The Latin Vulgate VUL
Good News Translation GNT
1 porro Benadad rex Syriae congregavit omnem exercitum suum et triginta et duos reges secum et equos et currus et ascendens pugnabat contra Samariam et obsidebat eam
1
King Benhadad of Syria gathered all his troops, and supported by thirty-two other rulers with their horses and chariots, he marched up, laid siege to Samaria, and launched attacks against it.
2 mittensque nuntios ad Ahab regem Israhel in civitatem
2
He sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel to say, "King Benhadad demands that
3 ait haec dicit Benadad argentum tuum et aurum tuum meum est et uxores tuae et filii tui optimi mei sunt
3
you surrender to him your silver and gold, your women and the strongest of your children."
4 responditque rex Israhel iuxta verbum tuum domine mi rex tuus sum ego et omnia mea
4
"Tell my lord, King Benhadad, that I agree; he can have me and everything I own," Ahab answered.
5 revertentesque nuntii dixerunt haec dicit Benadad qui misit nos ad te argentum tuum et aurum tuum et uxores tuas et filios tuos dabis mihi
5
Later the messengers came back to Ahab with another demand from Benhadad: "I sent you word that you were to hand over to me your silver and gold, your women and your children.
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, I will send my officers to search your palace and the homes of your officials, and to take everything they consider valuable. They will be there about this time tomorrow."
7 vocavit autem rex Israhel omnes seniores terrae 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
King Ahab called in all the leaders of the country and said, "You see that this man wants to ruin us. He sent me a message demanding my wives and children, my silver and gold, and I agreed."
8 dixeruntque omnes maiores natu et universus populus ad eum non audias neque adquiescas illi
8
The leaders and the people answered, "Don't pay any attention to him; don't give in."
9 respondit itaque nuntiis Benadad dicite domino meo regi omnia propter quae misisti ad me servum tuum initio faciam hanc autem rem facere non possum
9
So Ahab replied to Benhadad's messengers, "Tell my lord the king that I agreed to his first demand, but I cannot agree to the second." The messengers left and then returned with another message
10 reversique nuntii rettulerunt ei qui remisit et ait haec faciant mihi dii et haec addant si suffecerit pulvis Samariae pugillis omnis populi qui sequitur me
10
from Benhadad: "I will bring enough men to destroy this city of yours and carry off the rubble in their hands. May the gods strike me dead if I don't!"
11 et respondens rex Israhel ait dicite ei ne glorietur accinctus aeque ut discinctus
11
King Ahab answered, "Tell King Benhadad that a real soldier does his bragging [after] a battle, not before it."
12 factum est autem cum audisset verbum istud bibebat ipse et reges in umbraculis et ait servis suis circumdate civitatem et circumdederunt eam
12
Benhadad received Ahab's answer as he and his allies, the other rulers, were drinking in their tents. He ordered his men to get ready to attack the city, and so they moved into position.
13 et ecce propheta unus accedens ad Ahab regem Israhel ait haec dicit Dominus certe vidisti omnem multitudinem hanc nimiam ecce ego tradam eam in manu tua hodie ut scias quia ego sum Dominus
13
Meanwhile, a prophet went to King Ahab and said, "The Lord says, "Don't be afraid of that huge army! I will give you victory over it today, and you will know that I am the Lord.' "
14 et ait Ahab per quem dixitque ei haec dicit Dominus per pedisequos principum provinciarum et ait quis incipiet proeliari et ille dixit tu
14
"Who will lead the attack?" Ahab asked. The prophet answered, "The Lord says that the young soldiers under the command of the district governors are to do it." "Who will command the main force?" the king asked. "You," the prophet answered.
15 recensuit ergo pueros principum provinciarum et repperit numerum ducentorum triginta duum et post eos recensuit populum omnes filios Israhel septem milia
15
So the king called out the young soldiers who were under the district commanders, 232 in all. Then he called out the Israelite army, a total of seven thousand men.
16 et egressi sunt meridie Benadad autem bibebat temulentus in umbraculo suo et reges triginta duo cum eo qui ad auxilium eius venerant
16
The attack began at noon, as Benhadad and his thirty-two allies were getting drunk in their tents.
17 egressi sunt autem pueri principum provinciarum in prima fronte misit itaque Benadad qui nuntiaverunt ei dicentes viri egressi sunt de Samaria
17
The young soldiers advanced first. Scouts sent out by Benhadad reported to him that a group of soldiers was coming out of Samaria.
18 at ille sive ait pro pace veniunt adprehendite eos vivos sive ut proelientur vivos eos capite
18
He ordered, "Take them alive, no matter whether they are coming to fight or to ask for peace."
19 egressi sunt ergo pueri principum provinciarum ac reliquus exercitus sequebatur
19
The young soldiers led the attack, followed by the Israelite army,
20 et percussit unusquisque virum qui contra se venerat fugeruntque Syri et persecutus est eos Israhel fugit quoque Benadad rex Syriae in equo cum equitibus
20
and each one killed the man he fought. The Syrians fled, with the Israelites in hot pursuit, but Benhadad escaped on horseback, accompanied by some of the cavalry.
21 necnon et egressus rex Israhel percussit equos et currus et percussit Syriam plaga magna
21
King Ahab took to the field, captured the horses and chariots, and inflicted a severe defeat on the Syrians.
22 accedens autem propheta ad regem Israhel dixit ei vade et confortare et scito et vide quid facias sequenti enim anno rex Syriae ascendet contra te
22
Then the prophet went to King Ahab and said, "Go back and build up your forces and make careful plans, because the king of Syria will attack again next spring."
23 servi vero regis Syriae dixerunt ei dii montium sunt dii eorum ideo superaverunt nos sed melius est ut pugnemus contra eos in campestribus et obtinebimus eos
23
King Benhadad's officials said to him, "The gods of Israel are mountain gods, and that is why the Israelites defeated us. But we will certainly defeat them if we fight them in the plains.
24 tu ergo verbum hoc fac amove reges singulos ab exercitu suo et pone principes pro eis
24
Now, remove the thirty-two rulers from their commands and replace them with field commanders.
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
Then call up an army as large as the one that deserted you, with the same number of horses and chariots. We will fight the Israelites in the plains, and this time we will defeat them." King Benhadad agreed and followed their advice.
26 igitur postquam annus transierat recensuit Benadad Syros et ascendit in Afec ut pugnaret contra Israhel
26
The following spring he called up his men and marched with them to the city of Aphek to attack the Israelites.
27 porro filii Israhel recensiti sunt et acceptis cibariis profecti ex adverso castraque metati contra eos quasi duo parvi greges caprarum Syri autem repleverunt terram
27
The Israelites were called up and equipped; they marched out and camped in two groups facing the Syrians. The Israelites looked like two small flocks of goats compared to the Syrians, who spread out over the countryside.
28 et accedens unus vir Dei dixit ad regem Israhel haec dicit Dominus quia dixerunt Syri deus montium est Dominus et non est deus vallium dabo omnem multitudinem grandem hanc in manu tua et scietis quia ego Dominus
28
A prophet went to King Ahab and said, "This is what the Lord says: "Because the Syrians say that I am a god of the hills and not of the plains, I will give you victory over their huge army, and you and your people will know that I am the Lord.' "
29 dirigebant septem diebus ex adverso hii atque illi acies septima autem die commissum est bellum percusseruntque filii Israhel de Syris centum milia peditum in die una
29
For seven days the Syrians and the Israelites stayed in their camps, facing each other. On the seventh day they started fighting, and the Israelites killed a hundred thousand Syrians.
30 fugerunt autem qui remanserant in Afec in civitatem et cecidit murus super viginti septem milia hominum qui remanserant porro Benadad fugiens ingressus est civitatem in cubiculum quod erat intra cubiculum
30
The survivors fled into the city of Aphek, where the city walls fell on twenty-seven thousand of them. Benhadad also escaped into the city and took refuge in the back room of a house.
31 dixeruntque ei servi sui ecce audivimus quod reges domus Israhel clementes sint ponamus itaque saccos in lumbis nostris et funiculos in capitibus nostris et egrediamur ad regem Israhel forsitan salvabit animas nostras
31
His officials went to him and said, "We have heard that the Israelite kings are merciful. Give us permission to go to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our necks, and maybe he will spare your life."
32 accinxerunt saccis lumbos suos et posuerunt funes in capitibus veneruntque ad regem Israhel et dixerunt servus tuus Benadad dicit vivat oro te anima mea et ille ait si adhuc vivit frater meus est
32
So they wrapped sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their necks, went to Ahab and said, "Your servant Benhadad pleads with you for his life." Ahab answered, "Is he still alive? Good! He's like a brother to me!"
33 quod acceperunt viri pro omine et festinantes rapuerunt verbum ex ore eius atque dixerunt frater tuus Benadad et dixit eis ite et adducite eum egressus est ergo ad eum Benadad et levavit eum in currum suum
33
Benhadad's officials were watching for a good sign, and when Ahab said "brother," they took it up at once, and said, "As you say, Benhadad is your brother!" "Bring him to me," Ahab ordered. When Benhadad arrived, Ahab invited him to get in the chariot with him.
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 foederatus recedam a te pepigit ergo foedus et dimisit eum
34
Benhadad said to him, "I will restore to you the towns my father took from your father, and you may set up a commercial center for yourself in Damascus, just as my father did in Samaria." Ahab replied, "On these terms, then, I will set you free." He made a treaty with him and let him go.
35 tunc vir quidam de filiis prophetarum dixit ad socium suum in sermone Domini percute me at ille noluit percutere
35
At the Lord's command a member of a group of prophets ordered a fellow prophet to hit him. But he refused,
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
so he said to him, "Because you have disobeyed the Lord's command, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me." And as soon as he left, a lion came along and killed him.
37 sed et alterum conveniens virum dixit ad eum percute me qui percussit eum et vulneravit
37
Then this same prophet went to another man and said, "Hit me!" This man did so; he hit him a hard blow and hurt him.
38 abiit ergo propheta et occurrit regi in via et mutavit aspersione pulveris os et oculos suos
38
The prophet bandaged his face with a cloth, to disguise himself, and went and stood by the road, waiting for the king of Israel to pass.
39 cumque rex transiret clamavit ad regem et ait servus tuus egressus est ad proeliandum comminus cumque fugisset vir unus adduxit eum quidam ad me et ait custodi virum istum qui si lapsus fuerit erit anima tua pro anima eius aut talentum argenti adpendes
39
As the king was passing by, the prophet called out to him and said, "Your Majesty, I was fighting in the battle when a soldier brought a captured enemy to me and said, "Guard this man; if he escapes, you will pay for it with your life or else pay a fine of three thousand pieces of silver.'
40 dum autem ego turbatus huc illucque me verterem subito non conparuit et ait rex Israhel ad eum hoc est iudicium tuum quod ipse decrevisti
40
But I got busy with other things, and the man escaped." The king answered, "You have pronounced your own sentence, and you will have to pay the penalty."
41 at ille statim abstersit pulverem de facie sua et cognovit eum rex Israhel quod esset de prophetis
41
The prophet tore the cloth from his face, and at once the king recognized him as one of the prophets.
42 qui ait ad eum haec dicit Dominus quia dimisisti virum dignum morte de manu tua erit anima tua pro anima eius et populus tuus pro populo eius
42
The prophet then said to the king, "This is the word of the Lord: "Because you allowed the man to escape whom I had ordered to be killed, you will pay for it with your life, and your army will be destroyed for letting his army escape.' "
43 reversus est igitur rex Israhel in domum suam audire contemnens et furibundus venit Samariam
43
The king went back home to Samaria, worried and depressed.
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.