Judges 6
1 The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, so Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
Fecerunt autem filii Israel malum in conspectu Domini: qui tradidit illos in manu Madian septem annis,
2 The hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made themselves the dens which are in the mountains, the caves, and the strongholds.
et oppressi sunt valde ab eis. Feceruntque sibi antra et speluncas in montibus, et munitissima ad repugnandum loca.
3 So it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the children of the east came up against them.
Cumque sevisset Israel, ascendebat Madian et Amalec, ceterique Orientalium nationum:
4 They encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, until you come to Gaza. They left no sustenance in Israel, and no sheep, ox, or donkey.
et apud eos figentes tentoria, sicut erant in herbis cuncta vastabant usque ad introitum Gazae: nihilque omnino ad vitam pertinens relinquebant in Israel, non oves, non boves, non asinos.
5 For they came up with their livestock and their tents. They came in as locusts for multitude. Both they and their camels were without number; and they came into the land to destroy it.
Ipsi enim et universi greges eorum veniebant cum tabernaculis suis, et instar locustarum universa complebant, innumera multitudo hominum, et camelorum, quidquid tetigerant devastantes.
6 Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the children of Israel cried to Yahweh.
Humiliatusque est Israel valde in conspectu Madian.
7 When the children of Israel cried to Yahweh because of Midian,
Et clamavit ad Dominum postulans auxilium contra Madianitas.
8 Yahweh sent a prophet to the children of Israel; and he said to them, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you out of the house of bondage.
Qui misit ad eos virum prophetam, et locutus est: Haec dicit Dominus Deus Israel: Ego vos feci conscendere de Aegypto, et eduxi vos de domo servitutis,
9 I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land.
et liberavi de manu Aegyptiorum, et omnium inimicorum, qui affligebant vos: eiecique eos ad introitum vestrum, et tradidi vobis Terram eorum.
10 I said to you, “I am Yahweh your God. You shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.” But you have not listened to my voice.’”
Et dixi: Ego Dominus Deus vester, ne timeatis deos Amorrhaeorum, in quorum terra habitatis. Et noluistis audire vocem meam.
11 Yahweh’s angel came and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Midianites.
Venit autem Angelus Domini, et sedit sub quercu, quae erat in Ephra, et pertinebat ad Ioas patrem familiae Ezri. Cumque Gedeon filius eius excuteret atque purgaret frumenta in torculari, ut fugeret Madian,
12 Yahweh’s angel appeared to him, and said to him, “Yahweh is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
apparuit ei Angelus Domini, et ait: Dominus tecum virorum fortissime.
13 Gideon said to him, “Oh, my lord, if Yahweh is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, ‘Didn’t Yahweh bring us up from Egypt?’ But now Yahweh has cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”
Dixitque ei Gedeon: Obsecro mi Domine, si Dominus nobiscum est, cur apprehenderunt nos haec omnia? ubi sunt mirabilia eius, quae narraverunt patres nostri, atque dixerunt: De Aegypto eduxit nos Dominus? Nunc autem dereliquit nos Dominus et tradidit in manus Madian.
14 Yahweh looked at him, and said, “Go in this your might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Haven’t I sent you?”
Respexitque ad eum Dominus, et ait: Vade in hac fortitudine tua, et liberabis Israel de manu Madian: scito quod miserim te.
15 He said to him, “O Lord, how shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
Qui respondens ait: Obsecro, mi Domine, in quo liberabo Israel? ecce familia mea infima est in Manasse, et ego minimus in domo patris mei.
16 Yahweh said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”
Dixitque ei Dominus: Ego ero tecum: et percuties Madian quasi unum virum.
17 He said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who talk with me.
Et ille, Si inveni, inquit, gratiam coram te, da mihi signum quod tu sis qui loquaris ad me.
18 Please don’t go away until I come to you, and bring out my present, and lay it before you.” He said, “I will wait until you come back.”
Nec recedas hinc, donec revertar ad te, portans sacrificium, et offerens tibi. Qui respondit: Ego praestolabor adventum tuum.
19 Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal. He put the meat in a basket and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it.
Ingressus est itaque Gedeon, et coxit hoedum, et de farinae modio azymos panes: carnesque ponens in canistro, et ius carnium mittens in ollam, tulit omnia sub quercu, et obtulit ei.
20 The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” He did so.
Cui dixit Angelus Domini: Tolle carnes et azymos panes, et pone supra petram illam, et ius desuper funde. Cumque fecisset ita,
21 Then Yahweh’s angel stretched out the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and fire went up out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. Then Yahweh’s angel departed out of his sight.
extendit Angelus Domini summitatem virgae, quam tenebat in manu, et tetigit carnes et panes azymos: ascenditque ignis de petra, et carnes, azymosque panes consumpsit: Angelus autem Domini evanuit ex oculis eius.
22 Gideon saw that he was Yahweh’s angel; and Gideon said, “Alas, Lord Yahweh! Because I have seen Yahweh’s angel face to face!”
Vidensque Gedeon quod esset Angelus Domini, ait: Heu mi Domine Deus: quia vidi Angelum Domini facie ad faciem.
23 Yahweh said to him, “Peace be to you! Don’t be afraid. You shall not die.”
Dixitque ei Dominus: Pax tecum: ne timeas, non morieris.
24 Then Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh, and called it “Yahweh is Peace.” To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Aedificavit ergo ibi Gedeon altare Domino, vocavitque illud, Domini pax, usque in praesentem diem. Cumque adhuc esset in Ephra, quae est familiae Ezri,
25 That same night, Yahweh said to him, “Take your father’s bull, even the second bull seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is by it.
nocte illa dixit Dominus ad eum: Tolle taurum patris tui, et alterum taurum annorum septem, destruesque aram Baal, quae est patris tui: et nemus, quod circa aram est, succide:
26 Then build an altar to Yahweh your God on the top of this stronghold, in an orderly way, and take the second bull, and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.”
et aedificabis altare Domino Deo tuo in summitate petrae huius, super quam ante sacrificium posuisti: tollesque taurum secundum, et offeres holocaustum super struem lignorum, quae de nemore succideris.
27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as Yahweh had spoken to him. Because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city, he could not do it by day, but he did it by night.
Assumptis ergo Gedeon decem viris de servis suis, fecit sicut praeceperat ei Dominus. Timens autem domum patris sui, et homines illius civitatis, per diem noluit id facere, sed omnia nocte complevit.
28 When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah was cut down that was by it, and the second bull was offered on the altar that was built.
Cumque surrexissent viri oppidi eius mane, viderunt destructam aram Baal, lucumque succisum, et taurum alterum impositum super altare, quod tunc aedificatum erat.
29 They said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” When they inquired and asked, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.”
Dixeruntque ad invicem: Quis hoc fecit? Cumque perquirerent auctorem facti, dictum est: Gedeon filius Ioas fecit haec omnia.
30 Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, because he has broken down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the Asherah that was by it.”
Et dixerunt ad Ioas: Produc filium tuum huc, ut moriatur: quia destruxit aram Baal, et succidit nemus.
31 Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? He who will contend for him, let him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has broken down his altar!”
Quibus ille respondit: Numquid ultores estis Baal, ut pugnetis pro eo? qui adversarius est eius, moriatur antequam lux crastina veniat: si Deus est, vindicet se de eo, qui suffodit aram eius.
32 Therefore on that day he named him Jerub-Baal, saying, “Let Baal contend against him, because he has broken down his altar.”
Ex illo die vocatus est Gedeon, Ierobaal, eo quod dixisset Ioas: Ulciscatur se de eo Baal, qui suffodit aram eius.
33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together; and they passed over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel.
Igitur omnis Madian, et Amalec, et Orientales populi congregati sunt simul. et transeuntes Iordanem, castrametati sunt in valle Iezrael.
34 But Yahweh’s Spirit came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered together to follow him.
Spiritus autem Domini induit Gedeon, qui clangens buccina convocavit domum Abiezer, ut sequeretur se.
35 He sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they also were gathered together to follow him. He sent messengers to Asher, to Zebulun, and to Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.
Misitque nuncios in universum Manassen, qui et ipse secutus est eum: et alios nuncios in Aser et Zabulon et Nephthali, qui occurrerunt ei.
36 Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken,
Dixitque Gedeon ad Dominum: Si salvum facis per manum meam Israel, sicut locutus es,
37 behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I’ll know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken.”
ponam hoc vellus lanae in area: si ros in solo vellere fuerit, et in omni terra siccitas, sciam quod per manum meam, sicut locutus es, liberabis Israel.
38 It was so; for he rose up early on the next day, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
Factumque est ita. Et de nocte consurgens expresso vellere, concham rore implevit.
39 Gideon said to God, “Don’t let your anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once. Please let me make a trial just this once with the fleece. Let it now be dry only on the fleece, and on all the ground let there be dew.”
Dixitque rursus ad Dominum: Ne irascatur furor tuus contra me si adhuc semel tentavero, signum quaerens in vellere. Oro ut solum vellus siccum sit, et omnis terra rore madens.
40 God did so that night; for it was dry on the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
Fecitque Dominus nocte illa ut postulaverat: et fuit siccitas in solo vellere, et ros in omni terra.
