Regum I 20

VULGATA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 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.	1 Ben-hadad, king of Aram, gathered all his forces, and accompanied by thirty-two kings with horses and chariotry, proceeded to invest and attack Samaria.
2 Mittensque nuntios ad Achab regem Israël in civitatem,	2 He sent couriers to Ahab, king of Israel, within the city,
3 ait : Hæc dicit Benadad : Argentum tuum, et aurum tuum meum est : et uxores tuæ, et filii tui optimi, mei sunt.	3 and said to him, "This is Ben-hadad's message: 'Your silver and gold are mine, and your wives and your promising sons are mine.'"
4 Responditque rex Israël : Juxta verbum tuum, domine mi rex, tuus sum ego, et omnia mea.	4 The king of Israel answered, "As you say, my lord king, I and all I have are yours."
5 Revertentesque nuntii, dixerunt : Hæc dicit Benadad, qui misit nos ad te : Argentum tuum, et aurum tuum, et uxores tuas, et filios tuos, dabis mihi.	5 But the couriers came again and said, "This is Ben-hadad's message: 'I sent you word to give me your silver and gold, your wives and your sons.
6 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.	6 Now, however, at this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you, and they shall ransack your house and the houses of your servants. They shall seize and take away whatever they consider valuable.'"
7 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.	7 The king of Israel then summoned all the elders of the land and said: "Understand clearly that this man wants to ruin us. When he sent to me for my wives and sons, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him."
8 Dixeruntque omnes majores natu, et universus populus, ad eum : Non audias, neque acquiescas illi.	8 All the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not listen. Do not give in."
9 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.	9 Accordingly he directed the couriers of Ben-hadad, "Say to my lord the king, 'I will do all that you demanded of your servant the first time. But this I cannot do.'" The couriers left and reported this.
10 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.	10 Ben-hadad then sent him the message, "May the gods do thus and so to me if there is enough dust in Samaria to make handfuls for all my followers."
11 Et respondens rex Israël, ait : Dicite ei : Ne glorietur, accinctus æque ut discinctus.	11 The king of Israel replied, "Tell him, 'It is not for the man who is buckling his armor to boast as though he were taking it off.'"
12 Factum est autem cum audisset Benadad verbum istud, bibebat ipse et reges in umbraculis : et ait servis suis : Circumdate civitatem. Et circumdederunt eam.	12 Ben-hadad was drinking in the pavilions with the kings when he heard this reply. "Prepare the assault," he commanded his servants; and they made ready to storm the city.
13 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.	13 Then a prophet came up to Ahab, king of Israel and said: "The LORD says, 'Do you see all this huge army? When I deliver it up to you today, you will know that I am the LORD.'"
14 Et ait Achab : Per quem ? Dixitque ei : Hæc dicit Dominus : Per pedissequos principum provinciarum. Et ait : Quis incipiet præliari ? Et ille dixit : Tu.	14 But Ahab asked, "Through whom will it be delivered up?" He answered, "The LORD says, 'Through the retainers of the governors of the provinces.'" Then Ahab asked, "Who is to attack?" He replied, "You are."
15 Recensuit ergo pueros principum provinciarum, et reperit numerum ducentorum triginta duorum : et recensuit post eos populum, omnes filios Israël, septem millia.	15 So Ahab called up the retainers of the governors of the provinces, two hundred thirty-two of them. Behind them he mustered all the Israelite soldiery, who numbered seven thousand.
16 Et egressi sunt meridie. Benadad autem bibebat temulentus in umbraculo suo, et reges triginta duo cum eo, qui ad auxilium ejus venerant.	16 They marched out at noon, while Ben-hadad was drinking heavily in the pavilions with the thirty-two kings who were his allies.
17 Egressi sunt autem pueri principum provinciarum in prima fronte. Misit itaque Benadad : qui nuntiaverunt ei, dicentes : Viri egressi sunt de Samaria.	17 When the retainers of the governors of the provinces marched out first, Ben-hadad received word that some men had marched out of Samaria.
18 Et ille ait : Sive pro pace veniunt, apprehendite eos vivos : sive ut prælientur, vivos eos capite.	18 He answered, "Whether they have come out for peace or for war, in any case take them alive."
19 Egressi sunt ergo pueri principum provinciarum, ac reliquus exercitus sequebatur :	19 But when these had come out of the city-the soldiers of the governors of the provinces with the army following them--
20 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.	20 each of them struck down his man. The Arameans fled with Israel pursuing them, while Ben-hadad, king of Aram, escaped on a chariot steed.
21 Necnon egressus rex Israël percussit equos et currus, et percussit Syriam plaga magna.	21 The king of Israel went out, took the horses and chariots, and inflicted a severe defeat on Aram.
22 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.	22 Then the prophet went up to the king of Israel and said to him: "Go, regroup your forces. Mark well what you do, for at the beginning of the year the king of Aram will attack you."
23 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.	23 On the other hand, the servants of the king of Aram said to him: "Their gods are gods of mountains. That is why they defeated us. But if we fight them on level ground, we shall be sure to defeat them.
24 Tu ergo verbum hoc fac : amove reges singulos ab exercitu tuo, et pone principes pro eis :	24 This is what you must do: Take the kings from their posts and put prefects in their places.
25 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.	25 Mobilize an army as large as the army that has deserted you, horse for horse, chariot for chariot. Let us fight them on level ground, and we shall surely defeat them." He took their advice and did this.
26 Igitur postquam annus transierat, recensuit Benadad Syros, et ascendit in Aphec ut pugnaret contra Israël.	26 At the beginning of the year, Ben-hadad mobilized Aram and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
27 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.	27 The Israelites, too, were called to arms and supplied with provisions; then they went out to engage the foe. The Israelites, encamped opposite them, seemed like a couple of small flocks of goats, while Aram covered the countryside.
28 (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.)	28 A man of God came up and said to the king of Israel: "The LORD says, 'Because Aram has said the LORD is a god of mountains, not a god of plains, I will deliver up to you all this large army, that you may know I am the LORD.'"
29 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.	29 They were encamped opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day battle was joined, and the Israelites struck down one hundred thousand foot soldiers of Aram in one day.
30 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.	30 The survivors, twenty-seven thousand of them, fled into the city of Aphek, and there the wall collapsed. Ben-hadad, too, fled, and took refuge within the city, in an inside room.
31 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.	31 His servants said to him: "We have heard that the kings of the land of Israel are merciful kings. Allow us, therefore, to garb ourselves in sackcloth, with cords around our heads, and go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will spare your life."
32 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.	32 So they dressed in sackcloth girded at the waist, and wearing cords around their heads, they went to the king of Israel. "Your servant Ben-hadad pleads for his life," they said. "Is he still alive?" the king asked. "He is my brother."
33 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.	33 Hearing this as a good omen, the men quickly took him at his word and said, "Ben-hadad is your brother." He answered, "Go and get him." When Ben-hadad came out to him, the king had him mount his chariot.
34 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.	34 Ben-hadad said to him, "I will restore the cities which my father took from your father, and you may make yourself bazaars in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria." "On these terms," Ahab replied, "I will set you free." So he made an agreement with him and then set him free.
35 Tunc vir quidam de filiis prophetarum dixit ad socium suum in sermone Domini : Percute me. At ille noluit percutere.	35 One of the guild prophets was prompted by the LORD to say to his companion, "Strike me." But he refused to strike him.
36 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.	36 Then he said to him, "Since you did not obey the voice of the LORD, a lion will kill you when you leave me." When they parted company, a lion came upon him and killed him.
37 Sed et alterum inveniens virum, dixit ad eum : Percute me. Qui percussit eum, et vulneravit.	37 The prophet met another man and said, "Strike me." The man struck him a blow and wounded him.
38 Abiit ergo propheta, et occurrit regi in via, et mutavit aspersione pulveris os et oculos suos.	38 The prophet went on and waited for the king on the road, having disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes.
39 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.	39 As the king was passing, he called out to the king and said: "Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and suddenly someone turned and brought me a man and said, 'Guard this man. If he is missing, you shall have to pay for his life with your life or pay out a talent of silver.'
40 Dum autem ego turbatus huc illucque me verterem, subito non comparuit. Et ait rex Israël ad eum : Hoc est judicium tuum, quod ipse decrevisti.	40 But while your servant was looking here and there, the man disappeared." The king of Israel said to him, "That is your sentence. You have decided it yourself."
41 At ille statim abstersit pulverem de facie sua, et cognovit eum rex Israël, quod esset de prophetis.	41 He immediately removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.
42 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.	42 He said to him: "The LORD says, 'Because you have set free the man I doomed to destruction, your life shall pay for his life, your people for his people.'"
43 Reversus est igitur rex Israël in domum suam, audire contemnens, et furibundus venit in Samariam.	43 Disturbed and angry, the king of Israel went off homeward and entered Samaria.