Judges 6

1 The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight. So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years.

١ وَعَادَ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ يَقْتَرِفُونَ الإِثْمَ فِي عَيْنَيِ الرَّبِّ فَسَلَّطَ عَلَيْهِمِ الْمِدْيَانِيِّينَ سَبْعَ سَنَوَاتٍ.

2 The Midianite oppression was so great that because of them the Israelites made themselves hiding places in mountains, caves, and fortifications.

٢ وَاشْتَدَّتْ وَطْأَةُ الْمِدْيَانِيِّينَ عَلَى إِسْرَائِيلَ حَتَّى لَجَأَ الإِسْرَائِيلِيُّونَ إِلَى الْجِبَالِ لِيَعِيشُوا فِي الْكُهُوفِ وَالْمَغَائِرِ.

3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other peoples from the east would come and attack them.

٣ وَكُلَّمَا زَرَعَ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ زَرْعاً جَاءَ النَّاهِبُونَ الْمِدْيَانِيُّونَ وَالْعَمَالِقَةُ وَسِوَاهُمْ مِنْ أَبْنَاءِ الْمَشْرِقِ لِيَنْهَبُوا مَحَاصِيلَهُمْ،

4 They would set up their camps and destroy the country's crops as far away as Gaza. They didn't leave anything to eat in the whole of Israel, and they took for themselves all the sheep, cattle, and donkeys.

٤ فَيَغْزُونَهُمْ وَيُتْلِفُونَ غَلّاتِ أَرْضِهِمْ حَتَّى تُخُومِ غَزَّةَ وَلا يَتْرُكُونَ لِلإِسْرَائِيلِيِّينَ مَا يَقْتَاتُونَ بِهِ، وَيَسْتَوْلُونَ أَيْضاً عَلَى الْغَنَمِ وَالْبَقَرِ وَالْحَمِيرِ.

5 They arrived in huge numbers with their livestock and tents like swarms of locusts, with so many camels they couldn't be counted. They invaded the land to completely devastate it.

٥ لأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَغْزُونَ الْبِلادَ بِمَوَاشِيهِمْ وَخِيَامِهِمْ، فَكَانُوا فِي كَثْرَةِ الْجَرَادِ، لَا يُحْصَى لَهُمْ وَلا لِجِمَالِهِمْ عَدَدٌ، فَيَغْزُونَ الأَرْضَ وَيُتْلِفُونَهَا.

6 The Israelites were made desperately poor by the Midianites and they called out to the Lord for help.

٦ فَأَذَلَّ الْمِدْيَانِيُّونَ الإِسْرَائِيلِيِّينَ جِدّاً، فَاسْتَغَاثَ هَؤُلاءِ بِالرَّبِّ.

7 When the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help because of the Midianites,

٧ وَعِنْدَمَا اسْتَغَاثَ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ بِالرَّبِّ مِنْ ظُلْمِ الْمِدْيَانِيِّينَ،

8 the Lord sent the Israelites a prophet. He told them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought you out of Egypt; I led you out from the place where you were slaves.

٨ أَرْسَلَ الرَّبُّ نَبِيًّا إِلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «هَذَا مَا يَقُولُهُ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ: لَقَدْ أَخْرَجْتُكُمْ مِنْ مِصْرَ وَحَرَّرْتُكُمْ مِنْ نِيرِ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ.

9 I saved you from the power of the Egyptians and from everyone who oppressed you. I expelled them before you and gave their land to you.

٩ وَأَنْقَذْتُكُمْ مِنْ قَبْضَةِ الْمِصْرِيِّينَ وَمِنْ يَدِ جَمِيعِ مُضَايِقِيكُمْ، وَطَرَدْتُهُمْ مِنْ وَجْهِكُمْ وَوَهَبْتُكُمْ أَرْضَهُمْ.

10 I warned you: I am the Lord your God. You must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you're now living.’ But you didn't listen to me.”

١٠ وَقُلْتُ لَكُمْ: أَنَا الرَّبُّ إِلَهُكُمْ. لَا تَخَافُوا آلِهَةَ الأَمُورِيِّينَ الَّذِينَ أَنْتُمْ مُقِيمُونَ فِي أَرْضِهِمْ، لَكِنَّكُمْ لَمْ تُطِيعُوا قَوْلِي».

11 The angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak tree in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress there to hide it from the Midianites.

١١ ثُمَّ جَاءَ مَلاكُ الرَّبِّ إِلَى قَرْيَةِ عَفْرَةَ، وَجَلَسَ تَحْتَ شَجَرَةِ الْبَلُّوطِ الَّتِي يَمْلِكُهَا يُوآشُ الأَبِيعَزَرِيُّ. وَكَانَ ابْنُهُ جِدْعُونُ يَخْبِطُ حِنْطَةً فِي الْمِعْصَرَةِ لِكَيْ يُهَرِّبَهَا مِنَ الْمِدْيَانِيِّينَ.

12 The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “The Lord is with you, great man of courage!”

١٢ فَتَجَلَّى لَهُ مَلاكُ الرَّبِّ وَقَالَ لَهُ: «الرَّبُّ مَعَكَ أَيُّهَا الْمُحَارِبُ الْجَبَّارُ».

13 “Excuse me, my lord, but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” Gideon replied. “Where are all his wonderful miracles that our forefathers reminded us about when they said, ‘Wasn't it the Lord who led us out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has given up on us and has handed us over to the Midianites.”

١٣ فَقَالَ لَهُ جِدْعُونُ: «دَعْنِي أَسْأَلُكَ يَا سَيِّدِي: إِنْ كَانَ الرَّبُّ مَعَنَا، فَلِمَاذَا أَصَابَنَا كُلُّ هَذَا الْبَلاءِ؟ وَأَيْنَ كُلُّ عَجَائِبِهِ الَّتِي حَدَّثَنَا بِها آبَاؤُنَا قَائِلِينَ: أَلَمْ يُخْرِجْنَا الرَّبُّ مِنْ مِصْرَ؟ وَالآنَ قَدْ نَبَذَنَا الرَّبُّ وَجَعَلَنَا فِي قَبْضَةِ مِدْيَانَ».

14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength that you have and save Israel from the Midianites. Aren't I the one sending you?”

١٤ فَالْتَفَتَ إِلَيْهِ الرَّبُّ وَأَجَابَ: «اذْهَبْ بِمَا تَمْلِكُهُ مِنْ قُوَّةٍ وَأَنْقِذْ إِسْرَائِيلَ مِنْ قَبْضَةِ الْمِدْيَانِيِّينَ. أَلَسْتُ أَنَا الَّذِي أَرْسَلَكَ؟»

15 “Excuse me, my lord, but how can I save Israel?” Gideon replied. “My family is the least important of the tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least important person of that family!”

١٥ فَأَجَابَ جِدْعُونُ: «دَعْنِي أَسْأَلُكَ يَا سَيِّدِي: كَيْفَ أُنْقِذُ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَعَشِيرَتِي هِيَ أَضْعَفُ عَشَائِرِ سِبْطِ مَنَسَّى، وَأَنَا أَقَلُّ أَفْرَادِ عَائِلَتِي شَأْناً؟»

16 “I will be with you,” the Lord told him. “You will defeat the Midianites as if they were just one man.”

١٦ فَقَالَ لَهُ الرَّبُّ: «سَأَكُونُ مَعَكَ فَتَقْضِي عَلَى الْمِدْيَانِيِّينَ وَكَأَنَّكَ تَقْضِي عَلَى رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ».

17 “Please, Lord, if you think well of me, give me a sign that it's really you telling me this,” Gideon asked.

١٧ فَقَالَ لَهُ: «إِنْ كُنْتُ حَقّاً قَدْ حَظِيتُ بِرِضَاكَ، فَأَعْطِنِي عَلامَةً أَنَّكَ أَنْتَ الَّذِي تُخَاطِبُنِي.

18 “Don't leave until I come back and present my offering to you.” “I will remain here until you return,” he replied.

١٨ أَرْجُوكَ أَلا تَمْضِيَ مِنْ هُنَا حَتَّى أَرْجِعَ وَأَضَعَ تَقْدِمَتِي أَمَامَكَ». فَأَجَابَهُ: «سَأَبْقَى حَتَّى تَرْجِعَ».

19 Gideon went and cooked a young goat, and baked some unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot. He carried them out and presented them to the angel under the oak tree.

١٩ فَدَخَلَ جِدْعُونُ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ وَأَعَدَّ جَدْياً وَإِيفَةَ دَقِيقٍ فَطِيراً، وَوَضَعَ اللَّحْمَ فِي سَلٍّ وَالْحِسَاءَ فِي قِدْرٍ، وَحَمَلَهَا إِلَيْهِ تَحْتَ الْبَلُّوطَةِ وَقَدَّمَهَا لَهُ.

20 The angel of God told him, “Place the meat and the unleavened bread on this rock and pour the broth over them.” So Gideon did.

٢٠ فَقَالَ الْمَلاكُ لَهُ: «خُذِ اللَّحْمَ وَالْفَطِيرَ، وَضَعْهُمَا فَوْقَ تِلْكَ الصَّخْرَةِ وَاسْكُبِ الْحِسَاءَ» فَفَعَلَ جِدْعُونُ ذَلِكَ.

21 The angel of the Lord held out the staff he was holding and touched the meat and unleavened bread with the tip. Fire flamed from the rock and burned up the meat and unleavened bread. Then the angel vanished.

٢١ فَمَدَّ مَلاكُ الرَّبِّ طَرَفَ الْعُكَّازِ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ وَمَسَّ بِهِ اللَّحْمَ وَالْفَطِيرَ، فَانْدَلَعَتْ نَارٌ مِنَ الصَّخْرَةِ وَالْتَهَمَتْهُمَا. وَتَوَارَى مَلاكُ الرَّبِّ عَنْ عَيْنَيْهِ.

22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he cried out, “Oh no, Lord God! I've seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”

٢٢ وَعِنْدَمَا تَبَيَّنَ جِدْعُونُ أَنَّهُ مَلاكُ الرَّبِّ، هَتَفَ مُرْتَعِباً: «آهِ يَا سَيِّدِي الرَّبَّ! لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ مَلاكَ الرَّبِّ وَجْهاً لِوَجْهٍ».

23 But the Lord told him, “Peace! Don't worry, you're not going to die.”

٢٣ فَقَالَ لَهُ الرَّبُّ: «السَّلامُ لَكَ، لَا تَخَفْ، فَأَنْتَ لَنْ تَمُوتَ».

24 So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it “The Lord is Peace.” It's still there today, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

٢٤ فَبَنَى جِدْعُونُ هُنَاكَ مَذْبَحاً لِلرَّبِّ سَمَّاهُ: يَهْوَهْ شَلُومَ (وَمَعْنَاهُ: الرَّبُّ سَلامٌ). وَمَازَالَ الْمَذْبَحُ قَائِماً إِلَى هَذَا الْيَوْمِ فِي عَفْرَةِ الأَبِيعَزَرِيِّينَ.

25 That night the Lord told Gideon, “Take your father's bull and a second bull seven years old, and tear down your father's altar of Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.

٢٥ وَقَالَ الرَّبُّ لِجِدْعُونَ فِي تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ: «خُذْ ثَوْراً كَامِلَ النُّضْجِ مِنْ قَطِيعِ أَبِيكَ: وَثَوْراً ثَانِياً عُمْرُهُ سَبْعُ سَنَوَاتٍ، وَاهْدِمْ مَذْبَحَ الْبَعْلِ الَّذِي يَعْبُدُهُ أَبُوكَ، وَاقْطَعْ نُصُبَ عَشْتَارُوثَ الَّذِي إِلَى جِوَارِهِ.

26 Then build an altar to the Lord your God in the proper way on hilltop. Using the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down as firewood, take the second bull and present it as a burnt offering.”

٢٦ وَابْنِ مَذْبَحاً لِلرَّبِّ إِلَهِكَ عَلَى رَأْسِ تِلْكَ الصَّخْرَةِ، وَرَتِّبْ حِجَارَتَهُ فِي الْمَكَانِ الْمُعَدِّ، وَخُذِ الثَّوْرَ وَأَصْعِدْهُ مُحْرَقَةً عَلَى خَشَبِ النُّصُبِ الَّذِي قَطَّعْتَهُ».

27 Gideon accompanied by ten of his servants did what the Lord had told him. However, because he was afraid of his family and the people of the town, he did it during the night rather than in the day.

٢٧ عِنْدَئِذٍ أَخَذَ جِدْعُونُ عَشَرَةَ رِجَالٍ مِنْ عَبِيدِهِ وَنَفَّذَ لَيْلاً مَا أَمَرَهُ الرَّبُّ بِهِ، لأَنَّهُ كَانَ يَخْشَى غَضَبَ بَيْتِ أَبِيهِ وَأَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ، فَلَمْ يَجْرُؤْ عَلَى فِعْلِ ذَلِكَ نَهَاراً.

28 Early in the morning when the people of the town got up, they saw that the altar of Baal had been torn down and the Asherah pole beside it had been cut down, with the second bull sacrificed on the altar that had just been built.

٢٨ وَفِي فَجْرِ الْيَوْمِ التَّالِي اكْتَشَفَ أَهْلُ الْمَدِينَةِ أَنَّ مَذْبَحَ الْبَعْلِ مُتَهَدِّمٌ وَالنُّصُبَ الَّذِي إِلَى جِوَارِهِ مَقْطُوعٌ، وَالثَّوْرَ الثَّانِي قَدْ أُصْعِدَ عَلَى الْمَذْبَحِ الْجَدِيدِ.

29 They asked one another, “Who did this?” They made inquiries and they were told, “Gideon, son of Joash, did it.”

٢٩ فَسَأَلَ الْوَاحِدُ صَاحِبَهُ: «مَنْ صَنَعَ هَذَا الأَمْرَ؟» وَبَعْدَ بَحْثٍ وَتَحَرٍّ، اكْتَشَفُوا أَنَّ جِدْعُونَ بْنَ يُوآشَ هُوَ الْجَانِي.

30 “Hand over your son,” the people of the town ordered Joash. “He must die, because he has torn down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”

٣٠ فَقَالَ أَهْلُ الْمَدِينَةِ لِيُوآشَ: «أَخْرِجِ ابْنَكَ. يَجِبُ أَنْ يَمُوتَ لأَنَّهُ هَدَمَ مَذْبَحَ الْبَعْلِ وَقَطَعَ النُّصُبَ الَّذِي إِلَى جِوَارِهِ».

31 Joash replied to all those confronting him, “Are you arguing on Baal's behalf? Do you have to save him? Anyone who argues for him will be put to death by morning! If he is a god let him fight for himself against those who tore down his altar.”

٣١ فَقَالَ يُوآشُ لِجَمِيعِ الثَّائِرِينَ عَلَيْهِ: «أَعَازِمُونَ أَنْتُمْ عَلَى الدِّفَاعِ عَنِ الْبَعْلِ؟ أَمْ أَنْتُمْ تُحَاوِلُونَ إِنْقَاذَهُ؟ إِنَّ مَنْ يُقَاتِلُ دِفَاعاً عَنِ الْبَعْلِ حَتْماً يَمُوتُ فِي هَذَا الصَّبَاحِ (لأَنَّ ذَلِكَ إِهَانَةٌ لِلْبَعْلِ). إِنْ كَانَ الْبَعْلُ حَقّاً إِلَهاً فَلْيُقَاتِلْ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ لأَنَّ مَذْبَحَهُ قَدْ هُدِمَ».

32 That day Gideon was called Jerub-baal, which means “Let Baal fight with him,” because he had torn down his altar.

٣٢ وَمُنْذُ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ دُعِيَ جِدْعُونُ يَرُبَّعْلَ، لأَنَّ يُوآشَ قَالَ: «لِيُقَاتِلْهُ بَعْلٌ»؛ لأَنَّ جِدْعُونَ قَدْ هَدَمَ مَذْبَحَهُ.

33 All the Midianites, Amalekites, and other peoples of the East gathered together and crossed over the Jordan. They camped in the Valley of Jezreel.

٣٣ وَتَحَالَفَتْ جُيُوشُ مِدْيَانَ وَعَمَالِيقَ وَسِوَاهُمْ مِنْ أَبْنَاءِ الْمَشْرِقِ وَعَسْكَرُوا فِي وَادِي يَزْرَعِيلَ.

34 The Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew the trumpet, calling Abiezrites to join him.

٣٤ وَحَلَّ رُوحُ الرَّبِّ عَلَى جِدْعُونَ فَنَفَخَ الْبُوقَ فَانْضَمَّ إِلَيْهِ رِجَالُ أَبِيعَزَرَ.

35 He sent messengers through the whole territory of Manasseh, calling them to join him, and also to Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so they also came and joined the others.

٣٥ وَأَرْسَلَ جِدْعُونُ مَبْعُوثِينَ إِلَى أَسْبَاطِ مَنَسَّى وَأَشِيرَ وَزَبُولُونَ وَنَفْتَالِي يَسْتَدْعِي قُوَّاتِهِمِ الْمُحَارِبَةَ، فَخَفُّوا إِلَيْهِ.

36 Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel through me as you promised,

٣٦ وَقَالَ جِدْعُونُ لِلهِ: «إِنْ كُنْتَ حَقّاً سَتُنْقِذُ إِسْرَائِيلَ عَلَى يَدَيَّ كَمَا وَعَدْتَ (فَأَعْطِنِي عَلامَةً عَلَى ذَلِكَ):

37 then look—I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If the fleece is wet with dew but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to save Israel through me as you promised.”

٣٧ سَأَضَعُ اللَّيْلَةَ جَزَّةَ صُوفٍ فِي الْبَيْدَرِ، فَإِنِ ابْتَلَّتِ الْجَزَّةُ وَحْدَهَا بِالنَّدَى، وَبَقِيَتِ الأَرْضُ كُلُّهَا جَافَّةً، أُدْرِكُ أَنَّكَ تُنْقِذُ إِسْرَائِيلَ عَلَى يَدَيَّ كَمَا وَعَدْتَنِي».

38 That's what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he pressed on the fleece and squeezed out the dew, enough water to fill a bowl.

٣٨ وَهَذَا مَا حَدَثَ: فَعِنْدَمَا بَكَّرَ جِدْعُونُ فِي الصَّبَاحِ التَّالِي أَخَذَ جَزَّةَ الصُّوفِ وَضَغَطَهَا وَعَصَرَهَا فَقَطَرَ مِنْهَا مِلْءُ قَصْعَةٍ مِنَ الْمَاءِ.

39 Then Gideon said to God, “Please don't get cross with me. Just let me make one more request. Let me do one more test with the fleece. This time let the fleece be dry and the whole ground covered with dew.”

٣٩ فَقَالَ جِدْعُونُ للهِ: «لا يَحْتَدِمْ غَضَبُكَ عَلَيَّ وَدَعْنِي أَتَقَدَّمُ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى فَقَطْ بِطَلَبٍ وَاحِدٍ. اسْمَحْ لِي أَنْ أُجْرِيَ اخْتِبَاراً آخَرَ عَلَى هَذِهِ الْجَزَّةِ. لِتَبْقَ هَذِهِ الْجَزَّةُ وَحْدَهَا جَافَّةً، أَمَّا بَقِيَّةُ الأَرْضِ فَلْيُبَلِّلْهَا النَّدَى».

40 That night God did exactly that. The fleece alone was dry and the whole ground was covered with dew.

٤٠ فَصَنَعَ الرَّبُّ ذَلِكَ. فِي تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ ابْتَلَّتِ الأَرْضُ كُلُّهَا بِالنَّدَى وَبَقِيَتِ الْجَزَّةُ وَحْدَهَا جَافَّةً.