Judges 6

1 And the sons of Israel do evil in the eyes of YHWH, and YHWH gives them into the hand of Midian [for] seven years,

١ وَعَمِلَ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ ٱلشَّرَّ فِي عَيْنَيِ ٱلرَّبِّ، فَدَفَعَهُمُ ٱلرَّبُّ لِيَدِ مِدْيَانَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ.

2 and the hand of Midian is strong against Israel, [so] the sons of Israel have made for themselves the nooks which [are] in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds [to hide] from the presence of Midian.

٢ فَٱعْتَزَّتْ يَدُ مِدْيَانَ عَلَى إِسْرَائِيلَ. بِسَبَبِ ٱلْمِدْيَانِيِّينَ عَمِلَ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ لِأَنْفُسِهِمِ ٱلْكُهُوفَ ٱلَّتِي فِي ٱلْجِبَالِ وَٱلْمَغَايِرَ وَٱلْحُصُونَ.

3 And it has been, if Israel has sowed, that Midian has come up, and Amalek, and the sons of the east, indeed, they have come up against him,

٣ وَإِذَا زَرَعَ إِسْرَائِيلُ، كَانَ يَصْعَدُ ٱلْمِدْيَانِيُّونَ وَٱلْعَمَالِقَةُ وَبَنُو ٱلْمَشْرِقِ، يَصْعَدُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ،

4 and encamp against them, and destroy the increase of the land until your entering Gaza; and they leave no sustenance in Israel, either sheep, or ox, or donkey;

٤ وَيَنْزِلُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَيُتْلِفُونَ غَلَّةَ ٱلْأَرْضِ إِلَى مَجِيئِكَ إِلَى غَزَّةَ، وَلَا يَتْرُكُونَ لِإِسْرَائِيلَ قُوتَ ٱلْحَيَاةِ، وَلَا غَنَمًا وَلَا بَقَرًا وَلَا حَمِيرًا.

5 for they and their livestock come up, with their tents; they come in as the fullness of the locust for multitude, and of them and of their livestock there is no number, and they come into the land to destroy it.

٥ لِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَصْعَدُونَ بِمَوَاشِيهِمْ وَخِيَامِهِمْ وَيَجِيئُونَ كَٱلْجَرَادِ فِي ٱلْكَثْرَةِ وَلَيْسَ لَهُمْ وَلِجِمَالِهِمْ عَدَدٌ، وَدَخَلُوا ٱلْأَرْضَ لِكَيْ يُخْرِبُوهَا.

6 And Israel is very weak from the presence of Midian, and the sons of Israel cry to YHWH.

٦ فَذَلَّ إِسْرَائِيلُ جِدًّا مِنْ قِبَلِ ٱلْمِدْيَانِيِّينَ. وَصَرَخَ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ إِلَى ٱلرَّبِّ.

7 And it comes to pass, when the sons of Israel have cried to YHWH concerning Midian,

٧ وَكَانَ لَمَّا صَرَخَ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ إِلَى ٱلرَّبِّ بِسَبَبِ ٱلْمِدْيَانِيِّينَ

8 that YHWH sends a man, a prophet, to the sons of Israel, and he says to them, “Thus said YHWH, God of Israel: I have brought you up out of Egypt, and I bring you out from a house of servants,

٨ أَنَّ ٱلرَّبَّ أَرْسَلَ رَجُلًا نَبِيًّا إِلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ، فَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «هَكَذَا قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ: إِنِّي قَدْ أَصْعَدْتُكُمْ مِنْ مِصْرَ وَأَخْرَجْتُكُمْ مِنْ بَيْتِ ٱلْعُبُودِيَّةِ،

9 and I deliver you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all your oppressors, and I cast them out from your presence, and I give their land to you,

٩ وَأَنْقَذْتُكُمْ مِنْ يَدِ ٱلْمِصْرِيِّينَ وَمِنْ يَدِ جَمِيعِ مُضَايِقِيكُمْ، وَطَرَدْتُهُمْ مِنْ أَمَامِكُمْ وَأَعْطَيْتُكُمْ أَرْضَهُمْ.

10 and I say to you, I [am] your God YHWH, you do not fear the gods of the Amorite in whose land you are dwelling—and you have not listened to My voice.”

١٠ وَقُلْتُ لَكُمْ: أَنَا ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُكُمْ. لَا تَخَافُوا آلِهَةَ ٱلْأَمُورِيِّينَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْتُمْ سَاكِنُونَ أَرْضَهُمْ. وَلَمْ تَسْمَعُوا لِصَوْتِي».

11 And the Messenger of YHWH comes and sits under the oak which [is] in Ophrah, which [is] to Joash the Abi-Ezrite, and his son Gideon is beating out wheat in the winepress, to remove [it] from the presence of the Midianites;

١١ وَأَتَى مَلَاكُ ٱلرَّبِّ وَجَلَسَ تَحْتَ ٱلْبُطْمَةِ ٱلَّتِي فِي عَفْرَةَ ٱلَّتِي لِيُوآشَ ٱلْأَبِيعَزَرِيِّ. وَٱبْنُهُ جِدْعُونُ كَانَ يَخْبِطُ حِنْطَةً فِي ٱلْمِعْصَرَةِ لِكَيْ يُهَرِّبَهَا مِنَ ٱلْمِدْيَانِيِّينَ.

12 and the Messenger of YHWH appears to him and says to him, “YHWH [is] with you, O mighty man of valor.”

١٢ فَظَهَرَ لَهُ مَلَاكُ ٱلرَّبِّ وَقَالَ لَهُ: «ٱلرَّبُّ مَعَكَ يَا جَبَّارَ ٱلْبَأْسِ».

13 And Gideon says to Him, “O my Lord, [if] YHWH is indeed with us, then why has all this found us? And where [are] all His wonders which our fathers recounted to us, saying, Has YHWH not brought us up out of Egypt? And now YHWH has left us, and gives us into the hand of Midian.”

١٣ فَقَالَ لَهُ جِدْعُونُ: «أَسْأَلُكَ يَا سَيِّدِي، إِذَا كَانَ ٱلرَّبُّ مَعَنَا فَلِمَاذَا أَصَابَتْنَا كُلُّ هَذِهِ؟ وَأَيْنَ كُلُّ عَجَائِبِهِ ٱلَّتِي أَخْبَرَنَا بِهَا آبَاؤُنَا قَائِلِينَ: أَلَمْ يُصْعِدْنَا ٱلرَّبُّ مِنْ مِصْرَ؟ وَٱلْآنَ قَدْ رَفَضَنَا ٱلرَّبُّ وَجَعَلَنَا فِي كَفِّ مِدْيَانَ».

14 And YHWH turns to him and says, “Go in this—your power; and you have saved Israel out of the hand of Midian—have I not sent you?”

١٤ فَٱلْتَفَتَ إِلَيْهِ ٱلرَّبُّ وَقَالَ: «ٱذْهَبْ بِقُوَّتِكَ هَذِهِ وَخَلِّصْ إِسْرَائِيلَ مِنْ كَفِّ مِدْيَانَ. أَمَا أَرْسَلْتُكَ؟»

15 And he says to Him, “O my Lord, with what do I save Israel? Behold, my chief [is] weak in Manasseh, and I [am] the least in the house of my father.”

١٥ فَقَالَ لَهُ: «أَسْأَلُكَ يَا سَيِّدِي، بِمَاذَا أُخَلِّصُ إِسْرَائِيلَ؟ هَا عَشِيرَتِي هِيَ ٱلذُّلَّى فِي مَنَسَّى، وَأَنَا ٱلْأَصْغَرُ فِي بَيْتِ أَبِي».

16 And YHWH says to him, “Because I am with you—you have struck the Midianites as one man.”

١٦ فَقَالَ لَهُ ٱلرَّبُّ: «إِنِّي أَكُونُ مَعَكَ، وَسَتَضْرِبُ ٱلْمِدْيَانِيِّينَ كَرَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ».

17 And he says to Him, “Now if I have found grace in Your eyes, then You have done a sign for me that You are speaking with me.

١٧ فَقَالَ لَهُ: «إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ وَجَدْتُ نِعْمَةً فِي عَيْنَيْكَ فَٱصْنَعْ لِي عَلَامَةً أَنَّكَ أَنْتَ تُكَلِّمُنِي.

18 Please do not move from here until my coming to You, and I have brought out my present, and put it before You”; and He says, “I abide until your return.”

١٨ لَا تَبْرَحْ مِنْ هَهُنَا حَتَّى آتِيَ إِلَيْكَ وَأُخْرِجَ تَقْدِمَتِي وَأَضَعَهَا أَمَامَكَ». فَقَالَ: «إِنِّي أَبْقَى حَتَّى تَرْجِعَ».

19 And Gideon has gone in, and prepares a kid of the goats, and an ephah of flour [worth] of unleavened things; he has put the flesh in a basket, and he has put the broth in a pot, and he brings [them] out to Him, to the place of the oak, and brings [them] near.

١٩ فَدَخَلَ جِدْعُونُ وَعَمِلَ جَدْيَ مِعْزًى وَإِيفَةَ دَقِيقٍ فَطِيرًا. أَمَّا ٱللَّحْمُ فَوَضَعَهُ فِي سَلٍّ، وَأَمَّا ٱلْمَرَقُ فَوَضَعَهُ فِي قِدْرٍ، وَخَرَجَ بِهَا إِلَيْهِ إِلَى تَحْتِ ٱلْبُطْمَةِ وَقَدَّمَهَا.

20 And the Messenger of God says to him, “Take the flesh and the unleavened things, and place [them] on this rock—and pour out the broth”; and he does so.

٢٠ فَقَالَ لَهُ مَلَاكُ ٱللهِ: «خُذِ ٱللَّحْمَ وَٱلْفَطِيرَ وَضَعْهُمَا عَلَى تِلْكَ ٱلصَّخْرَةِ وَٱسْكُبِ ٱلْمَرَقَ». فَفَعَلَ كَذَلِكَ.

21 And the Messenger of YHWH puts forth the end of the staff which [is] in His hand, and comes against the flesh, and against the unleavened things, and the fire goes up out of the rock and consumes the flesh and the unleavened things—and the Messenger of YHWH has gone from his eyes.

٢١ فَمَدَّ مَلَاكُ ٱلرَّبِّ طَرَفَ ٱلْعُكَّازِ ٱلَّذِي بِيَدِهِ وَمَسَّ ٱللَّحْمَ وَٱلْفَطِيرَ، فَصَعِدَتْ نَارٌ مِنَ ٱلصَّخْرَةِ وَأَكَلَتِ ٱللَّحْمَ وَٱلْفَطِيرَ. وَذَهَبَ مَلَاكُ ٱلرَّبِّ عَنْ عَيْنَيْهِ.

22 And Gideon sees that He [is] the Messenger of YHWH, and Gideon says, “Aah, Lord YHWH! For so I have looked on the Messenger of YHWH face to face!”

٢٢ فَرَأَى جِدْعُونُ أَنَّهُ مَلَاكُ ٱلرَّبِّ، فَقَالَ جِدْعُونُ: «آهِ يَا سَيِّدِي ٱلرَّبَّ! لِأَنِّي قَدْ رَأَيْتُ مَلَاكَ ٱلرَّبِّ وَجْهًا لِوَجْهٍ.»

23 And YHWH says to him, “Peace to you; do not fear; you do not die.”

٢٣ فَقَالَ لَهُ ٱلرَّبُّ: «ٱلسَّلَامُ لَكَ. لَا تَخَفْ. لَا تَمُوتُ».

24 And Gideon builds an altar to YHWH there, and calls it YHWH-Shalom, it [is] yet in Ophrah of the Abi-Ezrites to this day.

٢٤ فَبَنَى جِدْعُونُ هُنَاكَ مَذْبَحًا لِلرَّبِّ وَدَعَاهُ «يَهْوَهَ شَلُومَ». إِلَى هَذَا ٱلْيَوْمِ لَمْ يَزَلْ فِي عَفْرَةِ ٱلْأَبِيعَزَرِيِّينَ.

25 And it comes to pass, on that night, that YHWH says to him, “Take the young ox which your father has, and the second bullock of seven years, and you have thrown down the altar of Ba‘al which your father has, and cut down the Asherah which [is] by it,

٢٥ وَكَانَ فِي تِلْكَ ٱللَّيْلَةِ أَنَّ ٱلرَّبَّ قَالَ لَهُ: «خُذْ ثَوْرَ ٱلْبَقَرِ ٱلَّذِي لِأَبِيكَ، وَثَوْرًا ثَانِيًا ٱبْنَ سَبْعِ سِنِينَ، وَٱهْدِمْ مَذْبَحَ ٱلْبَعْلِ ٱلَّذِي لِأَبِيكَ، وَٱقْطَعِ ٱلسَّارِيَةَ ٱلَّتِي عِنْدَهُ،

26 and you have built an altar to your God YHWH on the top of this stronghold, by the arrangement, and have taken the second bullock, and caused a burnt-offering to ascend with the wood of the Asherah which you cut down.”

٢٦ وَٱبْنِ مَذْبَحًا لِلرَّبِّ إِلَهِكَ عَلَى رَأْسِ هَذَا ٱلْحِصْنِ بِتَرْتِيبٍ، وَخُذِ ٱلثَّوْرَ ٱلثَّانِي وَأَصْعِدْ مُحْرَقَةً عَلَى حَطَبِ ٱلسَّارِيَةِ ٱلَّتِي تَقْطَعُهَا.

27 And Gideon takes ten men of his servants, and does as YHWH has spoken to him, and it comes to pass, because he has been afraid of the house of his father, and the men of the city, to do [it] by day, that he does [it] by night.

٢٧ فَأَخَذَ جِدْعُونُ عَشْرَةَ رِجَالٍ مِنْ عَبِيدِهِ وَعَمِلَ كَمَا كَلَّمَهُ ٱلرَّبُّ. وَإِذْ كَانَ يَخَافُ مِنْ بَيْتِ أَبِيهِ وَأَهْلِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ ذَلِكَ نَهَارًا، فَعَمِلَهُ لَيْلًا.

28 And the men of the city rise early in the morning, and behold, the altar of Ba‘al has been broken down, and the Asherah which is by it has been cut down, and the second bullock has been offered on the altar which is built.

٢٨ فَبَكَّرَ أَهْلُ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ فِي ٱلْغَدِ وَإِذَا بِمَذْبَحِ ٱلْبَعْلِ قَدْ هُدِمَ وَٱلسَّارِيَةُ ٱلَّتِي عِنْدَهُ قَدْ قُطِعَتْ، وَٱلثَّوْرُ ٱلثَّانِي قَدْ أُصْعِدَ عَلَى ٱلْمَذْبَحِ ٱلَّذِي بُنِيَ.

29 And they say to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And they inquire and seek, and they say, “Gideon son of Joash has done this thing.”

٢٩ فَقَالُوا ٱلْوَاحِدُ لِصَاحِبِهِ: «مَنْ عَمِلَ هَذَا ٱلْأَمْرَ؟» فَسَأَلُوا وَبَحَثُوا فَقَالُوا: «إِنَّ جِدْعُونَ بْنَ يُوآشَ قَدْ فَعَلَ هَذَا ٱلْأَمْرَ».

30 And the men of the city say to Joash, “Bring out your son, and he dies, because he has broken down the altar of Ba‘al, and because he has cut down the Asherah which [is] by it.”

٣٠ فَقَالَ أَهْلُ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ لِيُوآشَ: «أَخْرِجِ ٱبْنَكَ لِكَيْ يَمُوتَ، لِأَنَّهُ هَدَمَ مَذْبَحَ ٱلْبَعْلِ وَقَطَعَ ٱلسَّارِيَةَ ٱلَّتِي عِنْدَهُ».

31 And Joash says to all who have stood against him, “You, do you plead for Ba‘al? You—do you save him? He who pleads for him is put to death during the morning; if he [is] a god he pleads against him himself, because he has broken down his altar.”

٣١ فَقَالَ يُوآشُ لِجَمِيعِ ٱلْقَائِمِينَ عَلَيْهِ: «أَنْتُمْ تُقَاتِلُونَ لِلْبَعْلِ، أَمْ أَنْتُمْ تُخَلِّصُونَهُ؟ مَنْ يُقَاتِلْ لَهُ يُقْتَلْ فِي هَذَا ٱلصَّبَاحِ. إِنْ كَانَ إِلَهًا فَلْيُقَاتِلْ لِنَفْسِهِ لِأَنَّ مَذْبَحَهُ قَدْ هُدِمَ».

32 And he calls him, on that day, Jerubba‘al, saying, “The Ba‘al pleads against him, because he has broken down his altar.”

٣٢ فَدَعَاهُ فِي ذَلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمِ «يَرُبَّعْلَ» قَائِلًا: «لِيُقَاتِلْهُ ٱلْبَعْلُ لِأَنَّهُ قَدْ هَدَمَ مَذْبَحَهُ».

33 And all Midian and Amalek and the sons of the east have been gathered together, and pass over, and encamp in the Valley of Jezreel,

٣٣ وَٱجْتَمَعَ جَمِيعُ ٱلْمِدْيَانِيِّينَ وَٱلْعَمَالِقَةِ وَبَنِي ٱلْمَشْرِقِ مَعًا وَعَبَرُوا وَنَزَلُوا فِي وَادِي يِزْرَعِيلَ.

34 and the Spirit of YHWH has clothed Gideon, and he blows with a horn, and Abi-Ezer is called after him;

٣٤ وَلَبِسَ رُوحُ ٱلرَّبِّ جِدْعُونَ فَضَرَبَ بِٱلْبُوقِ، فَٱجْتَمَعَ أَبِيعَزَرُ وَرَاءَهُ.

35 and he has sent messengers into all Manasseh, and it is also called after him; and he has sent messengers into Asher, and into Zebulun, and into Naphtali, and they come up to meet them.

٣٥ وَأَرْسَلَ رُسُلًا إِلَى جَمِيعِ مَنَسَّى، فَٱجْتَمَعَ هُوَ أَيْضًا وَرَاءَهُ، وَأَرْسَلَ رُسُلًا إِلَى أَشِيرَ وَزَبُولُونَ وَنَفْتَالِي فَصَعِدُوا لِلِقَائِهِمْ.

36 And Gideon says to God, “If You are Savior of Israel by my hand, as You have spoken,

٣٦ وَقَالَ جِدْعُونُ لِلهِ: «إِنْ كُنْتَ تُخَلِّصُ بِيَدِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَمَا تَكَلَّمْتَ،

37 behold, I am placing the fleece of wool in the threshing-floor: if dew is only on the fleece, and dryness on all the earth—then I have known that You save Israel by my hand, as You have spoken”;

٣٧ فَهَا إِنِّي وَاضِعٌ جَزَّةَ ٱلصُّوفِ فِي ٱلْبَيْدَرِ، فَإِنْ كَانَ طَلٌّ عَلَى ٱلْجَزَّةِ وَحْدَهَا، وَجَفَافٌ عَلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ كُلِّهَا، عَلِمْتُ أَنَّكَ تُخَلِّصُ بِيَدِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَمَا تَكَلَّمْتَ».

38 and it is so, and he rises early on the next day, and presses the fleece, and wrings dew out of the fleece—the fullness of the bowl of waters.

٣٨ وَكَانَ كَذَلِكَ. فَبَكَّرَ فِي ٱلْغَدِ وَضَغَطَ ٱلْجَزَّةَ وَعَصَرَ طَّلًا مِنَ ٱلْجَزَّةِ، مِلْءَ قَصْعَةٍ مَاءً.

39 And Gideon says to God, “Do not let Your anger burn against me, and I only speak this time; please let me try only this time with the fleece—please let there be only dryness on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the earth.”

٣٩ فَقَالَ جِدْعُونُ لِلهِ: «لَا يَحْمَ غَضَبُكَ عَلَيَّ فَأَتَكَلَّمَ هَذِهِ ٱلْمَرَّةَ فَقَطْ. أَمْتَحِنُ هَذِهِ ٱلْمَرَّةَ فَقَطْ بِٱلْجَزَّةِ. فَلْيَكُنْ جَفَافٌ فِي ٱلْجَزَّةِ وَحْدَهَا وَعَلَى كُلِّ ٱلْأَرْضِ لِيَكُنْ طَلٌّ».

40 And God does so on that night, and there is only dryness on the fleece, and there has been dew on all the earth.

٤٠ فَفَعَلَ ٱللهُ كَذَلِكَ فِي تِلْكَ ٱللَّيْلَةِ. فَكَانَ جَفَافٌ فِي ٱلْجَزَّةِ وَحْدَهَا وَعَلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ كُلِّهَا كَانَ طَلٌّ.