Judges 8
1 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.
Ma gli uomini di Efraim gli dissero: «Che azione ci hai fatto, non chiamandoci quando sei andato a combattere contro Madian?». Litigarono con lui violentemente.
2 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?
Egli rispose loro: «Che ho fatto io in confronto a voi? La racimolatura di Efraim non vale più della vendemmia di Abiezer?
3 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.
Dio vi ha messo nelle mani i capi di Madian, Oreb e Zeeb; che dunque ho potuto fare io in confronto a voi?». A tali parole, la loro ira contro di lui si calmò.
4 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.
Gedeone arrivò al Giordano e lo attraversò. Ma egli e i suoi trecento uomini erano stanchi e affamati.
5 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.”
Disse a quelli di Succot: «Date focacce di pane alla gente che mi segue, perché è stanca e io sto inseguendo Zebach e Zalmunna, re di Madian».
6 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.”
Ma i capi di Succot risposero: «Tieni forse gia nelle tue mani i polsi di Zebach e di Zalmunna, perché dobbiamo dare il pane al tuo esercito?».
7 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.”
Gedeone disse: «Ebbene, quando il Signore mi avrà messo nelle mani Zebach e Zalmunna, vi strazierò le carni con le spine del deserto e con i cardi».
8 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.
Di là salì a Penuel e parlò agli uomini di Penuel nello stesso modo; essi gli risposero come avevano fatto quelli di Succot.
9 And so he said to them also, “When I will have returned as a victor in peace, I will destroy this tower.”
Egli disse anche agli uomini di Penuel: «Quando tornerò in pace, abbatterò questa torre».
10 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.
Zebach e Zalmunna erano a Karkor con il loro accampamento di circa quindicimila uomini, quanti erano rimasti dell'intero esercito dei figli dell'oriente; centoventimila uomini armati di spada erano caduti.
11 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.
Gedeone salì per la via dei nomadi a oriente di Nobach e di Iogbea e mise in rotta l'esercito che si credeva sicuro.
12 And Zebah and Zalmunna fled. And Gideon pursued and overtook them, sending their entire army into confusion.
Zebach e Zalmunna si diedero alla fuga, ma egli li inseguì, prese i due re di Madian, Zebach e Zalmunna, e sbaragliò tutto l'esercito.
13 And returning from the war before sunrise,
Poi Gedeone, figlio di Ioas, tornò dalla battaglia per la salita di Cheres.
14 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.
Catturò un giovane della gente di Succot e lo interrogò; quegli gli mise per iscritto i nomi dei capi e degli anziani di Succot: settantasette uomini.
15 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.’”
Poi venne alla gente di Succot e disse: «Ecco Zebach e Zalmunna, a proposito dei quali mi avete insultato dicendo: Hai tu forse gia nelle mani i polsi di Zebach e Zalmunna perché dobbiamo dare il pane alla tua gente stanca?».
16 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.
Prese gli anziani della città e con le spine del deserto e con i cardi castigò gli uomini di Succot.
17 He also overturned the tower of Penuel, and he killed the men of the city.
Demolì la torre di Penuel e uccise gli uomini della città.
18 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.”
Poi disse a Zebach e a Zalmunna: «Come erano gli uomini che avete uccisi al Tabor?». Quelli risposero: «Erano come te; ognuno di loro aveva l'aspetto di un figlio di re».
19 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.”
Egli riprese: «Erano miei fratelli, figli di mia madre; per la vita del Signore, se aveste risparmiato loro la vita, io non vi ucciderei!».
20 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.
Poi disse a Ieter, suo primogenito: «Su, uccidili!». Ma il giovane non estrasse la spada, perché aveva paura, poiché era ancora giovane.
21 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.
Zebach e Zalmunna dissero: «Suvvia, colpisci tu stesso, poiché qual è l'uomo, tale è la sua forza». Gedeone si alzò e uccise Zebach e Zalmunna e prese le lunette che i loro cammelli portavano al collo.
22 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.”
Allora gli Israeliti dissero a Gedeone: «Regna su di noi tu e i tuoi discendenti, poiché ci hai liberati dalla mano di Madian».
23 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.”
Ma Gedeone rispose loro: «Io non regnerò su di voi né mio figlio regnerà; il Signore regnerà su di voi».
24 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.
Poi Gedeone disse loro: «Una cosa voglio chiedervi: ognuno di voi mi dia un pendente del suo bottino». I nemici avevano pendenti d'oro, perché erano Ismaeliti.
25 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.
Risposero: «Li daremo volentieri». Egli stese allora il mantello e ognuno vi gettò un pendente del suo bottino».
26 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.
Il peso dei pendenti d'oro, che egli aveva chiesti, fu di millesettecento sicli d'oro, oltre le lunette, le catenelle e le vesti di porpora, che i re di Madian avevano addosso, e oltre le collane che i loro cammelli avevano al collo.
27 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.
Gedeone ne fece un efod che pose in Ofra sua città; tutto Israele vi si prostrò davanti in quel luogo e ciò divenne una causa di rovina per Gedeone e per la sua casa.
28 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.
Così Madian fu umiliato davanti agli Israeliti e non alzò più il capo; il paese rimase in pace per quarant'anni, durante la vita di Gedeone.
29 And so Jerubbaal, the son of Joash, went and lived in his own house.
Ierub-Baal, figlio di Ioas, tornò a dimorare a casa sua.
30 And he had seventy sons, who went forth from his own thigh. For he had many wives.
Gedeone ebbe settanta figli che gli erano nati dalle molte mogli.
31 But his concubine, whom he had in Shechem, bore him a son named Abimelech.
Anche la sua concubina che stava a Sichem gli partorì un figlio, che chiamò Abimèlech.
32 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.
Poi Gedeone, figlio di Ioas, morì in buona vecchiaia e fu sepolto nella tomba di Ioas suo padre a Ofra degli Abiezeriti.
33 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.
Dopo la morte di Gedeone gli Israeliti tornarono a prostituirsi a Baal e presero Baal-Berit come loro dio.
34 And they did not remember the Lord their God, who rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on all sides.
Gli Israeliti non si ricordarono del Signore loro Dio che li aveva liberati dalle mani di tutti i loro nemici all'intorno
35 Neither did they show mercy to the house of Jerubbaal Gideon, in accord with all the good that he had done for Israel.
e non dimostrarono gratitudine alla casa di Ierub-Baal, cioè di Gedeone, per tutto il bene che egli aveva fatto a Israele.
