Iudicum 8
1 dixeruntque ad eum viri Ephraim quid est hoc quod facere voluisti ut non nos vocares cum ad pugnam pergeres contra Madian iurgantes fortiter et prope vim inferentes
And the men of Ephraim said to him, “What is this, that you wanted to do, so that you would not call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they rebuked him strongly, and came close to using violence.
2 quibus ille respondit quid enim tale facere potui quale vos fecistis nonne melior est racemus Ephraim vindemiis Abiezer
And he responded to them: “But what could I have done that would be so great as what you have done? Is not one bunch of grapes of Ephraim better than the vintages of Abiezer?
3 in manus vestras tradidit Dominus principes Madian Oreb et Zeb quid tale facere potui quale vos fecistis quod cum locutus esset requievit spiritus eorum quo tumebant contra eum
The Lord has delivered into your hands the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What could I have done that would be so great as what you have done?” And when he had said this, their spirit, which was swelling up against him, was quieted.
4 cumque venisset Gedeon ad Iordanem transivit eum cum trecentis viris qui secum erant et prae lassitudine fugientes persequi non poterant
And when Gideon had arrived at the Jordan, he crossed over it with the three hundred men who were with him. And they were so weary that they were unable to pursue those who were fleeing.
5 dixitque ad viros Soccoth date obsecro panes populo qui mecum est quia valde defecerunt ut possimus persequi Zebee et Salmana reges Madian
And he said to the men of Succoth, “I beg you, give bread to the people who are with me, for they are greatly weakened, so that we may be able to pursue Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”
6 responderunt principes Soccoth forsitan palmae manuum Zebee et Salmana in manu tua sunt et idcirco postulas ut demus exercitui tuo panes
The leaders of Succoth answered, “Perhaps the palms of the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna are in your hand, and for this reason, you request that we give bread to your army.”
7 quibus ille ait cum ergo tradiderit Dominus Zebee et Salmana in manus meas conteram carnes vestras cum spinis tribulisque deserti
And he said to them, “So then, when the Lord will have delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hands, I will thresh your flesh with the thorns and briers of the desert.”
8 et inde conscendens venit in Phanuhel locutusque est ad viros eius loci similia cui et illi responderunt sicut responderant viri Soccoth
And going up from there, he arrived at Penuel. And he spoke to the men of that place similarly. And they also answered him, just as the men of Succoth had answered.
9 dixit itaque et eis cum reversus fuero victor in pace destruam turrem hanc
And so he said to them also, “When I will have returned as a victor in peace, I will destroy this tower.”
10 Zebee autem et Salmana requiescebant cum omni exercitu suo quindecim milia enim viri remanserant ex omnibus turmis orientalium populorum caesis centum viginti milibus bellatorum et educentium gladium
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were resting with their entire army. For fifteen thousand men were left out of all the troops of the eastern people. And one hundred twenty thousand warriors that drew the sword had been cut down.
11 ascendensque Gedeon per viam eorum qui in tabernaculis morabantur ad orientalem partem Nobee et Iecbaa percussit castra hostium qui securi erant et nihil adversi suspicabantur
And Gideon ascended by the way of those who were dwelling in tents, to the eastern part of Nobah and Jogbehah. And he struck the camp of the enemies, who were confident and were suspecting nothing adverse.
12 fugeruntque Zebee et Salmana quos persequens Gedeon conprehendit turbato omni exercitu eorum
And Zebah and Zalmunna fled. And Gideon pursued and overtook them, sending their entire army into confusion.
13 revertensque de bello ante solis ortum
And returning from the war before sunrise,
14 adprehendit puerum de viris Soccoth interrogavitque eum nomina principum et seniorum Soccoth et descripsit septuaginta septem viros
he took a boy from among the men of Succoth. And he asked him the names of the leaders and elders of Succoth. And he described seventy-seven men.
15 venitque ad Soccoth et dixit eis en Zebee et Salmana super quibus exprobrastis mihi dicentes forsitan manus Zebee et Salmana in manibus tuis sunt et idcirco postulas ut demus viris qui lassi sunt et defecerunt panes
And he went to Succoth, and he said to them: “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, over whom you rebuked me, saying: ‘Perhaps the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna are in your hands, and for this reason, you request that we give bread to men who are languishing and weakened.’”
16 tulit ergo seniores civitatis et spinas deserti ac tribulos et contrivit cum eis atque comminuit viros Soccoth
Therefore, he took the elders of the city, and, using the thorns and briers of the desert, he threshed them with these, and he cut the men of Succoth to pieces.
17 turrem quoque Phanuhel subvertit occisis habitatoribus civitatis
He also overturned the tower of Penuel, and he killed the men of the city.
18 dixitque ad Zebee et Salmana quales fuerunt viri quos occidistis in Thabor qui responderunt similes tui et unus ex eis quasi filius regis
And he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were those whom you killed at Tabor?” They responded, “They were like you, and one of them was like the son of a king.”
19 quibus ille ait fratres mei fuerunt filii matris meae vivit Dominus si servassetis eos non vos occiderem
He answered them: “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had preserved them, I would not kill you.”
20 dixitque Ietther primogenito suo surge et interfice eos qui non eduxit gladium timebat enim quia adhuc puer erat
And he said to Jether, his firstborn son, “Rise up, and put them to death.” But he did not draw his sword. For he was afraid, being still a boy.
21 dixeruntque Zebee et Salmana tu surge et inrue in nos quia iuxta aetatem robur est hominis surrexit Gedeon et interfecit Zebee et Salmana et tulit ornamenta ac bullas quibus colla regalium camelorum decorari solent
And Zebah and Zalmunna said: “You should rise up and rush against us. For the strength of a man is in accord with his age.” Gideon rose up, and he killed Zebah and Zalmunna. And he took the ornaments and studs, with which the necks of the royal camels are usually adorned.
22 dixeruntque omnes viri Israhel ad Gedeon dominare nostri tu et filius tuus et filius filii tui quia liberasti nos de manu Madian
And all the men of Israel said to Gideon: “You should rule over us, and your son, and your son’s son. For you freed us from the hand of Midian.”
23 quibus ille ait non dominabor vestri nec dominabitur in vos filius meus sed dominabitur Dominus
And he said to them: “I will not rule over you. Neither shall my son rule over you. Instead, the Lord shall rule over you.”
24 dixitque ad eos unam petitionem postulo a vobis date mihi inaures ex praeda vestra inaures enim aureas Ismahelitae habere consuerant
And he said to them: “I petition one request from you. Give me the earrings from your spoils.” For the Ishmaelites were accustomed to wear gold earrings.
25 qui responderunt libentissime dabimus expandentesque super terram pallium proiecerunt in eo inaures de praeda
They responded, “We are very willing to give them.” And spreading a cloak on the ground, they cast upon it the earrings from the spoils.
26 et fuit pondus postulatarum inaurium mille septingenti auri sicli absque ornamentis et monilibus et veste purpurea quibus Madian reges uti soliti erant et praeter torques aureos camelorum
And the weight of the earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, aside from the ornaments, and necklaces, and purple garments, which the kings of Midian were accustomed to use, and aside from the gold chains on the camels.
27 fecitque ex eo Gedeon ephod et posuit illud in civitate sua Ephra fornicatusque est omnis Israhel in eo et factum est Gedeoni et omni domui eius in ruinam
And Gideon made an ephod from these, and he kept it in his city, Ophrah. And all of Israel committed fornication with it, and it became a ruin to Gideon and to all his house.
28 humiliatus est autem Madian coram filiis Israhel nec potuerunt ultra elevare cervices sed quievit terra per quadraginta annos quibus praefuit Gedeon
But Midian was humbled before the sons of Israel. Neither were they able any longer to lift up their necks. But the land rested for forty years, while Gideon presided.
29 abiit itaque Hierobbaal filius Ioas et habitavit in domo sua
And so Jerubbaal, the son of Joash, went and lived in his own house.
30 habuitque septuaginta filios qui egressi sunt de femore eius eo quod plures haberet uxores
And he had seventy sons, who went forth from his own thigh. For he had many wives.
31 concubina autem illius quam habebat in Sychem genuit ei filium nomine Abimelech
But his concubine, whom he had in Shechem, bore him a son named Abimelech.
32 mortuusque est Gedeon filius Ioas in senectute bona et sepultus in sepulchro Ioas patris sui in Ephra de familia Ezri
And Gideon, the son of Joash, died in a good old age, and he was buried in the sepulcher of his father, at Ophrah, of the family of Ezri.
33 postquam autem mortuus est Gedeon aversi sunt filii Israhel et fornicati cum Baalim percusseruntque cum Baal foedus ut esset eis in deum
But after Gideon died, the sons of Israel turned away, and they committed fornication with the Baals. And they struck a covenant with Baal, so that he would be their god.
34 nec recordati sunt Domini Dei sui qui eruit eos de manu omnium inimicorum suorum per circuitum
And they did not remember the Lord their God, who rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on all sides.
35 nec fecerunt misericordiam cum domo Hierobbaal Gedeon iuxta omnia bona quae fecerat Israheli
Neither did they show mercy to the house of Jerubbaal Gideon, in accord with all the good that he had done for Israel.
