Judges 3
1 Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to prove by them the Israelites, namely, all those who had not experienced all the wars of Canaan;
Or queste son le nazioni che l’Eterno lasciò stare affin di mettere per mezzo d’esse alla prova Israele, cioè tutti quelli che non avean visto le guerre di Canaan.
2 Only in order that the future generations of the children of Israel might obtain knowledge, to teach them war; but only such as before had learned nothing thereof;
(Egli volea soltanto che le nuove generazioni de’ figliuoli d’Israele conoscessero e imparassero la guerra: quelli, per lo meno, che prima non l’avean mai vista):
3 Namely, the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Zidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt on mount Lebanon, from mount Ba'al-chermon unto the entrance of Chamath.
i cinque principi dei Filistei, tutti i Cananei, i Sidoni, e gli Hivvei, che abitavano la montagna del Libano, dal monte Baal-Hermon fino all’ingresso di Hamath.
4 And they were left to prove by them the Israelites, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, which he had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
Queste nazioni servirono a mettere Israele alla prova, per vedere se Israele ubbidirebbe ai comandamenti che l’Eterno avea dati ai loro padri per mezzo di Mosè.
5 And the children of Israel dwelt in the midst of the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Emorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites;
Così i figliuoli d’Israele abitarono in mezzo ai Cananei, agli Hittei, agli Amorei, ai Ferezei, agli Hivvei ed ai Gebusei;
6 And they took their daughters to themselves for wives, and their daughters they gave to their sons; and they served their gods.
sposarono le loro figliuole, maritaron le proprie figliuole coi loro figliuoli, e servirono ai loro dèi.
7 And the children of Israel did [thus] the evil in the eyes of the Lord, and forgot the Lord their God, and served the Be'alim and the groves.
I figliuoli d’Israele fecero ciò ch’è male agli occhi dell’Eterno; dimenticarono l’Eterno, il loro Dio, e servirono agl’idoli di Baal e d’Astarte.
8 Wherefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rish'athayim the king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan-rish'athayim eight years.
Perciò l’ira dell’Eterno si accese contro Israele ed egli li diede nelle mani di Cushan-Rishathaim, re di Mesopotamia; e i figliuoli d’Israele furon servi di Cushan-Rishathaim per otto anni.
9 And the children of Israel cried then unto the Lord, and the Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, namely, 'Othniel the son of Kenaz, the younger brother of Caleb.
Poi i figliuoli d’Israele gridarono all’Eterno, e l’Eterno suscitò loro un liberatore: Othniel, figliuolo di Kenaz, fratello minore di Caleb; ed egli li liberò.
10 And the spirit of the Lord came over him, and he judged Israel, and went out to battle: and the Lord delivered Cushan-rish'athayim the king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-rish'athayim.
Lo spirito dell’Eterno fu sopra lui, ed egli fu giudice d’Israele; uscì a combattere, e l’Eterno gli diede nelle mani Cushan-Rishathaim, re di Mesopotamia; e la sua mano fu potente contro Cushan-Rishathaim.
11 And the land had rest forty years; and then died 'Othniel the son of Kenaz.
Il paese ebbe requie per quarant’anni; poi Othniel, figlio di Kenaz, morì.
12 And the children of Israel did again the evil in the eyes of the Lord; and the Lord strengthened 'Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done the evil in the eyes of the Lord.
I figliuoli d’Israele continuarono fare ciò ch’è male agli occhi dell’Eterno; e l’Eterno rese forte Eglon, re di Moab, contro Israele, perch’essi avean fatto ciò ch’è male agli occhi dell’Eterno.
13 And he gathered unto him the children of 'Ammon and 'Amalek, and they went and smote Israel, and took possession of the city of palm-trees.
Ed Eglon radunò attorno a se i figliuoli di Ammon e di Amalek, e andò e batté Israele e s’impadronì della città delle palme.
14 And the children of Israel served 'Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
E i figliuoli d’Israele furon servi di Eglon, re di Moab, per diciotto anni.
15 But the children of Israel cried then unto the Lord; and the Lord raised up unto them a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera a Benjamite, a man who was lamed in his right hand; and the children of Israel sent by him a present unto 'Eglon the king of Moab.
Ma i figliuoli d’Israele gridarono all’Eterno, ed egli suscitò loro un liberatore: Ehud, figliuolo di Ghera, Beniaminita, che era mancino. I figliuoli d’Israele mandarono per mezzo di lui un regalo a Eglon, re di Moab.
16 But Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he girded it under his garments upon his right thigh.
Ehud si fece una spada a due tagli, lunga un cubito; e se la cinse sotto la veste, al fianco destro.
17 And he brought the present near unto 'Eglon the king of Moab; now 'Eglon was a very fat man.
E offrì il regalo a Eglon, re di Moab, ch’era uomo molto grasso.
18 And it came to pass when he had made an end to offer the present, that he sent away the people who had borne the present.
E quand’ebbe finita la presentazione del regalo, rimandò la gente che l’avea portato.
19 But he himself returned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret word unto thee, O King. And he said, Keep silence. And thereupon went out from his presence all that stood by him.
Ma egli, giunto alla cava di pietre ch’è presso a Ghilgal, tornò indietro, e disse: “O re, io ho qualcosa da dirti in segreto”. E il re disse: “Silenzio!” E tutti quelli che gli stavan dappresso, uscirono.
20 And Ehud came in unto him; and he was sitting in the summer upper chamber, which was for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a word of God unto thee. And he arose out of his chair.
Allora Ehud s’accostò al re, che stava seduto nella sala disopra, riservata a lui solo per prendervi il fresco, e gli disse: “Ho una parola da dirti da parte di Dio”. Quegli s’alzò dal suo seggio:
21 And Ehud stretched forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body.
e Ehud, stesa la mano sinistra, trasse la spada dal suo fianco destro, e gliela piantò nel ventre.
22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade; for he did not draw the sword out of his body, and it passed into the fundament.
Anche l’elsa entrò dopo la lama, e il grasso si rinchiuse attorno alla lama; poich’egli non gli ritirò dal ventre la spada, che gli usciva per di dietro.
23 And Ehud went forth into the ante-room, and shut the doors of the upper chamber after him, and locked them.
Poi Ehud uscì nel portico, chiuse le porte della sala disopra, e mise i chiavistelli.
24 He was just gone out, when his servants came; and they saw, behold, the doors of the upper chamber were locked; and they said, Surely he covereth his feet in the summer chamber.
Or quando fu uscito, vennero i servi, i quali guardarono, ed ecco che le porte della sala disopra eran chiuse a chiavistello; e dissero: “Certo egli fa i suoi bisogni nello stanzino della sala fresca”.
25 And they tarried till they were ashamed; and behold, he opened not the doors of the upper chamber; wherefore they took the key and opened them: and, behold, their lord was lying dead on the floor.
E tanto aspettarono, che ne furon confusi; e com’egli non apriva le porte della sala, quelli presero la chiave, aprirono, ed ecco che il loro signore era steso per terra, morto.
26 And Ehud had escaped while they were tarrying, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Se'irah.
Mentr’essi indugiavano, Ehud si diè alla fuga, passò oltre le cave di pietra, e si mise in salvo nella Seira.
27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew the cornet on the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mountain, and he before them.
Arrivato che fu, suonò la tromba nella contrada montuosa di Efraim, e i figliuoli d’Israele scesero con lui dalla contrada montuosa, ed egli si mise alla loro testa.
28 And he said unto them, Pursue after me; for the Lord hath delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand. And they went down after him, and seized on the fords of the Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
E disse loro: “Seguitemi, perché l’Eterno v’ha dato nelle mani i Moabiti, vostri nemici”. E quelli scesero dietro a lui, s’impadronirono de’ guadi del Giordano per impedirne il passo ai Moabiti, e non lasciaron passare alcuno.
29 And they smote of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valor; and there escaped not a man.
In quel tempo sconfissero circa diecimila Moabiti, tutti robusti e valorosi; e non ne scampò uno.
30 And Moab was humbled that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years.
Così, in quel giorno, Moab fu umiliato sotto la mano d’Israele, e il paese ebbe requie per ottant’anni.
31 And after him was Shamgar the son of 'Anath, who smote of the philistines six hundred men with an ox-goad; and he also delivered Israel.
Dopo Ehud, venne Shamgar, figliuolo di Anath. Egli sconfisse seicento Filistei con un pungolo da buoi; e anch’egli liberò Israele.
