< Dommer 8 >

1 Og Mændene af Efraim sagde til ham: Hvad er det for en Ting, du har gjort os, at du ikke kaldte os, der du gik at stride imod Midianiterne? og de kivede stærkt med ham.
And the men of Ephraim said to him, “What is this, that you wanted to do, so that you would not call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they rebuked him strongly, and came close to using violence.
2 Og han sagde til dem: Hvad har jeg nu gjort som I? er ikke Efraims Efterhøst bedre end Abiesers Vinhøst?
And he responded to them: “But what could I have done that would be so great as what you have done? Is not one bunch of grapes of Ephraim better than the vintages of Abiezer?
3 Gud har givet Midianiternes Fyrster, Oreb og Seeb, i eders Haand, og hvad formaar jeg at gøre som I? Der han havde sagt det Ord, da lod deres Vrede af fra ham.
The Lord has delivered into your hands the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What could I have done that would be so great as what you have done?” And when he had said this, their spirit, which was swelling up against him, was quieted.
4 Der Gideon kom til Jordanen, gik han over og de tre Hundrede Mænd, som vare med ham, trætte af at forfølge.
And when Gideon had arrived at the Jordan, he crossed over it with the three hundred men who were with him. And they were so weary that they were unable to pursue those who were fleeing.
5 Og han sagde til Mændene i Sukot: Kære, giver det Folk, som er i Følge med mig, nogle Brød; thi de ere trætte, og jeg forfølger Seba og Zalmuna, Midianiternes Konger.
And he said to the men of Succoth, “I beg you, give bread to the people who are with me, for they are greatly weakened, so that we may be able to pursue Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”
6 Men de Øverste i Sukot sagde: Er da Sebas og Zalmunas Haand nu i din Haand, at vi skulle give din Hær Brød?
The leaders of Succoth answered, “Perhaps the palms of the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna are in your hand, and for this reason, you request that we give bread to your army.”
7 Og Gideon sagde: Derfor naar Herren giver Seba og Zalmuna i min Haand, da vil jeg tærske eders Kød med Torne af Ørken og med Tidsler.
And he said to them, “So then, when the Lord will have delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hands, I will thresh your flesh with the thorns and briers of the desert.”
8 Og han drog derfra op til Pnuel og talede til dem paa samme Maade; og Mændene i Pnuel svarede ham, ligesom Mændene i Sukot svarede.
And going up from there, he arrived at Penuel. And he spoke to the men of that place similarly. And they also answered him, just as the men of Succoth had answered.
9 Og han sagde ogsaa til Mændene i Pnuel saalunde: Naar jeg kommer tilbage med Fred, da vil jeg nedbryde dette Taarn.
And so he said to them also, “When I will have returned as a victor in peace, I will destroy this tower.”
10 Men Seba og Zalmuna vare i Karkor og med dem deres Lejr ved femten Tusinde, som vare alle de overblevne af den ganske Lejr af Folkene i Østen; men der var falden hundrede og tyve Tusinde Mænd, som kunde drage Sværd.
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were resting with their entire army. For fifteen thousand men were left out of all the troops of the eastern people. And one hundred twenty thousand warriors that drew the sword had been cut down.
11 Og Gideon drog op ad deres Vej, som bo i Telte, Østen for Noba og Jogbea; og han slog den Lejr, thi Lejren var tryg.
And Gideon ascended by the way of those who were dwelling in tents, to the eastern part of Nobah and Jogbehah. And he struck the camp of the enemies, who were confident and were suspecting nothing adverse.
12 Og Seba og Zalmuna flyede, men han forfulgte dem; og han greb de to Midianiternes Konger, Seba og Zalmuna, og forfærdede den ganske Lejr.
And Zebah and Zalmunna fled. And Gideon pursued and overtook them, sending their entire army into confusion.
13 Men der Gideon, Joas's Søn, kom tilbage fra Krigen fra Opgangen til Heres,
And returning from the war before sunrise,
14 da greb han en ung Karl af Mændene i Sukot og adspurgte ham; og denne skrev op for ham de Øverste i Sukot og de Ældste sammesteds, halvfjerdsindstyve og syv Mænd.
he took a boy from among the men of Succoth. And he asked him the names of the leaders and elders of Succoth. And he described seventy-seven men.
15 Og han kom til Mændene i Sukot og sagde: Se, her er Seba og Zalmuna, med hvilke I forhaanede mig og sagde: Er da Sebas og Zalmunas Haand nu i din Haand, at vi skulle give dine Folk, som ere trætte, Brød?
And he went to Succoth, and he said to them: “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, over whom you rebuked me, saying: ‘Perhaps the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna are in your hands, and for this reason, you request that we give bread to men who are languishing and weakened.’”
16 Og han tog de Ældste af Staden og Torne af Ørken og Tidsler og lod Folket i Sukot faa Forstand ved dem.
Therefore, he took the elders of the city, and, using the thorns and briers of the desert, he threshed them with these, and he cut the men of Succoth to pieces.
17 Og Pnuels Taarn nedbrød han, og han ihjelslog Mændene i Staden.
He also overturned the tower of Penuel, and he killed the men of the city.
18 Og han sagde til Seba og til Zalmuna: Hvordan vare de Mænd, som I sloge ihjel ved Thabor? og de sagde: Som du, saa vare de, hver af dem saa ud som en Kongesøn.
And he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were those whom you killed at Tabor?” They responded, “They were like you, and one of them was like the son of a king.”
19 Og han sagde: De vare mine Brødre, min Moders Sønner: Saa vist som Herren lever, dersom I havde ladet dem leve, da vilde jeg ikke slaget eder ihjel.
He answered them: “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had preserved them, I would not kill you.”
20 Og han sagde til Jether, sin førstefødte: Staa op, slaa dem ihjel; men Drengen drog ikke sit Sværd ud, thi han frygtede, efterdi han var endnu en Dreng.
And he said to Jether, his firstborn son, “Rise up, and put them to death.” But he did not draw his sword. For he was afraid, being still a boy.
21 Men Seba og Zalmuna sagde: Staa du op og fald an paa os, thi som Manden er, saa er hans Styrke; saa stod Gideon op og slog Seba og Zalmuna ihjel og toge de Halvmaaner, som vare paa deres Kamelers Halse.
And Zebah and Zalmunna said: “You should rise up and rush against us. For the strength of a man is in accord with his age.” Gideon rose up, and he killed Zebah and Zalmunna. And he took the ornaments and studs, with which the necks of the royal camels are usually adorned.
22 Da sagde hver Mand i Israel til Gideon: Hersk over os, baade du og saa din Søn, saa og din Søns Søn, efterdi du har frelst os af Midianiternes Haand.
And all the men of Israel said to Gideon: “You should rule over us, and your son, and your son’s son. For you freed us from the hand of Midian.”
23 Og Gideon sagde til dem: Jeg vil ikke herske over eder; og min Søn skal ikke herske over eder; Herren skal herske over eder.
And he said to them: “I will not rule over you. Neither shall my son rule over you. Instead, the Lord shall rule over you.”
24 Og Gideon sagde til dem: Jeg har en Begæring til eder: Hver give mig dog en Bing af hans Bytte; thi hine havde Guldringe, eftersom de vare Ismaeliter.
And he said to them: “I petition one request from you. Give me the earrings from your spoils.” For the Ishmaelites were accustomed to wear gold earrings.
25 Og de sagde: Vi ville gerne give, og de bredte et Klæde ud; og de kastede hver en Bing af sit Bytte derpaa.
They responded, “We are very willing to give them.” And spreading a cloak on the ground, they cast upon it the earrings from the spoils.
26 Og Vægten af de Guldringe, som han begærede, var tusinde og syv Hundrede Sekel Guld, foruden de Halvmaaner og de Halskæder og de Purpurklæder, som Midianiternes Konger havde paa sig, og foruden de Kæder, som vare om deres Kamelers Halse.
And the weight of the earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, aside from the ornaments, and necklaces, and purple garments, which the kings of Midian were accustomed to use, and aside from the gold chains on the camels.
27 Og Gideon anvendte det til en Livkjortel og henlagde den i sin Stad udi Ofra, og al Israel bolede med den; og det blev Gideon og hans Hus til en Snare.
And Gideon made an ephod from these, and he kept it in his city, Ophrah. And all of Israel committed fornication with it, and it became a ruin to Gideon and to all his house.
28 Saa bleve Midianiterne ydmygede for Israels Børn og bleve ikke ved at opløfte deres Hoved, og Landet havde Bo fyrretyve Aar i Gideons Dage.
But Midian was humbled before the sons of Israel. Neither were they able any longer to lift up their necks. But the land rested for forty years, while Gideon presided.
29 Og Jerub-Baal, Joas's Søn, gik bort og boede i sit Hus.
And so Jerubbaal, the son of Joash, went and lived in his own house.
30 Og Gideon havde halvfjerdsindstyve Sønner, som vare udkomne af hans Lænd; thi han havde mange Hustruer.
And he had seventy sons, who went forth from his own thigh. For he had many wives.
31 Og hans Medhustru, som var i Sikem, fødte ham ogsaa en Søn; og han gav ham Navnet Abimelek.
But his concubine, whom he had in Shechem, bore him a son named Abimelech.
32 Og Gideon, Joas's Søn, døde i en god Alderdom, og han blev begraven udi sin Faders, Abiesriteren Joas's, Grav i Ofra.
And Gideon, the son of Joash, died in a good old age, and he was buried in the sepulcher of his father, at Ophrah, of the family of Ezri.
33 Og det skete, der Gideon var død, da vendte Israels Børn om og bolede med Baalerne; og de gjorde sig Baal-Berith til en Gud.
But after Gideon died, the sons of Israel turned away, and they committed fornication with the Baals. And they struck a covenant with Baal, so that he would be their god.
34 Og Israels Børn kom ikke Herren, deres Gud, i Hu, som havde friet dem af alle deres Fjenders Haand trindt omkring.
And they did not remember the Lord their God, who rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on all sides.
35 Og de viste ikke Kærlighed mod Jerub-Baals, det er Gideons Hus, efter alt det gode, som han havde gjort mod Israel.
Neither did they show mercy to the house of Jerubbaal Gideon, in accord with all the good that he had done for Israel.

< Dommer 8 >