I Regum 20
1 Porro Benadad rex Syriæ, congregavit omnem exercitum suum, et triginta duos reges secum, et equos, et currus: et ascendens pugnabat contra Samariam, et obsidebat eum.
Ben Hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together; and there were thirty-two kings with him, with horses and chariots. He went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it.
2 Mittensque nuncios ad Achab regem Israel in civitatem,
He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, “Ben Hadad says,
3 ait: Hæc dicit Benadad: Argentum tuum, et aurum tuum meum est: et uxores tuæ, et filii tui optimi, mei sunt.
‘Your silver and your gold are mine. Your wives also and your children, even the best, are mine.’”
4 Responditque rex Israel: Iuxta verbum tuum, domine mi rex, tuus sum ego, et omnia mea.
The king of Israel answered, “It is according to your saying, my lord, O king. I am yours, and all that I have.”
5 Revertentesque nuncii, dixerunt: Hæc dicit Benadad, qui misit nos ad te: Argentum tuum, et aurum tuum, et uxores tuas, et filios tuos dabis mihi.
The messengers came again and said, “Ben Hadad says, ‘I sent indeed to you, saying, “You shall deliver me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children;
6 Cras igitur hac eadem hora mittam servos meos ad te, et scrutabuntur domum tuam, et domum servorum tuorum: et omne, quod eis placuerit, ponent in manibus suis, et auferent.
but I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants. Whatever is pleasant in your eyes, they will put it in their hand, and take it away.”’”
7 Vocavit autem rex Israel omnes seniores terræ, et ait: Animadvertite, et videte quoniam insidietur nobis. Misit enim ad me pro uxoribus meis, et filiis, et pro argento et auro: et non abnui.
Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, “Please notice how this man seeks mischief; for he sent to me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I didn’t deny him.”
8 Dixeruntque omnes maiores natu, et universus populus ad eum: Non audias, neque acquiescas illi.
All the elders and all the people said to him, “Don’t listen, and don’t consent.”
9 Respondit itaque nunciis Benadad: Dicite domino meo regi: Omnia propter quæ misisti ad me servum tuum in initio, faciam: hanc autem rem facere non possum.
Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben Hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you sent for to your servant at the first I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’” The messengers departed and brought him back the message.
10 Reversique nuncii retulerunt ei. Qui remisit, et ait: Hæc faciant mihi dii, et hæc addant, si suffecerit pulvis Samariæ pugillis omnis populi, qui sequitur me.
Ben Hadad sent to him, and said, “The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria will be enough for handfuls for all the people who follow me.”
11 Et respondens rex Israel, ait: Dicite ei: Ne glorietur accinctus æque ut discinctus.
The king of Israel answered, “Tell him, ‘Don’t let him who puts on his armour brag like he who takes it off.’”
12 Factum est autem, cum audisset Benadad verbum istud, bibebat ipse et reges in umbraculis, et ait servis suis: Circumdate civitatem. Et circumdederunt eam.
When Ben Hadad heard this message as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, he said to his servants, “Prepare to attack!” So they prepared to attack the city.
13 Et ecce propheta unus accedens ad Achab regem Israel, ait ei: Hæc dicit Dominus: Certe vidisti omnem multitudinem hanc nimiam? Ecce, ego tradam eam in manu tua hodie: ut scias, quia ego sum Dominus.
Behold, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel, and said, “The LORD says, ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand today. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
14 Et ait Achab: Per quem? Dixitque ei: Hæc dicit Dominus: Per pedissequos principum provinciarum. Et ait: Quis incipiet præliari? Et ille dixit: Tu.
Ahab said, “By whom?” He said, “The LORD says, ‘By the young men of the princes of the provinces.’” Then he said, “Who shall begin the battle?” He answered, “You.”
15 Recensuit ergo pueros principum provinciarum, et reperit numerum ducentorum triginta duorum: et recensuit post eos populum, omnes filios Israel, septem millia.
Then he mustered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two. After them, he mustered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.
16 Et egressi sunt meridie. Benadad autem bibebat temulentus in umbraculo suo, et reges triginta duo cum eo, qui ad auxilium eius venerant.
They went out at noon. But Ben Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty-two kings who helped him.
17 Egressi sunt autem pueri principum provinciarum in prima fronte. Misit itaque Benadad. Qui nunciaverunt ei, dicentes: Viri egressi sunt de Samaria.
The young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Ben Hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, “Men are coming out from Samaria.”
18 Et ille ait: Sive pro pace veniunt, apprehendite eos vivos: sive ut prælientur, vivos eos capite.
He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; or if they have come out for war, take them alive.”
19 Egressi sunt ergo pueri principum provinciarum, ac reliquus exercitus sequebatur:
So these went out of the city, the young men of the princes of the provinces, and the army which followed them.
20 et percussit unusquisque virum, qui contra se veniebat: fugeruntque Syri, et persecutus est eos Israel. Fugit quoque Benadad rex Syriæ in equo cum equitibus suis.
They each killed his man. The Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them. Ben Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with horsemen.
21 Necnon egressus rex Israel percussit equos et currus, et percussit Syriam plaga magna.
The king of Israel went out and struck the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter.
22 (Accedens autem propheta ad regem Israel, dixit ei: Vade, et confortare, et scito, et vide quid facias: sequenti enim anno rex Syriæ ascendet contra te.)
The prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself, and plan what you must do, for at the return of the year, the king of Syria will come up against you.”
23 Servi vero regis Syriæ dixerunt ei: dii montium sunt dii eorum, ideo superaverunt nos: sed melius est ut pugnemus contra eos in campestribus, et obtinebimus eos.
The servants of the king of Syria said to him, “Their god is a god of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we. But let’s fight against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they.
24 Tu ergo verbum hoc fac: Amove reges singulos ab exercitu tuo, et pone principes pro eis:
Do this thing: take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their place.
25 et instaura numerum militum, qui ceciderunt de tuis, et equos secundum equos pristinos, et currus secundum currus, quos ante habuisti: et pugnabimus contra eos in campestribus, et videbis quod obtinebimus eos. Credidit consilio eorum, et fecit ita.
Muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. We will fight against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they are.” He listened to their voice and did so.
26 Igitur postquam annus transierat, recensuit Benadad Syros, et ascendit in Aphec ut pugnaret contra Israel.
At the return of the year, Ben Hadad mustered the Syrians and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
27 Porro filii Israel recensiti sunt, et acceptis cibariis profecti ex adverso, castraque metati sunt contra eos, quasi duo parvi greges caprarum: Syri autem repleverunt terram.
The children of Israel were mustered and given provisions, and went against them. The children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of young goats, but the Syrians filled the country.
28 (Et accedens unus vir Dei, dixit ad regem Israel: Hæc dicit Dominus: Quia dixerunt Syri: Deus montium est Dominus, et non est Deus vallium: dabo omnem multitudinem hanc grandem in manu tua, et scietis quia ego sum Dominus.)
A man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, “The LORD says, ‘Because the Syrians have said, “The LORD is a god of the hills, but he is not a god of the valleys,” therefore I will deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.’”
29 Dirigebantque septem diebus ex adverso hi, atque illi acies, septima autem die commissum est bellum: percusseruntque filii Israel de Syris centum millia peditum in die una.
They encamped opposite each other for seven days. Then on the seventh day the battle was joined; and the children of Israel killed one hundred thousand footmen of the Syrians in one day.
30 Fugerunt autem qui remanserant in Aphec, in civitatem: et cecidit murus super viginti septem millia hominum, qui remanserant. Porro Benadad fugiens ingressus est civitatem, in cubiculum quod erat intra cubiculum.
But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men who were left. Ben Hadad fled and came into the city, into an inner room.
31 Dixeruntque ei servi sui: Ecce, audivimus quod reges domus Israel clementes sint: ponamus itaque saccos in lumbis nostris, et funiculos in capitibus nostris, et egrediamur ad regem Israel: forsitan salvabit animas nostras.
His servants said to him, “See now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please let us put sackcloth on our bodies and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel. Maybe he will save your life.”
32 Accinxerunt saccis lumbos suos, et posuerunt funiculos in capitibus suis, veneruntque ad regem Israel, et dixerunt ei: Servus tuus Benadad dicit: Vivat, oro te, anima mea. Et ille ait: Si adhuc vivit, frater meus est.
So they put sackcloth on their bodies and ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, “Your servant Ben Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’” He said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
33 Quod acceperunt viri pro omine: et festinantes rapuerunt verbum ex ore eius, atque dixerunt: Frater tuus Benadad. Et dixit eis: Ite, et adducite eum ad me. Egressus est ergo ad eum Benadad, et levavit eum in currum suum.
Now the men observed diligently and hurried to take this phrase; and they said, “Your brother Ben Hadad.” Then he said, “Go, bring him.” Then Ben Hadad came out to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.
34 Qui dixit ei: Civitates, quas tulit pater meus a patre tuo, reddam: et plateas fac tibi in Damasco, sicut fecit pater meus in Samaria, et ego fœderatus recedam a te. Pepigit ergo fœdus, et dimisit eum.
Ben Hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I will restore. You shall make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria.” “I”, said Ahab, “will let you go with this covenant.” So he made a covenant with him and let him go.
35 Tunc vir quidam de filiis prophetarum dixit ad socium suum in sermone Domini: Percute me. At ille noluit percutere.
A certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his fellow by the LORD’s word, “Please strike me!” The man refused to strike him.
36 Cui ait: Quia noluisti audire vocem Domini, ecce recedes a me, et percutiet te leo. Cumque paululum recessisset ab eo, invenit eum leo, atque percussit.
Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the LORD’s voice, behold, as soon as you have departed from me, a lion will kill you.” As soon as he had departed from him, a lion found him and killed him.
37 Sed alterum inveniens virum, dixit ad eum: Percute me. Qui percussit eum, et vulneravit.
Then he found another man, and said, “Please strike me.” The man struck him and wounded him.
38 Abiit ergo propheta, et occurrit regi in via, et mutavit aspersione pulveris os et oculos suos.
So the prophet departed and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with his headband over his eyes.
39 Cumque rex transisset, clamavit ad regem, et ait: Servus tuus egressus est ad præliandum cominus: cumque fugisset vir unus, adduxit eum quidam ad me, et ait: Custodi virum istum: qui si lapsus fuerit, erit anima tua pro anima eius, aut talentum argenti appendes.
As the king passed by, he cried to the king, and he said, “Your servant went out into the middle of the battle; and behold, a man came over and brought a man to me, and said, ‘Guard this man! If by any means he is missing, then your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.’
40 Dum autem ego turbatus huc illucque me verterem, subito non comparuit. Et ait rex Israel ad eum: Hoc est iudicium tuum, quod ipse decrevisti.
As your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” The king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgement be. You yourself have decided it.”
41 At ille statim abstersit pulverem de facie sua, et cognovit eum rex Israel, quod esset de prophetis.
He hurried, and took the headband away from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognised that he was one of the prophets.
42 Qui ait ad eum: Hæc dicit Dominus: Quia dimisisti virum dignum morte de manu tua, erit anima tua pro anima eius, et populus tuus pro populo eius.
He said to him, “The LORD says, ‘Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life will take the place of his life, and your people take the place of his people.’”
43 Reversus est igitur rex Israel in domum suam, audire contemnens, et furibundus venit in Samariam.
The king of Israel went to his house sullen and angry, and came to Samaria.
