I Regum 22
1 Transierunt igitur tres anni absque bello inter Syriam et Israël.
For almost three years there was no war between Syria and Israel.
2 In anno autem tertio, descendit Josaphat rex Juda ad regem Israël.
Then King Jehoshaphat, who ruled Judah, went to [visit] King Ahab, who ruled Israel.
3 (Dixitque rex Israël ad servos suos: Ignoratis quod nostra sit Ramoth Galaad, et negligimus tollere eam de manu regis Syriæ?)
[While they were talking, ] Ahab said to his officials, “Do you realize that the Syrians are still occupying our city of Ramoth in [the] Gilead [region]? And we are doing nothing to retake that city!”
4 Et ait ad Josaphat: Veniesne mecum ad præliandum in Ramoth Galaad?
Then he turned to Jehoshaphat and asked, “Will your [army] join my [army] to fight against the people of Ramoth [and retake that city]?” Jehoshaphat replied, “[Certainly] I [will do whatever] you [want], and you may command my troops. You may take my horses into battle, also.”
5 Dixitque Josaphat ad regem Israël: Sicut ego sum, ita et tu: populus meus et populus tuus unum sunt: et equites mei, equites tui. Dixitque Josaphat ad regem Israël: Quære, oro te, hodie sermonem Domini.
Then he added, “But we should ask Yahweh first, to find out what he wants us to do.”
6 Congregavit ergo rex Israël prophetas, quadringentos circiter viros, et ait ad eos: Ire debeo in Ramoth Galaad ad bellandum, an quiescere? Qui responderunt: Ascende, et dabit eam Dominus in manu regis.
So Ahab summoned about 400 of his prophets together, and he asked them, “Should my [army] go to fight the people in Ramoth and retake that city, or not?” They answered, “Yes, go [and attack them], because God will enable your [army] to defeat them.”
7 Dixit autem Josaphat: Non est hic propheta Domini quispiam, ut interrogemus per eum?
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of Yahweh here whom we can ask?”
8 Et ait rex Israël ad Josaphat: Remansit vir unus per quem possumus interrogare Dominum: sed ego odi eum, quia non prophetat mihi bonum, sed malum: Michæas filius Jemla. Cui Josaphat ait: Ne loquaris ita, rex.
The King of Israel replied, “There is one man we can talk to. We can ask him if he can find out what Yahweh wants. His name is Micaiah; he is the son of Imlah. But I hate him, because when he (prophesies/tells what God says to him) he never says [that] anything good [will happen] to me. He always predicts [that] bad things [will happen to me].” Jehoshaphat replied, “King Ahab, you should not say that!”
9 Vocavit ergo rex Israël eunuchum quemdam, et dixit ei: Festina adducere Michæam filium Jemla.
So the king of Israel told one of his officers to summon Micaiah immediately.
10 Rex autem Israël, et Josaphat rex Juda, sedebant unusquisque in solio suo, vestiti cultu regio, in area juxta ostium portæ Samariæ: et universi prophetæ prophetabant in conspectu eorum.
The king of Israel and the king of Judah were wearing their (royal robes/robes that showed that they were kings). They were sitting on thrones at the place where people threshed grain, near the gate of Samaria [city]. All of Ahab’s prophets were standing in front of the kings, (prophesying/predicting what was going to happen).
11 Fecit quoque sibi Sedecias filius Chanaana cornua ferrea, et ait: Hæc dicit Dominus: His ventilabis Syriam, donec deleas eam.
One of them, whose name was Zedekiah, the son of Kenaanah, had made from iron [something that resembled] horns of a bull. Then he proclaimed [to Ahab], “This is what Yahweh says: ‘With horns like these your [army] will keep attacking the Syrians [like a bull attacks another animal] [MET], until you completely destroy them!’”
12 Omnesque prophetæ similiter prophetabant, dicentes: Ascende in Ramoth Galaad, et vade prospere, et tradet Dominus in manus regis.
All the [other] prophets [of Ahab] agreed. They said, “Yes! If you go up to attack Ramoth [city] in [the] Gilead [region], you will be successful, because Yahweh will enable you to defeat them!”
13 Nuntius vero qui ierat ut vocaret Michæam, locutus est ad eum, dicens: Ecce sermones prophetarum ore uno regi bona prædicant: sit ergo sermo tuus similis eorum, et loquere bona.
Meanwhile, the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Listen to me! All the other prophets are predicting that the king’s army will defeat the Syrians. So be sure that you agree with them and say (what will be favorable/that the king’s army will be successful).”
14 Cui Michæas ait: Vivit Dominus, quia quodcumque dixerit mihi Dominus, hoc loquar.
But Micaiah replied, “As surely as Yahweh lives, I will tell him only what Yahweh tells me to say.”
15 Venit itaque ad regem, et ait illi rex: Michæa, ire debemus in Ramoth Galaad ad præliandum, an cessare? Cui ille respondit: Ascende, et vade prospere, et tradet eam Dominus in manus regis.
When Micaiah came to Ahab, Ahab asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to fight against [the people of] Ramoth, or not?” Micaiah replied, “Sure, go! Yahweh will enable your army to defeat them!”
16 Dixit autem rex ad eum: Iterum atque iterum adjuro te, ut non loquaris mihi nisi quod verum est, in nomine Domini.
But King Ahab [realized that Micaiah was (lying/being sarcastic), so he] said to Micaiah, “I have told you [RHQ] many times that you must always tell only the truth when you say what Yahweh [has revealed to you]!”
17 Et ille ait: Vidi cunctum Israël dispersum in montibus, quasi oves non habentes pastorem. Et ait Dominus: Non habent isti dominum: revertatur unusquisque in domum suam in pace.
So Micaiah said to him, “[The truth is that] in a vision I saw all the troops of Israel scattered on the mountains. They seemed to be like sheep that did not have a shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘Their master has been killed. So tell them all to go home peacefully.’”
18 (Dixit ergo rex Israël ad Josaphat: Numquid non dixi tibi, quia non prophetat mihi bonum, sed semper malum?)
Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I told you [RHQ] that he never predicts [that] anything good [will happen to me]! He [always] predicts [that] bad things [will happen to me].”
19 Ille vero addens, ait: Propterea audi sermonem Domini: vidi Dominum sedentem super solium suum, et omnem exercitum cæli assistentem ei a dextris et a sinistris:
But Micaiah continued, saying, “Listen to what Yahweh showed to me! [In a vision] I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, with all the armies of heaven surrounding him, on his right side and on his left side.
20 et ait Dominus: Quis decipiet Achab regem Israël, ut ascendat, et cadat in Ramoth Galaad? Et dixit unus verba hujuscemodi, et alius aliter.
And Yahweh said, ‘Who can persuade Ahab to go to fight against the people of Ramoth, in order that he may be killed there?’ Some suggested one thing, and others suggested something else.
21 Egressus est autem spiritus, et stetit coram Domino, et ait: Ego decipiam illum. Cui locutus est Dominus: In quo?
Finally one [evil] spirit came to Yahweh and said, ‘I can do it!’
22 Et ille ait: Egrediar, et ero spiritus mendax in ore omnium prophetarum ejus. Et dixit Dominus: Decipies, et prævalebis: egredere, et fac ita.
Yahweh asked him, ‘How will you do it?’ The spirit replied, ‘I will go and inspire all of Ahab’s prophets to tell lies.’ Yahweh said, ‘You will be successful; go and do it!’
23 Nunc igitur ecce dedit Dominus spiritum mendacii in ore omnium prophetarum tuorum, qui hic sunt, et Dominus locutus est contra te malum.
So now [I tell you that] Yahweh has caused all of your prophets to lie to you. Yahweh has decided that something terrible will happen to you.”
24 Accessit autem Sedecias filius Chanaana, et percussit Michæam in maxillam, et dixit: Mene ergo dimisit spiritus Domini, et locutus est tibi?
Then Zedekiah walked over to Micaiah and slapped him on his face. He said, “Do you think that Yahweh’s Spirit left me in order to speak to you?” [RHQ]
25 Et ait Michæas: Visurus es in die illa quando ingredieris cubiculum intra cubiculum ut abscondaris.
Micaiah replied, “You will find out for yourself [which of us Yahweh’s Spirit has truly spoken to] on the day when you go into a room of some house to hide [from the Syrian troops]!”
26 Et ait rex Israël: Tollite Michæam, et maneat apud Amon principem civitatis, et apud Joas filium Amelech,
King Ahab commanded [his soldiers], “Seize Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of this city, and to my son Joash.
27 et dicite eis: Hæc dicit rex: Mittite virum istum in carcerem, et sustentate eum pane tribulationis, et aqua angustiæ, donec revertar in pace.
Tell them that I have commanded that they should put this man in prison and give him only bread and water. Do not give him anything else to eat until I return safely from the battle!”
28 Dixitque Michæas: Si reversus fueris in pace, non est locutus in me Dominus. Et ait: Audite, populi omnes.
Micaiah replied, “If you return safely, [it will be clear that] it was not Yahweh who told me what to say to you!” Then he said [to all those who were standing there], “Do not forget what I have said [to King Ahab]!”
29 Ascendit itaque rex Israël, et Josaphat rex Juda, in Ramoth Galaad.
So the King of Israel and the King of Judah [led their armies] to Ramoth, in [the] Gilead [region].
30 Dixit itaque rex Israël ad Josaphat: Sume arma, et ingredere prælium, et induere vestibus tuis. Porro rex Israël mutavit habitum suum, et ingressus est bellum.
King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I will put on different clothes, [in order that no one will recognize that I am the king]. But you should wear your (royal robe/robe that shows that you are a king).” So Ahab disguised himself, and they both went into the battle.
31 Rex autem Syriæ præceperat principibus curruum triginta duobus, dicens: Non pugnabitis contra minorem et majorem quempiam, nisi contra regem Israël solum.
The King of Syria told this to his thirty-two men who were driving the chariots: “Attack only the king of Israel!”
32 Cum ergo vidissent principes curruum Josaphat, suspicati sunt quod ipse esset rex Israël, et impetu facto pugnabant contra eum: et exclamavit Josaphat.
So when the men who were driving the Syrian chariots saw Jehoshaphat [wearing (his royal robes/clothes that showed he was the king)], they pursued him. They shouted, “There is the king of Israel!” But when Jehoshaphat cried out,
33 Intellexeruntque principes curruum quod non esset rex Israël, et cessaverunt ab eo.
they realized that he was not the king of Israel. So they stopped pursuing him.
34 Vir autem quidam tetendit arcum, in incertum sagittam dirigens, et casu percussit regem Israël inter pulmonem et stomachum. At ille dixit aurigæ suo: Verte manum tuam, et ejice me de exercitu, quia graviter vulneratus sum.
But one [Syrian] soldier shot an arrow at Ahab, without knowing that it was Ahab. The arrow struck Ahab between the places where the parts of his armor joined together. Ahab told the driver of his chariot, “Turn the chariot around and take me out of here! I have been severely wounded!”
35 Commissum est ergo prælium in die illa, et rex Israël stabat in curru suo contra Syros, et mortuus est vespere: fluebat autem sanguis plagæ in sinum currus,
The battle continued all the day. Ahab was sitting propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrian troops. The blood from his wound ran down to the floor of the chariot. And late in the afternoon he died.
36 et præco insonuit in universo exercitu antequam sol occumberet, dicens: Unusquisque revertatur in civitatem, et in terram suam.
Just as the sun was going down, someone among the Israeli troops shouted, “[The battle is ended!] Everyone should return home!”
37 Mortuus est autem rex, et perlatus est in Samariam: sepelieruntque regem in Samaria,
So king Ahab died, and they took his body [in the chariot] to Samaria [city] and buried his body there.
38 et laverunt currum ejus in piscina Samariæ: et linxerunt canes sanguinem ejus, et habenas laverunt, juxta verbum Domini quod locutus fuerat.
They washed his chariot alongside the pool in Samaria, a pool where the prostitutes bathed. And dogs [came and] licked the king’s blood, just like Yahweh had predicted would happen.
39 Reliqua autem sermonum Achab, et universa quæ fecit, et domus eburnea quam ædificavit, cunctarumque urbium quas exstruxit, nonne hæc scripta sunt in libro sermonum dierum regum Israël?
The account/record of the other things that happened while Ahab was ruling, and about the palace decorated with much ivory [that they built for him], and the cities that were built for him, was written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Israel’.
40 Dormivit ergo Achab cum patribus suis, et regnavit Ochozias filius ejus pro eo.
When Ahab died, his body was buried where his ancestors were buried. Then his son Ahaziah became king.
41 Josaphat vero filius Asa regnare cœperat super Judam anno quarto Achab regis Israël.
Before King Ahab died, when he had been ruling in Israel for four years, Asa’s son Jehoshaphat started to rule in Judah.
42 Triginta quinque annorum erat cum regnare cœpisset, et viginti quinque annis regnavit in Jerusalem: nomen matris ejus Azuba filia Salai.
Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he started to rule, and he ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.
43 Et ambulavit in omni via Asa patris sui, et non declinavit ex ea: fecitque quod rectum erat in conspectu Domini. Verumtamen excelsa non abstulit: adhuc enim populus sacrificabat, et adolebat incensum in excelsis.
Jehoshaphat was a good king, just like his father Asa had been. He did things that pleased Yahweh. But while he was king, he did not remove all the pagan altars [that the people had built] on the hilltops. So the people continued to offer sacrifices [to idols] on those altars and burned incense there.
44 Pacemque habuit Josaphat cum rege Israël.
Jehoshaphat also made [a] peace [agreement] with the king of Israel.
45 Reliqua autem verborum Josaphat, et opera ejus quæ gessit, et prælia, nonne hæc scripta sunt in libro verborum dierum regum Juda?
All the other things that happened while Jehoshaphat was ruling, and the great things that he did and the victories his [troops] won, are written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Judah’.
46 Sed et reliquias effeminatorum qui remanserant in diebus Asa patris ejus, abstulit de terra.
Jehoshaphat’s father Asa [had tried to expel] the male prostitutes that stayed at the pagan shrines, but some of them were still there. Jehoshaphat got rid of them.
47 Nec erat tunc rex constitutus in Edom.
At that time, there was no king in Edom; a ruler who had been appointed by Jehoshaphat ruled there.
48 Rex vero Josaphat fecerat classes in mari, quæ navigarent in Ophir propter aurum: et ire non potuerunt, quia confractæ sunt in Asiongaber.
Jehoshaphat [ordered some Israeli men to] build a fleet/group of ships to sail [south] to [the] Ophir [region] to get gold. But they were wrecked at Ezion-Geber/Elath, so the ships never sailed.
49 Tunc ait Ochozias filius Achab ad Josaphat: Vadant servi mei cum servis tuis in navibus. Et noluit Josaphat.
Before the ships were wrecked, Ahab’s son Ahaziah suggested to Jehoshaphat, “Allow my sailors to go with your sailors,” but Jehoshaphat refused.
50 Dormivitque Josaphat cum patribus suis, et sepultus est cum eis in civitate David patris sui: regnavitque Joram filius ejus pro eo.
When Jehoshaphat died, his [body] was buried where his ancestors were buried in [Jerusalem, ] the city where King David [had ruled]. Then Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram became king.
51 Ochozias autem filius Achab regnare cœperat super Israël in Samaria, anno septimodecimo Josaphat regis Juda: regnavitque super Israël duobus annis.
Before King Jehoshaphat died, when he had been ruling in Judah for 17 years, Ahab’s son Ahaziah began to rule in Israel. Ahaziah ruled in Samaria for two years.
52 Et fecit malum in conspectu Domini, et ambulavit in via patris sui et matris suæ, et in via Jeroboam filii Nabat, qui peccare fecit Israël.
He did many things that Yahweh considered to be evil, doing the [evil] things that his father and mother had done and the evil things that Jeroboam had done—the king who had led all the Israeli people to sin [by worshiping idols].
53 Servivit quoque Baal, et adoravit eum, et irritavit Dominum Deum Israël, juxta omnia quæ fecerat pater ejus.
Ahaziah bowed in front of Baal’s idol and worshiped it. That caused Yahweh, the God who was the true God of the Israeli people, to become very angry, just as Ahaziah’s father had caused Yahweh to become angry.
