Liber II Regum, 7

1. Dixit autem Eliseus: “Audite verbum Domini. Haec dicit Dominus: In tempore hoc cras modius similae uno statere erit, et duo modii hordei statere uno in porta Samariae”.

1. But Eli'sha said, "Hear the word of the LORD: thus says the LORD, Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine meal shall be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Sama'ria."

2. Respondens dux, super cuius manum rex incumbebat, homini Dei ait: “Si Dominus fecerit etiam cataractas in caelo, numquid poterit esse, quod loqueris?”. Qui ait: “Videbis oculis tuis et inde non comedes”.

2. Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, "If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" But he said, "You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it."

3. Quattuor ergo viri erant leprosi iuxta introitum portae; qui dixerunt ad invicem: “Quid hic esse volumus, donec moriamur?

3. Now there were four men who were lepers at the entrance to the gate; and they said to one another, "Why do we sit here till we die?

4. Sive ingredi voluerimus civitatem, fame moriemur; sive manserimus hic, moriendum nobis est. Venite igitur, et transfugiamus ad castra Syriae. Si pepercerint nobis, vivemus; si autem occidere voluerint, nihilominus moriemur”.

4. If we say, `Let us enter the city,' the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; and if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians; if they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die."

5. Surrexerunt igitur vesperi, ut venirent ad castra Syriae. Cumque venissent ad principium castrorum Syriae, nullum ibidem reppererunt.

5. So they arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians; but when they came to the edge of the camp of the Syrians, behold, there was no one there.

6. Siquidem Dominus sonitum audiri fecerat in castris Syriae curruum et equorum et exercitus plurimi; dixeruntque ad invicem: “Ecce mercede conduxit adversum nos rex Israel reges Hetthaeorum et Aegyptiorum, ut venirent contra nos”.

6. For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians hear the sound of chariots, and of horses, the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, "Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to come upon us."

7. Surrexerunt ergo et fugerunt in tenebris et dereliquerunt tentoria sua et equos et asinos, castra, sicut erant; fugeruntque animas tantum suas salvare cupientes.

7. So they fled away in the twilight and forsook their tents, their horses, and their asses, leaving the camp as it was, and fled for their lives.

8. Igitur cum venissent leprosi illi ad principium castrorum, ingressi sunt unum tabernaculum et comederunt et biberunt; tuleruntque inde argentum et aurum et vestes et abierunt et absconderunt. Et rursum reversi sunt ad aliud tabernaculum, et inde similiter auferentes absconderunt.

8. And when these lepers came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent, and ate and drank, and they carried off silver and gold and clothing, and went and hid them; then they came back, and entered another tent, and carried off things from it, and went and hid them.

9. Dixeruntque ad invicem: “Non recte facimus; haec enim dies boni nuntii est, et nos tacemus. Si noluerimus nuntiare usque mane, sceleris arguemur; venite, eamus et nuntiemus in aula regis”.

9. Then they said to one another, "We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news; if we are silent and wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us; now therefore come, let us go and tell the king's household."

10. Cumque venissent, vocaverunt portarios civitatis et narraverunt eis dicentes: “Ivimus ad castra Syriae et nullum ibidem repperimus hominum nisi equos et asinos alligatos et tentoria, sicut erant”.

10. So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and told them, "We came to the camp of the Syrians, and behold, there was no one to be seen or heard there, nothing but the horses tied, and the asses tied, and the tents as they were."

11. Clamaverunt ergo portarii et nuntiaverunt in palatio regis intrinsecus.

11. Then the gatekeepers called out, and it was told within the king's household.

12. Qui surrexit nocte et ait ad servos suos: “Dico vobis quid fecerint nobis Syri. Sciunt quia fame laboramus, et idcirco egressi sunt de castris et latitant in agris dicentes: “Cum egressi fuerint de civitate, capiemus eos viventes, et tunc civitatem ingredi poterimus””.

12. And the king rose in the night, and said to his servants, "I will tell you what the Syrians have prepared against us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the open country, thinking, `When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive and get into the city.'"

13. Respondit autem unus servorum eius: “Tollamus quinque equos, qui remanserunt in urbe; fiant sicut universa multitudo Israel, quae consumpta est; mittamus ergo et videamus”.

13. And one of his servants said, "Let some men take five of the remaining horses, seeing that those who are left here will fare like the whole multitude of Israel that have already perished; let us send and see."

14. Adduxerunt ergo duos currus cum equis, misitque rex post exercitum Syrorum dicens: “Ite et videte”.

14. So they took two mounted men, and the king sent them after the army of the Syrians, saying, "Go and see."

15. Qui abierunt post eos usque ad Iordanem; ecce autem omnis via plena erat vestibus et vasis, quae proiecerant Syri, cum turbarentur. Reversique nuntii indicaverunt regi.

15. So they went after them as far as the Jordan; and, lo, all the way was littered with garments and equipment which the Syrians had thrown away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.

16. Et egressus populus diripuit castra Syriae; factusque est modius similae statere uno, et duo modii hordei statere uno iuxta verbum Domini.

16. Then the people went out, and plundered the camp of the Syrians. So a measure of fine meal was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.

17. Porro rex ducem illum, in cuius manu incumbebat, constituit ad portam; quem conculcavit turba in introitu, et mortuus est iuxta quod locutus fuerat vir Dei, quando descenderat rex ad eum.

17. Now the king had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate; and the people trod upon him in the gate, so that he died, as the man of God had said when the king came down to him.

18. Factumque est secundum sermonem viri Dei, quem dixerat regi, quando ait: “Duo modii hordei statere uno erunt, et modius similae statere uno hoc eodem tempore cras in porta Samariae”;

18. For when the man of God had said to the king, "Two measures of barley shall be sold for a shekel, and a measure of fine meal for a shekel, about this time tomorrow in the gate of Sama'ria,"

19. quando responderat dux ille viro Dei et dixerat: “Etiamsi Dominus fecerit cataractas in caelo, numquid fieri poterit, quod loqueris?”, et dixerat ei: “Videbis oculis tuis et inde non comedes”.

19. the captain had answered the man of God, "If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?" And he had said, "You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it."

20. Evenit ergo ei, sicut praedictum erat, et conculcavit eum populus in porta, et mortuus est.

20. And so it happened to him, for the people trod upon him in the gate and he died.