Iudicum 7
1 Igitur Jerobaal qui et Gedeon, de nocte consurgens, et omnis populus cum eo, venit ad fontem qui vocatur Harad. Erant autem castra Madian in valle ad septentrionalem plagam collis excelsi.
Early in the morning Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the men with him camped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.
2 Dixitque Dominus ad Gedeon: Multus tecum est populus, nec tradetur Madian in manus ejus: ne glorietur contra me Israël, et dicat: Meis viribus liberatus sum.
Then the LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many people for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’
3 Loquere ad populum, et cunctis audientibus prædica: Qui formidolosus et timidus est, revertatur. Recesseruntque de monte Galaad, et reversi sunt de populo viginti duo millia virorum, et tantum decem millia remanserunt.
Now, therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of them turned back, but ten thousand remained.
4 Dixitque Dominus ad Gedeon: Adhuc populus multus est: duc eos ad aquas et ibi probabo illos: et de quo dixero tibi ut tecum vadat, ipse pergat; quem ire prohibuero, revertatur.
Then the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many people. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go. But if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”
5 Cumque descendisset populus ad aquas, dixit Dominus ad Gedeon: Qui lingua lambuerint aquas, sicut solent canes lambere, separabis eos seorsum: qui autem curvatis genibus biberint, in altera parte erunt.
So Gideon brought the people down to the water, and the LORD said to him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel to drink.”
6 Fuit itaque numerus eorum qui manu ad os projiciente lambuerunt aquas, trecenti viri: omnis autem reliqua multitudo flexo poplite biberat.
And the number of those who lapped the water with their hands to their mouths was three hundred men; all the others knelt to drink.
7 Et ait Dominus ad Gedeon: In trecentis viris qui lambuerunt aquas, liberabo vos, et tradam in manu tua Madian: omnis autem reliqua multitudo revertatur in locum suum.
Then the LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped the water I will save you and deliver the Midianites into your hand. But all the others are to go home.”
8 Sumptis itaque pro numero cibariis et tubis, omnem reliquam multitudinem abire præcepit ad tabernacula sua: et ipse cum trecentis viris se certamini dedit. Castra autem Madian erant subter in valle.
So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred men, who took charge of the provisions and rams’ horns of the others. And the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.
9 Eadem nocte dixit Dominus ad eum: Surge, et descende in castra: quia tradidi eos in manu tua.
That night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up and go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand.
10 Sin autem solus ire formidas, descendat tecum Phara puer tuus.
But if you are afraid to do so, then go down to the camp with your servant Purah
11 Et cum audieris quid loquantur, tunc confortabuntur manus tuæ, et securior ad hostium castra descendes. Descendit ergo ipse et Phara puer ejus in partem castrorum, ubi erant armatorum vigiliæ.
and listen to what they are saying. Then your hands will be strengthened to attack the camp.” So he went with Purah his servant to the outposts where armed men were guarding the camp.
12 Madian autem et Amalec, et omnes orientales populi, fusi jacebant in valle, ut locustarum multitudo: cameli quoque innumerabiles erant, sicut arena quæ jacet in littore maris.
Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and all the other people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts, and their camels were as countless as the sand on the seashore.
13 Cumque venisset Gedeon, narrabat aliquis somnium proximo suo: et in hunc modum referebat quod viderat: Vidi somnium, et videbatur mihi quasi subcinericius panis ex hordeo volvi, et in castra Madian descendere: cumque pervenisset ad tabernaculum, percussit illud, atque subvertit, et terræ funditus coæquavit.
And as Gideon arrived, a man was telling his friend about a dream. “Behold, I had a dream,” he said, “and I saw a loaf of barley bread come tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent so hard that the tent overturned and collapsed.”
14 Respondit is, cui loquebatur: Non est hoc aliud, nisi gladius Gedeonis filii Joas viri Israëlitæ: tradidit enim Dominus in manus ejus Madian, et omnia castra ejus.
His friend replied: “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has delivered Midian and the whole camp into his hand.”
15 Cumque audisset Gedeon somnium, et interpretationem ejus, adoravit: et reversus est ad castra Israël, et ait: Surgite, tradidit enim Dominus in manus nostras castra Madian.
When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Get up, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand.”
16 Divisitque trecentos viros in tres partes, et dedit tubas in manibus eorum, lagenasque vacuas, ac lampades in medio lagenarum.
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies and gave each man a ram’s horn in one hand and a large jar in the other, containing a torch.
17 Et dixit ad eos: Quod me facere videritis, hoc facite: ingrediar partem castrorum, et quod fecero, sectamini.
“Watch me and do as I do,” Gideon said. “When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do exactly as I do.
18 Quando personuerit tuba in manu mea, vos quoque per castrorum circuitum clangite, et conclamate: Domino et Gedeoni.
When I and all who are with me blow our horns, then you are also to blow your horns from all around the camp and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon!’”
19 Ingressusque est Gedeon, et trecenti viri qui erant cum eo, in partem castrorum, incipientibus vigiliis noctis mediæ: et custodibus suscitatis, cœperunt buccinis clangere, et complodere inter se lagenas.
Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the changing of the guard. They blew their horns and broke the jars that were in their hands.
20 Cumque per gyrum castrorum in tribus personarent locis, et hydrias confregissent, tenuerunt sinistris manibus lampades, et dextris sonantes tubas, clamaveruntque: Gladius Domini et Gedeonis:
The three companies blew their horns and shattered their jars. Holding the torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”
21 stantes singuli in loco suo per circuitum castrorum hostilium. Omnia itaque castra turbata sunt, et vociferantes ululantesque fugerunt:
Each Israelite took his position around the camp, and the entire Midianite army fled, crying out as they ran.
22 et nihilominus insistebant trecenti viri buccinis personantes. Immisitque Dominus gladium omnibus castris, et mutua se cæde truncabant,
And when the three hundred rams’ horns sounded, the LORD set all the men in the camp against one another with their swords. The army fled to Beth-shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.
23 fugientes usque ad Bethsetta, et crepidinem Abelmehula in Tebbath. Conclamantes autem viri Israël de Nephthali, et Aser, et omni Manasse, persequebantur Madian.
Then the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh, and they pursued the Midianites.
24 Misitque Gedeon nuntios in omnem montem Ephraim, dicens: Descendite in occursum Madian, et occupate aquas usque Bethbera atque Jordanem. Clamavitque omnis Ephraim, et præoccupavit aquas atque Jordanem usque Bethbera.
Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim to say, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth-barah.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth-barah.
25 Apprehensosque duos viros Madian, Oreb et Zeb, interfecit Oreb in petra Oreb, Zeb vero in torculari Zeb. Et persecuti sunt Madian, capita Oreb et Zeb portantes ad Gedeon trans fluenta Jordanis.
They also captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian; and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. So they pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.
