Fuit ergo Josaphat dives et inclytus multum, et affinitate conjunctus est Achab.

Now Josaphat was rich and very glorious, and was joined by affinity to Achab.

Rich and renowned, Josaphat had allied his house by marriage with the house of Achab;

Descenditque post annos ad eum in Samariam: ad cujus adventum mactavit Achab arietes et boves plurimos, ipsi, et populo qui venerat cum eo: persuasitque illi ut ascenderet in Ramoth Galaad.

And he went down to him after some years to Samaria: and Achab at his coming killed sheep and oxen in abundance for him and the people that came with him: and he persuaded him to go up to Ramoth Galaad.

and now, when some years had passed, he went to visit him at Samaria. Many a ram, many a bullock did Achab slaughter to make him and his retinue welcome; then he had a plan to put before him, that they should march against Ramoth-Galaad.

Dixitque Achab rex Israël ad Josaphat regem Juda: Veni mecum in Ramoth Galaad. Cui ille respondit: Ut ego, et tu: sicut populus tuus, sic et populus meus: tecumque erimus in bello.

And Achab king of Israel said to Josaphat king of Juda: Come with me to Ramoth Galaad. And he answered him: Thou art as I am, and my people as thy people, and we will be with thee in the war.

And what answer made Josaphat, king of Juda, when Achab, king of Israel, proposed that they should attack Ramoth-Galaad together? Thou and I, said he, are all at one; my army is all thine, we will stand at thy side in battle.

Dixitque Josaphat ad regem Israël: Consule, obsecro, impræsentiarum sermonem Domini.

And Josaphat said to the king of Israel: Inquire, I beseech thee, at present the word of the Lord.

But he would have Achab consult the Lord first.

Congregavit igitur rex Israël prophetarum quadringentos viros, et dixit ad eos: In Ramoth Galaad ad bellandum ire debemus, an quiescere? At illi: Ascende, inquiunt, et tradet Deus in manu regis.

So the king of Israel gathered together of the prophets four hundred men, and he said to them: Shall we go to Ramoth Galaad to fight, or shall we forbear? But they said: Go up, and God will deliver it into the king’s hand.

So Achab sent for his prophets, four hundred in number, and asked whether they should attack Ramoth-Galaad or let it be? Go to the attack, they said; the Lord means to make the king’s grace master of it.

Dixitque Josaphat: Numquid non est hic prophetes Domini, ut ab illo etiam requiramus?

And Josaphat said: Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire also of him?

But still Josaphat asked whether there was no prophet of the Lord to be found, so that they could make enquiry through him.

Et ait rex Israël ad Josaphat: Est vir unus a quo possumus quærere Domini voluntatem: sed ego odi eum, quia non prophetat mihi bonum, sed malum omni tempore: est autem Michæas filius Jemla. Dixitque Josaphat: Ne loquaris, rex, hoc modo.

And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: There is one man, of whom we may ask the will of the Lord: but I hate him, for he never prophesieth good to me, but always evil: and it is Micheas the son of Jemla. And Josaphat said: Speak not thus, O king.

Why yes, the king of Israel told him, there is one man through whom we might ask for the Lord’s counsel; yet is he no friend of mine, still he will be prophesying that ill fortune is to befall me, never good; Michaeas is his name, the son of Jemla. Nay, my lord king, said Josaphat, think better of it.

Vocavit ergo rex Israël unum de eunuchis, et dixit ei: Voca cito Michæam filium Jemla.

And the king of Israel called one of the eunuchs, and said to him: Call quickly Micheas the son of Jemla.

So Achab summoned one of his chamberlains, and bade him fetch Michaeas the son of Jemla with all speed.

Porro rex Israël, et Josaphat rex Juda, uterque sedebant in solio suo, vestiti cultu regio: sedebant autem in area juxta portam Samariæ, omnesque prophetæ vaticinabantur coram eis.

Now the king of Israel, and Josaphat king of Juda, both sat on their thrones, clothed in royal robes, and they sat in the open court by the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied before them.

There sat the king of Israel and Josaphat king of Juda, each on his throne, in all their royal state, in an open space by the gate of Samaria; and there in their presence all the prophets said their say.

Sedecias vero filius Chanaana fecit sibi cornua ferrea, et ait: Hæc dicit Dominus: His ventilabis Syriam, donec conteras eam.

And Sedecias the son of Chanaana made him horns of iron, and said: Thus saith the Lord: With these shalt thou push Syria, till thou destroy it.

One of them, Sedecias the son of Chanaana, had provided himself with a pair of horns fashioned in iron; With these, he said, thou shalt toss Syria about, till thou hast made an end of it.

Omnesque prophetæ similiter prophetabant, atque dicebant: Ascende in Ramoth Galaad, et prosperaberis, et tradet eos Dominus in manu regis.

And all the prophets prophesied in like manner, and said: Go up to Ramoth Galaad, and thou shalt prosper, and the Lord will deliver them into the king’s hand.

And all the prophets had the same word for him; Go and attack Ramoth-Galaad, they told him, and a blessing on thy journey! The Lord means to make the king’s grace master of it.

Nuntius autem qui ierat ad vocandum Michæam, ait illi: En verba omnium prophetarum uno ore bona regi annuntiant: quæso ergo te ut et sermo tuus ab eis non dissentiat, loquarisque prospera.

And the messenger that went to call Micheas, said to him: Behold the words of all the prophets with one mouth declare good to the king: I beseech thee therefore let not thy word disagree with them, and speak thou also good success.

So the messenger who went to summon Michaeas told him, Here are all the prophets bidding the king good speed, like one man; pray join thy voice to theirs, and prophesy good fortune.

Cui respondit Michæas: Vivit Dominus, quia quodcumque dixerit mihi Deus meus, hoc loquar.

And Micheas answered him: As the Lord liveth, whatsoever my God shall say to me, that will I speak.

Nay, answered he, as the Lord is a living God, the word I speak shall be the word he gives me.

Venit ergo ad regem. Cui rex ait: Michæa, ire debemus in Ramoth Galaad ad bellandum, an quiescere? Cui ille respondit: Ascendite: cuncta enim prospera evenient, et tradentur hostes in manus vestras.

So he came to the king: and the king said to him: Micheas, shall we go to Ramoth Galaad to fight, or forbear? And he answered him: Go up, for all shall succeed prosperously, and the enemies shall be delivered into your hands.

So he came into the king’s presence, and when he was asked whether it were better to attack Ramoth-Galaad, or to let it be, he answered, Go to the attack; all shall be well with you, and your enemies shall be at your mercy.

Dixitque rex: Iterum atque iterum te adjuro, ut mihi non loquaris, nisi quod verum est in nomine Domini.

And the king said: I adjure thee again and again to say nothing but the truth to me, in the name of the Lord.

What, cried Achab, shall I never cease adjuring thee in the Lord’s name to tell me only the truth?

At ille ait: Vidi universum Israël dispersum in montibus, sicut oves absque pastore: et dixit Dominus: Non habent isti dominos: revertatur unusquisque in domum suam in pace.

Then he said: I saw all Israel scattered in the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd: and the Lord said: These have no masters: let every man return to his own house in peace.

Listen then, said he; I had a vision of all Israel straying over the mountains like sheep that had no shepherd, and the Lord’s word came, They have no master now; let them disperse to their homes in peace.

Et ait rex Israël ad Josaphat: Nonne dixi tibi quod non prophetaret iste mihi quidquam boni, sed ea quæ mala sunt?

And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: Did I not tell thee that this man would not prophesy me any good, but evil?

(It is as I told thee, Achab said to Josaphat; still he prophesies ill fortune, never good.)

At ille: Idcirco, ait, audite verbum Domini: vidi Dominum sedentem in solio suo, et omnem exercitum cæli assistentem ei a dextris et a sinistris.

Then he said: Hear ye therefore the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing by him on the right hand and on the left.

Then Michaeas went on, Here is a message to thee from the Lord. I had a vision of the Lord sitting on his throne, with all the host of heaven waiting on his pleasure, to right and left.

Et dixit Dominus: Quis decipiet Achab regem Israël ut ascendat et corruat in Ramoth Galaad? Cumque diceret unus hoc modo, et alter alio,

And the Lord said: Who shall deceive Achab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall in Ramoth Galaad? And when one spoke in this manner, and another otherwise:

And the Lord said, Who is to beguile Achab, king of Israel, so that he will march to Ramoth-Galaad, and there meet his fall? One said this, one that;

processit spiritus, et stetit coram Domino, et ait: Ego decipiam eum. Cui Dominus: In quo, inquit, decipies?

There came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said: I will deceive him. And the Lord said to him: By what means wilt thou deceive him?

till at last a spirit came forward and stood in the Lord’s presence, offering to beguile Achab. And how wilt thou beguile him? the Lord asked.

At ille respondit: Egrediar, et ero spiritus mendax in ore omnium prophetarum ejus. Dixitque Dominus: Decipies, et prævalebis: egredere, et fac ita.

And he answered: I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said: Thou shalt deceive, and shalt prevail: go out, and do so.

I will go abroad, said he, and on the lips of all his prophets I will make myself an influence to deceive. Deceive them thou shalt, the Lord said, and have thy way with them; go abroad, then, and carry out thy errand.

Nunc igitur, ecce Dominus dedit spiritum mendacii in ore omnium prophetarum tuorum, et Dominus locutus est de te mala.

Now therefore behold the Lord hath put a spirit of lying in the mouth of all thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee.

And now, see what a lying influence the Lord has spread among these prophets of thine! For indeed the Lord has determined on thy ruin.

Accessit autem Sedecias filius Chanaana, et percussit Michææ maxillam, et ait: Per quam viam transivit spiritus Domini a me, ut loqueretur tibi?

And Sedecias the son of Chanaana came, and struck Micheas on the cheek and said: Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me, to speak to thee?

At that, Sedecias son of Chanaana went up and gave Michaeas a blow on the cheek; Has the spirit of the Lord passed me by, he asked, and spoken to none but thee?

Dixitque Michæas: Tu ipse videbis in die illo, quando ingressus fueris cubiculum de cubiculo ut abscondaris.

And Micheas said: Thou thyself shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go in from chamber to chamber, to hide thyself.

And Michaeas only answered, Thou shalt live to see the day when thou must needs take refuge in an inner room, to hide there.

Præcepit autem rex Israël, dicens: Tollite Michæam, et ducite eum ad Amon principem civitatis, et ad Joas filium Amelech.

And the king of Israel commanded, saying: Take Micheas, and carry him to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joas the son of Amelech,

Then the king of Israel gave his orders; Take Michaeas hence, said he, and put him in the charge of Amon, the city governor, and of Joas, son of Amelech.

Et dicetis: Hæc dicit rex: Mittite hunc in carcerem, et date ei panis modicum, et aquæ pauxillum, donec revertar in pace.

And say: Thus saith the king: Put this fellow in prison, and give him bread and water in a small quantity till I return in peace.

And give them this royal command of mine, that they are to imprison him, and give him scant allowance of food and drink, till I come back safe and sound.

Dixitque Michæas: Si reversus fueris in pace, non est locutus Dominus in me. Et ait: Audite, omnes populi.

And Micheas said: If thou return in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And he said: Hear, all ye people.

Come thou back safe and sound, Michaeas said, and mine was no message from the Lord. Witness my words, all you that stand here!

Igitur ascenderunt rex Israël et Josaphat rex Juda in Ramoth Galaad.

So the king of Israel and Josaphat king of Juda went up to Ramoth Galaad.

So the king of Israel, and Josaphat king of Juda, marched out to attack Ramoth-Galaad.

Dixitque rex Israël ad Josaphat: Mutabo habitum, et sic ad pugnam vadam: tu autem induere vestibus tuis. Mutatoque rex Israël habitu, venit ad bellum.

And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: I will change my dress, and so I will go to the battle, but put thou on thy own garments. And the king of Israel having changed his dress, went to the battle.

And Achab said he himself would go into battle in disguise; let Josaphat, meanwhile, wear his royal robes. So none knew the king of Israel by his array, when he went into battle.

Rex autem Syriæ præceperat ducibus equitatus sui, dicens: Ne pugnetis contra minimum aut contra maximum, nisi contra solum regem Israël.

Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his cavalry, saying: Fight ye not with small, or great, but with the king of Israel only.

To all the captains of his cavalry the king of Syria had given the same orders: Press for no other mark, high or low, but the king of Israel himself.

Itaque cum vidissent principes equitatus Josaphat, dixerunt: Rex Israël est iste. Et circumdederunt eum dimicantes: at ille clamavit ad Dominum, et auxiliatus est ei, atque avertit eos ab illo.

So when the captains of the cavalry saw Josaphat, they said: This is the king of Israel. And they surrounded him to attack him: but he cried to the Lord, and he helped him, and turned them away from him.

And these, upon sight of Josaphat, cried out that this was the king of Israel, so that armed men surrounded him on all sides; but he cried out to the Lord, who brought him succour, and turned aside their attack.

Cum enim vidissent duces equitatus quod non esset rex Israël, reliquerunt eum.

For when the captains of the cavalry saw, that he was not the king of Israel, they left him.

Then, seeing that this was not the king of Israel, the captains of the cavalry let him be.

Accidit autem ut unus e populo sagittam in incertum jaceret, et percuteret regem Israël inter cervicem et scapulas. At ille aurigæ suo ait: Converte manum tuam, et educ me de acie, quia vulneratus sum.

And it happened that one of the people shot an arrow at a venture, and struck the king of Israel between the neck and the shoulders, and he said to his chariot man: Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.

It was an archer, letting fly a shaft at haphazard, that gave Achab a chance wound; it fell between neck and shoulder-blades, and Achab bade his charioteer wheel about, and carry him away from the fight, wounded as he was.

Et finita est pugna in die illo: porro rex Israël stabat in curru suo contra Syros usque ad vesperam, et mortuus est occidente sole.

And the fight was ended that day: but the king of Israel stood in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening, and died at the sunset.

With night, the battle came to an end; all day, the king of Israel had stood upright in his chariot, facing the Syrians, and did not die till evening.