Viginti quinque annorum erat Amasias cum regnare cœpisset, et viginti novem annis regnavit in Jerusalem: nomen matris ejus Joadan de Jerusalem.

Amasias was twenty-five years old when he came to the throne, and his reign at Jerusalem lasted twenty-nine years; his mother’s name was Joadan, a woman of Jerusalem.

Amasias was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem, the name of his mother was Joadan of Jerusalem.

Fecitque bonum in conspectu Domini, verumtamen non in corde perfecto.

This Amasias obeyed the Lord’s will, but not with full obedience.

And he did what was good in the sight of the Lord: but yet not with a perfect heart.

Cumque roboratum sibi videret imperium, jugulavit servos qui occiderant regem patrem suum,

Once his power was firmly established, he put his father’s murderers to death,

And when he saw himself strengthened in his kingdom, he put to death the servants that had slain the king his father.

sed filios eorum non interfecit, sicut scriptum est in libro legis Moysi, ubi præcepit Dominus, dicens: Non occidentur patres pro filiis, neque filii pro patribus suis, sed unusquisque in suo peccato morietur.

but not their children; the Lord’s injunction, laid down by the terms of Moses’ law, was that a father must not die for his son’s guilt, or a son for his father’s; no guilt but his own should bring a man to death.

But he slew not their children, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, where the Lord commanded, saying: The fathers shall not be slain for the children, nor the children for their fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin.

Congregavit igitur Amasias Judam, et constituit eos per familias, tribunosque et centuriones in universo Juda et Benjamin: et recensuit a viginti annis supra, invenitque trecenta millia juvenum qui egrederentur ad pugnam, et tenerent hastam et clypeum:

Then he mustered the whole of Juda, marshalling them by their clans, and appointing commanders and captains for the whole of Juda and Benjamin. When the count was taken of all that were above the age of twenty, he found himself in command of three hundred thousand fighting men, armed with spear and shield.

Amasias therefore gathered Juda together, and appointed them by families, and captains of thousands and of hundreds in all Juda, and Benjamin: and he numbered them from twenty years old and upwards, and found three hundred thousand young men that could go out to battle, and could hold the spear and shield.

mercede quoque conduxit de Israël centum millia robustorum, centum talentis argenti.

To these he added a force of a hundred thousand warriors from Israel, hired for a hundred talents of silver.

He hired also of Israel a hundred thousand valiant men, for a hundred talents of silver.

Venit autem homo Dei ad illum, et ait: O rex, ne egrediatur tecum exercitus Israël: non est enim Dominus cum Israël, et cunctis filiis Ephraim:

But now a messenger from God came and told him, My lord king, this force of Israelites must not march with thee; to Israel, to the whole kingdom of Ephraim, the Lord denies his aid.

But a man of God came to him, and said: O king, let not the army of Israel go out with thee, for the Lord is not with Israel, and all the children of Ephraim:

quod si putas in robore exercitus bella consistere, superari te faciet Deus ab hostibus: Dei quippe est et adjuvare, et in fugam convertere.

Count as thou wilt on the strength of thy array, God will give thy enemies the mastery; he alone sends victory and defeat.

And if thou think that battles consist in the strength of the army, God will make thee to be overcome by the enemies: for it belongeth to God both to help, and to put to flight.

Dixitque Amasias ad hominem Dei: Quid ergo fiet de centum talentis, quæ dedi militibus Israël? Et respondit ei homo Dei: Habet Dominus unde tibi dare possit multo his plura.

And when Amasias asked what was to become of the hundred talents he had spent on the mercenaries from Israel, the answer came, Worse losses yet the Lord can make good to thee.

And Amasias said to the man of God: What will then become of the hundred talents which I have given to the soldiers of Israel? and the man of God answered him: The Lord is rich enough to be able to give thee much more than this.

Separavit itaque Amasias exercitum qui venerat ad eum ex Ephraim, ut reverteretur in locum suum: at illi contra Judam vehementer irati, reversi sunt in regionem suam.

Thereupon Amasias drew off the Israelite troops and bade them go home; go home they did, but full of indignation against Juda.

Then Amasias separated the army, that came to him out of Ephraim, to go home again: but they being much enraged against Juda, returned to their own country.

Porro Amasias confidenter eduxit populum suum, et abiit in vallem Salinarum, percussitque filios Seir decem millia:

And he, with renewed confidence, led his own army out to the Valley of the Salt-pits, where they killed a thousand Edomites on the field;

And Amasias taking courage led forth his people, and went to the vale of saltpits, and slew of the children of Seir ten thousand.

et alia decem millia virorum ceperunt filii Juda, et adduxerunt ad præruptum cujusdam petræ, præcipitaveruntque eos de summo in præceps: qui universi crepuerunt.

ten thousand more they captured alive, and took them to a steep rock, from whose summit they threw them down headlong, so that all were dashed to pieces.

And other ten thousand men the sons of Juda took, and brought to the steep of a certain rock, and cast them down headlong from the top, and they all were broken to pieces.

At ille exercitus quem remiserat Amasias ne secum iret ad prælium, diffusus est in civitatibus Juda, a Samaria usque ad Bethoron, et interfectis tribus millibus, diripuit prædam magnam.

But meanwhile the army which Amasias had sent home, instead of taking them into battle with him, scattered here and there among the cities of Juda, all the way (from Samaria) to Bethoron, killing three thousand of the inhabitants, and carrying away great store of plunder.

But that army which Amasias had sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, spread themselves among the cities of Juda, from Samaria to Bethhoron, and having killed three thousand took away much spoil.

Amasias vero post cædem Idumæorum, et allatos deos filiorum Seir, statuit illos in deos sibi, et adorabat eos, et illis adolebat incensum.

After this victory over the Edomites, Amasias brought home with him some of the idols men worshipped there in Seir; and these gods he made his own, worshipping them himself and burning incense before them.

But Amasias after he had slain the Edomites, set up the gods of the children of Seir, which he had brought thence, to be his gods, and adored them, and burnt incense to them.

Quam ob rem iratus Dominus contra Amasiam misit ad illum prophetam, qui diceret ei: Cur adorasti deos qui non liberaverunt populum suum de manu tua?

And the Lord, much angered with him, sent a prophet to ask, What gods are these thou worshippest, that could not rescue their own people from thy onslaught?

Wherefore the Lord being angry against Amasias, sent a prophet to him, to say to him: Why hast thou adored gods that have not delivered their own people out of thy hand?

Cumque hæc ille loqueretur, respondit ei: Num consiliarius regis es? quiesce, ne interficiam te. Discedensque propheta: Scio, inquit, quod cogitaverit Deus occidere te quia fecisti hoc malum, et insuper non acquievisti consilio meo.

He answered, What, wouldst thou be the king’s counsellor? Peace, or thy life shall pay for it! And the prophet said, as he turned to go, So much ill done, and no heed paid to my counsel! Certain it is the Lord has doomed thee to die.

And when he spoke these things, he answered him: Art thou the king’s counsellor? be quiet, lest I kill thee. And the prophet departing, said: I know that God is minded to kill thee, because thou hast done this evil, and moreover hast not hearkened to my counsel.

Igitur Amasias rex Juda inito pessimo consilio, misit ad Joas filium Joachaz filii Jehu regem Israël, dicens: Veni, videamus nos mutuo.

And now Amasias, upon ill advice taken, sent a challenge to Joas, son of Joachaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, Come, let us have a trial of strength!

Then Amasias king of Juda taking very bad counsel, sent to Joas the son of Joachaz the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying: Come, let us see one another.

At ille remisit nuntios, dicens: Carduus qui est in Libano misit ad cedrum Libani, dicens: Da filiam tuam filio meo uxorem: et ecce bestiæ quæ erant in silva Libani, transierunt, et conculcaverunt carduum.

And this message he had in answer: Said Lebanon thistle to Lebanon cedar, Let my son have thy daughter to wife. But down came wild beasts from Lebanon forest, and all the thistle got was, he was trampled underfoot.

But he sent back the messengers, saying: The thistle that is in Libanus, sent to the cedar in Libanus, saying: Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and behold the beasts that were in the wood of Libanus passed by, and trod down the thistle.

Dixisti: Percussi Edom, et idcirco erigitur cor tuum in superbiam: sede in domo tua: cur malum adversum te provocas, ut cadas et tu, et Juda tecum?

At the thought of thy victory over Edom, thy heart is puffed up with pride. Keep thyself at home, do not invite disaster, to thy own and Juda’s ruin.

Thou hast said: I have overthrown Edom, and therefore thy heart is lifted up with pride: stay at home, why dost thou provoke evil against thee, that both thou shouldst fall and Juda with thee.

Noluit audire Amasias, eo quod Domini esset voluntas ut traderetur in manus hostium propter deos Edom.

But Amasias would have his way; the Lord’s will was that he should fall into his enemy’s hands, to punish him for worshipping the gods of Edom.

Amasias would not hearken to him, because it was the Lord’s will that he should be delivered into the hands of enemies, because of the gods of Edom.

Ascendit igitur Joas rex Israël, et mutuos sibi præbuere conspectus: Amasias autem rex Juda erat in Bethsames Juda:

So Joas, king of Israel, marched out, and they faced one another while Amasias, king of Juda, was still in his own territory, at Bethsames;

So Joas king of Israel went up, and they presented themselves to be seen by one another: and Amasias king of Juda was in Bethsames of Juda:

corruitque Juda coram Israël, et fugit in tabernacula sua.

here the men of Juda were routed by the Israelites, and scattered to their homes in flight.

And Juda fell before Israel and they fled to their dwellings.

Porro Amasiam regem Juda, filium Joas filii Joachaz, cepit Joas rex Israël in Bethsames, et adduxit in Jerusalem: destruxitque murum ejus a porta Ephraim usque ad portam anguli quadringentis cubitis.

Thus Amasias, son of Joas, son of Joachaz, king of Juda, was captured by Joas king of Israel at Bethsames, and taken back to his own city of Jerusalem; where Joas made a breach in the wall four hundred cubits long, from the gate of Ephraim to the Corner gate,

And Joas king of Israel took Amasias king of Juda, the son of Joas, the son of Joachaz, in Bethsames, and brought him to Jerusalem: and broke down the walls thereof from the gate of Ephraim, to the gate of the corner, four hundred cubits.

Omne quoque aurum et argentum, et universa vasa quæ repererat in domo Dei, et apud Obededom in thesauris etiam domus regiæ, necnon et filios obsidum, reduxit in Samariam.

carried off all the gold and silver and other ware that was to be found in the temple, in the treasury of Obededom, and in the royal treasury, took hostages besides, and so made his way back to Samaria.

And he took all the gold, and silver, and all the vessels, that he found in the house of God, and with Obededom, and in the treasures of the king’s house, moreover also the sons of the hostages, he brought back to Samaria.

Vixit autem Amasias filius Joas rex Juda, postquam mortuus est Joas filius Joachaz rex Israël, quindecim annis.

Amasias, son of Joas, king of Juda, survived this Joas, son of Joachaz, king of Israel, but fifteen years.

And Amasias the son of Joas king of Juda lived, after the death of Joas the son of Joachaz king of Israel, fifteen years.

Reliqua autem sermonum Amasiæ priorum et novissimorum scripta sunt in libro regum Juda et Israël.

What else Amasias did, first and last, is set down in the Record of the kings of Israel and Juda.

Now the rest of the acts of Amasias, the first and last, are written in the book of the kings of Juda and Israel.

Qui postquam recessit a Domino, tetenderunt ei insidias in Jerusalem. Cumque fugisset in Lachis, miserunt, et interfecerunt eum ibi.

But ever since he forsook the Lord, fresh troubles befell him. A conspiracy was made against him in Jerusalem, and when he fled to Lachis they sent in pursuit of him and put him to death there;

And after he revolted from the Lord, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem. And he fled into Lachis, and they sent, and killed him there.

Reportantesque super equos, sepelierunt eum cum patribus suis in civitate David.

afterwards his body was brought back to Jerusalem in a horse-litter, and there buried with his fathers in David’s Keep.

And they brought him back upon horses, and buried him with his fathers in the city of David.