اَلْمُلُوكِ ٱلثَّانِي 7

١ 1 وَقَالَ أَلِيشَعُ: «ٱسْمَعُوا كَلَامَ ٱلرَّبِّ. هَكَذَا قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ: فِي مِثْلِ هَذَا ٱلْوَقْتِ غَدًا تَكُونُ كَيْلَةُ ٱلدَّقِيقِ بِشَاقِلٍ، وَكَيْلَتَا ٱلشَّعِيرِ بِشَاقِلٍ فِي بَابِ ٱلسَّامِرَةِ».

And Eliseus said: Hear ye the word of the Lord: Thus saith the Lord: Tomorrow about this time a bushel of fine hour shall be sold for a stater, and two bushels of barley for a stater, in the gate of Samaria.

٢ 2 وَإِنَّ جُنْدِيًّا لِلْمَلِكِ كَانَ يَسْتَنِدُ عَلَى يَدِهِ أَجَابَ رَجُلَ ٱللهِ وَقَالَ: «هُوَذَا ٱلرَّبُّ يَصْنَعُ كُوًى فِي ٱلسَّمَاءِ! هَلْ يَكُونُ هَذَا ٱلْأَمْرُ؟» فَقَالَ: «إِنَّكَ تَرَى بِعَيْنَيْكَ، وَلَكِنْ لَا تَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ».

Then one of the lords, upon whose hand the king leaned, answering the man of God, said: If the Lord should make flood-gates in heaven, can that possibly be which thou sayest? And he said: Thou shalt see it with thy eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

٣ 3 وَكَانَ أَرْبَعَةُ رِجَالٍ بُرْصٍ عِنْدَ مَدْخَلِ ٱلْبَابِ، فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمْ لِصَاحِبِهِ: «لِمَاذَا نَحْنُ جَالِسُونَ هُنَا حَتَّى نَمُوتَ؟

Now there were four lepers, at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another: What mean we to stay here till we die?

٤ 4 إِذَا قُلْنَا نَدْخُلُ ٱلْمَدِينَةَ، فَٱلْجُوعُ فِي ٱلْمَدِينَةِ فَنَمُوتُ فِيهَا. وَإِذَا جَلَسْنَا هُنَا نَمُوتُ. فَٱلْآنَ هَلُمَّ نَسْقُطْ إِلَى مَحَلَّةِ ٱلْأَرَامِيِّينَ، فَإِنِ اِسْتَحْيَوْنَا حَيِينَا، وَإِنْ قَتَلُونَا مُتْنَا».

If we will enter into the city, we shall die with the famine: and if we will remain here, we must also die: come, therefore, and let us run over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare us, we shall live: but if they kill us, we shall but die.

٥ 5 فَقَامُوا فِي ٱلْعِشَاءِ لِيَذْهَبُوا إِلَى مَحَلَّةِ ٱلْأَرَامِيِّينَ. فَجَاءُوا إِلَى آخِرِ مَحَلَّةِ ٱلْأَرَامِيِّينَ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ هُنَاكَ أَحَدٌ.

So they arose in the evening, to go to the Syrian camp, And when they were come to the first part of the camp of the Syrians, they found no man there.

٦ 6 فَإِنَّ ٱلرَّبَّ أَسْمَعَ جَيْشَ ٱلْأَرَامِيِّينَ صَوْتَ مَرْكَبَاتٍ وَصَوْتَ خَيْلٍ، صَوْتَ جَيْشٍ عَظِيمٍ. فَقَالُوا ٱلْوَاحِدُ لِأَخِيهِ: «هُوَذَا مَلِكُ إِسْرَائِيلَ قَدِ ٱسْتَأْجَرَ ضِدَّنَا مُلُوكَ ٱلْحِثِّيِّينَ وَمُلُوكَ ٱلْمِصْرِيِّينَ لِيَأْتُوا عَلَيْنَا».

For the Lord had made them hear, in the camp of Syria, the noise of chariots, and of horses, and of a very great army, and they said one to another: Behold the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hethites, and of the Egyptians, and they are come upon us.

٧ 7 فَقَامُوا وَهَرَبُوا فِي ٱلْعِشَاءِ وَتَرَكُوا خِيَامَهُمْ وَخَيْلَهُمْ وَحَمِيرَهُمُ، ٱلْمَحَلَّةَ كَمَا هِيَ، وَهَرَبُوا لِأَجْلِ نَجَاةِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ.

Wherefore they arose, and fled away in the dark, and left their tents, and their horses and asses in the camp, and fled, desiring to save their lives.

٨ 8 وَجَاءَ هَؤُلَاءِ ٱلْبُرْصُ إِلَى آخِرِ ٱلْمَحَلَّةِ وَدَخَلُوا خَيْمَةً وَاحِدَةً، فَأَكَلُوا وَشَرِبُوا وَحَمَلُوا مِنْهَا فِضَّةً وَذَهَبًا وَثِيَابًا وَمَضَوْا وَطَمَرُوهَا. ثُمَّ رَجَعُوا وَدَخَلُوا خَيْمَةً أُخْرَى وَحَمَلُوا مِنْهَا وَمَضَوْا وَطَمَرُوا.

So when these lepers were come to the beginning of the camp, they went into one tent, and ate and drank: and they took from thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went, and hid it: and they came again, and went into another tent, and carried from thence in like manner, and hid it.

٩ 9 ثُمَّ قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ: «لَسْنَا عَامِلِينَ حَسَنًا. هَذَا ٱلْيَوْمُ هُوَ يَوْمُ بِشَارَةٍ وَنَحْنُ سَاكِتُونَ، فَإِنِ ٱنْتَظَرْنَا إِلَى ضَوْءِ ٱلصَّبَاحِ يُصَادِفُنَا شَرٌّ. فَهَلُمَّ ٱلْآنَ نَدْخُلْ وَنُخْبِرْ بَيْتَ ٱلْمَلِكِ».

Then they said one to another: We do not well: for this is a day of good tidings. If we hold our peace, and do not tell it till the morning, we shall be charged with a crime: come, let us go and tell it in the king’s court.

١٠ 10 فَجَاءُوا وَدَعَوْا بَوَّابَ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ وَأَخْبَرُوهُ قَائِلِينَ: «إِنَّنَا دَخَلْنَا مَحَلَّةَ ٱلْأَرَامِيِّينَ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ هُنَاكَ أَحَدٌ وَلَا صَوْتُ إِنْسَانٍ، وَلَكِنْ خَيْلٌ مَرْبُوطَةٌ وَحَمِيرٌ مَرْبُوطَةٌ وَخِيَامٌ كَمَا هِيَ».

So they came to the gate of the city, and told them, saying: We went to the camp of the Syrians, and we found no man there, but horses, and asses tied, and the tents standing.

١١ 11 فَدَعَا ٱلْبَوَّابِينَ فَأَخْبَرُوا بَيْتَ ٱلْمَلِكِ دَاخِلًا.

Then the guards of the gate went, and told it within the king’s palace.

١٢ 12 فَقَامَ ٱلْمَلِكُ لَيْلًا وَقَالَ لِعَبِيدِهِ: «لَأُخْبِرَنَّكُمْ مَا فَعَلَ لَنَا ٱلْأَرَامِيُّونَ. عَلِمُوا أَنَّنَا جِيَاعٌ فَخَرَجُوا مِنَ ٱلْمَحَلَّةِ لِيَخْتَبِئُوا فِي حَقْلٍ قَائِلِينَ: إِذَا خَرَجُوا مِنَ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ قَبَضْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَحْيَاءً وَدَخَلْنَا ٱلْمَدِينَةَ».

And he arose in the night and said to his servants: I tell you what the Syrians have done to us: They know that we suffer great famine, and therefore they are gone out of the camp, and lie hid in the fields, saying: When they come out of the city we shall take them alive, and then we may get into the city.

١٣ 13 فَأَجَابَ وَاحِدٌ مِنْ عَبِيدِهِ وَقَالَ: «فَلْيَأْخُذُوا خَمْسَةً مِنَ ٱلْخَيْلِ ٱلْبَاقِيَةِ ٱلَّتِي بَقِيَتْ فِيهَا. هِيَ نَظِيرُ كُلِّ جُمْهُورِ إِسْرَائِيلَ ٱلَّذِينَ بَقَوْا بِهَا، أَوْ هِيَ نَظِيرُ كُلِّ جُمْهُورِ إِسْرَائِيلَ ٱلَّذِينَ فَنَوْا. فَنُرْسِلُ وَنَرَى».

And one of his servants answered: Let us take the five horses that are remaining in the city (because there are no more in the whole multitude of Israel, for the rest are consumed, ) and let us send and see.

١٤ 14 فَأَخَذُوا مَرْكَبَتَيْ خَيْلٍ. وَأَرْسَلَ ٱلْمَلِكُ وَرَاءَ جَيْشِ ٱلْأَرَامِيِّينَ قَائِلًا: «ٱذْهَبُوا وَٱنْظُرُوا».

They brought therefore two horses, and the king sent into the camp of the Syrians, saying: Go, and see.

١٥ 15 فَٱنْطَلَقُوا وَرَاءَهُمْ إِلَى ٱلْأُرْدُنِّ، وَإِذَا كُلُّ ٱلطَّرِيقِ مَلآنٌ ثِيَابًا وَآنِيَةً قَدْ طَرَحَهَا ٱلْأَرَامِيُّونَ مِنْ عَجَلَتِهِمْ. فَرَجَعَ ٱلرُّسُلُ وَأَخْبَرُوا ٱلْمَلِكَ.

And they went after them as far as the Jordan: and behold all the way was full of garments, and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their fright, and the messengers returned and told the king.

١٦ 16 فَخَرَجَ ٱلشَّعْبُ وَنَهَبُوا مَحَلَّةَ ٱلْأَرَامِيِّينَ. فَكَانَتْ كَيْلَةُ ٱلدَّقِيقِ بِشَاقِلٍ، وَكَيْلَتَا ٱلشَّعِيرِ بِشَاقِلٍ حَسَبَ كَلَامِ ٱلرَّبِّ.

And the people going out pillaged the camp of the Syrians: and a bushel of fine flour was sold for a stater, and two bushels of barley for a stater, according to the word of the Lord.

١٧ 17 وَأَقَامَ ٱلْمَلِكُ عَلَى ٱلْبَابِ ٱلْجُنْدِيَّ ٱلَّذِي كَانَ يَسْتَنِدُ عَلَى يَدِهِ، فَدَاسَهُ ٱلشَّعْبُ فِي ٱلْبَابِ، فَمَاتَ كَمَا قَالَ رَجُلُ ٱللهِ ٱلَّذِي تَكَلَّمَ عِنْدَ نُزُولِ ٱلْمَلِكِ إِلَيْهِ.

And the king appointed that lord on whose hand he leaned, to stand at the gate: and the people trod upon him in the entrance of the gate; and he died, as the man of God had said, when the king came down to him.

١٨ 18 فَإِنَّهُ لَمَّا تَكَلَّمَ رَجُلُ ٱللهِ إِلَى ٱلْمَلِكِ قَائِلًا: «كَيْلَتَا شَعِيرٍ بِشَاقِلٍ وَكَيْلَةُ دَقِيقٍ بِشَاقِلٍ تَكُونُ فِي مِثْلِ هَذَا ٱلْوَقْتِ غَدًا فِي بَابِ ٱلسَّامِرَةِ»

And it came to pass according to the word of the man of God, which he spoke to the king, when he said: Two bushels of barley shall be for a stater, and a bushel of fine flour for a stater, at this very time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria.

١٩ 19 وَأَجَابَ ٱلْجُنْدِيُّ رَجُلَ ٱللهِ وَقَالَ: «هُوَذَا ٱلرَّبُّ يَصْنَعُ كُوًى فِي ٱلسَّمَاءِ! هَلْ يَكُونُ مِثْلَ هَذَا ٱلْأَمْرِ؟» قَالَ: «إِنَّكَ تَرَى بِعَيْنَيْكَ وَلَكِنَّكَ لَا تَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ».

When that lord answered the man of God, and said: Although the Lord should make flood-gates in heaven, could this come to pass which thou sayest? And he said to him: Thou shalt see with thy eyes, and shalt not eat thereof.

٢٠ 20 فَكَانَ لَهُ كَذَلِكَ. دَاسَهُ ٱلشَّعْبُ فِي ٱلْبَابِ فَمَاتَ.

And so it fell out to him as it was foretold, and the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died.