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2 Samuel 14

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1 καὶ ἔγνω Ιωαβ υἱὸς Σαρουιας ὅτι ἡ καρδία τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπὶ Αβεσσαλωμ 2 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Ιωαβ εἰς Θεκωε καὶ ἔλαβεν ἐκεῖθεν γυναῖκα σοφὴν καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτήν πένθησον δὴ καὶ ἔνδυσαι ἱμάτια πενθικὰ καὶ μὴ ἀλείψῃ ἔλαιον καὶ ἔσῃ ὡς γυνὴ πενθοῦσα ἐπὶ τεθνηκότι τοῦτο ἡμέρας πολλὰς 3 καὶ ἐλεύσῃ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ λαλήσεις πρὸς αὐτὸν κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο καὶ ἔθηκεν Ιωαβ τοὺς λόγους ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῆς

1 Then Joab, son of Sarvia, aware that the king’s heart had relented towards Absalom, 2 sent for a wise woman who lived at Thecua, and spoke to her thus: Make as if thou wert in mourning, put on funeral garments, and never a drop of oil to anoint thee, like a woman who has long been mourning for the dead. 3 Then go into the king’s presence, and speak as I bid thee speak. And with that, he told her all she should say.

1 Intelligens autem Joab filius Sarviæ quod cor regis versum esset ad Absalom, 2 misit Thecuam, et tulit inde mulierem sapientem: dixitque ad eam: Lugere te simula, et induere veste lugubri, et ne ungaris oleo, ut sis quasi mulier jam plurimo tempore lugens mortuum: 3 et ingredieris ad regem, et loqueris ad eum sermones hujuscemodi. Posuit autem Joab verba in ore ejus.

4 καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ἡ γυνὴ ἡ Θεκωῖτις πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτῆς εἰς τὴν γῆν καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ καὶ εἶπεν Σῶσον βασιλεῦ σῶσον 5 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁ βασιλεύς τί ἐστίν σοι ἡ δὲ εἶπεν καὶ μάλα γυνὴ χήρα ἐγώ εἰμι καὶ ἀπέθανεν ὁ ἀνήρ μου 6 καί γε τῇ δούλῃ σου δύο υἱοί καὶ ἐμαχέσαντο ἀμφότεροι ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ἐξαιρούμενος ἀνὰ μέσον αὐτῶν καὶ ἔπαισεν ὁ εἷς τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐθανάτωσεν αὐτόν 7 καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐπανέστη ὅλη ἡ πατριὰ πρὸς τὴν δούλην σου καὶ εἶπαν δὸς τὸν παίσαντα τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ θανατώσομεν αὐτὸν ἀντὶ τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ οὗ ἀπέκτεινεν καὶ ἐξαροῦμεν καί γε τὸν κληρονόμον ὑμῶν καὶ σβέσουσιν τὸν ἄνθρακά μου τὸν καταλειφθέντα ὥστε μὴ θέσθαι τῷ ἀνδρί μου κατάλειμμα καὶ ὄνομα ἐπὶ προσώπου τῆς γῆς 8 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς ὑγιαίνουσα βάδιζε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου κἀγὼ ἐντελοῦμαι περὶ σοῦ 9 καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνὴ ἡ Θεκωῖτις πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ἐ{P'} ἐμέ κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ ἡ ἀνομία καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ὁ θρόνος αὐτοῦ ἀθῷος 10 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς τίς ὁ λαλῶν πρὸς σέ καὶ ἄξεις αὐτὸν πρὸς ἐμέ καὶ οὐ προσθήσει ἔτι ἅψασθαι αὐτοῦ 11 καὶ εἶπεν μνημονευσάτω δὴ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν κύριον θεὸν αὐτοῦ πληθυνθῆναι ἀγχιστέα τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ διαφθεῖραι καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐξάρωσιν τὸν υἱόν μου καὶ εἶπεν ζῇ κύριος εἰ πεσεῖται ἀπὸ τῆς τριχὸς τοῦ υἱοῦ σου ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν

4 So the woman from Thecua came into David’s presence and there bowed to the ground to do him reverence; Lord king, she said, give me redress! 5 What wrong, asked he, is being done thee? And she said, I am a widow, with no husband to protect me. 6 And, my lord, I had two sons; but they came to blows out in the open fields, where there was none to interfere, and one gave the other a blow which killed him. 7 And now the whole clan is at my heels; give up the murderer I must, so that they may kill him in vengeance for his brother’s death, and make an end of the race. The one hope that is left me they would extinguish, so that my husband will have none left on earth to bear his name. 8 Go home, said the king; I will see that justice is done thee. 9 And the guilt, said the woman of Thecua, let that rest with me and with my own kindred; the king and his heirs shall be quit of it. 10 If anyone crosses thy will, the king said, bring him before me, and I will not let him do thee any more hurt. 11 Ah, said she, if the king would only take an oath in the name of the Lord his God that the kinsfolk shall not be allowed to carry on the feud, that my son’s life shall indeed be spared! Not a hair shall fall from his head, the king answered.

4 Itaque cum ingressa fuisset mulier Thecuitis ad regem, cecidit coram eo super terram, et adoravit, et dixit: Serva me, rex. 5 Et ait ad eam rex: Quid causæ habes? Quæ respondit: Heu, mulier vidua ego sum: mortuus est enim vir meus. 6 Et ancillæ tuæ erant duo filii: qui rixati sunt adversum se in agro, nullusque erat qui eos prohibere posset: et percussit alter alterum, et interfecit eum. 7 Et ecce consurgens universa cognatio adversum ancillam tuam, dicit: Trade eum qui percussit fratrem suum, ut occidamus eum pro anima fratris sui quem interfecit, et deleamus hæredem: et quærunt extinguere scintillam meam quæ relicta est, ut non supersit viro meo nomen, et reliquiæ super terram. 8 Et ait rex ad mulierem: Vade in domum tuam, et ego jubebo pro te. 9 Dixitque mulier Thecuitis ad regem: In me, domine mi rex, sit iniquitas, et in domum patris mei: rex autem et thronus ejus sit innocens. 10 Et ait rex: Qui contradixerit tibi, adduc eum ad me, et ultra non addet ut tangat te. 11 Quæ ait: Recordetur rex Domini Dei sui, ut non multiplicentur proximi sanguinis ad ulciscendum, et nequaquam interficiant filium meum. Qui ait: Vivit Dominus, quia non cadet de capillis filii tui super terram.

12 καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή λαλησάτω δὴ ἡ δούλη σου πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν βασιλέα ῥῆμα καὶ εἶπεν λάλησον 13 καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή ἵνα τί ἐλογίσω τοιοῦτο ἐπὶ λαὸν θεοῦ ἦ ἐκ στόματος τοῦ βασιλέως ὁ λόγος οὗτος ὡς πλημμέλεια τοῦ μὴ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν βασιλέα τὸν ἐξωσμένον αὐτοῦ 14 ὅτι θανάτῳ ἀποθανούμεθα καὶ ὥσπερ τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ καταφερόμενον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὃ οὐ συναχθήσεται καὶ λήμψεται ὁ θεὸς ψυχήν καὶ λογιζόμενος τοῦ ἐξῶσαι ἀ{P'} αὐτοῦ ἐξωσμένον 15 καὶ νῦν ὃ ἦλθον λαλῆσαι πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα τὸν κύριόν μου τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο ὅτι ὄψεταί με ὁ λαός καὶ ἐρεῖ ἡ δούλη σου λαλησάτω δὴ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα εἴ πως ποιήσει ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ ῥῆμα τῆς δούλης αὐτοῦ 16 ὅτι ἀκούσει ὁ βασιλεὺς ῥύσασθαι τὴν δούλην αὐτοῦ ἐκ χειρὸς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τοῦ ζητοῦντος ἐξᾶραί με καὶ τὸν υἱόν μου ἀπὸ κληρονομίας θεοῦ 17 καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή εἴη δὴ ὁ λόγος τοῦ κυρίου μου τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς θυσίαν ὅτι καθὼς ἄγγελος θεοῦ οὕτως ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ ἀκούειν τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ τὸ πονηρόν καὶ κύριος ὁ θεός σου ἔσται μετὰ σοῦ

12 And now the woman asked leave to speak one word besides, and the king granted it. 13 Then she said, Why does the king’s grace treat the people of God so differently? Why does he persist in doing them wrong, by refusing to restore the man he has exiled? 14 We must all die, water spilt on the ground; there is no bringing back the dead. Never a soul will God suffer to be lost in the reckoning; still he busies himself with remedies to save the life of him who is banished.[1] 15 I came to make my suit before my lord the king, with his subjects standing by, thinking to myself, Come, I will plead with the king, and perhaps he will grant his handmaid’s request; 16 and the king’s grace has listened to me, and given me redress against those who would have blotted out my name and my son’s name from the record of the Lord’s people. 17 And now let this plea of thy handmaid’s move thee, my lord king, to speak a generous word.[2] Though indeed my lord the king is wise as an angel of God; thou art not moved from thy purpose by fair word or foul; the Lord thy God is with thee.

12 Dixit ergo mulier: Loquatur ancilla tua ad dominum meum regem verbum. Et ait: Loquere. 13 Dixitque mulier: Quare cogitasti hujuscemodi rem contra populum Dei, et locutus est rex verbum istud, ut peccet, et non reducat ejectum suum? 14 Omnes morimur, et quasi aquæ dilabimur in terram, quæ non revertuntur: nec vult Deus perire animam, sed retractat cogitans ne penitus pereat qui abjectus est. 15 Nunc igitur veni, ut loquar ad dominum meum regem verbum hoc, præsente populo. Et dixit ancilla tua: Loquar ad regem, si quomodo faciat rex verbum ancillæ suæ. 16 Et audivit rex, ut liberaret ancillam suam de manu omnium qui volebant de hæreditate Dei delere me, et filium meum simul. 17 Dicat ergo ancilla tua, ut fiat verbum domini mei regis sicut sacrificium. Sicut enim angelus Dei, sic est dominus meus rex, ut nec benedictione, nec maledictione moveatur: unde et Dominus Deus tuus est tecum.

18 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα μὴ δὴ κρύψῃς ἀ{P'} ἐμοῦ ῥῆμα ὃ ἐγὼ ἐπερωτῶ σε καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή λαλησάτω δὴ ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεύς 19 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς μὴ ἡ χεὶρ Ιωαβ ἐν παντὶ τούτῳ μετὰ σοῦ καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνὴ τῷ βασιλεῖ ζῇ ἡ ψυχή σου κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ εἰ ἔστιν εἰς τὰ δεξιὰ ἢ εἰς τὰ ἀριστερὰ ἐκ πάντων ὧν ἐλάλησεν ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεύς ὅτι ὁ δοῦλός σου Ιωαβ αὐτὸς ἐνετείλατό μοι καὶ αὐτὸς ἔθετο ἐν τῷ στόματι τῆς δούλης σου πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους 20 ἕνεκεν τοῦ περιελθεῖν τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ ῥήματος τούτου ἐποίησεν ὁ δοῦλός σου Ιωαβ τὸν λόγον τοῦτον καὶ ὁ κύριός μου σοφὸς καθὼς σοφία ἀγγέλου τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ γνῶναι πάντα τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ 21 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Ιωαβ ἰδοὺ δὴ ἐποίησά σοι κατὰ τὸν λόγον σου τοῦτον πορεύου ἐπίστρεψον τὸ παιδάριον τὸν Αβεσσαλωμ 22 καὶ ἔπεσεν Ιωαβ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ προσεκύνησεν καὶ εὐλόγησεν τὸν βασιλέα καὶ εἶπεν Ιωαβ σήμερον ἔγνω ὁ δοῦλός σου ὅτι εὗρον χάριν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ ὅτι ἐποίησεν ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν λόγον τοῦ δούλου αὐτοῦ 23 καὶ ἀνέστη Ιωαβ καὶ ἐπορεύθη εἰς Γεδσουρ καὶ ἤγαγεν τὸν Αβεσσαλωμ εἰς Ιερουσαλημ 24 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς ἀποστραφήτω εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν μου μὴ βλεπέτω καὶ ἀπέστρεψεν Αβεσσαλωμ εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως οὐκ εἶδεν

18 Then the king said to her, I have a question to ask thee; answer it openly. My Lord king, she said, thou hast only to speak. 19 Tell me then, said the king, was not Joab concerned in all this? As thou art a living man, she answered, that guess the king’s grace has made has not missed the truth by a hair’s breadth. It was thy servant Joab who sent me on my errand, and told me all I was to say; 20 it was thy servant Joab who bade me use this parable. My lord king, thou art wise as an angel of God; nothing on earth is hidden from thee. 21 And the king turned to Joab, and said, I relent, and grant thy request; go and bring my son Absalom home. 22 Whereupon Joab bowed his face to the ground in reverence, and blessed the king’s name. To-day, he said, I am assured of thy royal favour, that thou shouldst so grant thy servant his will. 23 Then he set out on his journey to Gessur, and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. 24 But the king said, Let him go back to his own house, and never come into my presence; so Absalom went home, and might not have access to the king.

18 Et respondens rex, dixit ad mulierem: Ne abscondas a me verbum quod te interrogo. Dixitque ei mulier: Loquere, domine mi rex. 19 Et ait rex: Numquid manus Joab tecum est in omnibus istis? Respondit mulier, et ait: Per salutem animæ tuæ, domine mi rex, nec ad sinistram, nec ad dexteram est ex omnibus his quæ locutus est dominus meus rex: servus enim tuus Joab, ipse præcepit mihi, et ipse posuit in os ancillæ tuæ omnia verba hæc. 20 Ut verterem figuram sermonis hujus, servus tuus Joab præcepit istud: tu autem, domine mi rex, sapiens es, sicut habet sapientiam angelus Dei, ut intelligas omnia super terram. 21 Et ait rex ad Joab: Ecce placatus feci verbum tuum: vade ergo, et revoca puerum Absalom. 22 Cadensque Joab super faciem suam in terram, adoravit, et benedixit regi: et dixit Joab: Hodie intellexit servus tuus quia inveni gratiam in oculis tuis, domine mi rex: fecisti enim sermonem servi tui. 23 Surrexit ergo Joab et abiit in Gessur, et adduxit Absalom in Jerusalem. 24 Dixit autem rex: Revertatur in domum suam, et faciem meam non videat. Reversus est itaque Absalom in domum suam, et faciem regis non vidit.

25 καὶ ὡς Αβεσσαλωμ οὐκ ἦν ἀνὴρ ἐν παντὶ Ισραηλ αἰνετὸς σφόδρα ἀπὸ ἴχνους ποδὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕως κορυφῆς αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἦν ἐν αὐτῷ μῶμος 26 καὶ ἐν τῷ κείρεσθαι αὐτὸν τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐγένετο ἀ{P'} ἀρχῆς ἡμερῶν εἰς ἡμέρας ὡς ἂν ἐκείρετο ὅτι κατεβαρύνετο ἐ{P'} αὐτόν καὶ κειρόμενος αὐτὴν ἔστησεν τὴν τρίχα τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ διακοσίους σίκλους ἐν τῷ σίκλῳ τῷ βασιλικῷ 27 καὶ ἐτέχθησαν τῷ Αβεσσαλωμ τρεῖς υἱοὶ καὶ θυγάτηρ μία καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῇ Θημαρ αὕτη ἦν γυνὴ καλὴ σφόδρα καὶ γίνεται γυνὴ τῷ Ροβοαμ υἱῷ Σαλωμων καὶ τίκτει αὐτῷ τὸν Αβια

25 This Absalom was a man of good presence and famed for his beauty, none like him in all Israel; from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head was no blemish to be found; 26 and when he cut his hair, as each year he must for the heavy burden it was, the locks that were cut weighed two hundred sicles by common weight.[3] 27 Three sons he had, and one daughter called Tamar, a woman fair to see.

25 Porro sicut Absalom, vir non erat pulcher in omni Israël, et decorus nimis: a vestigio pedis usque ad verticem non erat in eo ulla macula. 26 Et quando tondebat capillum (semel autem in anno tondebatur, quia gravabat eum cæsaries), ponderabat capillos capitis sui ducentis siclis, pondere publico. 27 Nati sunt autem Absalom filii tres, et filia una nomine Thamar, elegantis formæ.

28 καὶ ἐκάθισεν Αβεσσαλωμ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ δύο ἔτη ἡμερῶν καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως οὐκ εἶδεν 29 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Αβεσσαλωμ πρὸς Ιωαβ τοῦ ἀποστεῖλαι αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν ἐλθεῖν πρὸς αὐτόν καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ἐκ δευτέρου πρὸς αὐτόν καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν παραγενέσθαι 30 καὶ εἶπεν Αβεσσαλωμ πρὸς τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ ἴδετε ἡ μερὶς ἐν ἀγρῷ τοῦ Ιωαβ ἐχόμενά μου καὶ αὐτῷ κριθαὶ ἐκεῖ πορεύεσθε καὶ ἐμπρήσατε αὐτὴν ἐν πυρί καὶ ἐνέπρησαν αὐτὰς οἱ παῖδες Αβεσσαλωμ καὶ παραγίνονται οἱ δοῦλοι Ιωαβ πρὸς αὐτὸν διερρηχότες τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν καὶ εἶπαν ἐνεπύρισαν οἱ δοῦλοι Αβεσσαλωμ τὴν μερίδα ἐν πυρί 31 καὶ ἀνέστη Ιωαβ καὶ ἦλθεν πρὸς Αβεσσαλωμ εἰς τὸν οἶκον καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν ἵνα τί οἱ παῖδές σου ἐνεπύρισαν τὴν μερίδα τὴν ἐμὴν ἐν πυρί 32 καὶ εἶπεν Αβεσσαλωμ πρὸς Ιωαβ ἰδοὺ ἀπέστειλα πρὸς σὲ λέγων ἧκε ὧδε καὶ ἀποστελῶ σε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα λέγων ἵνα τί ἦλθον ἐκ Γεδσουρ ἀγαθόν μοι ἦν τοῦ ἔτι εἶναί με ἐκεῖ καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως οὐκ εἶδον εἰ δέ ἐστιν ἐν ἐμοὶ ἀδικία καὶ θανάτωσόν με 33 καὶ εἰσῆλθεν Ιωαβ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐκάλεσεν τὸν Αβεσσαλωμ καὶ εἰσῆλθεν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ κατεφίλησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν Αβεσσαλωμ

28 So for two years Absalom was in Jerusalem without sight of the king; 29 then he sent for Joab, to win him audience, but Joab would not come. A second time the request was made and refused; 30 then Absalom said to his servants, You know that field of Joab’s next to mine, that is under barley; go and set fire to it. So Absalom’s men set fire to the crop, and now Joab’s men went to find him with their garments torn about them, and told him Absalom had had part of his field burned. 31 Thereupon Joab went to see Absalom at his house, and asked, What means it, that thy men have set fire to my crop? 32 Why, answered Absalom, I was fain to see thee; it was my thought to send thee to the king, and ask him why he brought me home from Gessur. Better have stayed there; pray win me admittance to the king’s presence, or let him put me to death if he cannot forgive the wrong. 33 So Joab went and repeated this to the king, and Absalom was summoned into the king’s presence. Low he bowed before him, with his face to the ground; but David greeted Absalom with a kiss.

28 Mansitque Absalom in Jerusalem duobus annis, et faciem regis non vidit. 29 Misit itaque ad Joab, ut mitteret eum ad regem: qui noluit venire ad eum. Cumque secundo misisset, et ille noluisset venire ad eum, 30 dixit servis suis: Scitis agrum Joab juxta agrum meum, habentem messem hordei: ite igitur, et succendite eum igni. Succenderunt ergo servi Absalom segetem igni. Et venientes servi Joab, scissis vestibus suis, dixerunt: Succenderunt servi Absalom partem agri igni. 31 Surrexitque Joab, et venit ad Absalom in domum ejus, et dixit: Quare succenderunt servi tui segetem meam igni? 32 Et respondit Absalom ad Joab: Misi ad te obsecrans ut venires ad me, et mitterem te ad regem, et diceres ei: Quare veni de Gessur? melius mihi erat ibi esse: obsecro ergo ut videam faciem regis: quod si memor est iniquitatis meæ, interficiat me. 33 Ingressus itaque Joab ad regem, nuntiavit ei omnia: vocatusque est Absalom, et intravit ad regem, et adoravit super faciem terræ coram eo: osculatusque est rex Absalom.

[1] This rendering seems to give the best sense to the Latin; but its language is obscure, and that of the Hebrew text even more so.

[2] ‘To speak a generous word’; literally, ‘that thy word may be as a sacrifice’, but the Hebrew word evidently meant is one which can also meant ‘a free gift’. The Hebrew text has a ‘refreshment’.

[3] Two hundred sicles would be more than six pounds, and some think the figure has been exaggerated by an error in the text.

Knox Translation Copyright © 2013 Westminster Diocese
Nihil Obstat. Father Anton Cowan, Censor.
Imprimatur. +Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. 8th January 2012.
Re-typeset and published in 2012 by Baronius Press Ltd