Porro Benadad rex Syriæ congregavit omnem exercitum suum, et triginta duos reges secum, et equos, et currus: et ascendens pugnabat contra Samariam, et obsidebat eam.

After this, Benadad king of Syria mustered his whole army, with thirty-two princes at its head, mustered all his horses and chariots, and would take Samaria by siege.

And Benadad, king of Syria, gathered together all his host, and there were two and thirty kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and going up, he fought against Samaria, and besieged it.

Mittensque nuntios ad Achab regem Israël in civitatem,

Achab, king of Israel, was within the city;

And, sending messengers to Achab king of Israel into the city,

ait: Hæc dicit Benadad: Argentum tuum, et aurum tuum meum est: et uxores tuæ, et filii tui optimi, mei sunt.

and to him Benadad sent messengers demanding the surrender of his silver and gold, his wives, too, and all the likeliest of his sons.

He said: Thus saith Benadad: Thy silver, and thy gold is mine: and thy wives, and thy goodliest children are mine.

Responditque rex Israël: Juxta verbum tuum, domine mi rex, tuus sum ego, et omnia mea.

My lord king, answered Achab, I accept thy terms; all that I have is at thy disposal.

And the king of Israel answered: According to thy word, my lord O king, I am thine, and all that I have.

Revertentesque nuntii, dixerunt: Hæc dicit Benadad, qui misit nos ad te: Argentum tuum, et aurum tuum, et uxores tuas, et filios tuos, dabis mihi.

But now the messengers came back to him with a fresh demand from Benadad, Silver and gold, wives and sons, thou must hand over to me;

And the messengers came again, and said: Thus saith Benadad, who sent us unto thee: Thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children thou shalt deliver up to me.

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.

and meanwhile, at this time tomorrow, envoys of mine shall visit thee, to search thy palace and thy courtiers’ houses; to these thou must give up all they have a mind to carry away with them.

To morrow therefore at this same hour I will send my servants to thee, and they shall search thy house, and the houses of thy servants: and all that pleaseth them, they shall put in their hands, and take away.

Vocavit autem rex Israël omnes seniores terræ, 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.

Thereupon the king of Israel summoned all the elders of his land; Mark well, he said, how craftily this man deals with us; this is my reward for consenting to give up wives and sons, silver and gold, at his demand.

And the king of Israel called all the ancients of the land, and said: Mark, and see that he layeth snares for us. For he sent to me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver and gold: and I said not nay.

Dixeruntque omnes majores natu, et universus populus, ad eum: Non audias, neque acquiescas illi.

Elders and people had but one thought; there must be no listening to Benadad, no granting his will.

And all the ancients, and all the people said to him: Hearken not to him, nor consent to him.

Respondit itaque nuntiis Benadad: Dicite domino meo regi: Omnia propter quæ misisti ad me servum tuum in initio, faciam: hanc autem rem facere non possum.

Achab, then, thus answered Benadad’s messengers, Tell my lord the king, I am thy servant, and ready to carry out that first demand of thine; but this I cannot grant.

Wherefore he answered the messengers of Benadad: Tell my lord the king: All that thou didst send for to me thy servant at first, I will do: but this thing I cannot do.

Reversique nuntii retulerunt ei. Qui remisit, et ait: Hæc faciant mihi dii, et hæc addant, si suffecerit pulvis Samariæ pugillis omnis populi qui sequitur me.

And he, when the answer was reported to him, sent them back with this message, May the gods punish me as I deserve, and more than I deserve, if I do not beat Samaria to dust! I have more than enough warriors here at my back to carry it away in handfuls.

And the messengers returning brought him word. And he sent again and said: Such and such things may the gods do to me, and more may they add, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.

Et respondens rex Israël, ait: Dicite ei: Ne glorietur, accinctus æque ut discinctus.

To that, the king of Israel made reply, Boast he may who ungirds, not he who girds for battle.

And the king of Israel answering, said: Tell him: Let not the girded boast himself as the ungirded.

Factum est autem cum audisset Benadad verbum istud, bibebat ipse et reges in umbraculis: et ait servis suis: Circumdate civitatem. Et circumdederunt eam.

This taunt came to the ears of Benadad when he sat drinking with his princes in his royal pavilions. Besiege me the city, he told his men, and besiege it they did.

And it came to pass, when Benadad heard this word, that he and the kings were drinking in pavilions, and he said to his servants: Beset the city. And they beset it.

Et ecce propheta unus accedens ad Achab regem Israël, ait ei: Hæc dicit Dominus: Certe vidisti omnem multitudinem hanc nimiam? ecce ego tradam eam in manu tua hodie, ut scias quia ego sum Dominus.

And now a prophet came with a message from the Lord to Achab, king of Israel: Thou canst see for thyself what a great multitude of warriors is here; over all that multitude I mean to give thee victory this day, and prove to thee that I am the Lord.

And behold a prophet coming to Achab king of Israel, said to him: Thus saith the Lord: Hast thou seen all this exceeding great multitude, behold I will deliver them into thy hand this day: that thou mayest know that I am the Lord.

Et ait Achab: Per quem? Dixitque ei: Hæc dicit Dominus: Per pedissequos principum provinciarum. Et ait: Quis incipiet præliari? Et ille dixit: Tu.

Victory? said Achab. And who shall win it for us? Whereupon the prophet gave him this answer from the Lord, It shall be the lackeys the chiefs have brought with them. And when Achab asked who should lead them, he told him, Thou thyself.

And Achab said: By whom? And he said to him: Thus saith the Lord: By the servants of the princes of the provinces. And he said: Who shall begin to fight? And he said: Thou.

Recensuit ergo pueros principum provinciarum, et reperit numerum ducentorum triginta duorum: et recensuit post eos populum, omnes filios Israël, septem millia.

So he took count of the lackeys the chiefs had in their retinue, and found there were two hundred and thirty-two of these; then he took count of his army, the whole army of Israel, seven thousand strong.

So he mustered the servants of the princes of the provinces, and he found the number of two hundred and thirty-two: and he mustered after them the people, all the children of Israel, seven thousand:

Et egressi sunt meridie. Benadad autem bibebat temulentus in umbraculo suo, et reges triginta duo cum eo, qui ad auxilium ejus venerant.

When it was high noon, they sallied out from the city, while Benadad still drank deep in his pavilion, with the princes that had come to aid him;

And they went out at noon. But Benadad was drinking himself drunk in his pavilion, and the two and thirty kings with him, who were come to help him.

Egressi sunt autem pueri principum provinciarum in prima fronte. Misit itaque Benadad: qui nuntiaverunt ei, dicentes: Viri egressi sunt de Samaria.

and the lackeys marched at their head. Benadad, when his scouts told him that a sally was being made from Samaria,

And the servants of the princes of the provinces went out first. And Benadad sent. And they told him, saying: There are men come out of Samaria.

Et ille ait: Sive pro pace veniunt, apprehendite eos vivos: sive ut prælientur, vivos eos capite.

gave orders that the men should be taken alive, came they out peaceably or for battle.

And he said: Whether they come for peace, take them alive: or whether they come to fight, take them alive.

Egressi sunt ergo pueri principum provinciarum, ac reliquus exercitus sequebatur:

So on they went, the lackeys in the van, and the rest of the army at their heels,

So the servants of the princes of the provinces went out, and the rest of the army followed:

et percussit unusquisque virum qui contra se veniebat: fugeruntque Syri, et persecutus est eos Israël. Fugit quoque Benadad rex Syriæ in equo cum equitibus suis.

and none but slew the first enemy he met; so that the Syrians were routed, and Israel went in pursuit of them. Benadad king of Syria escaped on horse-back among his cavalry,

And every one slew the man that came against him: and the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued after them. And Benadad king of Syria fled away on horseback with his horsemen.

Necnon egressus rex Israël percussit equos et currus, et percussit Syriam plaga magna.

and still horse and chariot fell before the king of Israel’s sally, till he won a great victory over the men of Syria.

But the king of Israel going out overthrew the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.

Accedens autem propheta ad regem Israël, dixit ei: Vade, et confortare, et scito, et vide quid facias: sequenti enim anno rex Syriæ ascendet contra te.

But the prophet sought him out again and warned him, Go back and strengthen thy forces; take good heed what thou art doing; in this next year the king of Syria will be marching against thee.

(And a prophet coming to the king of Israel, said to him: Go, and strengthen thyself, and know, and see what thou dost: for the next year the king of Syria will come up against thee.)

Servi vero regis Syriæ dixerunt ei: Dii montium sunt dii eorum, ideo superaverunt nos: sed melius est ut pugnemus contra eos in campestribus, et obtinebimus eos.

In Syria, the king’s advisers told him, If the Israelites have defeated us, that is because their gods are gods of the hills; best to offer them battle on the low-lying ground, where we shall have them at our mercy.

But the servants of the king of Syria said to him: Their gods are gods of the hills, therefore they have overcome us: but it is better that we should fight against them in the plains, and we shall overcome them.

Tu ergo verbum hoc fac: amove reges singulos ab exercitu tuo, et pone principes pro eis:

Meanwhile, something remains to be done; remove the princes, one and all, from their posts, and appoint commanders of thy own in place of them.

Do thou therefore this thing: Remove all the kings from thy army, and put captains in their stead:

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.

Then fill up the gaps in the ranks of thy army, muster as many horses and chariots as thou hadst of old, and we will fight them in the plains; see if we do not get the mastery of them. Benadad was won over by their advice, and took it;

And make up the number of soldiers that have been slain of thine, and horses according to the former horses, and chariots according to the chariots which thou hadst before: and we will fight against them in the plains, and thou shalt see that we shall overcome them. He believed their counsel and did so.

Igitur postquam annus transierat, recensuit Benadad Syros, et ascendit in Aphec ut pugnaret contra Israël.

when a year had passed, he marshalled the Syrian forces and led them out to Aphec, where he offered Israel battle.

Wherefore at the return of the year, Benadad mustered the Syrians, and went up to Aphec, to fight against Israel.

Porro filii Israël recensiti sunt, et acceptis cibariis profecti ex adverso, castraque metati sunt contra eos, quasi duo parvi greges caprarum: Syri autem repleverunt terram.

The men of Israel marshalled their forces too, provided themselves with food for the march and went out to meet the enemy. Where they lay encamped opposite, they seemed like two little herds of goats, while the Syrians swarmed over the country-side.

And the children of Israel were mustered, and taking victuals went out on the other side, and encamped over against them, like two little flocks of goats: but the Syrians filled the land.

(Et accedens unus vir Dei, dixit ad regem Israël: Hæc dicit Dominus: Quia dixerunt Syri: Deus montium est Dominus, et non est Deus vallium: dabo omnem multitudinem hanc grandem in manu tua, et scietis quia ego sum Dominus.)

To the king of Israel God sent out one of his servants with this message: Thus says the Lord, Thinks Syria that I am God of the hills, and not of the valleys too? Over all this great array I will give thee victory; such proof you shall have that I am the Lord.

(And a man of God coming, said to the king of Israel: Thus saith the Lord: Because the Syrians have said: The Lord is God of the hills, but is not God of the valleys: I will deliver all this great multitude into thy hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.)

Dirigebantque septem diebus ex adverso hi atque illi acies, septima autem die commissum est bellum: percusseruntque filii Israël de Syris centum millia peditum in die una.

So, for seven days, the armies stood threatening one another, and on the seventh battle was joined; on that one day the men of Israel routed a hundred thousand Syrians that fought on foot.

And both sides set their armies in array one against the other seven days, and on the seventh day the battle was fought: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians a hundred thousand footmen in one day.

Fugerunt autem qui remanserant in Aphec, in civitatem: et cecidit murus super viginti septem millia hominum qui remanserant. Porro Benadad fugiens ingressus est civitatem, in cubiculum quod erat intra cubiculum.

Those who survived took refuge in the city of Aphec, where the wall fell on them, twenty-seven thousand in number. As for Benadad, when he made his way into the city he took refuge in an inner room;

And they that remained fled to Aphec, into the city: and the wall fell upon seven and twenty thousand men, that were left. And Benadad fleeing went into the city, into a chamber that was within a chamber.

Dixeruntque ei servi sui: Ecce, audivimus quod reges domus Israël clementes sint: ponamus itaque saccos in lumbis nostris, et funiculos in capitibus nostris, et egrediamur ad regem Israël: forsitan salvabit animas nostras.

and there his courtiers told him, This is the tale we have heard about the kings of Israel, that they are merciful men. Let us put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes on our heads, and give ourselves up to the king of Israel; it may be he will spare our lives.

And his servants said to him: Behold, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful: so let us put sackcloths on our loins, and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: perhaps he will save our lives.

Accinxerunt saccis lumbos suos, et posuerunt funiculos in capitibus suis, veneruntque ad regem Israël, et dixerunt ei: Servus tuus Benadad dicit: Vivat, oro te, anima mea. Et ille ait: Si adhuc vivit, frater meus est.

So, with sackcloth on their loins and ropes on their heads, they betook themselves to the king of Israel; Thy servant Benadad, they told him, pleads for his life. And Achab answered, Lives he yet, he is my brother.

So they girded sackcloths on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said to him: Thy servant Benadad saith: I beseech thee let me have my life. And he said: If he be yet alive he is my brother.

Quod acceperunt viri pro omine: et festinantes rapuerunt verbum ex ore ejus, atque dixerunt: Frater tuus Benadad. Et dixit eis: Ite, et adducite eum ad me. Egressus est ergo ad eum Benadad, et levavit eum in currum suum.

Whereupon, seizing from his lips that word of welcome augury, they cried, Benadad! He is thy brother! So Achab bade them fetch him; and when Benadad came out, would have him mount his own chariot.

The men took this for a sign: and in haste caught the word out of his mouth, and said: Thy brother Benadad. And he said to them: Go, and bring him to me. Then Benadad came out to him, and he lifted him up into his chariot.

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 fœderatus recedam a te. Pepigit ergo fœdus, et dimisit eum.

And now Benadad promised, I will give thee back the cities my father took from thine, and thou shalt have streets in Damascus, as my father had in Samaria, and I will go home at peace with thee. So Achab made peace with him, and let him go his way.

And he said to him: The cities which my father took from thy father, I will restore: and do thou make thee streets in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria, and having made a league I will depart from thee. So he made a league with him, and let him go.

Tunc vir quidam de filiis prophetarum dixit ad socium suum in sermone Domini: Percute me. At ille noluit percutere.

But now the Lord sent his inspiration to a disciple in the schools of the prophets. He bade one of his fellow disciples strike him a blow, and when he refused,

Then a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his companion in the word of the Lord: Strike me. But he would not strike.

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.

told him, Thou shalt be punished for disobeying the Lord’s voice thus. Thou shalt be mauled by a lion, said he; and they had barely parted when his fellow disciple met a lion, and was mauled by it.

Then he said to him: Because thou wouldst not hearken to the word of the Lord, behold thou shalt depart from me, and a lion shall slay thee. And when he was gone a little from him, a lion found him, and slew him.

Sed et alterum inveniens virum, dixit ad eum: Percute me. Qui percussit eum, et vulneravit.

Meanwhile, his fellow disciple sought out another; Strike me a blow, he asked of him, and strike he did, leaving a wound on him.

Then he found another man, and said to him: Strike me. And he struck him, and wounded him.

Abiit ergo propheta, et occurrit regi in via, et mutavit aspersione pulveris os et oculos suos.

So the prophet went out to meet the king on the open road, first smearing his face and eyes with dust;

So the prophet went, and met the king in the way, and disguised himself by sprinkling dust on his face and his eyes.

Cumque rex transisset, clamavit ad regem, et ait: Servus tuus egressus est ad præliandum cominus: cumque fugisset vir unus, adduxit eum quidam ad me, et ait: Custodi virum istum: qui si lapsus fuerit, erit anima tua pro anima ejus, aut talentum argenti appendes.

and as the king passed, he cried out to him, My lord, a word with thee! I was lately in the thick of the battle, and one brought a fugitive to me, bidding me mount guard over him; did he slip through my hands, it was my life for his, or else I must pay a talent of silver.

And as the king passed by, he cried to the king, and said: Thy servant went out to fight hand to hand: and when a certain man was run away, one brought him to me, and said: Keep this man: and if he shall slip away, thy life shall be for his life, or thou shalt pay a talent of silver.

Dum autem ego turbatus huc illucque me verterem, subito non comparuit. Et ait rex Israël ad eum: Hoc est judicium tuum, quod ipse decrevisti.

And then, as I looked this way and that in the press, all at once he was gone. Why then, said the king of Israel, thou must pay the forfeit that was named.

And whilst I in a hurry turned this way and that, on a sudden he was not to be seen. And the king of Israel said to him: This is thy judgment, which thyself hast decreed.

At ille statim abstersit pulverem de facie sua, et cognovit eum rex Israël, quod esset de prophetis.

With that, he wiped the dust from his face, so that the king of Israel knew him for one of the prophets;

But he forthwith wiped off the dust from his face, and the king of Israel knew him, that he was one of the prophets.

Qui ait ad eum: Hæc dicit Dominus: Quia dimisisti virum dignum morte de manu tua, erit anima tua pro anima ejus, et populus tuus pro populo ejus.

and he gave him this message from the Lord, And thou, hast thou not let a man worthy of death slip through thy hands? Thy life shall pay for his life, thy people for his people.

And he said to him: Thus saith the Lord: Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man worthy of death thy life shall be for his life, and thy people for his people.

Reversus est igitur rex Israël in domum suam, audire contemnens, et furibundus venit in Samariam.

A sullen man was the king of Israel and an ill man to cross when he reached his home in Samaria.

And the king of Israel returned to his house, slighting to hear, and raging came into Samaria.