Iudicum 6
1 fecerunt autem filii Israhel malum in conspectu Domini qui tradidit eos in manu Madian septem annis
The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and he gave 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
The power of Midian oppressed Israel. Because of Midian, the people of Israel made shelters for themselves from the dens in the hills, the caves, and the strongholds.
3 cumque sevisset Israhel ascendebat Madian et Amalech et ceteri orientalium nationum
It happened that any time the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people from the east would attack the Israelites.
4 et apud eos figentes tentoria sicut erant in herbis cuncta vastabant usque ad introitum Gazae nihilque omnino ad vitam pertinens relinquebant in Israhel non oves non boves non asinos
They would set up their army on the land and destroy the crops, all the way to Gaza. They would leave no food in Israel, and no sheep, nor cattle or donkeys.
5 ipsi enim et universi greges eorum veniebant cum tabernaculis et instar lucustarum universa conplebant innumera multitudo hominum et camelorum quicquid tetigerant devastantes
Whenever they and their livestock and tents came up, they would come as a swarm of locusts, and it was impossible to count either the people or their camels. They invaded the land in order to destroy it.
6 humiliatusque est Israhel valde in conspectu Madian
Midian weakened the Israelites so severely that the people of Israel called out to Yahweh.
7 et clamavit ad Dominum postulans auxilium contra Madianitas
When the people of Israel called out to Yahweh because of Midian,
8 qui misit ad eos virum prophetam et locutus est haec dicit Dominus Deus Israhel ego vos feci conscendere de Aegypto et eduxi de domo servitutis
Yahweh sent a prophet to the people of Israel. The prophet said to them, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: 'I brought you up from Egypt; I brought you out of the house of slavery.
9 et liberavi de manu Aegyptiorum et omnium inimicorum qui adfligebant vos eiecique eos ad introitum vestrum et tradidi vobis terram eorum
I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of all who were oppressing you. I drove them out before you, and I gave you their land.
10 et dixi ego Dominus Deus vester ne timeatis deos Amorreorum in quorum terra habitatis et noluistis audire vocem meam
I said to you, “I am Yahweh your God; I commanded you not to worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.” But you have not obeyed my voice.'”
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
Now the angel of Yahweh came and sat under the oak in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash (the Abiezrite), while Gideon, Joash's son, was separating out the wheat by beating it on the floor, in the winepress—to hide it from the Midianites.
12 apparuit ei et ait Dominus tecum virorum fortissime
The angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said to him, “Yahweh is with you, you strong warrior!”
13 dixitque ei Gedeon obsecro Domine si Dominus nobiscum est cur adprehenderunt nos haec omnia ubi sunt mirabilia eius quae narraverunt patres nostri atque dixerunt de Aegypto eduxit nos Dominus nunc autem dereliquit nos et tradidit in manibus Madian
Gideon said to him, “Oh, my master, if Yahweh is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers told us about, when they said, 'Did not Yahweh bring us up from Egypt?' But now Yahweh has abandoned us and gave us into the hand of Midian.”
14 respexitque ad eum Dominus et ait vade in hac fortitudine tua et liberabis Israhel de manu Madian scito quod miserim te
Yahweh looked at him and said, “Go in the strength you already have. Deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?”
15 qui respondens ait obsecro Domine mi in quo liberabo Israhel ecce familia mea infima est in Manasse et ego minimus in domo patris mei
Gideon said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? See, my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least important in my father's house.”
16 dixitque ei Dominus ego ero tecum et percuties Madian quasi unum virum
Yahweh said to him, “I will be with you, and you will defeat the entire Midianite army as one man.”
17 et ille si inveni inquit gratiam coram te da mihi signum quod tu sis qui loquaris ad me
Gideon said to him, “If you are pleased with me, then give me a sign that it is you who is speaking to me.
18 ne recedas hinc donec revertar ad te portans sacrificium et offerens tibi qui respondit ego praestolabor adventum tuum
Please, do not leave here, until I come to you and bring out my gift and set it before you.” Yahweh said, “I will wait until you return.”
19 ingressus est itaque Gedeon et coxit hedum et de farinae modio azymos panes carnesque ponens in canistro et ius carnium mittens in ollam tulit omnia sub quercum et obtulit ei
Gideon went and prepared a young goat and from an ephah of flour he made unleavened bread. He put the meat in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot and brought them to him under the oak tree, and presented them.
20 cui dixit angelus Domini tolle carnes et panes azymos et pone super petram illam et ius desuper funde cumque fecisset ita
The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and put them on this rock, and pour out the broth over them.” That is what Gideon did.
21 extendit angelus Domini summitatem virgae quam tenebat in manu et tetigit carnes et azymos panes ascenditque ignis de petra et carnes azymosque consumpsit angelus autem Domini evanuit ex oculis eius
Then the angel of Yahweh reached out with the end of the staff in his hand. With it he touched the flesh and the unleavened bread; a fire went up out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of Yahweh went away and Gideon could no longer see him.
22 vidensque Gedeon quod esset angelus Domini ait heu mihi Domine Deus quia vidi angelum Domini facie ad faciem
Gideon understood that this was the angel of Yahweh. Gideon said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! For I have seen the angel of Yahweh face to face!”
23 dixitque ei Dominus pax tecum ne timeas non morieris
Yahweh said to him, “Peace to you! Do not be afraid, you will not die.”
24 aedificavit ergo ibi Gedeon altare Domino vocavitque illud Domini pax usque in praesentem diem cum adhuc esset in Ephra quae est familiae Ezri
So Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh. He called it, “Yahweh is Peace.” To this day it still stands at Ophrah of the clan of Abiezer.
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 Yahweh said to him, “Take your father's bull, and a second bull that is seven years old, and pull apart the altar of Baal that belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it.
26 et aedificabis altare Domino Deo tuo in summitate petrae huius super quam sacrificium ante posuisti tollesque taurum secundum et offeres holocaustum super lignorum struem quae de nemore succideris
Build an altar to Yahweh your God on the top of this place of refuge, and construct it the correct way. Offer the second bull as a burnt offering, using the wood from the Asherah that you cut down.”
27 adsumptis igitur Gedeon decem viris de servis suis fecit sicut praeceperat Dominus timens autem domum patris sui et homines illius civitatis per diem facere noluit sed omnia nocte conplevit
So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as Yahweh had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father's household and the men of the town to do it during the day, he did it at night.
28 cumque surrexissent viri oppidi eius mane viderunt destructam aram Baal lucumque succisum et taurum alterum inpositum super altare quod tunc aedificatum erat
In the morning when the men of the town got up, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah that was beside it was cut down, and the second bull had been offered on the altar that had been built.
29 dixeruntque ad invicem quis hoc fecit cumque perquirerent auctorem facti dictum est Gedeon filius Ioas fecit haec omnia
The men of the city said to one another, “Who has done this?” When they talked with others and searched for answers, they said, “Gideon son of Joash has done this thing.”
30 et dixerunt ad Ioas produc filium tuum ut moriatur quia destruxit aram Baal et succidit nemus
Then the men of the town said to Joash, “Bring out your son so that he may be put to death, because he pulled apart the altar of Baal, and because he cut down the Asherah beside it.”
31 quibus ille respondit numquid ultores estis Baal et pugnatis pro eo qui adversarius eius est moriatur antequam lux crastina veniat si deus est vindicet se de eo qui suffodit aram eius
Joash said to all who opposed him, “Will you plead the case for Baal? Will you save him? Whoever pleads the case for him, let him be put to death while it is still morning. If Baal is a god, let him defend himself when someone pulls his altar apart.”
32 ex illo die vocatus est Gedeon Hierobbaal eo quod dixisset Ioas ulciscatur se de eo Baal qui suffodit altare eius
Therefore on that day they called Gideon “Jerub Baal,” because he said, “Let Baal defend himself against him,” because Gideon broke down Baal's altar.
33 igitur omnis Madian et Amalech et orientales populi congregati sunt simul et transeuntes Iordanem castrametati sunt in valle Iezrahel
Now all the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the people of the east gathered together. They crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
34 spiritus autem Domini induit Gedeon qui clangens bucina convocavit domum Abiezer ut sequeretur
But the Spirit of Yahweh came over Gideon. Gideon blew a trumpet, calling out the clan of Abiezer, so they might follow him.
35 misitque nuntios in universum Manassen qui et ipse secutus est eum et alios nuntios in Aser et Zabulon et Nepthalim qui occurrerunt ei
He sent messengers all throughout Manasseh, and they too, were called out to follow him. He also sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they went up to meet him.
36 dixitque Gedeon ad Dominum si salvum facis per manum meam Israhel sicut locutus es
Gideon said to God, “If you intend to use me to save Israel, as you have said—
37 ponam vellus hoc lanae in area si ros in solo vellere fuerit et in omni terra siccitas sciam quod per manum meam sicut locutus es liberabis Israhel
Look, I am putting a woolen fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that you will use me to save Israel, as you said.”
38 factumque est ita et de nocte consurgens expresso vellere concam rore conplevit
This is what happened—Gideon rose early the next morning, he pressed the fleece together, and wrung out the dew from the fleece, enough to fill a bowl with water.
39 dixitque rursus ad Dominum ne irascatur furor tuus contra me si adhuc semel temptavero 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, I will speak one more time. Please allow me one more test using the fleece. This time make the fleece dry, and let there be dew on all the ground around it.”
40 fecitque Dominus nocte illa ut postulaverat et fuit siccitas in solo vellere et ros in omni terra
God did what he asked for that night. The fleece was dry, and there was dew on all the ground around it.
