< Ii Regum 6 >
1 Dixerunt autem filii prophetarum ad Eliseum: Ecce locus, in quo habitamus coram te, angustus est nobis.
And the sons of the prophets said to Eliseus: Behold the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.
2 Eamus usque ad Iordanem, et tollant singuli de silva materias singulas, ut ædificemus nobis ibi locum ad habitandum. Qui dixit: Ite.
Let us go as far as the Jordan and take out of the wood every man a piece of timber, that we may build us there a place to dwell in. And he said: Go.
3 Et ait unus ex illis: Veni ergo et tu cum servis tuis. Respondit: Ego veniam.
And one of them said: But come thou also with thy servants. He answered: I will come.
4 Et abiit cum eis. Cumque venissent ad Iordanem, cædebant ligna.
So he went with them. And when they were come to the Jordan they cut down wood.
5 Accidit autem, ut cum unus materiam succidisset, caderet ferrum securis in aquam: exclamavitque ille, et ait: Heu, heu, heu, domine mi, et hoc ipsum mutuo acceperam!
And it happened, as one was felling some timber, that the head of the axe fell into the water: and he cried out, and said: Alas, alas, alas, my lord, for this same was borrowed.
6 Dixit autem homo Dei: Ubi cecidit? At ille monstravit ei locum. Præcidit ergo lignum, et misit illuc: natavitque ferrum,
And the man of God said: Where did it fall? and he shewed him the place. Then he cut off a piece of wood, and cast it in thither: and the iron swam.
7 et ait: Tolle. Qui extendit manum, et tulit illud.
And he said: Take it up. And he put out his hand and took it.
8 Rex autem Syriæ pugnabat contra Israel, consiliumque iniit cum servis suis, dicens: In loco illo, et illo ponamus insidias.
And the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying: In such and such a place let us lay ambushes.
9 Misit itaque vir Dei ad regem Israel, dicens: Cave ne transeas in locum illum: quia ibi Syri in insidiis sunt.
And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying: Beware that thou pass not to such a place: for the Syrians are there in ambush.
10 Misit itaque rex Israel ad locum, quem dixerat ei vir Dei, et præoccupavit eum, et observavit se ibi non semel neque bis.
And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God had told him, and prevented him, and looked well to himself there not once nor twice.
11 Conturbatumque est cor regis Syriæ pro hac re: et convocatis servis suis, ait: Quare non indicatis mihi quis proditor mei sit apud regem Israel?
And the heart of the king of Syria was troubled for this thing. And calling together his servants, he said: Why do you not tell me who it is that betrays me to the king of Israel?
12 Dixitque unus servorum eius: Nequaquam domine mi rex, sed Eliseus propheta, qui est in Israel, indicat regi Israel omnia verba quæcumque locutus fueris in conclavi tuo.
And one of his servants said: No one, my lord O king: but Eliseus the prophet, that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel all the words, that thou speakest in thy privy chamber.
13 Dixitque eis: Ite, et videte ubi sit: ut mittam, et capiam eum. Annunciaveruntque ei, dicentes: Ecce in Dothan.
And he said to them: Go, and see where he is: that I may send, and take him. And they told him, saying: Behold he is in Dothan.
14 Misit ergo illuc equos et currus, et robur exercitus: qui cum venissent nocte, circumdederunt civitatem.
Therefore he sent thither horses and chariots, and the strength of an army: and they came by night, and beset the city.
15 Consurgens autem diluculo minister viri Dei, egressus, vidit exercitum in circuitu civitatis, et equos et currus: nunciavitque ei, dicens: Heu, heu, heu, domine mi! Quid faciemus?
And the servant of the man of God rising early, went out, and saw an army round about the city, and horses and chariots: and he told him, saying: Alas, alas, alas, my lord, what shall we do?
16 At ille respondit: Noli timere: plures enim nobiscum sunt, quam cum illis.
But he answered: Fear not: for there are more with us than with them.
17 Cumque orasset Eliseus, ait: Domine, aperi oculos huius, ut videat. Et aperuit Dominus oculos pueri, et vidit: et ecce mons plenus equorum, et curruum igneorum, in circuitu Elisei.
And Eliseus prayed, and said: Lord, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw: and behold the mountain was full of horses, and chariots of fire round about Eliseus.
18 Hostes vero descenderunt ad eum: porro Eliseus oravit ad Dominum, dicens: Percute, obsecro, gentem hanc cæcitate. Percussitque eos Dominus, ne viderent, iuxta verbum Elisei.
And the enemies came down to him, but Eliseus prayed to the Lord, saying: Strike, I beseech thee, this people with blindness. And the Lord struck them with blindness, according to the word of Eliseus.
19 Dixit autem ad eos Eliseus: Non est hæc via, neque ista est civitas: sequimini me, et ostendam vobis virum, quem quæritis. Duxit ergo eos in Samariam:
And Eliseus said to them: This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will shew you the man whom you seek. So he led them into Samaria.
20 cumque ingressi fuissent in Samariam, dixit Eliseus: Domine aperi oculos istorum, ut videant. Aperuitque Dominus oculos eorum, et viderunt se esse in medio Samariæ.
And when they were come into Samaria, Eliseus said: Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw themselves to be in the midst of Samaria.
21 Dixitque rex Israel ad Eliseum, cum vidisset eos: Numquid percutiam eos, pater mi?
And the king of Israel said to Eliseus, when he saw them: My father, shall I kill them?
22 At ille ait: Non percuties: neque enim cepisti eos gladio, et arcu tuo, ut percutias: sed pone panem, et aquam coram eis, ut comedant, et bibant, et vadant ad dominum suum.
And he said: Thou shalt not kill them: for thou didst not take them with thy sword, or thy bow, that thou mayst kill them: but set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
23 Appositaque est eis ciborum magna præparatio, et comederunt, et biberunt, et dimisit eos, abieruntque ad dominum suum, et ultra non venerunt latrones Syriæ in Terram Israel.
And a great provision of meats was set before them, and they ate and drank, and he let them go, and they went away to their master, and the robbers of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
24 Factum est autem post hæc, congregavit Benadad rex Syriæ, universum exercitum suum, et ascendit, et obsidebat Samariam.
And it came to pass after these things, that Benadad king of Syria gathered together all his army, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
25 Factaque est fames magna in Samaria: et tamdiu obsessa est, donec venundaretur caput asini octoginta argenteis, et quarta pars cabi stercoris columbarum quinque argenteis.
And there was a great famine in Samaria: and so long did the siege continue, till the head of an ass was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cabe of pigeon’s dung, for five pieces of silver.
26 Cumque rex Israel transiret per murum, mulier quædam exclamavit ad eum, dicens: Salva me domine mi rex.
And as the king of Israel was passing by the wall, a certain woman cried out to him, saying: Save me, my lord O king.
27 Qui ait: Non te salvat Dominus: unde te possum salvare? De area, vel de torculari? Dixitque ad eam rex: Quid tibi vis? Quæ respondit:
And he said: If the Lord doth not save thee, how can I save thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? And the king said to her: What aileth thee? And she answered:
28 Mulier ista dixit mihi: Da filium tuum, ut comedamus eum hodie, et filium meum comedemus cras.
This woman said to me: Give thy son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.
29 Coximus ergo filium meum, et comedimus. Dixique ei die altera: Da filium tuum, ut comedamus eum. Quæ abscondit filium suum.
So we boiled my son, and ate him. And I said to her on the next day: Give thy son that we may eat him. And she hath hid her son.
30 Quod cum audisset rex, scidit vestimenta sua, et transibat per murum. Viditque omnis populus cilicium, quo vestitus erat ad carnem intrinsecus.
When the king heard this, he rent his garments, and passed by upon the wall. And all the people saw the haircloth which he wore within next to his flesh.
31 Et ait rex: Hæc mihi faciat Deus, et hæc addat, si steterit caput Elisei filii Saphat super ipsum hodie.
And the king said: May God do so and so to me, and may he add more, if the head of Eliseus the son of Saphat shall stand on him this day.
32 Eliseus autem sedebat in domo sua, et senes sedebant cum eo. Præmisit itaque virum: et antequam veniret nuncius ille, dixit ad senes: Numquid scitis quod miserit filius homicidæ hic, ut præcidatur caput meum? Videte ergo, cum venerit nuncius, claudite ostium, et non sinatis eum introire: ecce enim sonitus pedum domini eius post eum est.
But Eliseus sat in his house, and the ancients sat with him. So he sent a man before: and before that messenger came, he said to the ancients: Do you know that this son of a murderer hath sent to cut off my head? Look then, when the messenger shall come, shut the door, and suffer him not to come in: for behold the sound of his master’s feet is behind him.
33 Adhuc illo loquente eis, apparuit nuncius, qui veniebat ad eum. Et ait: Ecce, tantum malum a Domino est: quid amplius expectabo a Domino?
While he was yet speaking to them, the messenger appeared who was coming to him. And he said: Behold, so great an evil is from the Lord: what shall I look for more from the Lord?