Dommer 8

1 Men Efraimiterne sagde til ham: »Hvorfor handler du saaledes over for os, at du ikke kaldte os til, da du drog i Kamp mod Midjaniterne?« Og de gik stærkt i Rette med ham.

And the men of Ephraim said unto him: 'Why hast thou served us thus, that thou didst not call us when thou wentest to fight with Midian?' And they did chide with him sharply.

2 Men han svarede dem: »Hvad er min Daad i Sammenligning med eders? Er ikke Efraims Efterhøst bedre end Abiezers Vinhøst?

And he said unto them: 'What have I now done in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

3 I eders Haand gav Gud Midjaniternes Høvdinger Oreb og Ze'eb, hvad har jeg formaaet i Sammenligning med eder?« Og da han talte saaledes, lagde deres Vrede sig mod ham.

God hath delivered into your hand the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?' Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

4 Da Gideon naaede Jordan, gik han og de 300 Mand, der var med ham, over, udmattede og sultne.

And Gideon came to the Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing.

5 Han sagde da til Folkene i Sukkot: »Giv Folkene, der følger mig, nogle Brød, thi de er udmattede, og jeg er i Færd med at forfølge Midjaniterkongerne Zeba og Zalmunna!«

And he said unto the men of Succoth: 'Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.'

6 Men Høvedsmændene i Sukkot svarede: »Har du allerede faaet fat i Zeba og Zalmunna, siden vi skal give dine Folk Brød?«

And the princes of Succoth said: 'Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy power, that we should give bread unto thine army?'

7 Da sagde Gideon: »Til Gengæld skal jeg tærske eders Kroppe med Ørkentorne og Tidsler, naar HERREN har givet Zeba og Zalmunna i min Haand!«

And Gideon said: 'Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.'

8 Saa drog han derfra til Penuel og sagde det samme til dem; og da Folkene i Penuel gav ham samme Svar som Folkene i Sukkot,

And he went up thence to Penuel, and spoke unto them in like manner; and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.

9 tiltalte han dem paa lignende Maade og sagde: »Naar jeg kommer uskadt tilbage, vil jeg nedbryde Borgen her!«

And he spoke also unto the men of Penuel, saying: 'When I come back in peace, I will break down this tower.'

10 Zeba og Zalmunna befandt sig imidlertid med deres Hær i Karkor, henved 15 000 Mand; det var alle dem, der var tilbage af Østens Stammers, Hær; de faldne udgjorde 120 000 vaabenføre Mænd.

Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the host of the children of the east; for there fell a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

11 Og Gideon drog op ad Teltboernes Vej østen for Noba og Jogbeha og slog Hæren, der ikke anede Uraad.

And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host; for the host was secure.

12 Zeba og Zalmunna flygtede, men han satte efter dem og fangede de to Midjaniterkonger Zeba og Zalmunna og slog hele Hæren med Rædsel.

And Zebah and Zalmunna fled; and he pursued after them; and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.

13 Da Gideon, Joasj's Søn, vendte tilbage fra Kampen, fra Herespasset,

And Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle from the ascent of Heres.

14 fik han fat i en ung Mand fra Sukkot og spurgte ham ud, og den unge Mand skrev Navnene paa Høvedsmændene og de Ældste i Sukkot op til ham, syv og halvfjerdsindstyve Mænd.

And he caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him; and he wrote down for him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, seventy and seven men.

15 Saa drog han til Folkene i Sukkot og sagde: »Se, her er Zeba og Zalmunna, som I haanede mig med, da I sagde: Har du allerede faaet fat i Zeba og Zalmunna, siden vi skal give dine udmattede Mænd Brød?«

And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said: 'Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom ye did taunt me, saying: Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy power, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?'

16 Derpaa greb han Byens Ældste, tog Ørkentorne og Tidsler og tærskede Folkene i Sukkot med dem;

And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.

17 og Borgen i Penuel brød han ned og dræbte Folkene i Byen.

And he broke down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.

18 Men til Zeba og Zalmunna sagde han: »Hvorledes var de Mænd, I ihjelslog ved Tabor?« De svarede: »De lignede dig, de saa begge ud som Kongesønner!«

Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna: 'Where are the men whom ye slew at Tabor?' And they answered: 'As thou art, so were they; of one form with the children of a king.'

19 Da sagde han: »Mine Brødre, min Moders Sønner var det! Saa sandt HERREN lever; havde I skaanet deres Liv, havde jeg ikke slaaet eder ihjel!«

And he said: 'They were my brethren, the sons of my mother; as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.'

20 Derpaa sagde han til sin førstefødte Søn Jeter: »Staa op og dræb dem!« Men den unge Mand drog ikke sit Sværd; han havde ikke Mod dertil, fordi han endnu var ung.

And he said unto Jether his first-born: 'Up, and slay them.' But the youth drew not his sword; for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

21 Da sagde Zeba og Zalmunna: »Staa selv op og giv os Dødsstødet, thi som Manden saaledes hans Styrke!« Saa stod Gideon op og dræbte Zeba og Zalmunna. Og han tog de Halvmaaner, deres Kameler havde om Halsen.

Then Zebah and Zalmunna said: 'Rise thou, and fall upon us; for as the man is, so is his strength.' And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents that were on their camels' necks.

22 Derefter sagde Israeliterne til Gideon: »Vær vor Hersker, du selv og siden din Søn og din Sønnesøn, da du nu har frelst os af Midjaniternes Haand!«

Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon: 'Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also; for thou hast saved us out of the hand of Midian.'

23 Men Gideon svarede dem: »Hverken jeg eller min Søn vil herske over eder; HERREN skal herske over eder!«

And Gideon said unto them: 'I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you.'

24 Derpaa sagde Gideon til dem: »Jeg har noget at bede eder om: Enhver af eder skal give mig de Ringe, der findes mellem hans Bytte!« Hine havde nemlig Guldringe, thi de var Ismaeliter.

And Gideon said unto them: 'I would make a request of you, that ye would give me every man the ear-rings of his spoil.' — For they had golden ear-rings, because they were Ishmaelites.

25 De svarede: »Ja, vi vil gerne give dig dem!« Saa bredte han sin Kappe ud, og enhver af dem lagde de Ringe, der fandtes mellem hans Bytte, derpaa.

And they answered: 'We will willingly give them.' And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the ear-rings of his spoil.

26 Vægten af Guldringene, som han havde bedt om, udgjorde 1700 Sekel Guld bortset fra Halvmaanerne, Ørenringene og Purpurklæderne, som Midjaniterkongerne bar, og Kæderne paa Kamelernes Halse.

And the weight of the golden ear-rings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside the crescents, and the pendants, and the purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks.

27 Gideon lavede deraf en Efod, som han gav Plads i sin Fødeby Ofra; og alle Israeliterne bolede med den, og den blev Gideon og hans Hus en Snare.

And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah; and all Israel went astray after it there; and it became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.

28 Saaledes bukkede Midjaniterne under for Israeliterne, og de rejste sig ikke mere; og Landet havde Ro i fyrretyve Aar, saa længe Gideon levede.

So Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.

29 Og Jerubba'al, Joasj's Søn, begav sig til sit Hjem og opholdt sig der.

And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.

30 Gideon havde halvfjerdsindstyve Sønner, der var avlede af ham, thi han havde mange Hustruer.

And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten; for he had many wives.

31 Han havde en Medhustru i Sikem; hun fødte ham en Søn, som han gav Navnet Abimelek.

And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech.

32 Gideon, Joasj's Søn, døde i en høj Alder og blev jordet i sin Fader Abiezriten Joasj's Grav i Ofra.

And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

33 Men da Gideon var død, gav Israeliterne sig atter til at bole med Ba'alerne og gjorde Ba'al-Berit til deres Gud;

And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel again went astray after the Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god.

34 og Israeliterne kom ikke HERREN deres Gud i Hu, ham, som frelste dem fra alle deres Fjender, der omgav dem paa alle Kanter.

And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side;

35 Og de handlede ikke vel mod Jerubba'als, Gideons, Hus, trods alt det gode, han havde gjort Israel.

neither showed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shown unto Israel.