Dixerunt autem filii prophetarum ad Eliseum: Ecce locus in quo habitamus coram te, angustus est nobis.

There was a time when his disciples complained to Eliseus that they had no room to live there in his company;

And the sons of the prophets said to Eliseus: Behold the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.

Eamus usque ad Jordanem, et tollant singuli de silva materias singulas, ut ædificemus nobis ibi locum ad habitandum. Qui dixit: Ite.

and they asked leave to take the road for Jordan, cut down, each of them, his load of timber from the forest, and build themselves a house there. Then, when he had given them leave,

Let us go as far as the Jordan and take out of the wood every man a piece of timber, that we may build us there a place to dwell in. And he said: Go.

Et ait unus ex illis: Veni ergo et tu cum servis tuis. Respondit: Ego veniam.

one of them said to him, Master, do thou come with us. Come with you I will said he,

And one of them said: But come thou also with thy servants. He answered: I will come.

Et abiit cum eis. Cumque venissent ad Jordanem, cædebant ligna.

and bore them company. So they reached the Jordan, and began felling wood.

So he went with them. And when they were come to the Jordan they cut down wood.

Accidit autem ut cum unus materiam succidisset, caderet ferrum securis in aquam: exclamavitque ille, et ait: Heu! heu! heu! domine mi: et hoc ipsum mutuo acceperam.

It chanced that one of them, in felling a beam, let his axe-head fall into the river; and at that he cried aloud, Alas, alas, master! It was a borrowed axe, too!

And it happened, as one was felling some timber, that the head of the axe fell into the water: and he cried out, and said: Alas, alas, alas, my lord, for this same was borrowed.

Dixit autem homo Dei: Ubi cecidit? At ille monstravit ei locum. Præcidit ergo lignum, et misit illuc: natavitque ferrum,

Where fell it? the prophet asked; and when the place was shewn to him, he cut a stick and threw it in there; whereupon the iron floated to the surface.

And the man of God said: Where did it fall? and he shewed him the place. Then he cut off a piece of wood, and cast it in thither: and the iron swam.

et ait: Tolle. Qui extendit manum, et tulit illud.

It is there to thy hand, said he, and the disciple put out his hand and took it.

And he said: Take it up. And he put out his hand and took it.

Rex autem Syriæ pugnabat contra Israël, consiliumque iniit cum servis suis, dicens: In loco illo et illo ponamus insidias.

When the king of Syria went to battle with Israel, he would hold a council of war, and name some place where he would lay an ambush;

And the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying: In such and such a place let us lay ambushes.

Misit itaque vir Dei ad regem Israël, dicens: Cave ne transeas in locum illum: quia ibi Syri in insidiis sunt.

and ever word came from Eliseus to the king of Israel, Beware how thou marchest by such and such a place; the Syrians are lying in wait there.

And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying: Beware that thou pass not to such a place: for the Syrians are there in ambush.

Misit itaque rex Israël ad locum quem dixerat ei vir Dei, et præoccupavit eum, et observavit se ibi non semel neque bis.

Then the king of Israel would send and make sure of the place the prophet had told him of; and so he avoided danger, not once but many times.

And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God had told him, and prevented him, and looked well to himself there not once nor twice.

Conturbatumque est cor regis Syriæ pro hac re: et convocatis servis suis, ait: Quare non indicatis mihi quis proditor mei sit apud regem Israël?

At this, the king of Syria’s mind much misgave him; and at last he summoned his council and asked, was there no learning the name of this traitor that revealed his plans to the king of Israel?

And the heart of the king of Syria was troubled for this thing. And calling together his servants, he said: Why do you not tell me who it is that betrays me to the king of Israel?

Dixitque unus servorum ejus: Nequaquam, domine mi rex, sed Eliseus propheta qui est in Israël, indicat regi Israël omnia verba quæcumque locutus fueris in conclavi tuo.

Whereupon one of his courtiers told him, Nay, my lord king, it is the Israelite prophet, Eliseus, that discloses to him the secrets of thy council-chamber.

And one of his servants said: No one, my lord O king: but Eliseus the prophet, that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel all the words, that thou speakest in thy privy chamber.

Dixitque eis: Ite, et videte ubi sit, ut mittam, et capiam eum. Annuntiaveruntque ei, dicentes: Ecce in Dothan.

Why then, the king said, go and find out where he is, so that I can send and take him prisoner. And when news came that Eliseus was in Dothain,

And he said to them: Go, and see where he is: that I may send, and take him. And they told him, saying: Behold he is in Dothan.

Misit ergo illuc equos et currus, et robur exercitus: qui cum venissent nocte, circumdederunt civitatem.

he sent horses and chariots and the pick of his army there, to surround the city at dead of night.

Therefore he sent thither horses and chariots, and the strength of an army: and they came by night, and beset the city.

Consurgens autem diluculo minister viri Dei, egressus vidit exercitum in circuitu civitatis, et equos et currus: nuntiavitque ei, dicens: Heu! heu! heu! domine mi: quid faciemus?

The prophet had a servant that was early abroad next day, and found the whole city beleaguered by armed men and horses and chariots; and as he brought the news, he cried out, Alas, alas, master, what shift will serve us now?

And the servant of the man of God rising early, went out, and saw an army round about the city, and horses and chariots: and he told him, saying: Alas, alas, alas, my lord, what shall we do?

At ille respondit: Noli timere: plures enim nobiscum sunt, quam cum illis.

Do not be afraid, said he; we have more on our side than they on theirs.

But he answered: Fear not: for there are more with us than with them.

Cumque orasset Eliseus, ait: Domine, aperi oculos hujus, ut videat. Et aperuit Dominus oculos pueri, et vidit: et ecce mons plenus equorum et curruum igneorum in circuitu Elisei.

Open his eyes, Lord, Eliseus prayed; give him clear sight. Thereupon the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and clear sight came to him; all at once he saw the whole mountain-side beset with flaming horses and chariots, there about Eliseus.

And Eliseus prayed, and said: Lord, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw: and behold the mountain was full of horses, and chariots of fire round about Eliseus.

Hostes vero descenderunt ad eum: porro Eliseus oravit ad Dominum, dicens: Percute, obsecro, gentem hanc cæcitate. Percussitque eos Dominus ne viderent, juxta verbum Elisei.

Then, as the enemy closed in upon him, Eliseus prayed to the Lord anew, asking that this whole multitude might be smitten with blindness; and sightless the Lord smote them, at Eliseus’ prayer.

And the enemies came down to him, but Eliseus prayed to the Lord, saying: Strike, I beseech thee, this people with blindness. And the Lord struck them with blindness, according to the word of Eliseus.

Dixit autem ad eos Eliseus: Non est hæc via, neque ista est civitas: sequimini me, et ostendam vobis virum quem quæritis. Duxit ergo eos in Samariam:

Eliseus would have it that they had taken the wrong road and reached the wrong city; Come with me, he said, and I will shew you the man you are looking for. So he led them to Samaria;

And Eliseus said to them: This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will shew you the man whom you seek. So he led them into Samaria.

cumque ingressi fuissent in Samariam, dixit Eliseus: Domine, aperi oculos istorum, ut videant. Aperuitque Dominus oculos eorum, et viderunt se esse in medio Samariæ.

and once they were there, he prayed anew, that their eyes might be opened, and clear sight given them. In Samaria, then, they found themselves, once their eyes were opened;

And when they were come into Samaria, Eliseus said: Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw themselves to be in the midst of Samaria.

Dixitque rex Israël ad Eliseum, cum vidisset eos: Numquid percutiam eos, pater mi?

and the king of Israel, upon sight of them, asked Eliseus, My father, shall I strike them down?

And the king of Israel said to Eliseus, when he saw them: My father, shall I kill them?

At ille ait: Non percuties: neque enim cepisti eos gladio et arcu tuo, ut percutias: sed pone panem et aquam coram eis, ut comedant et bibant, et vadant ad dominum suum.

Strike them down (said he) thou shalt not; they were not captured by sword or bow of thine, and wouldst thou slay them? Set food and drink before them, and let them go home to their master.

And he said: Thou shalt not kill them: for thou didst not take them with thy sword, or thy bow, that thou mayst kill them: but set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

Appositaque est eis ciborum magna præparatio, et comederunt et biberunt, et dimisit eos, abieruntque ad dominum suum, et ultra non venerunt latrones Syriæ in terram Israël.

So a great banquet was made for them, and when they had eaten and drunk their fill, back to their master he sent them. And Israel was rid, for a while, of freebooters from Syria.

And a great provision of meats was set before them, and they ate and drank, and he let them go, and they went away to their master, and the robbers of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

Factum est autem post hæc, congregavit Benadad rex Syriæ universum exercitum suum, et ascendit, et obsidebat Samariam.

Some time after this, Benadad, king of Syria, mustered all his forces, and went to the siege of Samaria.

And it came to pass after these things, that Benadad king of Syria gathered together all his army, and went up, and besieged Samaria.

Factaque est fames magna in Samaria: et tamdiu obsessa est, donec venundaretur caput asini octoginta argenteis, et quarta pars cabi stercoris columbarum quinque argenteis.

And Samaria was famine-stricken; so long beleaguered, that men would pay eighty pieces of silver for an ass’s head, or five for a pint of dove’s droppings.

And there was a great famine in Samaria: and so long did the siege continue, till the head of an ass was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cabe of pigeon’s dung, for five pieces of silver.

Cumque rex Israël transiret per murum, mulier quædam exclamavit ad eum, dicens: Salva me, domine mi rex.

And one day, as the king was making the round of the battlements, a woman cried out to him, Help me, my lord king!

And as the king of Israel was passing by the wall, a certain woman cried out to him, saying: Save me, my lord O king.

Qui ait: Non te salvat Dominus: unde te possum salvare? de area, vel de torculari? Dixitque ad eam rex: Quid tibi vis? Quæ respondit:

Help from the Lord is none, said he, and what means of help have I, in threshing-floor or wine-press? What wouldst thou have of me? And she told him,

And he said: If the Lord doth not save thee, how can I save thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? And the king said to her: What aileth thee? And she answered:

Mulier ista dixit mihi: Da filium tuum, ut comedamus eum hodie, et filium meum comedemus cras.

This woman who is with me bade me kill my son, to be food for us that day; hers should be our food the next.

This woman said to me: Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow.

Coximus ergo filium meum, et comedimus. Dixique ei die altera: Da filium tuum, ut comedamus eum. Quæ abscondit filium suum.

And then, my son’s flesh already cooked and eaten, when I bade her kill hers next day, she kept him in hiding.

So we boiled my son, and ate him. And I said to her on the next day: Give thy son that we may eat him. And she hath hid her son.

Quod cum audisset rex, scidit vestimenta sua, et transibat per murum. Viditque omnis populus cilicium quo vestitus erat ad carnem intrinsecus.

Upon hearing this tale, the king tore his garments across; and as he made his way along the battlements the people, one and all, could see how his shirt underneath was of sackcloth.

When the king heard this, he rent his garments, and passed by upon the wall. And all the people saw the haircloth which he wore within next to his flesh.

Et ait rex: Hæc mihi faciat Deus, et hæc addat, si steterit caput Elisei filii Saphat super ipsum hodie.

May the Lord punish me as I deserve, said he, and more than I deserve, if I leave Eliseus the son of Saphat a head on his body by nightfall!

And the king said: May God do so and so to me, and may he add more, if the head of Eliseus the son of Saphat shall stand on him this day.

Eliseus autem sedebat in domo sua, et senes sedebant cum eo. Præmisit itaque virum: et antequam veniret nuntius ille, dixit ad senes: Numquid scitis quod miserit filius homicidæ hic, ut præcidatur caput meum? videte ergo: cum venerit nuntius, claudite ostium, et non sinatis eum introire: ecce enim sonitus pedum domini ejus post eum est.

So he sent a man on before him, to find Eliseus where he sat at home, in conclave with the elders of the people. To these, before ever the messenger reached him, Eliseus said, You must know that my head is in danger. The murderer is on his way, sent by the murderer’s son. When he comes in, look to it that you keep the doorway barred; I hear his master’s tread not far behind him.

But Eliseus sat in his house, and the ancients sat with him. So he sent a man before: and before that messenger came, he said to the ancients: Do you know that this son of a murderer hath sent to cut off my head? Look then, when the messenger shall come, shut the door, and suffer him not to come in: for behold the sound of his master’s feet is behind him.

Adhuc illo loquente eis, apparuit nuntius qui veniebat ad eum. Et ait: Ecce, tantum malum a Domino est: quid amplius expectabo a Domino?

Even as he spoke to them thus, in came the messenger that had set out to find him. And this was the king’s word, See what ruin the Lord has brought on me! Folly it were to expect relief from the Lord any longer.

While he was yet speaking to them, the messenger appeared who was coming to him. And he said: Behold, so great an evil is from the Lord: what shall I look for more from the Lord?