Giudici 3
1 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.
Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
2 (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):
only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing of it:
3 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.
namely, the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath.
4 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.
They were left, to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would listen to the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
5 Così i figliuoli d’Israele abitarono in mezzo ai Cananei, agli Hittei, agli Amorei, ai Ferezei, agli Hivvei ed ai Gebusei;
The children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hethites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites:
6 sposarono le loro figliuole, maritaron le proprie figliuole coi loro figliuoli, e servirono ai loro dèi.
and they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods.
7 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.
The children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth.
8 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.
Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim; and the children of Israel served Cushan Rishathaim eight years.
9 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.
When the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a savior to the children of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother; and he obeyed him.
10 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.
The Spirit of the LORD came on 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.
11 Il paese ebbe requie per quarant’anni; poi Othniel, figlio di Kenaz, morì.
The land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
12 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.
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.
13 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.
He gathered to him the people of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees.
14 E i figliuoli d’Israele furon servi di Eglon, re di Moab, per diciotto anni.
The children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
15 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.
But when the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised them up a savior, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a man left-handed. The children of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.
16 Ehud si fece una spada a due tagli, lunga un cubito; e se la cinse sotto la veste, al fianco destro.
Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, eighteen inches in length; and he girded it under his clothing on his right thigh.
17 E offrì il regalo a Eglon, re di Moab, ch’era uomo molto grasso.
He offered the tribute to Eglon king of Moab: now Eglon was a very fat man.
18 E quand’ebbe finita la presentazione del regalo, rimandò la gente che l’avea portato.
When he had made an end of offering the tribute, he sent away the people who bore the tribute.
19 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.
But he himself turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." The king said, "Keep silence." All who stood by him went out from him.
20 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:
Ehud came to him; and he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. Ehud said, "I have a message from God to you, O king." He arose out of his seat.
21 e Ehud, stesa la mano sinistra, trasse la spada dal suo fianco destro, e gliela piantò nel ventre.
And it happened as he rose up that Ehud put forth his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly.
22 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.
And the handle also went in after the blade; and the fat closed on the blade, for he didn't draw the sword out of his belly; and it came out behind.
23 Poi Ehud uscì nel portico, chiuse le porte della sala disopra, e mise i chiavistelli.
Then Ehud went forth into the porch, and shut the doors of the upper room on him, and locked them.
24 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”.
Now when he was gone out, his servants came; and they saw, and look, the doors of the upper room were locked; and they said, "Surely he is covering his feet in the upper room."
25 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.
They waited until they were ashamed; and look, he did not open the doors of the upper room: therefore they took the key, and opened them, and look, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
26 Mentr’essi indugiavano, Ehud si diè alla fuga, passò oltre le cave di pietra, e si mise in salvo nella Seira.
Ehud escaped while they waited, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirah.
27 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.
It happened, when he had 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.
28 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.
He said to them, "Follow after me; for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand." They went down after him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and did not allow a man to pass over.
29 In quel tempo sconfissero circa diecimila Moabiti, tutti robusti e valorosi; e non ne scampò uno.
They struck of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, every lusty man, and every man of valor; and there escaped not a man.
30 Così, in quel giorno, Moab fu umiliato sotto la mano d’Israele, e il paese ebbe requie per ottant’anni.
So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. Then the land had rest eighty years. And Ehud judged them until he died.
31 Dopo Ehud, venne Shamgar, figliuolo di Anath. Egli sconfisse seicento Filistei con un pungolo da buoi; e anch’egli liberò Israele.
And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who alone struck down six hundred men of the Philistines with an oxgoad. And he also saved Israel.
