Iudicum 6
1 Fecerunt autem filii Israel malum in conspectu Domini: qui tradidit illos in manu Madian septem annis,
The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight. So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years.
2 et oppressi sunt valde ab eis. Feceruntque sibi antra et speluncas in montibus, et munitissima ad repugnandum loca.
The Midianite oppression was so great that because of them the Israelites made themselves hiding places in mountains, caves, and fortifications.
3 Cumque sevisset Israel, ascendebat Madian et Amalec, ceterique Orientalium nationum:
Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other peoples from the east would come and attack 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.
They would set up their camps and destroy the country's crops as far away as Gaza. They didn't leave anything to eat in the whole of Israel, and they took for themselves all the sheep, cattle, and 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.
They arrived in huge numbers with their livestock and tents like swarms of locusts, with so many camels they couldn't be counted. They invaded the land to completely devastate it.
6 Humiliatusque est Israel valde in conspectu Madian.
The Israelites were made desperately poor by the Midianites and they called out to the Lord for help.
7 Et clamavit ad Dominum postulans auxilium contra Madianitas.
When the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help because of the Midianites,
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,
the Lord sent the Israelites a prophet. He told them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought you out of Egypt; I led you out from the place where you were slaves.
9 et liberavi de manu Aegyptiorum, et omnium inimicorum, qui affligebant vos: eiecique eos ad introitum vestrum, et tradidi vobis Terram eorum.
I saved you from the power of the Egyptians and from everyone who oppressed you. I expelled them before you and gave their land to you.
10 Et dixi: Ego Dominus Deus vester, ne timeatis deos Amorrhaeorum, in quorum terra habitatis. Et noluistis audire vocem meam.
I warned you: I am the Lord your God. You must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you're now living.’ But you didn't listen to 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,
The angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak tree in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress there to hide it from the Midianites.
12 apparuit ei Angelus Domini, et ait: Dominus tecum virorum fortissime.
The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “The Lord is with you, great man of courage!”
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.
“Excuse me, my lord, but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” Gideon replied. “Where are all his wonderful miracles that our forefathers reminded us about when they said, ‘Wasn't it the Lord who led us out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has given up on us and has handed us over to the Midianites.”
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 that you have and save Israel from the Midianites. Aren't I the one 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.
“Excuse me, my lord, but how can I save Israel?” Gideon replied. “My family is the least important of the tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least important person of that family!”
16 Dixitque ei Dominus: Ego ero tecum: et percuties Madian quasi unum virum.
“I will be with you,” the Lord told him. “You will defeat the Midianites as if they were just one man.”
17 Et ille, Si inveni, inquit, gratiam coram te, da mihi signum quod tu sis qui loquaris ad me.
“Please, Lord, if you think well of me, give me a sign that it's really you telling me this,” Gideon asked.
18 Nec recedas hinc, donec revertar ad te, portans sacrificium, et offerens tibi. Qui respondit: Ego praestolabor adventum tuum.
“Don't leave until I come back and present my offering to you.” “I will remain here until you return,” he replied.
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.
Gideon went and cooked a young goat, and baked some unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot. He carried them out and presented them to the angel under the oak tree.
20 Cui dixit Angelus Domini: Tolle carnes et azymos panes, et pone supra petram illam, et ius desuper funde. Cumque fecisset ita,
The angel of God told him, “Place the meat and the unleavened bread on this rock and pour the broth over them.” So Gideon did.
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.
The angel of the Lord held out the staff he was holding and touched the meat and unleavened bread with the tip. Fire flamed from the rock and burned up the meat and unleavened bread. Then the angel vanished.
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 cried out, “Oh no, Lord God! I've seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”
23 Dixitque ei Dominus: Pax tecum: ne timeas, non morieris.
But the Lord told him, “Peace! Don't worry, you're not going to 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.” It's still there today, 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:
That night the Lord told Gideon, “Take your father's bull and a second bull seven years old, and tear down your father's altar of 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 an altar to the Lord your God in the proper way on hilltop. Using the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down as firewood, take the second bull and present 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.
Gideon accompanied by ten of his servants did what the Lord had told him. However, because he was afraid of his family and the people of the town, he did it during the night rather than in the day.
28 Cumque surrexissent viri oppidi eius mane, viderunt destructam aram Baal, lucumque succisum, et taurum alterum impositum super altare, quod tunc aedificatum erat.
Early in the morning when the people of the town got up, they saw that the altar of Baal had been torn down and the Asherah pole beside it had been cut down, with the second bull sacrificed on the altar that had just been built.
29 Dixeruntque ad invicem: Quis hoc fecit? Cumque perquirerent auctorem facti, dictum est: Gedeon filius Ioas fecit haec omnia.
They asked one another, “Who did this?” They made inquiries and 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.
“Hand over your son,” the people of the town ordered Joash. “He must die, because he has torn down the altar of Baal 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.
Joash replied to all those confronting him, “Are you arguing on Baal's behalf? Do you have to save him? Anyone who argues for him will be put to death by morning! If he is a god let him fight for himself against those who tore down his altar.”
32 Ex illo die vocatus est Gedeon, Ierobaal, eo quod dixisset Ioas: Ulciscatur se de eo Baal, qui suffodit aram eius.
That day Gideon was called Jerub-baal, which means “Let Baal fight with him,” because he had torn down his altar.
33 Igitur omnis Madian, et Amalec, et Orientales populi congregati sunt simul. et transeuntes Iordanem, castrametati sunt in valle Iezrael.
All the Midianites, Amalekites, and other peoples of the East gathered together and crossed over the Jordan. They camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
34 Spiritus autem Domini induit Gedeon, qui clangens buccina convocavit domum Abiezer, ut sequeretur se.
The Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew the trumpet, calling Abiezrites to join 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.
He sent messengers through the whole territory of Manasseh, calling them to join him, and also to Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so they also came and joined the others.
36 Dixitque Gedeon ad Dominum: Si salvum facis per manum meam Israel, sicut locutus es,
Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel through me as you promised,
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 look—I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If the fleece is wet with dew but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to save Israel through me as you promised.”
38 Factumque est ita. Et de nocte consurgens expresso vellere, concham rore implevit.
That's what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he pressed on the fleece and squeezed out the dew, enough water to fill a bowl.
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, “Please don't get cross with me. Just let me make one more request. Let me do one more test with the fleece. This time let the fleece be dry and the whole ground covered with dew.”
40 Fecitque Dominus nocte illa ut postulaverat: et fuit siccitas in solo vellere, et ros in omni terra.
That night God did exactly that. The fleece alone was dry and the whole ground was covered with dew.
