Judges 3
1 Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many as had not known 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 that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as beforetime knew 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 in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon unto the entering in of Hamath.
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 for to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he 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 among the Canaanites; the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
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 be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and 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 that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served the Baalim and the Asheroth.
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 Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim 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 when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a saviour to the children of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.
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 upon him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war, and the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand: and his hand prevailed against Cushan-rishathaim.
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 Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
Il paese ebbe requie per quarant’anni; poi Othniel, figlio di Kenaz, morì.
12 And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in the sight 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 went and smote Israel, and they possessed 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 when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a saviour, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and the children of Israel sent a present by him 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 And Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he girded it under his raiment 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 offered the present unto Eglon 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 when he had made an end of offering the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.
E quand’ebbe finita la presentazione del regalo, rimandò la gente che l’avea portato.
19 But he himself turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king. And he said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from 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 unto him; and he was sitting by himself alone in his summer parlour. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.
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 put forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:
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 drew not the sword out of his belly; and it came out behind.
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 Then Ehud went forth into the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.
Poi Ehud uscì nel portico, chiuse le porte della sala disopra, e mise i chiavistelli.
24 Now when he was gone out, his servants came; and they saw, and, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked; and they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his 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 parlour; therefore they took the key, and opened [them]: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
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 escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirah.
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 a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the hill country, 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, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan against the Moabites, 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, every lusty man, and every man of valour; and there escaped not a man.
In quel tempo sconfissero circa diecimila Moabiti, tutti robusti e valorosi; e non ne scampò uno.
30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore 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, which smote of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also saved Israel.
Dopo Ehud, venne Shamgar, figliuolo di Anath. Egli sconfisse seicento Filistei con un pungolo da buoi; e anch’egli liberò Israele.
