4 Kings (2 Kings) 7
Eliseus prophesieth a great plenty, which presently ensueth upon the sudden flight of the Syrians; of which four lepers bring the news to the city. The incredulous nobleman is trod to death.
Dixit autem Eliseus: Audite verbum Domini: Hæc dicit Dominus: In tempore hoc cras modius similæ uno statere erit, et duo modii hordei statere uno, in porta Samariæ.
And Eliseus said: Hear ye the word of the Lord: Thus saith the Lord: Tomorrow, about this time, a bushel of fine flour shall be sold for a stater, and two bushels of barley for a stater, in the gate of Samaria.
Respondens unus de ducibus, super cujus manum rex incumbebat, homini Dei, ait: Si Dominus fecerit etiam cataractas in cælo, numquid poterit esse quod loqueris? Qui ait: Videbis oculis tuis, et inde non comedes.
Then one of the lords, upon whose hand the king leaned, answering the man of God, said: If the Lord should make flood-gates in heaven, can that possibly be which thou sayest? And he said: Thou shalt see it with thy eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
Quatuor ergo viri erant leprosi juxta introitum portæ: qui dixerunt ad invicem: Quid hic esse volumus donec moriamur?
Now there were four lepers, at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another: What mean we to stay here till we die?
sive ingredi voluerimus civitatem, fame moriemur: sive manserimus hic, moriendum nobis est: venite ergo, et transfugiamus ad castra Syriæ: si pepercerint nobis, vivemus: si autem occidere voluerint, nihilominus moriemur.
If we will enter into the city, we shall die with the famine: and if we will remain here, we must also die: come therefore, and let us run over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare us, we shall live: but if they kill us, we shall but die.
Surrexerunt ergo vesperi, ut venirent ad castra Syriæ. Cumque venissent ad principium castrorum Syriæ, nullum ibidem repererunt.
So they arose in the evening, to go to the Syrian camp. And when they were come to the first part of the camp of the Syrians, they found no man there.
Siquidem Dominus sonitum audiri fecerat in castris Syriæ, curruum, et equorum, et exercitus plurimi: dixeruntque ad invicem: Ecce mercede conduxit adversum nos rex Israël reges Hethæorum et Ægyptiorum, et venerunt super nos.
For the Lord had made them hear, in the camp of Syria, the noise of chariots, and of horses, and of a very great army: and they said one to another: Behold, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hethites, and of the Egyptians; and they are come upon us.
Surrexerunt ergo, et fugerunt in tenebris, et dereliquerunt tentoria sua, et equos et asinos, in castris, fugeruntque animas tantum suas salvare cupientes.
Wherefore they arose, and fled away in the dark, and left their tents, and their horses and asses in the camp, and fled, desiring to save their lives.
Igitur cum venissent leprosi illi ad principium castrorum, ingressi sunt unum tabernaculum, et comederunt et biberunt: tuleruntque inde argentum, et aurum, et vestes, et abierunt, et absconderunt: et rursum reversi sunt ad aliud tabernaculum, et inde similiter auferentes absconderunt.
So when these lepers were come to the beginning of the camp, they went into one tent, and ate and drank: and they took from thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went, and hid it: and they came again, and went into another tent, and carried from thence in like manner, and hid it.
Dixeruntque ad invicem: Non recte facimus: hæc enim dies boni nuntii est. Si tacuerimus et noluerimus nuntiare usque mane, sceleris arguemur: venite, eamus, et nuntiemus in aula regis.
Then they said one to another: We do not well: for this is a day of good tidings. If we hold our peace, and do not tell it till the morning, we shall be charged with a crime: come, let us go, and tell it in the king's court.
Cumque venissent ad portam civitatis, narraverunt eis, dicentes: Ivimus ad castra Syriæ, et nullum ibidem reperimus hominem, nisi equos et asinos alligatos, et fixa tentoria.
So they came to the gate of the city, and told them, saying: We went to the camp of the Syrians, and we found no man there, but horses, and asses tied, and the tents standing.
Ierunt ergo portarii, et nuntiaverunt in palatio regis intrinsecus.
Then the guards of the gate went, and told it within in the king's palace.
Qui surrexit nocte, et ait ad servos suos: Dico vobis quid fecerint nobis Syri: sciunt quia fame laboramus, et idcirco egressi sunt de castris, et latitant in agris, dicentes: Cum egressi fuerint de civitate, capiemus eos vivos, et tunc civitatem ingredi poterimus.
And he arose in the night, and said to his servants: I tell you what the Syrians have done to us: They know that we suffer great famine, and therefore they are gone out of the camp, and lie hid in the fields, saying: When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive, and then we may get into the city.
Respondit autem unus servorum ejus: Tollamus quinque equos qui remanserunt in urbe (quia ipsi tantum sunt in universa multitudine Israël, alii enim consumpti sunt), et mittentes, explorare poterimus.
And one of his servants answered: Let us take the five horses that are remaining in the city (because there are no more in the whole multitude of Israel, for the rest are consumed), and let us send and see.
Adduxerunt ergo duos equos, misitque rex in castra Syrorum, dicens: Ite, et videte.
They brought therefore two horses, and the king sent into the camp of the Syrians, saying: Go, and see.
Qui abierunt post eos usque ad Jordanem: ecce autem omnis via plena erat vestibus et vasis quæ projecerant Syri cum turbarentur: reversique nuntii indicaverunt regi.
And they went after them, as far as the Jordan: and behold, all the way was full of garments, and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away, in their fright, and the messengers returned, and told the king.
Et egressus populus diripuit castra Syriæ: factusque est modius similæ statere uno, et duo modii hordei statere uno, juxta verbum Domini.
And the people going out, pillaged the camp of the Syrians: and a bushel of fine flour was sold for a stater, and two bushels of barley for a stater, according to the word of the Lord.
Porro rex ducem illum, in cujus manu incumbebat, constituit ad portam: quem conculcavit turba in introitu portæ, et mortuus est, juxta quod locutus fuerat vir Dei, quando descenderat rex ad eum.
And the king appointed that lord on whose hand he leaned, to stand at the gate: and the people trod upon him in the entrance of the gate; and he died, as the man of God had said, when the king came down to him.
Factumque est secundum sermonem viri Dei quem dixerat regi, quando ait: Duo modii hordei statere uno erunt, et modius similæ statere uno, hoc eodem tempore cras in porta Samariæ:
And it came to pass, according to the word of the man of God, which he spoke to the king, when he said: Two bushels of barley shall be for a stater, and a bushel of fine flour for a stater, at this very time tomorrow, in the gate of Samaria.
quando responderat dux ille viro Dei, et dixerat: Etiamsi Dominus fecerit cataractas in cælo, numquid poterit fieri quod loqueris? Et dixit ei: Videbis oculis tuis, et inde non comedes.
When that lord answered the man of God, and said: Although the Lord should make flood-gates in heaven, could this come to pass which thou sayest? And he said to him: Thou shalt see it with thy eyes, and shalt not eat thereof.
Evenit ergo ei sicut prædictum fuerat, et conculcavit eum populus in porta, et mortuus est.
And so it fell out to him, as it was foretold, and the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died.