de semine suo, gentis stultitiam,

And he left behind him of his seed, the folly of the nation,

A man of his own blood, born to infatuate a nation,

et imminutum a prudentia, Roboam, qui avertit gentem consilio suo:

Even Roboam that had little wisdom, who turned away the people through his counsel:

insensate Roboam, whose ill counsel drove the people to rebellion;

et Jeroboam filium Nabat, qui peccare fecit Israël, et dedit viam peccandi Ephraim: et plurima redundaverunt peccata ipsorum.

And Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who caused Israel to sin, and shewed Ephraim the way of sin, and their sins were multiplied exceedingly.

and that other, Jeroboam son of Nabat, who taught Israel to sin. All Ephraim followed the example of his misdoing; high rose the tide of their sins,

Valde averterunt illos a terra sua.

They removed them far away from their land.

till it swept them away altogether from their own country.

Et quæsivit omnes nequitias, usque dum perveniret ad illos defensio, et ab omnibus peccatis liberavit eos.

And they sought out all iniquities, till vengeance came upon them, and put an end to all their sins.

For all this wickedness of theirs God held them to account, waiting till the time should come for punishing them, and purging them of their guilt.