Judges 8
1 And the men of Effraym seiden to hym, What is this thing, which thou woldist do, that thou clepidist not vs, whanne thou yedist to batel ayens Madian? And thei chidden strongli, and almest diden violence.
And the men of Ephraim said to him: What is this that thou meanest to do, that thou wouldst not call us when thou wentest to fight against Madian? and they chid him sharply and almost offered violence.
2 To whiche he answeride, `What sotheli siche thing myyte Y do, what maner thing ye diden? Whethir a reisyn of Effraym is not betere than the vindagis of Abiezer?
And he answered them: What could I have done like to that which you have done? Is not one bunch of grapes of Ephraim better than the vintages of Abiezer?
3 And the Lord bitook in to youre hondis the princes of Madian, Oreb and Zeb. What sich thing myyte Y do, what maner thing ye diden? And whanne he hadde spoke this thing, the spirit of hem restide, bi which thei bolneden ayens hym.
The Lord hath delivered into your bands the princes of Madian, Oreb and Zeb: what could I have done like to what you have done? And when he had said this, their spirit was appeased, with which they swelled against him.
4 And whanne Gedeon hadde come to Jordan, he passide it with thre hundrid men, that weren with hym; and for weerynesse thei myyten not pursue hem that fledden.
And when Gedeon was come to the Jordan, he passed over it with the three hundred men, that were with him: who were so weary that they could not pursue after them that fled.
5 And he seide to the men of Socoth, Y biseche, yyue ye looues to the puple, which is with me; for thei failiden greetli, that we moun pursue Zebee and Salmana, kyngis of Madian.
And he said to the men of Soccoth: Give, I beseech you, bread to the people that is with me, for they are faint: that we may pursue Zebee, and Salmana the kings of Madian.
6 The princes of Socoth answeriden in scorne, In hap the pawmes of the hondis of Zebee and of Salmana ben in thin hond, and therfor thou axist, that we yyue looues to thin oost.
The princes of Soccoth answered: Peradventure the palms of the hands of Zebee and Salmana are in thy hand, and therefore thou demandest that we should give bread to thy army.
7 To whiche he seide, Therfor, whanne the Lord schal bitake Zebee and Salmana in to myn hondis, and whanne Y schal turne ayen ouercomere in pees, Y schal to-reende youre fleischis with the thornes and breris of deseert.
And he said to them: When the Lord therefore shall have delivered Zebee and Salmana into my hands, I will thresh your flesh with the thorns and briers of the desert.
8 And he stiede fro thennus, and cam in to Phanuel; and he spak lijk thingis to men of that place, to whom also thei answeriden, as the men of Socoth hadden answerid.
And going up from thence, he came to Phanuel: and he spoke the like things to the men of that place. And they also answered him, as the men of Soccoth had answered.
9 And so he seide to hem, Whanne Y schal turne ayen ouercomere in pees, Y schal distrie this tour.
He said therefore to them also: When I shall return a conqueror in peace, I will destroy this tower.
10 Forsothe Zebee and Salmana restiden with al her oost; for fiftene thousynde men leften of alle the cumpenyes of the `puplis of the eest, whanne an hundrid and twenti thousynde of `fiyteris and of men drawynge out swerd weren slayn.
But Zebee and Salmana were resting with all their army. For fifteen thousand men were left of all the troops of the eastern people, and one hundred and twenty thousand warriors that drew the sword, were slain.
11 And Gedeon stiede bi the weye of hem that dwelliden in tabernaclis at the eest coost of Nobe and of Lethoa, and smoot the `tentis of enemyes, that weren sikur, and supposiden not ony thing of aduersite.
And Gedeon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents, on the east of Nobe and Jegbaa, and smote the camp of the enemies, who were secure, and suspected no hurt.
12 And Zebee and Salmana fledden, whiche Gedeon pursuede and took, whanne al `the oost of hem was disturblid.
And Zebee and Salmana fled, and Gedeon pursued and took them, all their host being put in confusion.
13 And he turnede ayen fro batel bifor the `risyng of the sunne,
And returning from the battle before the sun rising,
14 and took a child of the men of Socoth; and he axide hym the names of the princes and eldere men of Socoth; and he descryuede seuene and seuenti men in noumbre.
He took a boy of the men of Soccoth: and he asked him the names of the princes and ancients of Soccoth, and he described unto him seventy-seven men.
15 And he cam to Socoth, and seide to hem, Lo Zebee and Salmana! of whiche ye vpbreideden me, and seiden, In hap the hondis of Zebee and of Salmana ben in thin hondis, and therfor thou axist, that we yyue looues to men, that ben weeri and failiden.
And he came to Soccoth and said to them: Behold Zebee and Salmana, concerning whom you upbraided me, saying: Peradventure the hands of Zebee and Salmana, are in thy hands, and therefore thou demandest that we should give bread to the men that are weary and faint.
16 Therfor Gedeon took the eldere men of the citee, and thornes and breris of deseert, and he to-rente with tho, and al to-brak the men of Socoth; also he destriede the tour of Phanuel,
So he took the ancients of the city and thorns and briers of the desert, and tore them with the same, and cut in pieces the men of Soccoth.
17 whanne the dwelleris of the citee weren slayn.
And he demolished the tower of Phanuel, and slew the men of the city.
18 And he seide to Zebee and Salmana, What maner men weren thei, whiche ye killiden in Thabor? Whiche answeriden, Thei weren lijk thee, and oon of hem was as the sone of a kyng.
And he said to Zebee and Salmana: What manner of men were they whom you slew in Thabor? They answered: They were like thee, and one of them as the son of a king.
19 To whiche he seide, Thei weren my britheren, the sones of my modir; the Lord lyueth, if ye hadden saued hem, Y `nolde sle you.
He answered them: They were my brethren, the sons of my mother. As the Lord liveth, if you had saved them, I would not kill you.
20 And he seide to Jepther, his firste gendrid sone, Rise thou, and sle hem. Which drow not swerd; for he dredde, for he was yit a child.
And he said to Jether his eldest son: Arise, and slay them. But he drew not his sword: for he was afraid, being but yet a boy.
21 And Zebee and Salmana seiden, Ryse thou, and falle on vs; for thou art bi the age and strengthe of man. Gedeon roos, and killide Zebee and Salmana, and took the ournementis, and bellis, with whiche the neckis of kyngis camels ben wont to be maad fair.
And Zebee and Salmana said: Do thou rise, and run upon us: because the strength of a man is according to his age: Gedeon rose up and slew Zebee and Salmana: and he took the ornaments and bosses, with which the necks of the camels of kings are wont to be adorned.
22 And alle the men of Israel seiden to Gedeon, Be thou lord of vs, thou, and thi sone, and the sone of thi sone; for thou deliueridist vs fro the hond of Madian.
And all the men of Israel said to Gedeon: Rule thou over us and thy son, and thy son’s son: because thou hast delivered us from the hand of Madian.
23 To whiche he seide, Y schal not be lord of you, nethir my sone schal be lord on you, but the Lord schal be lord.
And he said to them: I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you, but the Lord shall rule over you.
24 And he seide to hem, Y axe oon axyng of you, yyue ye to me the eere ryngis of youre prey; for Ismaelitis weren wont to haue goldun eere ryngis.
And he said to them: I desire one request of you: Give me the earlets of your spoils. For the Ismaelites were accustomed to wear golden earlets.
25 Whiche answeriden, We schulen yyue moost gladli. And thei spredden forth a mentil on the erthe, and castiden forth therynne `eere ryngis of the prey;
They answered: We will give them most willingly. And spreading a mantle on the ground, they cast upon it the earlets of the spoils.
26 and the weiyte of `eere ryngis axid was a thousynde and seuene hundrid siclis of gold, with out ournementis and brochis and cloth of purpur, whiche the kyngis of Madian weren wont to vse, and outakun goldun bies of camels.
And the weight of the earlets that he requested, was a thousand seven hundred sicles of gold, besides the ornaments, and jewels, and purple raiment which the kings of Madian were went to use, and besides the golden chains that were about the camels’ necks.
27 And Gedeon made therof ephot, that is, a preestis cloth, `and propir cloth of the hiyeste preest, and he puttide it in his citee Ephra; and al Israel diden fornycacioun, `that is ydolatrye, ther ynne; and it was maad to Gedeon and to al his hows in to fallyng.
And Gedeon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city Ephra. And all Israel committed fornication with it, and it became a ruin to Gedeon and to all his house.
28 Forsothe Madian was maad low bifor the sones of Israel, and thei myyten no more reise nollis; but the lond restide fourti yeer, in whiche Gedeon was souereyn.
But Madian was humbled before the children of Israel, neither could they any more lift up their beads: but the land rested for forty years, while Gedeon presided.
29 And so Jerobaal, sone of Joas, yede, and dwellide in his hows;
So Jerobaal the son of Joas went, and dwelt in his own house.
30 and he hadde seuenti sones, that yeden out of his thiy, for he hadde many wyues.
And he had seventy sons, who came out of his thigh, for he had many wives.
31 Forsothe a concubyn, `that is, secoundarie wijf, of hym, whom he hadde in Sichem, gendride to hym a sone, Abymelech bi name.
And his concubine, that he had in Sichem, bore him a son, whose name was Abimelech.
32 And Gedeon, sone of Joas, diede in good elde, and was biried in the sepulcre of Joas, his fadir, in Ephra, of the meynee of Ezri.
And Gedeon the son of Joas died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father in Ephra of the family of Ezri.
33 Forsothe aftir that Gedeon was deed, the sones of Israel turneden awey `fro Goddis religioun, and diden fornycacioun, `that is, idolatrie, with Baalym; and thei smytiden boond of pees with Baal, that he schulde be to hem in to God,
But after Gedeon was dead, the children of Israel turned again, and committed fornication with Baalim. And they made a covenant with Baal, that he should be their god:
34 nether thei hadden mynde of her Lord God, that delyuerede hem fro the hond of alle her enemyes `bi cumpas;
And they remembered not the Lord their God, who delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies round about:
35 nether thei diden merci with the hous of Gerobaal Gedeon, bi alle the goodis whiche he `hadde do to Israel.
Neither did they shew mercy to the house of Jerobaal Gedeon, according to all the good things he had done to Israel.
