Liber I Regum, 20

1. porro Benadad rex Syriæ congregavit omnem exercitum suum et triginta et duos reges secum et equos et currus et ascendens pugnabat contra Samariam et obsidebat eam

1. And Benadad, king of Syria, gathered together all his host, and there were two and thirty kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and going up, he fought against Samaria, and besieged it.

2. mittensque nuntios ad Ahab regem Israël in civitatem

2. And, sending messengers to Achab king of Israel into the city,

3. ait hæc dicit Benadad argentum tuum et aurum tuum meum est et uxores tuæ et filii tui optimi mei sunt

3. He said: Thus saith Benadad: Thy silver, and thy gold is mine: and thy wives, and thy goodliest children are mine.

4. responditque rex Israël juxta verbum tuum domine mi rex tuus sum ego et omnia mea

4. And the king of Israel answered: According to thy word, my lord 0 king, I am thine, and all that I have.

5. revertentesque nuntii dixerunt hæc dicit Benadad qui misit nos ad te argentum tuum et aurum tuum et uxores tuas et filios tuos dabis mihi

5. And the messengers came again, and said: Thus saith Benadad, who sent us unto thee: Thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children thou shalt deliver up to me.

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

6. To morrow therefore at this same hour I will send my servants to thee, and they shall search thy house, and the houses of thy servants: and all that pleaseth them, they shall put in their hands, and take away.

7. vocavit autem rex Israël 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

7. And the king of Israel called all the ancients of the land, and said: Mark, and see that he layeth snares for us. For he sent to me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver and gold: and I said not nay.

8. dixeruntque omnes majores natu et universus populus ad eum non audias neque adquiescas illi

8. And all the ancients, and all the people said to him: Hearken not to him, nor consent to him.

9. respondit itaque nuntiis Benadad dicite domino meo regi omnia propter quæ misisti ad me servum tuum initio faciam hanc autem rem facere non possum

9. Wherefore he answered the messengers of Benadad: Tell my lord the king: All that thou didst send for to me thy servant at first, I will do: but this thing I cannot do.

10. reversique nuntii rettulerunt ei qui remisit et ait hæc faciant mihi dii et hæc addant si suffecerit pulvis Samariæ pugillis omnis populi qui sequitur me

10. And the messengers returning brought him word. And he sent again and said: Such and such things may the gods do to me, and more may they add, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.

11. et respondens rex Israël ait dicite ei ne glorietur accinctus æque ut discinctus

11. And the king of Israel answering, said: Tell him: Let not the girded boast himself as the ungirded.

12. factum est autem cum audisset verbum istud bibebat ipse et reges in umbraculis et ait servis suis circumdate civitatem et circumdederunt eam

12. And it came to pass, when Benadad heard this word, that he and the kings were drinking in pavilions, and he said to his servants: Beset the city. And they beset it.

13. et ecce propheta unus accedens ad Ahab regem Israël ait hæc dicit Dominus certe vidisti omnem multitudinem hanc nimiam ecce ego tradam eam in manu tua hodie ut scias quia ego sum Dominus

13. And behold a prophet coming to Achab king of Israel, said to him: Thus saith the Lord: Hast thou seen all this exceeding great multitude, behold I will deliver them into thy hand this day: that thou mayest know that I am the Lord.

14. et ait Ahab per quem dixitque ei hæc dicit Dominus per pedisequos principum provinciarum et ait quis incipiet prœliari et ille dixit tu

14. And Achab said: By whom? And he said to him: Thus saith the Lord: By the servants of the princes of the provinces. And he said: Who shall begin to fight? And he said: Thou.

15. recensuit ergo pueros principum provinciarum et repperit numerum ducentorum triginta duum et post eos recensuit populum omnes filios Israël septem milia

15. So he mustered the servants of the princes of the provinces, and he found the number of two hundred and thirty-two: and he mustered after them the people, all the children of Israel, seven thousand:

16. et egressi sunt meridie Benadad autem bibebat temulentus in umbraculo suo et reges triginta duo cum eo qui ad auxilium ejus venerant

16. And they went out at noon. But Benadad was drinking himself drunk in his pavilion, and the two and thirty kings with him, who were come to help him.

17. egressi sunt autem pueri principum provinciarum in prima fronte misit itaque Benadad qui nuntiaverunt ei dicentes viri egressi sunt de Samaria

17. And the servants of the princes of the provinces went out first. And Benadad sent. And they told him, saying: There are men come out of Samaria.

18. at ille sive ait pro pace veniunt adprehendite eos vivos sive ut prœlientur vivos eos capite

18. And he said: Whether they come for peace, take them alive: or whether they come to fight, take them alive.

19. egressi sunt ergo pueri principum provinciarum ac reliquus exercitus sequebatur

19. So the servants of the princes of the provinces went out, and the rest of the army followed:

20. et percussit unusquisque virum qui contra se venerat fugeruntque Syri et persecutus est eos Israël fugit quoque Benadad rex Syriæ in equo cum equitibus

20. And every one slew the man that came against him: and the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued after them. And Benadad king of Syria fled away on horseback with his horsemen.

21. necnon et egressus rex Israël percussit equos et currus et percussit Syriam plaga magna

21. But the king of Israel going out overthrew the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.

22. accedens autem propheta ad regem Israël dixit ei vade et confortare et scito et vide quid facias sequenti enim anno rex Syriæ ascendet contra te

22. (And a prophet coming to the king of Israel, said to him: Go, and strengthen thyself, and know, and see what thou dost: for the next year the king of Syria will come up against thee.)

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

23. But the servants of the king of Syria said to him: Their gods are gods of the hills, therefore they have overcome us: but it is better that we should fight against them in the plains, and we shall overcome them.

24. tu ergo verbum hoc fac amove reges singulos ab exercitu suo et pone principes pro eis

24. Do thou therefore this thing: Remove all the kings from thy army, and put captains in their stead:

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

25. And make up the number of soldiers that have been slain of thine, and horses according to the former horses, and chariots according to the chariots which thou hadst before: and we will fight against them in the plains, and thou shalt see that we shall overcome them. He believed their counsel and did so.

26. igitur postquam annus transierat recensuit Benadad Syros et ascendit in Afec ut pugnaret contra Israël

26. Wherefore at the return of the year, p Benadad mustered the Syrians, ancient up to Aphec, to fight against Israel.

27. porro filii Israël recensiti sunt et acceptis cibariis profecti ex adverso castraque metati contra eos quasi duo parvi greges caprarum Syri autem repleverunt terram

27. And the children of Israel were mustered, and taking victuals went out on the other side, and camped over against them, like two little hocks of goats: but the Syrians filled the land.

28. et accedens unus vir Dei dixit ad regem Israël hæc dicit Dominus quia dixerunt Syri deus montium est Dominus et non est deus vallium dabo omnem multitudinem grandem hanc in manu tua et scietis quia ego Dominus

28. (And a man of God coming, said to the king of Israel: Thus saith the Lord: Because the Syrians have said: The Lord is God of the hills, but is not God of the valleys: I will deliver all this great multitude into thy hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.)

29. dirigebant septem diebus ex adverso hii atque illi acies septima autem die commissum est bellum percusseruntque filii Israël de Syris centum milia peditum in die una

29. And both sides set their armies in array one against the other seven days, and on the seventh day the battle was fought: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians a hundred thousand footmen in one day.

30. fugerunt autem qui remanserant in Afec in civitatem et cecidit murus super viginti septem milia hominum qui remanserant porro Benadad fugiens ingressus est civitatem in cubiculum quod erat intra cubiculum

30. And they that remained fled to Aphec, into the city: and the wall fell upon seven and twenty thousand men, that were left. And Benadad fleeing went into the city, into a chamber that was within a chamber.

31. dixeruntque ei servi sui ecce audivimus quod reges domus Israël clementes sint ponamus itaque saccos in lumbis nostris et funiculos in capitibus nostris et egrediamur ad regem Israël forsitan salvabit animas nostras

31. And his servants said to him: Behold, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful: so let us put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: perhaps he will save our lives.

32. accinxerunt saccis lumbos suos et posuerunt funes in capitibus veneruntque ad regem Israël et dixerunt servus tuus Benadad dicit vivat oro te anima mea et ille ait si adhuc vivit frater meus est

32. So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said to him: Thy servant Benadad saith: I beseech thee let me have my life. And he said: If he be yet alive he is my brother.

33. quod acceperunt viri pro omine et festinantes rapuerunt verbum ex ore ejus atque dixerunt frater tuus Benadad et dixit eis ite et adducite eum egressus est ergo ad eum Benadad et levavit eum in currum suum

33. The men took this for a sign: and in haste caught the word out of his mouth, and said: Thy brother Benadad. And he said to them: Go, and bring him to me. Then Benadad came out to him, and he lifted him up into his 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

34. And he said to him: The cities which my father took from thy father, I will restore: and do thou make thee streets in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria, and having made a league I will depart from thee. So he made a league 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

35. Then a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his companion in the word of the Lord: Strike me. But he would not strike.

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

36. Then he said to him: Because thou wouldst not hearken to the word of the Lord, behold then shalt depart from me, and a lion shall slay thee. And when he was gone a little from him, a lion found him, and slew him.

37. sed et alterum conveniens virum dixit ad eum percute me qui percussit eum et vulneravit

37. Then he found another man, and said to him: Strike me. And he struck him, and wounded him.

38. abiit ergo propheta et occurrit regi in via et mutavit aspersione pulveris os et oculos suos

38. So the prophet went, and met the king in the way, and disguised himself by sprinkling dust on his face and his eyes.

39. cumque rex transiret clamavit ad regem et ait servus tuus egressus est ad prœliandum comminus cumque fugisset vir unus adduxit eum quidam ad me et ait custodi virum istum qui si lapsus fuerit erit anima tua pro anima ejus aut talentum argenti adpendes

39. And as the king passed by, he cried to the king, and said: Thy servant went out to fight hand to hand: and when a certain man was run away, one brought him to me, and said: Keep this man: and if he shall slip away, thy life shall be for his life, or thou shalt pay a talent of silver.

40. dum autem ego turbatus huc illucque me verterem subito non conparuit et ait rex Israël ad eum hoc est judicium tuum quod ipse decrevisti

40. And whilst I in a hurry turned this way and that, on a sudden he was not to be seen. And the king of Israel said to him: This is thy judgment, which thyself hast decreed.

41. at ille statim abstersit pulverem de facie sua et cognovit eum rex Israël quod esset de prophetis

41. But he forthwith wiped off the dust from his face, and the king of Israel knew him, 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 ejus et populus tuus pro populo ejus

42. And he said to him: Thus saith the Lord: Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a mall worthy of death, thy life shall be for his life, and thy people for his people.

43. reversus est igitur rex Israël in domum suam audire contemnens et furibundus venit Samariam

43. And the king of Israel returned to his house, slighting to hear, and raging came into Samaria.