Loquente Ephraim, horror invasit Israël; et deliquit in Baal, et mortuus est.

When Ephraim spoke, a horror seized Israel: and he sinned in Baal and died.

Spoke Ephraim, all Israel trembled at his word; how else came they, for Baal’s worship, to barter away life itself?

Et nunc addiderunt ad peccandum; feceruntque sibi conflatile de argento suo quasi similitudinem idolorum: factura artificum totum est: his ipsi dicunt: Immolate homines, vitulos adorantes.

And now they have sinned more and more: and they have made to themselves a molten thing of their silver as the likeness of idols: the whole is the work of craftsmen: to these that say: Sacrifice men, ye that adore calves.

And they are busy yet over their sinning; melt down silver of theirs to fashion models of yonder images, craftsman copying craftsman’s design! And of such models they say, The man who would do sacrifice has but to kiss these calves.

Idcirco erunt quasi nubes matutina, et sicut ros matutinus præteriens; sicut pulvis turbine raptus ex area, et sicut fumus de fumario.

Therefore they shall be as a morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the dust that is driven with a whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.

Fades the memory of them, light as early mist or morning dew, light as chaff on the threshing-floor, smoke from the chimney, when high blows the wind!

Ego autem Dominus Deus tuus, ex terra Ægypti; et Deum absque me nescies, et salvator non est præter me.

But I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt: and thou shalt know no God but me, and there is no saviour beside me.

And all the while I am the Lord thy God  … from the land of Egypt; God thou shalt own no other, other deliverance is none;

Ego cognovi te in deserto, in terra solitudinis.

I knew thee in the desert, in the land of the wilderness.

out in the desert, out in the parched wastes, owned I thee.

Juxta pascua sua adimpleti sunt et saturati sunt; et levaverunt cor suum, et obliti sunt mei.

According to their pastures they were filled, and were made full: and they lifted up their heart, and have forgotten me.

Fatal pasturing! With food came satiety, and with satiety pride, and with pride forgetfulness of me!

Et ego ero eis quasi leæna, sicut pardus in via Assyriorum.

And I will be to them as a lioness, as a leopard in the way of the Assyrians.

Now their way lies to Assyria, and on that road I will meet them again, their enemy now, watchful as lion or leopard;

Occurram eis quasi ursa raptis catulis, et dirumpam interiora jecoris eorum, et consumam eos ibi quasi leo: bestia agri scindet eos.

I will meet them as a bear that is robbed of her whelps, and I will rend the inner parts of their liver: and I will devour them there as a lion, the beast of the field shall tear them.

bear robbed of its young should not tear open breast more cruelly, lion devour more greedily; they shall be a prey, now, to the wild beasts.

Perditio tua, Israël: tantummodo in me auxilium tuum.

Destruction is thy own, O Israel: thy help is only in me.

Alas, Israel, undone! Who but I can aid thee?

Ubi est rex tuus? maxime nunc salvet te in omnibus urbibus tuis; et judices tui, de quibus dixisti: Da mihi regem et principes.

Where is thy king? now especially let him save thee in all thy cities: and thy judges, of whom thou saidst: Give me kings and princes.

Thy king, where is he? Now, if ever, from end to end of thee thou hast sore need of king and princes both; king and court thou didst demand of me,

Dabo tibi regem in furore meo, et auferam in indignatione mea.

I will give thee a king in my wrath, and will take him away in my indignation.

and gift of mine was never so grudgingly made, so angrily withdrawn.

Colligata est iniquitas Ephraim; absconditum peccatum ejus.

The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up, his sin is hidden.

Trust me, it is stored away, it is jealously preserved, the record of Ephraim’s sinning.

Dolores parturientis venient ei: ipse filius non sapiens: nunc enim non stabit in contritione filiorum.

The sorrows of a woman in labour shall come upon him, he is an unwise son: for now he shall not stand in the breach of the children.

Pangs like the pangs of travail shall come upon him; or say he is babe ill-guided, that shall thrive never when it comes to the birth.

De manu mortis liberabo eos; de morte redimam eos. Ero mors tua, o mors! morsus tuus ero, inferne! consolatio abscondita est ab oculis meis.

I will deliver them out of the hand of death. I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy death; O hell, I will be thy bite: comfort is hidden from my eyes.

From the grave’s power to rescue them, from death to ransom them; I, death’s mortal enemy, I, corruption’s undoing! Pity? My eyes are closed to it;

Quia ipse inter fratres dividet: adducet urentem ventum Dominus de deserto ascendentem, et siccabit venas ejus, et desolabit fontem ejus: et ipse diripiet thesaurum omnis vasis desiderabilis.

Because he shall make a separation between brothers: the Lord will bring a burning wind that shall rise from the desert, and it shall dry up his springs, and shall make his fountain desolate, and he shall carry off the treasure of every desirable vessel.

these, that now have a share among their brethren, shall feel the Lord’s vengeance, a burning desert wind that shall dry up their brooks, foul their springs, lay waste the store-houses where they hoard their treasure.