2 Cronache 18

1 Giosafat ebbe ricchezze e gloria in abbondanza, e contrasse parentela con Achab.

Therefore, Jehoshaphat was wealthy and very famous, and he was joined by affinity to Ahab.

2 In capo a qualche anno, scese a Samaria da Achab; e Achab fece uccidere per lui e per la gente ch’era con lui un gran numero di pecore e di buoi, e lo indusse a salir seco contro Ramoth di Galaad.

And after some years, he descended to him in Samaria. And upon his arrival, Ahab slaughtered very many sheep and oxen, for him and for the people who had arrived with him. And he persuaded him that he should ascend against Ramoth Gilead.

3 Achab, re d’Israele, disse a Giosafat, re di Giuda: “Vuoi venire con me a Ramoth di Galaad?” Giosafat gli rispose: “Fa’ conto di me come di te stesso, della mia gente come della tua, e verremo con te alla guerra”.

And Ahab, the king of Israel, said to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, “Come with me to Ramoth Gilead.” And he answered him: “As I am, so also are you. As your people are, so also are my people. And we will be with you in war.”

4 E Giosafat disse al re d’Israele: “Ti prego, consulta oggi la parola dell’Eterno”.

And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Consult, I beg you, the word of the Lord for the present circumstances.”

5 Allora il re d’Israele radunò i profeti, in numero di quattrocento, e disse loro: “Dobbiam noi andare a far guerra a Ramoth di Galaad, o no?” Quelli risposero: “Va’, e Dio la darà nelle mani del re”.

And so the king of Israel gathered together four hundred men of the prophets, and he said to them: “Should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or should we be quieted?” But they said, “Ascend, and God will deliver into the hand of the king.”

6 Ma Giosafat disse: “Non v’ha egli qui alcun altro profeta dell’Eterno da poter consultare?”

And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord here, so that we may inquire of him as well?”

7 Il re d’Israele rispose a Giosafat: “V’è ancora un uomo per mezzo del quale si potrebbe consultare l’Eterno; ma io l’odio perché non mi predice mai nulla di buono, ma sempre del male: è Micaiah figliuolo d’Imla”. E Giosafat disse: “Il re non dica così”.

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “There is one man, from whom we would be able to ask the will of the Lord. But I hate him, for he never prophesies good to me, but at all times evil. And it is Micaiah, the son of Imlah.” And Jehoshaphat said, “You should not speak in this manner, O king.”

8 Allora il re d’Israele chiamò un eunuco, e gli disse: “Fa’ venir presto Micaiah, figliuolo d’Imla”.

Therefore, the king of Israel called one of the eunuchs, and said to him: “Quickly, summon Micaiah, the son of Imlah.”

9 Or il re d’Israele e Giosafat, re di Giuda, sedevano ciascuno sul suo trono, vestiti de’ loro abiti reali, nell’aia ch’è all’ingresso della porta di Samaria; e tutti i profeti profetavano dinanzi ad essi.

Now the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, were both sitting upon their thrones, clothed in royal vestments. And they were sitting in an open area, beside the gate of Samaria. And all the prophets were prophesying before them.

10 Sedekia, figliuolo di Kenaana, s’era fatto delle corna di ferro, e disse: “Così dice l’Eterno: Con queste corna darai di cozzo ne’ Siri finché tu li abbia completamente distrutti”.

Truly, Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, made for himself horns of iron, and he said: “Thus says the Lord: With these, you shall threaten Syria, until you crush it.”

11 E tutti i profeti profetavano nello stesso modo, dicendo: “Sali contro Ramoth di Galaad, e vincerai; l’Eterno la darà nelle mani del re”.

And all the prophets prophesied similarly, and they said: “Ascend against Ramoth Gilead, and you shall prosper, and the Lord will deliver them into the hand of the king.”

12 Or il messo ch’era andato a chiamar Micaiah, gli parlò così: “Ecco, i profeti tutti, ad una voce, predicono del bene al re; ti prego, sia il tuo parlare come quello d’ognun d’essi, e predici del bene!”

Then the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him: “Lo, the words of all the prophets, with one mouth, announce good to the king. Therefore, I ask you that you not dissent from them in your word, and that you speak prosperity.”

13 Ma Micaiah rispose: “Com’è vero che l’Eterno vive, io dirò quel che l’Eterno mi dirà”.

And Micaiah responded to him, “As the Lord lives, whatever my God will say to me, the same shall I speak.”

14 E, come fu giunto dinanzi al re, il re gli disse: “Micaiah, dobbiamo noi andare a far guerra a Ramoth di Galaad, o no?” Quegli rispose: “Andate pure, e vincerete; i nemici saranno dati nelle vostre mani”.

Therefore, he went to the king. And the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or should we be quieted?” And he responded to him: “Ascend. For everything will come to prosperity, and the enemies will be delivered into your hands.”

15 E il re gli disse: “Quante volte dovrò io scongiurarti di non dirmi se non la verità nel nome dell’Eterno?”

And the king said, “Again and again, I bind you by an oath, so that you will not speak to me except what is true in the name of the Lord!”

16 Micaiah rispose: “Ho veduto tutto Israele disperso su per i monti, come pecore che non hanno pastore; e l’Eterno ha detto: Questa gente non ha padrone; se ne torni ciascuno in pace a casa sua”.

Then he said: “I saw all of Israel scattered amid the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said: ‘These have no masters. Let each one return in peace to his own house.’”

17 E il re d’Israele disse a Giosafat: “Non te l’ho io detto che costui non mi predirebbe nulla di buono, ma soltanto del male?”

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “Did I not tell you that this one would not prophesy to me anything good, but only what is evil?”

18 E Micaiah replicò: “Perciò ascoltate la parola dell’Eterno. Io ho veduto l’Eterno che sedeva sul suo trono, e tutto l’esercito celeste che gli stava a destra e a sinistra.

Then he said: “Therefore, listen to the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne, and the entire army of heaven was standing beside him, on the right and on the left.

19 E l’Eterno disse: Chi sedurrà Achab, re d’Israele, affinché salga a Ramoth di Galaad e vi perisca? E uno rispose in un modo e l’altro in un altro.

And the Lord said: ‘Who will deceive Ahab, the king of Israel, so that he may ascend and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ And when one spoke in one way, and another in another way,

20 Allora si fece avanti uno spirito, il quale si presentò dinanzi all’Eterno, e disse: Lo sedurrò io. L’Eterno gli disse: E come?

there came forward a spirit, and he stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will deceive him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘In what way will you deceive him?’

21 Quegli rispose: Io uscirò, e sarò spirito di menzogna in bocca a tutti i suoi profeti. L’Eterno gli disse: Sì, riuscirai a sedurlo; esci, e fa’ così.

And he responded, ‘I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said: ‘You will deceive and prevail. Go forth and do so.’

22 Ed ora ecco che l’Eterno ha posto uno spirito di menzogna in bocca a questi tuoi profeti; ma l’Eterno ha pronunziato del male contro di te”.

Therefore now, behold: the Lord gave a lying spirit to the mouth of all your prophets, and the Lord has spoken evil about you.”

23 Allora Sedekia, figliuolo di Kenaana, si accostò, diede uno schiaffo a Micaiah, e disse: “Per dove è passato lo spirito dell’Eterno quand’è uscito da me per parlare a te?”

Then Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, approached, and he struck Micaiah on the jaw, and he said: “In what way did the Spirit of the Lord depart from me, so that he would speak to you?”

24 Micaiah rispose: “Lo vedrai il giorno che andrai di camera in camera per nasconderti!”

And Micaiah said: “You yourself shall see it, in that day, when you will enter a room within a room, so that you may be hidden.”

25 E il re d’Israele disse ai suoi servi: “Prendete Micaiah, menatelo da Amon, governatore della città, e da Joas, figliuolo del re,

Then the king of Israel instructed, saying: “Take Micaiah, and lead him to Amon, the leader of the city, and to Joash, the son of Amalech.

26 e dite loro: Così dice il re: Mettete costui in prigione, nutritelo di pan d’afflizione e d’acqua d’afflizione, finch’io ritorni sano e salvo”.

And you shall say: ‘Thus says the king: Send this man to prison, and give to him a little bread and a little water, until I return in peace.’”

27 E Micaiah disse: “Se tu ritorni sano e salvo, non sarà l’Eterno quegli che avrà parlato per bocca mia”. E aggiunse: “Udite questo, o voi, popoli tutti!”

And Micaiah said, “If you will have returned in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “May all the people listen.”

28 Il re d’Israele e Giosafat, re di Giuda saliron dunque contro Ramoth di Galaad.

And so, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, ascended against Ramoth Gilead.

29 E il re d’Israele, disse a Giosafat: “Io mi travestirò per andar in battaglia; ma tu mettiti i tuoi abiti reali”. Il re d’Israele si travestì, e andarono in battaglia.

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “I will change my clothing, and in this way I will go into battle. But you should be clothed in your own garments.” And the king of Israel, having changed his clothing, went to war.

30 Or il re di Siria avea dato quest’ordine ai capitani dei suoi carri: “Non combattete contro veruno, piccolo o grande, ma contro il solo re d’Israele”.

Now the king of Syria had instructed the commanders of his horsemen, saying, “You shall not fight against the least or the greatest, but only against the king of Israel.”

31 E quando i capitani dei carri scorsero Giosafat, dissero: “Quello è il re d’Israele”; e lo circondarono per attaccarlo; ma Giosafat mandò un grido, e l’Eterno lo soccorse; e Dio li attirò lungi da lui.

And so, when the leaders of the horsemen had seen Jehoshaphat, they said, “This one is the king of Israel.” And while fighting, they surrounded him. But he cried out to the Lord, and he assisted him, and he turned them away from him.

32 E allorché i capitani dei carri s’accorsero ch’egli non era il re d’Israele, cessarono d’assalirlo.

For when the commanders of the horsemen had seen that he was not the king of Israel, they left him.

33 Or qualcuno scoccò a caso la freccia del suo arco, e ferì il re d’Israele tra la corazza e le falde; onde il re disse al suo cocchiere: “Vòlta, menami fuori del campo, perché son ferito”.

Then it happened that one of the people shot an arrow indiscriminately, and it struck the king of Israel between the neck and the shoulder. And so he said to his chariot driver: “Turn your hand, and lead me away from the battle line. For I have been wounded.”

34 Ma la battaglia fu così accanita quel giorno, che il re fu trattenuto sul suo carro in faccia ai Siri fino alla sera, e sul tramontare del sole morì.

And the fight ended on that day. But the king of Israel was standing in his chariot facing the Syrians, even until evening. And he died when the sun set.