Latin Text Selections

The Latin:

Et dixit Sion : Derelíquit me Dóminus,
et Dóminus oblítus est mei.
Numquid oblivísci potest múlier infántem suum,
ut non misereátur fílio úteri sui ?
Etsi illa oblíta fúerit,
ego tamen non oblivíscar tui.

The English:

And Sion said: The Lord hath forsaken me,
and the Lord hath forgotten me.
Can a woman forget her infant,
so as not to have pity on the son of her womb?
and if she should forget, yet will not I forget thee.

[An eternal, undescribable mystery, this love is. The Latin places a stress on the final 'I'. God sets his love apart from the love of human beings.]

The Latin:

Et ducam tértiam partem per ignem, et uram eos sicut úritur argéntum, et probábo eos sicut probátur aurum. Ipse vocábit nomen meum, et ego exáudiam eum. Dicam : Pópulus meus es : et ipse dicet : Dóminus Deus meus.

The English:

And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined: and I will try them as gold is tried. They shall call on my name, and I will hear them. I will say: Thou art my people: and they shall say: The Lord is my God.

The Latin:

Mementóte legis Móysi servi mei, quam mandávi ei in Horeb ad omnem Ísraël, præcépta et iudícia. Ecce ego mittam vobis Elíam prophétam, ántequam véniat dies Dómini magnus et horríbilis. Et convértet cor patrum ad fílios, et cor filiórum ad patres eórum : ne forte véniam, et percútiam terram anathemáte.

The English:

Remember the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, the precepts, and judgments. Behold I will send you Elias the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers: lest I come, and strike the earth with anathema.

The Latin:

Frámea, suscitáre super pastórem meum, et super virum cohæréntem mihi, dicit Dóminus exercítuum : pércute pastórem, et dispergéntur oves : et convértam manum meam ad párvulos. Et erunt in omni terra, dicit Dóminus : partes duæ in ea dispergéntur, et defícient : et tértia pars relinquétur in ea.

The English:

Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that cleaveth to me, saith the Lord of hosts: strike the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn my hand to the little ones. And there shall be in all the earth, saith the Lord, two parts in it shall be scattered, and shall perish: but the third part shall be left therein.

The Latin:

Ficus enim non florébit,
et non erit germen in víneis ;
mentiétur opus olívæ,
et arva non áfferent cibum :
abscindétur de ovíli pecus,
et non erit arméntum in præsépibus.
Ego autem in Dómino gaudébo ;
et exsultábo in Deo Iésu meo.
Deus Dóminus fortitúdo mea,
et ponet pedes meos quasi cervórum :
et super excélsa mea dedúcet me
victor in psalmis canéntem.

The English:

For the fig tree shall not blossom:
and there shall be no spring in the vines.
The labour of the olive tree shall fail:
and the fields shall yield no food:
the flock shall be cut off from the fold,
and there shall be no herd in the stalls.
But I will rejoice in the Lord:
and I will joy in God my Jesus.
The Lord God is my strength:
and he will make my feet like the feet of harts:
and he the conqueror will lead me
upon my high places singing psalms.

[Everything will fall away, but I will rejoice in the Lord. The spirit of the Saints.]

The Latin:

Et effúndam super domum David
et super habitatóres Ierusálem
spíritum grátiæ et precum :
et aspícient ad me quem confixérunt,
et plangent eum planctu quasi super unigénitum,
et dolébunt super eum,
ut doléri solet in morte primogéniti.

The English:

And I will pour out upon the house of David,
and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
the spirit of grace, and of prayers:
and they shall look upon me, whom they have pierced:
and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for an only son,
and they shall grieve over him,
as the manner is to grieve for the death of the firstborn.

The Latin:

Exsúlta satis, fília Sion ;
iúbila, fília Ierusálem :
ecce rex tuus véniet tibi iústus, et salvátor :
ipse pauper, et ascéndens super ásinam
et super pullum fílium ásinæ.
Et dispérdam quadrígam ex Éphraim,
et equum de Ierusálem,
et dissipábitur arcus belli :
et loquétur pacem géntibus,
et potéstas eíus a mari usque ad mare,
et a flumínibus usque ad fines terræ.

The English:

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion,
shout for joy, O daughter of Jerusalem:
BEHOLD THY KING will come to thee, the just and saviour:
he is poor, and riding upon an ass,
and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
And I will destroy the chariot out of Ephraim,
and the horse out of Jerusalem,
and the bow for war shall be broken:
and he shall speak peace to the Gentiles,
and his power shall be from sea to sea,
and from the rivers even to the end of the earth.

The Latin:

Ecce ego mitto ángelum meum, et præparábit viam ante fáciem meam : et statim véniet ad templum suum Dominátor quem vos quǽritis, et ángelus testaménti quem vos vultis. Ecce venit, dicit Dóminus exercítuum. Et quis póterit cogitáre diem advéntus eíus, et quis stabit ad vidéndum eum ? ipse enim quasi ignis conflans, et quasi herba fullónum : et sedébit conflans, et emúndans argéntum : et purgábit fílios Levi, et colábit eos quasi aurum et quasi argéntum, et erunt Dómino offeréntes sacrifícia in iustítia.

The English:

Behold I send my angel, and he shall prepare the way before my face. And presently the Lord, whom you seek, and the angel of the testament, whom you desire, shall come to his temple. Behold he cometh, saith the Lord of hosts. And who shall be able to think of the day of his coming? and who shall stand to see him? for he is like a refining fire, and like the fuller’s herb: And he shall sit refining and cleansing the silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and shall refine them as gold, and as silver, and they shall offer sacrifices to the Lord in justice.

The Latin:

Lauda et lætáre, fília Sion, quia ecce ego vénio,
et habitábo in médio tui, ait Dóminus.
Et applicabúntur gentes multæ ad Dóminum in die illa,
et erunt mihi in pópulum,
et habitábo in médio tui :
et scies quia Dóminus exercítuum misit me ad te.
Et possidébit Dóminus Iúdam partem suam in terra sanctificáta,
et éliget adhuc Ierusálem.
Síleat omnis caro a fácie Dómini,
quia consurréxit de habitáculo sancto suo.

The English:

Sing praise, and rejoice, O daughter of Sion: for behold I come,
and I will dwell in the midst of thee: saith the Lord.
And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day,
and they shall be my people,
and I will dwell in the midst of thee:
and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me to thee.
And the Lord shall possess Juda his portion in the sanctified land:
and he shall yet choose Jerusalem.
Let all flesh be silent at the presence of the Lord:
for he is risen up out of his holy habitation.

The Latin:

Verbum quod pépigi vobíscum cum egrederémini de terra Ægýpti :
et spíritus meus erit in médio vestrum : nolíte timére.
Quia hæc dicit Dóminus exercítuum :
Adhuc unum módicum est,
et ego commovébo cælum, et terram, et mare, et áridam.
Et movébo omnes gentes,
et véniet desiderátus cunctis géntibus :
et implébo domum istam glória,
dicit Dóminus exercítuum.

The English:

The word that I covenanted with you when you came out of the land of Egypt:
and my spirit shall be in the midst of you: fear not.
For thus saith the Lord of hosts:
Yet one little while,
and I will move the heaven and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land.
And I will move all nations:
AND THE DESIRED OF ALL NATIONS SHALL COME:
and I will fill this house with glory:
saith the Lord of hosts.

[From the beginning were these words. When the Lord returns, I believe he will again say to his friends, "Fear not."]

The Latin:

Et tu, Béthlehem Éphrata,
párvulus es in míllibus Iúda ;
ex te mihi egrediétur qui sit dominátor in Ísraël,
et egréssus eíus ab inítio,
a diébus æternitátis.
Propter hoc dabit eos usque ad tempus in quo partúriens páriet,
et réliquiæ fratrum eíus converténtur ad fílios Ísraël.
Et stabit, et pascet in fortitúdine Dómini,
in sublimitáte nóminis Dómini Dei sui :
et converténtur,
quia nunc magnificábitur usque ad términos terræ.
Et erit iste pax…

The English:

AND THOU, BETHLEHEM Ephrata,
art a little one among the thousands of Juda:
out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be the ruler in Israel:
and his going forth is from the beginning,
from the days of eternity.
Therefore will he give them up even till the time wherein she that travaileth shall bring forth:
and the remnant of his brethren shall be converted to the children of Israel.
And he shall stand, and feed in the strength of the Lord,
in the height of the name of the Lord his God:
and they shall be converted,
for now shall he be magnified even to the ends of the earth.
And this man shall be our peace…

The Latin:

Quómodo dabo te, Éphraim ?
prótegam te, Ísraël ?
Quómodo dabo te sicut Adáma,
ponam te ut Séboim ?
Convérsum est in me cor meum,
páriter conturbáta est pœnitúdo mea.
Non fáciam furórem iræ meæ ;
non convértar ut dispérdam Éphraim,
quóniam Deus ego, et non homo ;
in médio tui sanctus,
et non ingrédiar civitátem.

The English:

How shall I deal with thee, O Ephraim,
shall I protect thee, O Israel?
how shall I make thee as Adama,
shall I set thee as Seboim?
My heart is turned within me,
my repentance is stirred up.
I will not execute the fierceness of my wrath:
I will not return to destroy Ephraim:
because I am God, and not man:
the holy one in the midst of thee,
and I will not enter into the city.

The Latin:

Aspiciébam ergo in visióne noctis, et ecce cum núbibus cæli quasi fílius hóminis veniébat, et usque ad antíquum diérum pervénit : et in conspéctu eíus obtulérunt eum. Et dedit ei potestátem, et honórem, et regnum : et omnes pópuli, tribus, et linguæ ipsi sérvient : potéstas eíus, potéstas ætérna, quæ non auferétur : et regnum eíus, quod non corrumpétur.

The English:

I beheld therefore in the vision of the night, and lo, one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and he came even to the Ancient of days: and they presented him before him. And he gave him power, and glory, and a kingdom: and all peoples, tribes and tongues shall serve him: his power is an everlasting power that shall not be taken away: and his kingdom that shall not be destroyed.

[Why, who could this one be, like the son of man? These visions of the prophets, St. John included, are nightmarish indeed.]

The Latin:

Et suscitábo super eas pastórem unum qui pascat eas,
 servum meum David :
 ipse pascet eas,
 et ipse erit eis in pastórem.
Ego autem Dóminus ero eis in Deum,
 et servus meus David princeps in médio eórum :
 ego Dóminus locútus sum.
Et fáciam cum eis pactum pacis,
 et cessáre fáciam béstias péssimas de terra :
 et qui hábitant in desérto,
 secúri dórmient in sáltibus.

The English:

AND I WILL SET UP ONE SHEPHERD OVER THEM, and he shall feed them,
even my servant David:
he shall feed them,
and he shall be their shepherd.
And I the Lord will be their God:
and my servant David the prince in the midst of them:
I the Lord have spoken it.
And I will make a covenant of peace with them,
and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land:
and they that dwell in the wilderness
shall sleep secure in the forests.

The Latin:

Ecce dies vénient, dicit Dóminus,
et fériam dómui Ísraël et dómui Iúda fœdus novum,
non secúndum pactum quod pépigi cum pátribus eórum
in die qua apprehéndi manum eórum
ut edúcerem eos de terra Ægýpti,
pactum quod írritum fecérunt :
et ego dominátus sum eórum, dicit Dóminus.
Sed hoc erit pactum quod fériam cum domo Ísraël
post dies illos, dicit Dóminus :
dabo legem meam in viscéribus eórum,
et in corde eórum scribam eam,
et ero eis in Deum,
et ipsi erunt mihi in pópulum.

The English:

Behold the days shall come, saith the Lord,
and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Juda:
Not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers,
in the day that I took them by the hand
to bring them out of the land of Egypt:
the covenant which they made void,
and I had dominion over them, saith the Lord.
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel,
after those days, saith the Lord:
I will give my law in their bowels,
and I will write it in their heart:
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.

The Latin:

Ecce dies vénient, dicit Dóminus,
et fériam dómui Ísraël et dómui Iúda fœdus novum,
non secúndum pactum quod pépigi cum pátribus eórum
in die qua apprehéndi manum eórum
ut edúcerem eos de terra Ægýpti,
pactum quod írritum fecérunt :
et ego dominátus sum eórum, dicit Dóminus.
Sed hoc erit pactum quod fériam cum domo Ísraël
post dies illos, dicit Dóminus :
dabo legem meam in viscéribus eórum,
et in corde eórum scribam eam,
et ero eis in Deum,
et ipsi erunt mihi in pópulum.

The English:

Behold the days shall come, saith the Lord,
and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Juda:
Not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers,
in the day that I took them by the hand
to bring them out of the land of Egypt:
the covenant which they made void,
and I had dominion over them, saith the Lord.
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel,
after those days, saith the Lord:
I will give my law in their bowels,
and I will write it in their heart:
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.

The Latin:

Hæc dicit Dóminus : Cælum sedes mea,
terra autem scabéllum pedum meórum.
Quæ est ista domus quam ædificábitis mihi ?
et quis est iste locus quiétis meæ ?
Ómnia hæc manus mea fecit,
et facta sunt univérsa ista,
dicit Dóminus ;
ad quem autem respíciam, nisi ad paupérculum,
et contrítum spíritu, et treméntem sermónes meos ?

The English:

Thus saith the Lord: Heaven is my throne,
and the earth my footstool:
what is this house that you will build to me?
and what is this place of my rest?
My hand made all these things,
and all these things were made,
saith the Lord.
But to whom shall I have respect, but to him that is poor and little,
and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my words?

The Latin:

Et vidébunt gentes iústum tuum,
et cuncti reges ínclytum tuum ;
et vocábitur tibi nomen novum,
quod os Dómini nominábit.
Et eris coróna glóriæ in manu Dómini,
et diadéma regni in manu Dei tui.
…
Ecce Dóminus audítum fecit in extrémis terræ :
Dícite fíliæ Sion : Ecce Salvátor tuus venit ;
ecce merces eíus cum eo, et opus eíus coram illo.
Et vocábunt eos, Pópulus sanctus, redémpti a Dómino ;
tu autem vocáberis, Quǽsita cívitas, et non Derelícta.

The English:

And the Gentiles shall see thy just one,
and all kings thy glorious one:
and thou shalt be called by a new name,
which the mouth of the Lord shall name.
And thou shalt be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.
…
Behold the Lord hath made it to be heard in the ends of the earth,
tell the daughter of Sion: Behold thy Saviour cometh:
behold his reward is with him, and his work before him.
And they shall call them, The holy people, the redeemed of the Lord.
But thou shalt be called: A city sought after, and not forsaken.

The Latin:

Spíritus Dómini super me,
eo quod únxerit Dóminus me ;
ad annuntiándum mansuétis misit me,
ut medérer contrítis corde,
et prædicárem captívis indulgéntiam,
et clausis apertiónem ;
ut prædicárem annum placábilem Dómino,
et diem ultiónis Deo nostro ;
ut consolárer omnes lugéntes.

The English:

The spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because the Lord hath anointed me:
he hath sent me to preach to the meek,
to heal the contrite of heart,
and to preach a release to the captives,
and deliverance to them that are shut up.
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
and the day of vengeance of our God:
to comfort all that mourn.

The Latin:

Ecce testem pópulis dedi eum,
ducem ac præceptórem géntibus.
Ecce gentem quam nesciébas vocábis,
et gentes quæ te non cognovérunt ad te current,
propter Dóminum Deum tuum,
et Sanctum Ísraël, quia glorificávit te.
Quǽrite Dóminum dum inveníri potest ;
invocáte eum dum prope est.

The English:

Behold I have given him for a witness to the people,
for a leader and a master to the Gentiles.
Behold thou shalt call a nation, which thou knewest not:
and the nations that knew not thee shall run to thee,
because of the Lord thy God,
and for the Holy One of Israel,
for he hath glorified thee.
Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found:
call upon him, while he is near.

The Latin:

Ipse autem vulnerátus est propter iniquitátes nostras ;
attrítus est propter scélera nostra :
disciplína pacis nostræ super eum,
et livóre eíus sanáti sumus.
Omnes nos quasi oves errávimus,
unusquísque in viam suam declinávit :
et pósuit Dóminus in eo
iniquitátem ómnium nostrum.
Oblátus est quia ipse vóluit,
et non apéruit os suum ;
sicut ovis ad occisiónem ducétur,
et quasi agnus coram tondénte se obmutéscet,
et non apériet os suum.

The English:

But he was wounded for our iniquities,
he was bruised for our sins:
the chastisement of our peace was upon him,
and by his bruises we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray,
every one hath turned aside into his own way:
and the Lord hath laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
He was offered because it was his own will,
and he opened not his mouth:
he shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter,
and shall be dumb as a lamb before his shearer,
and he shall not open his mouth.

The Latin:

Ecce intélliget servus meus,
exaltábitur et elevábitur, et sublímis erit valde.
Sicut obstupuérunt super te multi,
sic inglórius erit inter viros aspéctus eíus,
et forma eíus inter fílios hóminum.
Iste aspérget gentes multas ;
super ipsum continébunt reges os suum :
quia quibus non est narrátum de eo vidérunt,
et qui non audiérunt contempláti sunt.

The English:

Behold my servant shall understand,
he shall be exalted, and extolled, and shall be exceeding high.
As many have been astonished at thee,
so shall his visage be inglorious among men,
and his form among the sons of men.
He shall sprinkle many nations,
kings shall shut their mouth at him:
for they to whom it was not told of him, have seen:
and they that heard not, have beheld.

The Latin:

Leváte in cælum óculos vestros,
et vidéte sub terra deórsum :
quia cæli sicut fumus liquéscent,
et terra sicut vestiméntum atterétur,
et habitatóres eíus sicut hæc interíbunt :
salus autem mea in sempitérnum erit,
et iustítia mea non defíciet.
Audíte me, qui scitis iústum,
pópulus meus, lex mea in corde eórum :
nolíte timére oppróbrium hóminum,
et blasphémias eórum ne metuátis :

The English:

Lift up your eyes to heaven,
and look down to the earth beneath:
for the heavens shall vanish like smoke,
and the earth shall be worn away like a garment,
and the inhabitants thereof shall perish in like manner:
but my salvation shall be for ever,
and my justice shall not fail.
Hearken to me, you that know what is just,
my people who have my law in your heart:
fear ye not the reproach of men,
and be not afraid of their blasphemies.

The Latin:

Dóminus dedit mihi linguam erudítam,
ut sciam sustentáre eum qui lassus est verbo.
Érigit mane, mane érigit mihi aurem,
ut áudiam quasi magístrum.
Dóminus Deus apéruit mihi aurem,
ego autem non contradíco: retrórsum non ábii.
Corpus meum dedi percutiéntibus,
et genas meas velléntibus ;
fáciem meam non avérti ab increpántibus
et conspuéntibus in me.
Dóminus Deus auxiliátor meus,
ídeo non sum confúsus ;
ídeo pósui fáciem meam ut petram duríssimam,
et scio quóniam non confúndar.

The English:

The Lord hath given me a learned tongue,
that I should know how to uphold by word him that is weary:
he wakeneth in the morning, in the morning he wakeneth my ear,
that I may hear him as a master.
The Lord God hath opened my ear,
and I do not resist: I have not gone back.
I have given my body to the strikers,
and my cheeks to them that plucked them:
I have not turned away my face from them that rebuked me,
and spit upon me.
The Lord God is my helper,
therefore am I not confounded:
therefore have I set my face as a most hard rock,
and I know that I shall not be confounded.

The Latin:

Laudáte, cæli, et exsúlta, terra ;
iubiláte, montes, laudem,
quia consolátus est Dóminus pópulum suum,
et páuperum suórum miserébitur.

Et dixit Sion : Derelíquit me Dóminus,
et Dóminus oblítus est mei.
Numquid oblivísci potest múlier infántem suum,
ut non misereátur fílio úteri sui ?
Etsi illa oblíta fúerit,
ego tamen non oblivíscar tui.

The English:

Give praise, O ye heavens, and rejoice, O earth,
ye mountains, give praise with jubilation:
because the Lord hath comforted his people,
and will have mercy on his poor ones.

And Sion said: The Lord hath forsaken me,
and the Lord hath forgotten me.
Can a woman forget her infant,
so as not to have pity on the son of her womb?
and if she should forget,
yet will not I forget thee.

The Latin:

Ego Dóminus vocávi te in iustítia,
et apprehéndi manum tuam,
et servávi te :
et dedi te in fœdus pópuli,
in lucem géntium,
ut aperíres óculos cæcórum,
et edúceres de conclusióne vinctum,
de domo cárceris sedéntes in ténebris.
Ego Dóminus,
hoc est nomen meum ;
glóriam meam álteri non dabo,
et laudem meam sculptílibus.

The English:

I the Lord have called thee in justice,
and taken thee by the hand,
and preserved thee.
And I have given thee for a covenant of the people,
for a light of the Gentiles:
That thou mightest open the eyes of the blind,
and bring forth the prisoner out of prison,
and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
I the Lord,
this is my name:
I will not give my glory to another,
nor my praise to graven things.