Transierunt igitur tres anni absque bello inter Syriam et Israël.

The peace between Syria and Israel lasted three years.

And there passed three years without war between Syria and Israel.

In anno autem tertio, descendit Josaphat rex Juda ad regem Israël.

In the third year, during a visit from king Josaphat, of Juda,

And in the third year, Josaphat king of Juda came down to the king of Israel.

(Dixitque rex Israël ad servos suos: Ignoratis quod nostra sit Ramoth Galaad, et negligimus tollere eam de manu regis Syriæ?)

the king of Israel said to his courtiers, Here is Ramoth-Galaad, a city (as you all know) that belongs to us; and yet we leave it in the king of Syria’s hands!

(And the king of Israel said to his servants: Know ye not that Ramoth Galaad is ours, and we neglect to take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?)

Et ait ad Josaphat: Veniesne mecum ad præliandum in Ramoth Galaad?

Then he turned to Josaphat and asked, Shall I have thy aid in attacking Ramoth-Galaad?

And he said to Josaphat: Wilt thou come with me to battle to Ramoth Galaad?

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.

Why, said he, thou and I are at one; my army, my horses, they are all thine. But Josaphat would have Achab consult the Lord first.

And Josaphat said to the king of Israel: As I am, so art thou: my people and thy people are one: and my horsemen, thy horsemen. And Josaphat said to the king of Israel: Inquire, I beseech thee, this day, the word of the Lord.

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 Achab sent for his prophets, some four hundred in number, and asked whether he 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.

Then the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and he said to them: Shall I go to Ramoth Galaad to fight, or shall I forbear? They answered: Go up, and the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.

Dixit autem Josaphat: Non est hic propheta Domini quispiam, ut interrogemus per eum?

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

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

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.

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

And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: There is one man left, by whom we may inquire of the Lord: Micheas the son of Jemla; but I hate him, for he doth not prophecy good to me, but evil. And Josaphat said: Speak not so, O king.

Vocavit ergo rex Israël eunuchum quemdam, et dixit ei: Festina adducere Michæam filium Jemla.

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

Then the king of Israel called an eunuch, and said to him: Make haste, and bring hither Micheas the son of Jemla.

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.

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.

Then the king of Israel, and Josaphat king of Juda, sat each on his throne clothed with royal robes, in a court by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied before them.

Fecit quoque sibi Sedecias filius Chanaana cornua ferrea, et ait: Hæc dicit Dominus: His ventilabis Syriam, donec deleas eam.

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.

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

Omnesque prophetæ similiter prophetabant, dicentes: Ascende in Ramoth Galaad, et vade prospere, et tradet Dominus in manus regis.

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.

And all the prophets prophesied in like manner, saying: Go up to Ramoth Galaad, and prosper, for the Lord will deliver it into the king’s hands.

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.

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

And the messenger, that went to call Micheas, spoke to him, saying: Behold the words of the prophets with one mouth declare good things to the king: let thy word therefore be like to theirs, and speak that which is good.

Cui Michæas ait: Vivit Dominus, quia quodcumque dixerit mihi Dominus, hoc loquar.

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

But Micheas said to him: As the Lord liveth, whatsoever the Lord shall say to me, that will I speak.

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.

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, and a blessing on thy journey! The Lord means to make the king’s grace master of it.

So he came to the king, and the king said to him: Micheas, shall we go to Ramoth Galaad to battle, or shall we forbear? He answered him: Go up, and prosper, and the Lord shall deliver it into the king’s hands.

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

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

But the king said to him: I adjure thee again and again, that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the Lord.

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.

Listen then, said he; I had a vision of all Israel as sheep, that strayed because they had no shepherd, and the Lord’s word came, They have no master now; let them disperse to their home in peace.

And he said: I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, like sheep that have no shepherd: and the Lord said: These have no master: let every man of them return to his house in peace.

(Dixit ergo rex Israël ad Josaphat: Numquid non dixi tibi, quia non prophetat mihi bonum, sed semper malum?)

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

(Then the king of Israel said to Josaphat: Did I not tell thee, that he prophesieth no good to me, but always evil?)

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:

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.

And he added and said: Hear thou 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:

et ait Dominus: Quis decipiet Achab regem Israël, ut ascendat, et cadat in Ramoth Galaad? Et dixit unus verba hujuscemodi, et alius aliter.

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;

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

Egressus est autem spiritus, et stetit coram Domino, et ait: Ego decipiam illum. Cui locutus est Dominus: In quo?

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.

And 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?

Et ille ait: Egrediar, et ero spiritus mendax in ore omnium prophetarum ejus. Et dixit Dominus: Decipies, et prævalebis: egredere, et fac ita.

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.

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

Nunc igitur ecce dedit Dominus spiritum mendacii in ore omnium prophetarum tuorum, qui hic sunt, et Dominus locutus est contra te malum.

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.

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

Accessit autem Sedecias filius Chanaana, et percussit Michæam in maxillam, et dixit: Mene ergo dimisit spiritus Domini, et locutus est tibi?

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?

And Sedecias the son of Chanaana came, and struck Micheas on the cheek, and said: Hath then the spirit of the Lord left me, and spoken to thee?

Et ait Michæas: Visurus es in die illa quando ingredieris cubiculum intra cubiculum ut abscondaris.

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

And Micheas said: Thou shalt see in the day when thou shalt go into a chamber within a chamber to hide thyself.

Et ait rex Israël: Tollite Michæam, et maneat apud Amon principem civitatis, et apud Joas filium Amelech,

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

And the king of Israel said: Take Micheas, and let him abide with Ammon the governor of the city, and with Joas the son of Amalech.

et dicite eis: Hæc dicit rex: Mittite virum istum in carcerem, et sustentate eum pane tribulationis, et aqua angustiæ, donec revertar in pace.

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.

And tell them: Thus saith the king: Put this man in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction, and water of distress, till I return in peace.

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

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

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

Ascendit itaque rex Israël, et Josaphat rex Juda, in Ramoth Galaad.

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

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

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.

And Achab would have Josaphat go to battle in full armour and all his royal array, while he himself went to battle in disguise.

And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: Take armour, and go into the battle, and put on thy own garments. But the king of Israel changed his dress, and went into the battle.

Rex autem Syriæ præceperat principibus curruum triginta duobus, dicens: Non pugnabitis contra minorem et majorem quempiam, nisi contra regem Israël solum.

Meanwhile, to all the thirty-two commanders who now marshalled his chariots, the king of Syria had given the same orders: Press for no other mark, high or low, but the king of Israel himself.

And the king of Syria had commanded the two and thirty captains of the chariots, saying: You shall not fight against any, small or great, but against the king of Israel only.

Cum ergo vidissent principes curruum Josaphat, suspicati sunt quod ipse esset rex Israël, et impetu facto pugnabant contra eum: et exclamavit Josaphat.

And these, upon sight of Josaphat, supposed that they had the king of Israel here; it was against him, then, that they directed their onslaught;

So when the captains of the chariots saw Josaphat, they suspected that he was the king of Israel, and making a violent assault they fought against him: and Josaphat cried out.

Intellexeruntque principes curruum quod non esset rex Israël, et cessaverunt ab eo.

but when he cried aloud, they knew that this was not the king of Israel, and so let him be.

And the captains of the chariots perceived that he was not the king of Israel, and they turned away from him.

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.

It was an archer who bent his bow and let fly a shaft at haphazard that gave Achab a chance wound; it fell between lungs and gullet, and Achab bade his charioteer wheel about, and carry him away from the fight, so grievous his wound was.

And a certain man bent his bow, shooting at a venture, and chanced to strike the king of Israel between the lungs and the stomach. But he said to the driver of his chariot: Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the army, for I am grievously wounded.

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,

All that day the battle raged, and still the king of Israel stood upright in his chariot, facing the Syrians, and did not die till evening, though the blood from his wound flowed ever into the body of his chariot.

And the battle was fought that day, and the king of Israel stood in his chariot against the Syrians, and he died in the evening: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.

et præco insonuit in universo exercitu antequam sol occumberet, dicens: Unusquisque revertatur in civitatem, et in terram suam.

Then, before sunset, a herald raised a cry all through the ranks, bidding every man return to his own region and city.

And the herald proclaimed through all the army before the sun set, saying: Let every man return to his own city, and to his own country.

Mortuus est autem rex, et perlatus est in Samariam: sepelieruntque regem in Samaria,

So the king died, and was carried back to Samaria, where they buried him;

And the king died, and was carried into Samaria: and they buried the king in Samaria.

et laverunt currum ejus in piscina Samariæ: et linxerunt canes sanguinem ejus, et habenas laverunt, juxta verbum Domini quod locutus fuerat.

and there the dogs licked his blood, for they washed his chariot and his chariot-reins in the pool at Samaria; and so the threat which the Lord had uttered was fulfilled.

And they washed his chariot in the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and they washed the reins, according to the word of the Lord which he had spoken.

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?

What else Achab did, all his history, and the record of the ivory palace he raised and the cities he built, is to be found in the Annals of the kings of Israel.

But the rest of the acts of Achab, and all that he did, and the house of ivory that he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?

Dormivit ergo Achab cum patribus suis, et regnavit Ochozias filius ejus pro eo.

Achab, then, was laid to rest with his fathers, and the throne passed to his son Ochozias.

So Achab slept with his fathers, and Ochozias his son reigned in his stead.

Josaphat vero filius Asa regnare cœperat super Judam anno quarto Achab regis Israël.

This Josaphat, son of Asa, had become king of Juda in the fourth year of Achab;

But Josaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Juda in the fourth year of Achab king of Israel.

Triginta quinque annorum erat cum regnare cœpisset, et viginti quinque annis regnavit in Jerusalem: nomen matris ejus Azuba filia Salai.

he was thirty-five years old when he came to the throne, and his reign in Jerusalem lasted twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azuba, daughter of Salai.

He was five and thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned five and twenty years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Azuba the daughter of Salai.

Et ambulavit in omni via Asa patris sui, et non declinavit ex ea: fecitque quod rectum erat in conspectu Domini.

He followed the example of his father Asa, and never swerved aside from the Lord’s will;

And he walked in all the way of Asa his father, and he declined not from it: and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord.

Verumtamen excelsa non abstulit: adhuc enim populus sacrificabat, et adolebat incensum in excelsis.

though indeed he did not abolish the hill-shrines; men still offered sacrifice and incense on the mountain-tops.

Nevertheless he took not away the high places: for as yet the people offered sacrifices and burnt incense in the high places.

Pacemque habuit Josaphat cum rege Israël.

With the king of Israel, he lived on terms of peace.

And Josaphat had peace with the king of Israel.

Reliqua autem verborum Josaphat, et opera ejus quæ gessit, et prælia, nonne hæc scripta sunt in libro verborum dierum regum Juda?

What else Josaphat did, the record of his high exploits and of the battles he fought, is to be found in the Annals of the kings of Juda.

But the rest of the acts of Josaphat, and his works which he did, and his battles, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Juda?

Sed et reliquias effeminatorum qui remanserant in diebus Asa patris ejus, abstulit de terra.

He it was that rid the land of all the shrine-prostitutes his father Asa had left.

And the remnant also of the effeminate, who remained in the days of Asa his father, he took out of the land.

Nec erat tunc rex constitutus in Edom.

Since there was no king in Edom at this time to bar his way,

And there was then no king appointed in Edom.

Rex vero Josaphat fecerat classes in mari, quæ navigarent in Ophir propter aurum: et ire non potuerunt, quia confractæ sunt in Asiongaber.

Josaphat would build a fleet in the southern sea to sail out and fetch gold from Ophir, but sail they might not, for they were all wrecked, there at Asion-Gaber.

But king Josaphat made navies on the sea, to sail into Ophir for gold: but they could not go, for the ships were broken in Asiongaber.

Tunc ait Ochozias filius Achab ad Josaphat: Vadant servi mei cum servis tuis in navibus. Et noluit Josaphat.

(Achab’s son Ochozias had requested at this time that mariners from his own country might sail with Josaphat’s, but Josaphat would not consent.)

Then Ochozias the son of Achab said to Josaphat: Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. And Josaphat would not.

Dormivitque Josaphat cum patribus suis, et sepultus est cum eis in civitate David patris sui: regnavitque Joram filius ejus pro eo.

So Josaphat was laid to rest with his fathers, with the Keep of his ancestor David for his resting-place, and the throne passed to his son Joram.

And Josaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with them in the city of David his father: and Joram his son reigned in his stead.

Ochozias autem filius Achab regnare cœperat super Israël in Samaria, anno septimodecimo Josaphat regis Juda: regnavitque super Israël duobus annis.

Ochozias, son of Achab, was crowned king of Israel at Samaria in the seventeenth year of Josaphat, and his reign over Israel lasted two years.

And Ochozias the son of Achab began to reign over Israel in Samaria, in the seventeenth year of Josaphat king of Juda, and he reigned over Israel two years,

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 defied the Lord’s will, following the example of his own father and mother, and of Jeroboam, that taught Israel to sin.

And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father and his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who made Israel to sin.

Servivit quoque Baal, et adoravit eum, et irritavit Dominum Deum Israël, juxta omnia quæ fecerat pater ejus.

To Baal’s service he gave himself and Baal’s worship, and earned, as his father had earned, the displeasure of the Lord God of Israel.

He served also Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked the Lord the God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.