Et surrexit Elias propheta quasi ignis, et verbum ipsius quasi facula ardebat.

And Elias the prophet stood up, as a fire, and his word burnt like a torch.

And now another prophet arose, Elias, a man of flame; blazed, like a fire-brand, his message.

Qui induxit in illos famem: et irritantes illum invidia sua pauci facti sunt: non enim poterant sustinere præcepta Domini.

He brought a famine upon them, and they that provoked him in their envy, were reduced to a small number, for they could not endure the commandments of the Lord.

This man it was brought down a famine to punish them, till few were left of the enemies that bore him a grudge, and found the Lord’s commandment too hard for them.

Verbo Domini continuit cælum, et dejecit de cælo ignem ter.

By the word of the Lord he shut up the heaven, and he brought down fire from heaven thrice.

At the Lord’s word, he laid a ban on heaven itself, and three times brought fire down from it;

Sic amplificatus est Elias in mirabilibus suis. Et quis potest similiter sic gloriari tibi?

Thus was Elias magnified in his wondrous works. And who can glory like to thee?

such was the fame of Elias’ miracles. Who else could boast, as thou,

qui sustulisti mortuum ab inferis de sorte mortis, in verbo Domini Dei:

Who raisedst up a dead man from below, from the lot of death, by the word of the Lord God.

of calling back the dead from the tomb, by the power of the Lord God, and to life restoring them;

qui dejecisti reges ad pernicem, et confregisti facile potentiam ipsorum, et gloriosos de lecto suo:

Who broughtest down kings to destruction, and brokest easily their power in pieces, and the glorious from their bed.

of kings brought to ruin and all their power lightly shattered, proud kings, that might leave their sick-beds no more?

qui audis in Sina judicium, et in Horeb judicia defensionis:

Who heardest judgment in Sina, and in Horeb the judgments of vengeance.

Sinai should tell thee, Horeb should tell thee, of award made, and doom pronounced;

qui ungis reges ad pœnitentiam, et prophetas facis successores post te:

Who anointedst kings to penance, and madest prophets successors after thee.

kings thou shouldst anoint, to be the redressers of wrong, and prophets to come after thee;

qui receptus es in turbine ignis, in curru equorum igneorum:

Who wast taken up in a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot of fiery horses.

then, amidst a flaming whirlwind, in a chariot drawn by horses of fire, thou wast taken up into heaven.

qui scriptus es in judiciis temporum, lenire iracundiam Domini, conciliare cor patris ad filium, et restituere tribus Jacob.

Who art registered in the judgments of times to appease the wrath of the Lord, to reconcile the heart of the father to the son, and to restore the tribes of Jacob.

Of thee it was written that in time of judgement to come thou wouldst appease the divine anger, by reconciling heart of father to heart of son, and restore the tribes of Israel as they were.

Beati sunt qui te viderunt, et in amicitia tua decorati sunt.

Blessed are they that saw thee, and were honoured with thy friendship.

Ah, blessed souls that saw thee, and were honoured with thy friendship!

Nam nos vita vivimus tantum: post mortem autem non erit tale nomen nostrum.

For we live only in our life, but after death our name shall not be such.

We live only for a life-time; and when death comes, we shall have no such renown as thine.

Elias quidem in turbine tectus est, et in Eliseo completus est spiritus ejus: in diebus suis non pertimuit principem, et potentia nemo vicit illum:

Elias was indeed covered with the whirlwind, and his spirit was filled up in Eliseus: in his days he feared not the prince, and no man was more powerful than he.

In that whirlwind Elias was lost to view, bequeathing his spirit of prophecy in full measure to Eliseus. Here was a man that in all his life never held prince in awe, never made way for human greatness.

nec superavit illum verbum aliquod, et mortuum prophetavit corpus ejus.

No word could overcome him, and after death his body prophesied.

For him no task too difficult; was not his dead body prophetic still,

In vita sua fecit monstra, et in morte mirabilia operatus est.

In his life he did great wonders, and in death he wrought miracles.

to prove him a wonder-worker in death, that in life was marvellous?

In omnibus istis non pœnituit populus, et non recesserunt a peccatis suis, usque dum ejecti sunt de terra sua, et dispersi sunt in omnem terram:

For all this the people repented not, neither did they depart from their sins till they were cast out of their land, and were scattered through all the earth.

Yet the nation for whom all this was done would not amend, nor leave its sinning, until all the inhabitants of the land were driven out, and scattered through the world;

et relicta est gens perpauca, et princeps in domo David.

And there was left but a small people, and a prince in the house of David.

only that little kingdom remained that was ruled by the heirs of David,

Quidam ipsorum fecerunt quod placeret Deo: alii autem multa commiserunt peccata.

Some of these did that which pleased God: but others committed many sins.

and of these rulers, though some did God’s will, there were some that had sins a many to answer for.

Ezechias munivit civitatem suam, et induxit in medium ipsius aquam: et fodit ferro rupem, et ædificavit ad aquam puteum.

Ezechias fortified his city, and brought in water into the midst thereof, and he digged a rock with iron, and made a well for water.

Well did Ezechias fortify his city, and brought a running stream into the midst of it, breaking through the rock with tools of iron, and building a cistern for the water.

In diebus ipsius ascendit Sennacherib, et misit Rabsacen, et sustulit manum suam contra illos: et extulit manum suam in Sion, et superbus factus est potentia sua.

In his days Sennacherib came up, and sent Rabsaces, and lifted up his hand against them, and he stretched out his hand against Sion, and became proud through his power.

In his reign Sennacherib marched against the country, and sent Rabsaces to threaten it; Sion itself he threatened with attack, so proudly he trusted in his own strength.

Tunc mota sunt corda et manus ipsorum: et doluerunt quasi parturientes mulieres.

Then their hearts and hands trembled, and they were in pain as women in travail.

Heart and hand were unnerved at his coming; worse anguish woman in labour never knew.

Et invocaverunt Dominum misericordem, et expandentes manus suas extulerunt ad cælum: et Sanctus, Dominus Deus, audivit cito vocem ipsorum.

And they called upon the Lord who is merciful, and spreading their hands, they lifted them up to heaven: and the holy Lord God quickly heard their voice.

Yet they cried out upon God for pity, with hands outstretched heavenwards; and he, the holy One, he, the Lord God, was not slow to answer them.

Non est commemoratus peccatorum illorum, neque dedit illos inimicis suis: sed purgavit eos in manu Isaiæ sancti prophetæ.

He was not mindful of their sins, neither did he deliver them up to their enemies, but he purified them by the hand of Isaias, the holy prophet.

Their sins he would remember no more; he would not leave them at the mercy of their enemies; by means of his holy prophet Isaias they should find release.

Dejecit castra Assyriorum, et contrivit illos angelus Domini:

He overthrew the army of the Assyrians, and the angel of the Lord destroyed them.

With that, the Lord’s angel fell on the camp of Assyria, and brought its armies to nothing.

nam fecit Ezechias quod placuit Deo, et fortiter ivit in via David patris sui, quam mandavit illi Isaias, propheta magnus, et fidelis in conspectu Dei.

For Ezechias did that which pleased God, and walked valiantly in the way of David his father, which Isaias, the great prophet, and faithful in the sight of God, had commanded him.

So faithfully Ezechias did the Lord’s will, following boldly the example of his father, king David; so well he obeyed Isaias, a great prophet and a faithful interpreter of the vision the Lord gave him.

In diebus ipsius retro rediit sol, et addidit regi vitam.

In his days the sun went backward, and he lengthened the king’s life.

In Isaias’ days it was that the sun went back, in token that the royal life should be prolonged;

Spiritu magno vidit ultima, et consolatus est lugentes in Sion usque in sempiternum.

With a great spirit he saw the things that are to come to pass at last, and comforted the mourners in Sion.

Isaias it was that saw things far distant, by the power of inspiration, and comforted mourning hearts in Sion.

Ostendit futura, et abscondita antequam evenirent.

He shewed what should come to pass for ever, and secret things before they came.

Without end or limit future things he foretold, that still lay hidden in the womb of time.