1 Kings 20
1 Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, gathered all his army, and he persuaded 32 other kings to join him with their armies and horses and chariots. They marched to Samaria [city, the capital of Israel], and surrounded it, and [prepared to] attack it.
porro Benadad rex Syriae congregavit omnem exercitum suum et triginta et duos reges secum et equos et currus et ascendens pugnabat contra Samariam et obsidebat eam
2 Ben-Hadad sent messengers into the city to King Ahab, to say this to him: “This is what King Ben-Hadad says:
mittensque nuntios ad Ahab regem Israhel in civitatem
3 ‘[You must give to] me all your silver and gold, your (good-looking/most beautiful) wives/women and strongest children.’”
ait haec dicit Benadad argentum tuum et aurum tuum meum est et uxores tuae et filii tui optimi mei sunt
4 The king of Israel replied to them, “Tell this to King Ben-Hadad: ‘I agree to do what you requested. You can have me and everything that I own.’”
responditque rex Israhel iuxta verbum tuum domine mi rex tuus sum ego et omnia mea
5 [The messengers told that to] Ben-Hadad, and he [sent them back with] another message: “I sent a message to you saying that you must give me all your silver and gold and your wives and your children.
revertentesque nuntii dixerunt haec dicit Benadad qui misit nos ad te argentum tuum et aurum tuum et uxores tuas et filios tuos dabis mihi
6 But [in addition to that], about this time tomorrow, I will send some of my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials, and to bring to me everything that pleases them.”
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 King Ahab summoned all the leaders of Israel, and said to them, “You can see/realize for yourselves that this man is trying to cause much trouble. He sent me a message insisting that I must give him my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, and I agreed to do that.”
vocavit autem rex Israhel omnes seniores terrae 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 The leaders and all the other people said to him, “Do not pay any attention to him! Do not do what he is requesting!”
dixeruntque omnes maiores natu et universus populus ad eum non audias neque adquiescas illi
9 So Ahab said to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell the king that I agree to give him the things that he first requested, but I do not agree to allow his officials to take anything that they want from my palace and from the houses of my officials.” So the messengers [reported that to King Ben-Hadad, and they] returned with another message from Ben-Hadad.
respondit itaque nuntiis Benadad dicite domino meo regi omnia propter quae misisti ad me servum tuum initio faciam hanc autem rem facere non possum
10 In that message he said, “[We will destroy] your city [completely, with the result that] there will not be enough dust and rubble left for each of my soldiers to have one handful! I hope/wish that the gods will strike me dead if we do not do that!”
reversique nuntii rettulerunt ei qui remisit et ait haec faciant mihi dii et haec addant si suffecerit pulvis Samariae pugillis omnis populi qui sequitur me
11 King Ahab replied [to the messengers], “Tell King Ben-Hadad that a soldier who is putting on his armor [preparing to fight a battle] [MTY] should not boast at that time; he [should wait until] after he wins the battle.”
et respondens rex Israhel ait dicite ei ne glorietur accinctus aeque ut discinctus
12 Ben-Hadad heard that message while he and the other rulers were drinking [wine] in their temporary shelters. He told his men to prepare to attack [MTY] the city. So his men did that.
factum est autem cum audisset verbum istud bibebat ipse et reges in umbraculis et ait servis suis circumdate civitatem et circumdederunt eam
13 At that moment, a prophet came to King Ahab and said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘[Do not be at all afraid of] [RHQ] the large enemy army that you see! I will enable your army to defeat them today, and you will know that it is I, Yahweh, [who have the power to do what I say that I will do].’”
et ecce propheta unus accedens ad Ahab regem Israhel ait haec dicit Dominus certe vidisti omnem multitudinem hanc nimiam ecce ego tradam eam in manu tua hodie ut scias quia ego sum Dominus
14 Ahab asked, “What group [of our army] will defeat them?” The prophet replied, “The young soldiers who are commanded by the district governors will do it.” The king asked, “Who should lead the attack?” The prophet replied, “You should!”
et ait Ahab per quem dixitque ei haec dicit Dominus per pedisequos principum provinciarum et ait quis incipiet proeliari et ille dixit tu
15 So Ahab gathered the young soldiers who were commanded by the district governors. There were 232 of those men. Then he also summoned all the Israeli army. There were [only] 7,000 soldiers.
recensuit ergo pueros principum provinciarum et repperit numerum ducentorum triginta duum et post eos recensuit populum omnes filios Israhel septem milia
16 They started to attack at noon, while Ben-Hadad and the other rulers were getting drunk in their temporary shelters.
et egressi sunt meridie Benadad autem bibebat temulentus in umbraculo suo et reges triginta duo cum eo qui ad auxilium eius venerant
17 The young soldiers advanced first. Some scouts who had been sent out by Ben-Hadad reported to him, “There are men coming out of Samaria [city]”!
egressi sunt autem pueri principum provinciarum in prima fronte misit itaque Benadad qui nuntiaverunt ei dicentes viri egressi sunt de Samaria
18 He said, “It does not matter whether they are coming to fight against us or to ask for peace. Capture them, but do not kill them
at ille sive ait pro pace veniunt adprehendite eos vivos sive ut proelientur vivos eos capite
19 The young Israeli soldiers went out of the city to attack [the Syrian army], and the other soldiers in the Israeli army followed them.
egressi sunt ergo pueri principum provinciarum ac reliquus exercitus sequebatur
20 Each [Israeli soldier] killed a [Syrian] soldier. The rest of the Syrian army then ran away, and the Israeli soldiers pursued them. But King Ben-Hadad escaped riding his horse, along with some other men riding horses.
et percussit unusquisque virum qui contra se venerat fugeruntque Syri et persecutus est eos Israhel fugit quoque Benadad rex Syriae in equo cum equitibus
21 Then the king of Israel went out [of the city], and he and his soldiers captured [all] the [other Syrian] horses and chariots, and also killed a large number of Syrian soldiers.
necnon et egressus rex Israhel percussit equos et currus et percussit Syriam plaga magna
22 Then that same prophet went to King Ahab and said to him, “Go back and prepare your soldiers, and think carefully about what will be necessary for you to do, because the king of Syria with attack with his army again in the springtime of next year.”
accedens autem propheta ad regem Israhel dixit ei vade et confortare et scito et vide quid facias sequenti enim anno rex Syriae ascendet contra te
23 [After the Syrian army was defeated, ] Ben-Hadad’s officials said to him, “The gods that the Israelis [worship] are gods [who live] in the hills. [Samaria is built on a hill, and] that is why their soldiers were able to defeat us. But if we fight against them in the plains/lowlands, we certainly will be able to defeat them.
servi vero regis Syriae dixerunt ei dii montium sunt dii eorum ideo superaverunt nos sed melius est ut pugnemus contra eos in campestribus et obtinebimus eos
24 So, this is what you should do: You must remove the 32 kings [who are leading your troops] and replace them with army commanders.
tu ergo verbum hoc fac amove reges singulos ab exercitu suo et pone principes pro eis
25 Then gather an army like the army that was defeated. Gather an army that has as many horses and chariots as the first army had. Then we will fight the Israelis in the plains/lowlands, and we will surely defeat them.” Ben-Hadad agreed with them, and he did what they suggested.
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 of the following year, he gathered his soldiers and marched [with them] to Aphek [city east of Galilee Lake], to fight against the Israeli army.
igitur postquam annus transierat recensuit Benadad Syros et ascendit in Afec ut pugnaret contra Israhel
27 The Israeli army was also gathered together, and they were equipped with the things that they needed [for the battle]. Then they marched out and formed two groups facing the Syrian army. Their army was very small; they resembled two small flocks of goats, whereas the Syrian army [was very large and] spread all over the countryside.
porro filii Israhel recensiti sunt et acceptis cibariis profecti ex adverso castraque metati contra eos quasi duo parvi greges caprarum Syri autem repleverunt terram
28 A prophet came to King Ahab and said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘The Syrians say that I am a god who lives in the hills, and that I am not a god who lives in the valleys. So I will [show that they are wrong by] enabling your men to defeat this huge army [IDM] [in the valley], and you will know that I, Yahweh, [have done it].’”
et accedens unus vir Dei dixit ad regem Israhel haec 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
29 The two armies stayed in their tents for seven days, in groups that faced each other. Then, on the seventh day, they started fighting. The Israeli army killed 100,000 Syrian soldiers.
dirigebant septem diebus ex adverso hii atque illi acies septima autem die commissum est bellum percusseruntque filii Israhel de Syris centum milia peditum in die una
30 The other Syrian soldiers ran away into Aphek City. Then the wall of the city collapsed and killed 27,000 more Syrian soldiers. Ben-Hadad also escaped into the city, and hid in the back room of a house.
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
31 His officials went to him and said, “We have heard a report that the Israelis act mercifully. So allow us to go to the king of Israel, wearing coarse sacks around our waists and ropes on our heads/necks [to indicate that we will be his slaves]. Perhaps [if we do that, ] he will allow you to remain alive.”
dixeruntque ei servi sui ecce audivimus quod reges domus Israhel clementes sint ponamus itaque saccos in lumbis nostris et funiculos in capitibus nostris et egrediamur ad regem Israhel forsitan salvabit animas nostras
32 [The king permitted them to do that, ] so they wrapped coarse sacks around their waists and put ropes on their heads/necks, and they went to the king of Israel and said to him, “Ben-Hadad, who greatly respects you, says, ‘Please do not kill me.’” Ahab replied, “Is he still alive? He is like a brother to me!”
accinxerunt saccis lumbos suos et posuerunt funes in capitibus veneruntque ad regem Israhel et dixerunt servus tuus Benadad dicit vivat oro te anima mea et ille ait si adhuc vivit frater meus est
33 Ben-Hadad’s officials were trying to find out if Ahab would act mercifully, and when Ahab said “brother,” they (were optimistic/thought that Ahab would be merciful). So they replied, “Yes, he is like your brother!” Ahab said, “Go and bring him to me.” So they [went and] brought Ben-Hadad to him. [When Ben-Hadad arrived, ] Ahab told him to get in his chariot [and sit with him].
quod acceperunt viri pro omine et festinantes rapuerunt verbum ex ore eius atque dixerunt frater tuus Benadad et dixit eis ite et adducite eum egressus est ergo ad eum Benadad et levavit eum in currum suum
34 Ben-Hadad said to him, “I will give back to you the towns that my father’s army took from your father. And I will allow you to set up market areas for your merchants in Damascus [my capital], just as my father did in Samaria [your capital].” Ahab replied, “Because you agree to do that, I will not execute you.” So Ahab made an agreement with Ben-Hadad, and allowed him to go home.
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 foederatus recedam a te pepigit ergo foedus et dimisit eum
35 Then Yahweh spoke to a member of a group of prophets and said to him, “Ask one of your fellow prophets to strike and wound you.” [So he did what Yahweh told him to do]. [He said to one of his fellow prophets, ‘Strike me and wound me].’ But that man refused to do it.
tunc vir quidam de filiis prophetarum dixit ad socium suum in sermone Domini percute me at ille noluit percutere
36 So the prophet said to him, “Because you refused to obey what Yahweh told you to do, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me.” And as soon as he left that prophet, a lion suddenly pounced on 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 prophet, and said to him, “Strike me!” So that man hit him [very hard] and injured him.
sed et alterum conveniens virum dixit ad eum percute me qui percussit eum et vulneravit
38 Then the prophet put a large bandage/cloth over his face so that no one would recognize him. Then he went and stood alongside the road, waiting for the king to come by.
abiit ergo propheta et occurrit regi in via et mutavit aspersione pulveris os et oculos suos
39 When the king passed by, the prophet cried out to him, saying “Your majesty, [after I was wounded] while I was fighting in a battle, a soldier brought to me one of our enemies that he had captured, and said to me, ‘Guard this man! If he escapes, you must pay me 3,000 pieces of silver, and if you do not pay that, you will be executed!’
cumque rex transiret clamavit ad regem et ait servus tuus egressus est ad proeliandum comminus 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 adpendes
40 But while I was busy doing other things, the man escaped!” The king of Israel said to him, “That is your problem! You yourself have said that you deserve to be punished.”
dum autem ego turbatus huc illucque me verterem subito non conparuit et ait rex Israhel ad eum hoc est iudicium tuum quod ipse decrevisti
41 The prophet immediately took off the bandage, and the king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets.
at ille statim abstersit pulverem de facie sua et cognovit eum rex Israhel quod esset de prophetis
42 And the prophet said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You have allowed that man [Ben-Hadad] to escape after I commanded you to be sure to execute him! Since you did not do that, you will be killed instead. And your army will be destroyed because you allowed [some of] his army to escape!’”
qui ait ad eum haec dicit Dominus quia dimisisti virum dignum morte de manu tua erit anima tua pro anima eius et populus tuus pro populo eius
43 The king went back home to Samaria, very angry and depressed/dejected.
reversus est igitur rex Israhel in domum suam audire contemnens et furibundus venit Samariam
