Liber II Paralipomenon, 18

1. fuit ergo Josaphat dives et inclitus multum et adfinitate coniunctus est Ahab

1. Now Josaphat was rich and very glorious, and was joined by affinity to Achab.

2. descenditque post annos ad eum in Samariam ad cujus adventum mactavit Ahab arietes et boves plurimos et populo qui venerat cum eo persuasitque illi ut ascenderet in Ramoth Galaad

2. And he went down to him after some years to Samaria: and Achab at his coming killed sheep and oxen in abundance for him and the people that came with him: and he persuaded him to go up to Ramoth Galaad.

3. dixitque Ahab rex Israël ad Josaphat regem Juda veni mecum in Ramoth Galaad cui ille respondit ut ego et tu sicut populus tuus sic et populus meus tecumque erimus in bello

3. And Achab king of Israel said to Josaphat king of Juda: Come with me to Ramoth Galaad. And he answered him: Thou art as I am, and my people as thy people, and we will be with thee in the war.

4. dixitque Josaphat ad regem Israël consule obsecro inpræsentiarum sermonem Domini

4. And Josaphat said to the king of Israel: Inquire, I beseech thee, at present the word of the Lord.

5. congregavitque rex Israël prophetarum quadringentos viros et dixit ad eos in Ramoth Galaad ad bellandum ire debemus an quiescere at illi ascende inquiunt et tradet Deus in manu regis

5. So the king of Israel gathered together of the prophets four hundred men, and he said to them: Shall we go to Ramoth Galaad to fight, or shall we forbear ? But they said: Go up, and God will deliver it into the king's hand.

6. dixitque Josaphat numquid non est hic prophetes Domini ut ab illo etiam requiramus

6. And Josaphat said: Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire also of him?

7. et ait rex Israël ad Josaphat est vir unus a quo possumus quærere Domini voluntatem sed ego odi eum quia non prophetat mihi bonum sed malum omni tempore est autem Micheas filius Jembla dixitque Josaphat ne loquaris rex hoc modo

7. And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: There is one man, of whom we may ask the will of the Lord: but I hate him, for he never prophesieth good to me, but always evil: and it is Micheas the son of Jemla. And Josaphat said: Speak not thus, O king.

8. vocavit ergo rex Israël unum de eunuchis et dixit ei voca cito Micheam filium Jembla

8. And the king of Israel called one of the eunuchs, and said to him : Call quickly Micheas the son of Jemla.

9. porro rex Israël et Josaphat rex Juda uterque sedebant in solio suo vestiti cultu regio sedebant autem in area juxta portam Samariæ omnesque prophetæ vaticinabantur coram eis

9. Now the king of Israel, and Josaphat king of Juda, both sat on their thrones, clothed in royal robes, and they sat in the open court by the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied before them.

10. Sedecias vero filius Chanana fecit sibi cornua ferrea et ait hæc dicit Dominus his ventilabis Syriam donec conteras eam

10. And Sedecias the son of Chanaana made him horns of iron, and said: Thus saith the Lord: With these shalt thou push Syria, till thou destroy it.

11. omnesque prophetæ similiter prophetabant atque dicebant ascende in Ramoth Galaad et prosperaberis et tradet eos Dominus in manu regis

11. And all the prophets prophesied in like manner, and said: Go up to Ramoth Galaad, and thou shalt prosper, and the Lord will deliver them into the king's hand.

12. nuntius autem qui jerat ad vocandum Micheam ait illi en verba omnium prophetarum uno ore bona regi adnuntiant quæso ergo te ut et sermo tuus ab eis non dissentiat loquarisque prospera

12. And the messenger that went to call Micheas, said to him: Behold the words of all the prophets with one mouth declare good to the king: I beseech thee therefore let not thy word disagree with them, and speak thou also good success.

13. cui respondit Micheas vivit Dominus quia quodcumque dixerit Deus meus hoc loquar

13. And Micheas answered him: As the Lord liveth, whatsoever my God shall say to me, that will I speak.

14. venit ergo ad regem cui rex ait Michea ire debemus in Ramoth Galaad ad bellandum an quiescere cui ille respondit ascendite cuncta enim prospera evenient et tradentur hostes in manus vestras

14. So he came to the king: and the king said to him: Micheas, shall we go to Ramoth Galaad to fight, or forbear? And he answered him: Go up, for all shall succeed prosperously, and the enemies shall be delivered into your hands.

15. dixitque rex iterum atque iterum te adiuro ut non mihi loquaris nisi quod verum est in nomine Domini

15. And the king said: I adjure thee again and again to say nothing but the truth to me, in the name of the Lord.

16. at ille ait vidi universum Israël dispersum in montibus sicut oves absque pastore et dixit Dominus non habent isti dominos revertatur unusquisque ad domum suam in pace

16. Then he said: I saw all Israel scattered in the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd : and the Lord said: These have no masters: let every man return to his own house in peace.

17. et ait rex Israël ad Josaphat nonne dixi tibi quod non prophetaret iste mihi quicquam boni sed ea quæ mala sunt

17. And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: Did I not tell thee that this man would not prophesy me any good, but evil?

18. at ille idcirco ait audite verbum Domini vidi Dominum sedentem in solio suo et omnem exercitum cæli adsistentem ei a dextris et sinistris

18. Then he said: Hear ye therefore the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing by him on the right hand and on the left.

19. et dixit Dominus quis decipiet Ahab regem Israël ut ascendat et corruat in Ramoth Galaad cumque diceret unus hoc modo et alter alio

19. And the Lord said: Who shall deceive Achab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall in Ramoth Galaad? And when one spoke in this manner, and another otherwise:

20. processit spiritus et stetit coram Domino et ait ego decipiam eum cui Dominus in quo inquit decipies

20. There came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said: I will deceive him. And the Lord said to him: By what means wilt thou deceive him?

21. at ille respondit egrediar et ero spiritus mendax in ore omnium prophetarum ejus dixitque Dominus decipies et prævalebis egredere et fac ita

21. And he answered: I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said: Thou shalt deceive, and shalt prevail: go out, and do so.

22. nunc igitur ecce dedit Dominus spiritum mendacii in ore omnium prophetarum tuorum et Dominus locutus est de te mala

22. Now therefore behold the Lord hath put a spirit of lying in the mouth of all thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee.

23. accessit autem Sedecias filius Chanana et percussit Micheæ maxillam et ait per quam viam transivit spiritus Domini a me ut loqueretur tibi

23. And Sedecias the son of Chanaana came, and struck Micheas on the cheek and said: Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me, to speak to thee?

24. dixitque Micheas tu ipse videbis in die illo quando ingressus fueris cubiculum de cubiculo ut abscondaris

24. And Micheas said :Thou thyself shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go in from chamber to chamber, to hide thyself.

25. præcepit autem rex Israël dicens tollite Micheam et ducite eum ad Amon principem civitatis et ad Joas filium Ammelech

25. And the king of Israel commanded, saying: Take Micheas, and carry him to Amen the governor of the city, and to Joas the son of Amelech,

26. et dicetis hæc dicit rex mittite hunc in carcerem et date ei panis modicum et aquæ pauxillum donec revertar in pace

26. And say: Thus saith the king: Put this fellow in prison, and give him bread and water in a small quantity till I return in peace.

27. dixitque Micheas si reversus fueris in pace non est locutus Dominus in me et ait audite populi omnes

27. And Micheas said: If thou return in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And he said: Hear, all ye people.

28. igitur ascenderunt rex Israël et Josaphat rex Juda in Ramoth Galaad

28. So the king of Israel and Josaphat king of Juda went up to Ramoth Galaad.

29. dixitque rex Israël ad Josaphat mutabo habitum et sic ad pugnandum vadam tu autem induere vestibus tuis mutatoque rex Israël habitu venit ad bellum

29. And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: I will change my dress, and so I will go to the battle, but put thou on thy own garments. And the king of Israel having changed his dress, went to the battle.

30. rex autem Syriæ præceperat ducibus equitatus sui dicens ne pugnetis contra minimum aut contra maximum nisi contra solum regem Israël

30. Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his cavalry, saying: Fight ye not with small, or great, but with the king of Israel only.

31. itaque cum vidissent principes equitatus Josaphat dixerunt rex Israël iste est et circumdederunt eum dimicantes at ille clamavit ad Dominum et auxiliatus est ei atque avertit eos ab illo

31. So when the captains of the cavalry saw Josaphat, they said: This is the king of Israel. And they surrounded him to attack him: but he cried to the Lord, and he helped him, and turned them away from him.

32. cum enim vidissent duces equitatus quod non esset rex Israël reliquerunt eum

32. For when the captains of the cavalry saw, that he was not the king of Israel, they left him.

33. accidit autem ut unus e populo sagittam in incertum jaceret et percuteret regem Israël inter cervicem et scapulas at ille aurigæ suo ait converte manum tuam et educ me de acie quia vulneratus sum

33. And it happened that one of the people shot an arrow at a venture, and struck the king of Israel between the neck and the shoulders, and he said to his chariot man: Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.

34. et finita est pugna in die illo porro rex Israël stabat in curru suo contra Syros usque ad vesperam et mortuus est occidente sole

34. And the fight was ended that day: but the king of Israel stood in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening, and died at the sunset.