Vitis frondosa Israël, fructus adæquatus est ei: secundum multitudinem fructus sui multiplicavit altaria, juxta ubertatem terræ suæ exuberavit simulacris.

Israel a vine full of branches, the fruit is agreeable to it: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath multiplied altars, according to the plenty of his land he hath abounded with idols.

A spreading vine is yonder vine of Israel, and fruit of him matches leaf. Rich, fertile soil; alas, how rich in altars, in sacred trees how fertile!

Divisum est cor eorum, nunc interibunt; ipse confringet simulacra eorum, depopulabitur aras eorum.

Their heart is divided: now they shall perish: he shall break down their idols, he shall destroy their altars.

A race half loyal, half false, but the penalty must be paid in full; those altars God himself will devote to extinction, strip those trees bare.

Quia nunc dicent: Non est rex nobis, non enim timemus Dominum; et rex quid faciet nobis?

For now they shall say: We have no king: because we fear not the Lord: and what shall a king do to us?

King we have none, you say; God we fear not; what of the great king? What will he do to us?

Loquimini verba visionis inutilis, et ferietis fœdus; et germinabit quasi amaritudo judicium super sulcos agri.

You speak words of an unprofitable vision, and you shall make a covenant: and judgment shall spring up as bitterness in the furrows of the field.

All is vain promise and making of treaties; never a furrow in your land but shall yield the bitter fruit of punishment.

Vaccas Bethaven coluerunt habitatores Samariæ; quia luxit super eum populus ejus, et æditui ejus super eum exsultaverunt in gloria ejus, quia migravit ab eo.

The inhabitants of Samaria have worshipped the kine of Bethaven: for the people thereof have mourned over it, and the wardens of its temple that rejoiced over it in its glory because it is departed from it.

Calf of Bethaven, the folk of Samaria once honoured, what ado is here! Mourns people and writhes priest at the passing of its glory;

Siquidem et ipse in Assur delatus est, munus regi ultori. Confusio Ephraim capiet, et confundetur Israël in voluntate sua.

For itself also is carried into Assyria, a present to the avenging king: shame shall fall upon Ephraim, and Israel shall be confounded in his own will.

carried off, now, into Assyria, for the pleasure of a ruthless king; fooled is Ephraim, Israel’s hopes have played him false.

Transire fecit Samaria regem suum quasi spumam super faciem aquæ.

Samaria hath made her king to pass as froth upon the face of the water.

Like foam on the river Samaria sees her king pass by;

Et disperdentur excelsa idoli, peccatum Israël; lappa et tribulus ascendet super aras eorum: et dicent montibus: Operite nos, et collibus: Cadite super nos.

And the high places of the idol, the sin of Israel shall be destroyed: the bur and the thistle shall grow up over their altars: and they shall say to the mountains: Cover us; and to the hills: Fall upon us.

and with that, vanish the hill-shrines of false worship, Israel’s darling sin; grows thorn and thistle on their altars; no prayer have the men of Israel now but that mountains should fall on them, hills should bury them alive.

Ex diebus Gabaa peccavit Israël; ibi steterunt. Non comprehendet eos in Gabaa prælium super filios iniquitatis.

From the days of Gabaa, Israel hath sinned, there they stood: the battle in Gabaa against the children of iniquity shall not overtake them.

Old is the tale of Israel’s guilt, old as what befell at Gabaa; there stood they unmoved; was it not at Gabaa the tide of battle reached them, battle against the champions of wrong?

Juxta desiderium meum corripiam eos: congregabuntur super eos populi, cum corripientur propter duas iniquitates suas.

According to my desire I will chastise them: and the nations shall be gathered together against them, when they shall be chastised for their two iniquities.

A jealous chastiser I will be to them; twofold their guilt, and many the nations I will muster for their chastisement.

Ephraim vitula docta diligere trituram, et ego transivi super pulchritudinem colli ejus: ascendam super Ephraim, arabit Judas; confringet sibi sulcos Jacob.

Ephraim is a heifer taught to love to tread out corn, but I passed over upon the beauty of her neck: I will ride upon Ephraim, Juda shall plough, Jacob shall break the furrows for himself.

Heifer that has learned the welcome task of the threshing-floor, such is Ephraim; that sleek neck of hers I have spared till now; now she is to be harnessed; when Juda goes a-ploughing, Jacob it shall be that breaks the clods for him.

Seminate vobis in justitia, et metite in ore misericordiæ. Innovate vobis novale; tempus autem requirendi Dominum, cum venerit qui docebit vos justitiam.

Sow for yourselves in justice, and reap in the mouth of mercy, break up your fallow ground: but the time to seek the Lord is, when he shall come that shall teach you justice.

If mercy is to be the measure you reap by, seed of yours must be sown in right doing; there are fallow acres to be tilled. Not too late to have recourse to the Lord, waiting for him to come and bring you redress!

Arastis impietatem, iniquitatem messuistis: comedistis frugem mendacii, quia confisus es in viis tuis, in multitudine fortium tuorum.

You have ploughed wickedness, you have reaped iniquity, you have eaten the fruit of lying: because thou hast trusted in thy ways, in the multitude of thy strong ones.

But alas, shameful furrows they were you traced, and what came of it? A harvest of wrong, fruit that cheated you in the tasting!So thou wouldst trust in thy own devices, in thy own warrior strength?

Consurget tumultus in populo tuo; et omnes munitiones tuæ vastabuntur, sicut vastatus est Salmana a domo ejus qui judicavit Baal in die prælii, matre super filios allisa.

A tumult shall arise among thy people: and all thy fortresses shall be destroyed as Salmana was destroyed, by the house of him that judged Baal in the day of battle, the mother being dashed in pieces upon her children.

Believe me, there shall be turmoil among thy folk, and all thy strongholds shall fall, as fell Salmana before Jerobaal when the day was won; fell child, fell mother, dashed to pieces.

Sic fecit vobis Bethel, a facie malitiæ nequitiarum vestrarum.

So hath Bethel done to you, because of the evil of your iniquities.

So much shall yonder Bethel countervail the heinousness of your guilt!