1 Kings 20
1 Now Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he marched up, besieged Samaria, and waged war against it.
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.
2 Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel,
Mittensque nuncios ad Achab regem Israel in civitatem,
3 saying, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and your best wives and children are mine!’”
ait: Hæc dicit Benadad: Argentum tuum, et aurum tuum meum est: et uxores tuæ, et filii tui optimi, mei sunt.
4 And the king of Israel replied, “Just as you say, my lord the king: I am yours, along with all that I have.”
Responditque rex Israel: Iuxta verbum tuum, domine mi rex, tuus sum ego, et omnia mea.
5 The messengers came back and said, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘I have sent to you to demand your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children.
Revertentesque nuncii, dixerunt: Hæc dicit Benadad, qui misit nos ad te: Argentum tuum, et aurum tuum, et uxores tuas, et filios tuos dabis mihi.
6 But about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to search your palace and the houses of your servants. They will seize and carry away all that is precious to you.’”
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.
7 Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, “Please take note and see that this man is looking for trouble, for when he demanded my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, I did not deny him.”
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.
8 And the elders and the people all said, “Do not listen to him or consent to his terms.”
Dixeruntque omnes maiores natu, et universus populus ad eum: Non audias, neque acquiescas illi.
9 So Ahab answered the messengers of Ben-hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you demanded of your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’” So the messengers departed and relayed the message to Ben-hadad.
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.
10 Then Ben-hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if enough dust remains of Samaria for each of my men to have a handful.”
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.
11 And the king of Israel replied, “Tell him: ‘The one putting on his armor should not boast like one taking it off.’”
Et respondens rex Israel, ait: Dicite ei: Ne glorietur accinctus æque ut discinctus.
12 Ben-hadad received this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, and he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they stationed themselves against the city.
Factum est autem, cum audisset Benadad verbum istud, bibebat ipse et reges in umbraculis, et ait servis suis: Circumdate civitatem. Et circumdederunt eam.
13 Meanwhile a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Do you see this entire great army? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this very day, and you will know that I am the LORD.’”
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.
14 “By whom?” Ahab asked. And the prophet replied, “This is what the LORD says: ‘By the young officers of the district governors.’” “Who will start the battle?” asked Ahab. “You will,” answered the prophet.
Et ait Achab: Per quem? Dixitque ei: Hæc dicit Dominus: Per pedissequos principum provinciarum. Et ait: Quis incipiet præliari? Et ille dixit: Tu.
15 So Ahab assembled the young officers of the district governors, and there were 232 men. And after them, he assembled the rest of the Israelite troops, 7,000 in all.
Recensuit ergo pueros principum provinciarum, et reperit numerum ducentorum triginta duorum: et recensuit post eos populum, omnes filios Israel, septem millia.
16 They marched out at noon while Ben-hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk.
et egressi sunt meridie. Benadad autem bibebat temulentus in umbraculo suo, et reges triginta duo cum eo, qui ad auxilium eius venerant.
17 And the young officers of the district governors marched out first. Now Ben-hadad had sent out scouts, who reported to him, “Men are marching out of Samaria.”
Egressi sunt autem pueri principum provinciarum in prima fronte. Misit itaque Benadad. Qui nunciaverunt ei, dicentes: Viri egressi sunt de Samaria.
18 “If they have marched out in peace,” he said, “take them alive. Even if they have marched out for war, take them alive.”
Et ille ait: Sive pro pace veniunt, apprehendite eos vivos: sive ut prælientur, vivos eos capite.
19 Meanwhile, these young officers of the district governors marched out of the city, with the army behind them,
Egressi sunt ergo pueri principum provinciarum, ac reliquus exercitus sequebatur:
20 and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with the cavalry.
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.
21 Then the king of Israel marched out and attacked the horses and chariots, inflicting a great slaughter on the Arameans.
Necnon egressus rex Israel percussit equos et currus, et percussit Syriam plaga magna.
22 Afterward, the prophet approached the king of Israel and said, “Go and strengthen your position, and take note what you must do, for in the spring the king of Aram will come up against you.”
(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.)
23 Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they prevailed over us. Instead, we should fight them on the plains; surely then we will prevail.
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.
24 So do this: Dismiss all the kings from their positions and replace them with other officers.
Tu ergo verbum hoc fac: Amove reges singulos ab exercitu tuo, et pone principes pro eis:
25 And you must raise an army like the one you have lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight the Israelites on the plain, where we will surely prevail.” And the king approved their plan and acted accordingly.
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.
26 In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
Igitur postquam annus transierat, recensuit Benadad Syros, et ascendit in Aphec ut pugnaret contra Israel.
27 The Israelites also mobilized, gathered supplies, and marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped before them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.
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.
28 Then the man of God approached the king of Israel and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not of the valleys, I will deliver all this great army into your hand. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
(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.)
29 For seven days the armies camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle ensued, and the Israelites struck down the Arameans—a hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day.
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.
30 The rest of them fled into the city of Aphek, where the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled to the city and hid in an inner room.
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.
31 Then the servants of Ben-hadad said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go out to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.”
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.
32 So with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’” And the king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
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.
33 Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, and they quickly grasped at this word and replied, “Yes, your brother Ben-hadad.” “Go and get him!” said the king. Then Ben-hadad came out, and Ahab had him come up into his chariot.
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.
34 Ben-hadad said to him, “I will restore the cities my father took from your father; you may set up your own marketplaces in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” “By this treaty I release you,” Ahab replied. So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.
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.
35 Meanwhile, by the word of the LORD, one of the sons of the prophets said to his companion, “Strike me, please!” But the man refused to strike him.
Tunc vir quidam de filiis prophetarum dixit ad socium suum in sermone Domini: Percute me. At ille noluit percutere.
36 Then the prophet said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, as soon as you depart from me a lion will kill you.” And when he left, a lion found him and killed him.
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.
37 Then the prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please!” So the man struck him and wounded him,
Sed alterum inveniens virum, dixit ad eum: Percute me. Qui percussit eum, et vulneravit.
38 and the prophet went and waited on the road for the king, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes.
Abiit ergo propheta, et occurrit regi in via, et mutavit aspersione pulveris os et oculos suos.
39 As the king passed by, he cried out to the king: “Your servant had marched out into the middle of the battle, when suddenly a man came over with a captive and told me, ‘Guard this man! If he goes missing for any reason, your life will be exchanged for his life, or you will weigh out a talent of silver.’
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.
40 But while your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.” And the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you have pronounced it on yourself.”
Dum autem ego turbatus huc illucque me verterem, subito non comparuit. Et ait rex Israel ad eum: Hoc est iudicium tuum, quod ipse decrevisti.
41 Then the prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.
At ille statim abstersit pulverem de facie sua, et cognovit eum rex Israel, quod esset de prophetis.
42 And the prophet said to the king, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you have let slip from your hand the man I had devoted to destruction, your life will be exchanged for his life, and your people for his people.’”
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.
43 Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went home to Samaria.
Reversus est igitur rex Israel in domum suam, audire contemnens, et furibundus venit in Samariam.
