I Regum 20
1 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
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.
2 mittensque nuntios ad Ahab regem Israhel in civitatem
Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel,
3 ait haec dicit Benadad argentum tuum et aurum tuum meum est et uxores tuae et filii tui optimi mei sunt
saying, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and your best wives and children are mine!’”
4 responditque rex Israhel iuxta verbum tuum domine mi rex tuus sum ego et omnia mea
And the king of Israel replied, “Just as you say, my lord the king: I am yours, along with all that I have.”
5 revertentesque nuntii dixerunt haec dicit Benadad qui misit nos ad te argentum tuum et aurum tuum et uxores tuas et filios tuos dabis mihi
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.
6 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
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.’”
7 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
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.”
8 dixeruntque omnes maiores natu et universus populus ad eum non audias neque adquiescas illi
And the elders and the people all said, “Do not listen to him or consent to his terms.”
9 respondit itaque nuntiis Benadad dicite domino meo regi omnia propter quae misisti ad me servum tuum initio faciam hanc autem rem facere non possum
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.
10 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
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.”
11 et respondens rex Israhel ait dicite ei ne glorietur accinctus aeque ut discinctus
And the king of Israel replied, “Tell him: ‘The one putting on his armor should not boast like one taking it off.’”
12 factum est autem cum audisset verbum istud bibebat ipse et reges in umbraculis et ait servis suis circumdate civitatem et circumdederunt eam
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.
13 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
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.’”
14 et ait Ahab per quem dixitque ei haec dicit Dominus per pedisequos principum provinciarum et ait quis incipiet proeliari et ille dixit tu
“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.
15 recensuit ergo pueros principum provinciarum et repperit numerum ducentorum triginta duum et post eos recensuit populum omnes filios Israhel septem milia
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.
16 et egressi sunt meridie Benadad autem bibebat temulentus in umbraculo suo et reges triginta duo cum eo qui ad auxilium eius venerant
They marched out at noon while Ben-hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk.
17 egressi sunt autem pueri principum provinciarum in prima fronte misit itaque Benadad qui nuntiaverunt ei dicentes viri egressi sunt de Samaria
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.”
18 at ille sive ait pro pace veniunt adprehendite eos vivos sive ut proelientur vivos eos capite
“If they have marched out in peace,” he said, “take them alive. Even if they have marched out for war, take them alive.”
19 egressi sunt ergo pueri principum provinciarum ac reliquus exercitus sequebatur
Meanwhile, these young officers of the district governors marched out of the city, with the army behind them,
20 et percussit unusquisque virum qui contra se venerat fugeruntque Syri et persecutus est eos Israhel fugit quoque Benadad rex Syriae in equo cum equitibus
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.
21 necnon et egressus rex Israhel percussit equos et currus et percussit Syriam plaga magna
Then the king of Israel marched out and attacked the horses and chariots, inflicting a great slaughter on the Arameans.
22 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
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.”
23 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
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.
24 tu ergo verbum hoc fac amove reges singulos ab exercitu suo et pone principes pro eis
So do this: Dismiss all the kings from their positions and replace them with other officers.
25 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
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.
26 igitur postquam annus transierat recensuit Benadad Syros et ascendit in Afec ut pugnaret contra Israhel
In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
27 porro filii Israhel recensiti sunt et acceptis cibariis profecti ex adverso castraque metati contra eos quasi duo parvi greges caprarum Syri autem repleverunt terram
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.
28 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
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.’”
29 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
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.
30 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
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.
31 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
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.”
32 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
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.”
33 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
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.
34 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
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.
35 tunc vir quidam de filiis prophetarum dixit ad socium suum in sermone Domini percute me at ille noluit percutere
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.
36 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
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.
37 sed et alterum conveniens virum dixit ad eum percute me qui percussit eum et vulneravit
Then the prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please!” So the man struck him and wounded him,
38 abiit ergo propheta et occurrit regi in via et mutavit aspersione pulveris os et oculos suos
and the prophet went and waited on the road for the king, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes.
39 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
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.’
40 dum autem ego turbatus huc illucque me verterem subito non conparuit et ait rex Israhel ad eum hoc est iudicium tuum quod ipse decrevisti
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.”
41 at ille statim abstersit pulverem de facie sua et cognovit eum rex Israhel quod esset de prophetis
Then the prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.
42 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
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.’”
43 reversus est igitur rex Israhel in domum suam audire contemnens et furibundus venit Samariam
Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went home to Samaria.
