Iudicum 6

1 Fecerunt autem filii Israel malum in conspectu Domini: qui tradidit illos in manu Madian septem annis,

Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; so He delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years,

2 et oppressi sunt valde ab eis. Feceruntque sibi antra et speluncas in montibus, et munitissima ad repugnandum loca.

and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.

3 Cumque sevisset Israel, ascendebat Madian et Amalec, ceterique Orientalium nationum:

Whenever the Israelites would plant their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east would come up and invade them,

4 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.

encamping against them as far as Gaza and destroying the produce of the land. They left Israel with no sustenance, neither sheep nor oxen nor donkeys.

5 Ipsi enim et universi greges eorum veniebant cum tabernaculis suis, et instar locustarum universa complebant, innumera multitudo hominum, et camelorum, quidquid tetigerant devastantes.

For the Midianites came with their livestock and their tents like a great swarm of locusts. They and their camels were innumerable, and they entered the land to ravage it.

6 Humiliatusque est Israel valde in conspectu Madian.

Israel was greatly impoverished by Midian, and the Israelites cried out to the LORD.

7 Et clamavit ad Dominum postulans auxilium contra Madianitas.

Now when the Israelites cried out to the LORD because of Midian,

8 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,

He sent them a prophet, who told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

9 et liberavi de manu Aegyptiorum, et omnium inimicorum, qui affligebant vos: eiecique eos ad introitum vestrum, et tradidi vobis Terram eorum.

I delivered you out of the hands of Egypt and all your oppressors. I drove them out before you and gave you their land.

10 Et dixi: Ego Dominus Deus vester, ne timeatis deos Amorrhaeorum, in quorum terra habitatis. Et noluistis audire vocem meam.

And I said to you: ‘I am the LORD your God. You must not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.’ But you did not obey Me.”

11 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,

Then the angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.

12 apparuit ei Angelus Domini, et ait: Dominus tecum virorum fortissime.

And the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.”

13 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.

“Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonders of which our fathers told us, saying, ‘Has not the LORD brought us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”

14 Respexitque ad eum Dominus, et ait: Vade in hac fortitudine tua, et liberabis Israel de manu Madian: scito quod miserim te.

The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Am I not sending you?”

15 Qui respondens ait: Obsecro, mi Domine, in quo liberabo Israel? ecce familia mea infima est in Manasse, et ego minimus in domo patris mei.

“Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”

16 Dixitque ei Dominus: Ego ero tecum: et percuties Madian quasi unum virum.

“Surely I will be with you,” the LORD replied, “and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man.”

17 Et ille, Si inveni, inquit, gratiam coram te, da mihi signum quod tu sis qui loquaris ad me.

Gideon answered, “If I have found favor in Your sight, give me a sign that it is You speaking with me.

18 Nec recedas hinc, donec revertar ad te, portans sacrificium, et offerens tibi. Qui respondit: Ego praestolabor adventum tuum.

Please do not depart from this place until I return to You. Let me bring my offering and set it before You.” And the LORD said, “I will stay until you return.”

19 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.

So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread and an ephah of flour. He placed the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and brought them out to present to Him under the oak.

20 Cui dixit Angelus Domini: Tolle carnes et azymos panes, et pone supra petram illam, et ius desuper funde. Cumque fecisset ita,

And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so.

21 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.

Then the angel of the LORD extended the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. And fire flared from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight.

22 Vidensque Gedeon quod esset Angelus Domini, ait: Heu mi Domine Deus: quia vidi Angelum Domini facie ad faciem.

When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he said, “Oh no, Lord GOD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!”

23 Dixitque ei Dominus: Pax tecum: ne timeas, non morieris.

But the LORD said to him, “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid, for you will not die.”

24 Aedificavit ergo ibi Gedeon altare Domino, vocavitque illud, Domini pax, usque in praesentem diem. Cumque adhuc esset in Ephra, quae est familiae Ezri,

So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

25 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:

On that very night the LORD said to Gideon, “Take your father’s young bull and a second bull seven years old, tear down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.

26 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.

Then build a proper altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold. And with the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down, take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering.”

27 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.

So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city, he did it by night rather than in the daytime.

28 Cumque surrexissent viri oppidi eius mane, viderunt destructam aram Baal, lucumque succisum, et taurum alterum impositum super altare, quod tunc aedificatum erat.

When the men of the city got up in the morning, there was Baal’s altar torn down, with the Asherah pole cut down beside it and the second bull offered up on the newly built altar.

29 Dixeruntque ad invicem: Quis hoc fecit? Cumque perquirerent auctorem facti, dictum est: Gedeon filius Ioas fecit haec omnia.

“Who did this?” they said to one another. And after they had investigated thoroughly, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”

30 Et dixerunt ad Ioas: Produc filium tuum huc, ut moriatur: quia destruxit aram Baal, et succidit nemus.

Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has torn down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”

31 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.

But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Are you contending for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself with the one who has torn down his altar.”

32 Ex illo die vocatus est Gedeon, Ierobaal, eo quod dixisset Ioas: Ulciscatur se de eo Baal, qui suffodit aram eius.

So on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend with him,” because he had torn down Baal’s altar.

33 Igitur omnis Madian, et Amalec, et Orientales populi congregati sunt simul. et transeuntes Iordanem, castrametati sunt in valle Iezrael.

Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east gathered together, crossed over the Jordan, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.

34 Spiritus autem Domini induit Gedeon, qui clangens buccina convocavit domum Abiezer, ut sequeretur se.

So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, who blew the ram’s horn and rallied the Abiezrites behind him.

35 Misitque nuncios in universum Manassen, qui et ipse secutus est eum: et alios nuncios in Aser et Zabulon et Nephthali, qui occurrerunt ei.

Calling them to arms, Gideon sent messengers throughout Manasseh, as well as Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, so that they came up to meet him.

36 Dixitque Gedeon ad Dominum: Si salvum facis per manum meam Israel, sicut locutus es,

Then Gideon said to God, “If You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said,

37 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.

then behold, I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said.”

38 Factumque est ita. Et de nocte consurgens expresso vellere, concham rore implevit.

And that is what happened. When Gideon arose the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.

39 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.

Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me; let me speak one more time. Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time let it be dry, and the ground covered with dew.”

40 Fecitque Dominus nocte illa ut postulaverat: et fuit siccitas in solo vellere, et ros in omni terra.

And that night God did so. Only the fleece was dry, and dew covered the ground.