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 unto him—What is this thing thou hast done to us, in not calling us, when thou wentest to fight with Midian? And they did chide with him, sharply.

2 quibus ille respondit quid enim tale facere potui quale vos fecistis nonne melior est racemus Ephraim vindemiis Abiezer

And he said unto them, What have I done, now, in comparison with you? Is not the grape-gleaning of Ephraim better than the vintage 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

Into your hand, hath God delivered the princes of Midian—Oreb and Zeeb, what then had I been able to do in comparison with you? Then, was their spirit softened toward him, when he had spoken this word.

4 cumque venisset Gedeon ad Iordanem transivit eum cum trecentis viris qui secum erant et prae lassitudine fugientes persequi non poterant

And Gideon came towards the Jordan, being about to pass over—he, and the three hundred men who were with him, faint yet pursuing.

5 dixitque ad viros Soccoth date obsecro panes populo qui mecum est quia valde defecerunt ut possimus persequi Zebee et Salmana reges Madian

So he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread to the people that are following me; for, faint, they are, and, I, am in pursuit of Zebah and Zalmunna, 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

And the princes of Succoth said, Are the palms of the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy power, —that we should give to thine army bread?

7 quibus ille ait cum ergo tradiderit Dominus Zebee et Salmana in manus meas conteram carnes vestras cum spinis tribulisque deserti

And Gideon said, Therefore, when Yahweh hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my power, then will I tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness, and with the nettles.

8 et inde conscendens venit in Phanuhel locutusque est ad viros eius loci similia cui et illi responderunt sicut responderant viri Soccoth

So he went up from thence, to Penuel, and spake unto them in like manner, —and the men of Penuel answered him, as had answered the men of Succoth.

9 dixit itaque et eis cum reversus fuero victor in pace destruam turrem hanc

So he spake to the men of Penuel also, saying, —When I return with success, I will break down 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 in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand, all that were left out of all the host of the sons of the east, —and, the fallen, were a hundred and twenty thousand men, who had drawn the sword.

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

So Gideon went up by the way of the tent-dwellers, on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host, when, the host, had become secure.

12 fugeruntque Zebee et Salmana quos persequens Gedeon conprehendit turbato omni exercitu eorum

And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, then he pursued them, and captured the two kings of Midian—Zebah and Zalmunna, and, all the host, put he in terror.

13 revertensque de bello ante solis ortum

And Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle, —from the ascent of Heres;

14 adprehendit puerum de viris Soccoth interrogavitque eum nomina principum et seniorum Soccoth et descripsit septuaginta septem viros

and caught a young man, of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him, —so he wrote down for him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, 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

Then came he in unto the men of Succoth, and said, Lo! Zebah and Zalmunna, —concerning whom ye did taunt me, saying—Are the palms of the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy power, that we should give to thy weary men bread?

16 tulit ergo seniores civitatis et spinas deserti ac tribulos et contrivit cum eis atque comminuit viros Soccoth

So he took the elders of the city, and the thorns of the wilderness and the nettles, and taught therewith the men of Succoth:

17 turrem quoque Phanuhel subvertit occisis habitatoribus civitatis

the tower of Penuel also, brake he down, —and slew 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

Then said he unto Zebah and unto Zalmunna, What manner of men were they, whom ye slew at Tabor? And they said, As thou art, so were they, each one, as handsome as the sons of a king.

19 quibus ille ait fratres mei fuerunt filii matris meae vivit Dominus si servassetis eos non vos occiderem

And he said: My brethren, sons of my mother, they were! As Yahweh liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not have slain you.

20 dixitque Ietther primogenito suo surge et interfice eos qui non eduxit gladium timebat enim quia adhuc puer erat

So he said to Jether his firstborn, Up! slay them. But the youth drew not his sword, for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

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

Then said Zebah and Zalmunna—Up! thou, and fall upon us, for, like the man, is his might. So Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents that were on the necks of their camels.

22 dixeruntque omnes viri Israhel ad Gedeon dominare nostri tu et filius tuus et filius filii tui quia liberasti nos de manu Madian

Then said the men of Israel, unto Gideon, Rule over us—even thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, —for thou hast saved us out of the power of Midian.

23 quibus ille ait non dominabor vestri nec dominabitur in vos filius meus sed dominabitur Dominus

And Gideon said unto them, I, will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you, —Yahweh, 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 Gideon said unto them—I would make to you a request, Give me, then, every man the nose-ring of his spoil. For they had, nose-rings of gold, for, Ishmaelites, they were.

25 qui responderunt libentissime dabimus expandentesque super terram pallium proiecerunt in eo inaures de praeda

And they said, We will, freely give. So they spread out a mantle, and cast therein, every man the nose-ring of his spoil.

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 so it was, that the weight of the nose-rings of gold which he requested, was a thousand and seven hundred [shekels] of gold, —besides the crescents, and the pendants, and the raiment of purple that were upon the kings of Midian, and besides the ornaments that were on the necks of their 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 thereof an Ephod, and set it up in his own city, in Ophrah, and all Israel went unchastely astray after it there, —so it became, to Gideon and to his house, a snare.

28 humiliatus est autem Madian coram filiis Israhel nec potuerunt ultra elevare cervices sed quievit terra per quadraginta annos quibus praefuit Gedeon

Thus was Midian subdued, before the sons of Israel, neither did they again lift up their head, —and the land had rest forty years, in the days of Gideon.

29 abiit itaque Hierobbaal filius Ioas et habitavit in domo sua

So then Jerubbaal, son of Joash, went and dwelt in his own house.

30 habuitque septuaginta filios qui egressi sunt de femore eius eo quod plures haberet uxores

And, Gideon, had seventy sons, sprung from his own loins, —for, many wives, had he.

31 concubina autem illius quam habebat in Sychem genuit ei filium nomine Abimelech

And, his concubine who was in Shechem, she also, bare him a son, —and he gave him the name of Abimelech.

32 mortuusque est Gedeon filius Ioas in senectute bona et sepultus in sepulchro Ioas patris sui in Ephra de familia Ezri

And Gideon, son of Joash, died in a good old age, —and was buried in the grave of Joash his father, in Ophrah, of the Abiezrites.

33 postquam autem mortuus est Gedeon aversi sunt filii Israhel et fornicati cum Baalim percusseruntque cum Baal foedus ut esset eis in deum

And it came to pass that, as soon as Gideon was dead, the sons of Israel turned back, and went unchastely astray after the Baals, —and appointed them Baal-berith, to be god:

34 nec recordati sunt Domini Dei sui qui eruit eos de manu omnium inimicorum suorum per circuitum

so the sons of Israel remembered not Yahweh, their own God, —who had rescued them out of the hand of all their enemies, on every side;

35 nec fecerunt misericordiam cum domo Hierobbaal Gedeon iuxta omnia bona quae fecerat Israheli

neither dealt they in lovingkindness with the house of Jerubbaal [namely] Gideon, —according to all the goodness wherewith he had dealt with Israel.