Jueces 8
1 Entonces los hombres de Efraín le preguntaron a Gedeón: “¿Por qué nos has tratado así? ¿Por qué no nos llamaste cuando fuiste a atacar a los madianitas?” Allí discutieron acaloradamente con él.
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 “¿Y acaso qué he logrado yo en comparación con ustedes?” respondió Gedeón. “¡Incluso las uvas que sobran en Efraín son mejores que toda la cosecha de uvas de 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 Dios les entregó a Oreb y Zeeb, los dos comandantes madianitas. ¿Qué he conseguido yo a diferencia de ustedes?”. Cuando les dijo esto, su hostilidad hacia él se disipó.
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 Entonces Gedeón cruzó el Jordán con sus trescientos hombres. Aunque estaban agotados, continuaron la búsqueda.
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 Cuando llegaron a Sucot, Gedeón le pidió al pueblo de allí: “Por favor, dénles algo de pan a los hombres que vienen conmigo porque están agotados; estoy persiguiendo a Zeba y Zalmuna, los reyes madianitas”.
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 Pero los dirigentes del pueblo de Sucot respondieron: “¿Por qué habríamos de darle pan a tu ejército si todavía no has capturado a Zeba y Zalmuna?”
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 “¡En ese caso, tan pronto como el Señor me haya entregado a Zeba y a Zalmuna, volveré aquí y los azotaré con espinas y cardos del desierto!” respondió Gedeón.
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 Entonces se fue y fue a Peniel y les hizo el mismo pedido, pero el pueblo de Peniel respondió lo mismo que el pueblo de Sucot.
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 Entonces les dijo: “¡Cuando regrese victorioso, demoleré esta torre!”.
And so he said to them also, “When I will have returned as a victor in peace, I will destroy this tower.”
10 Zeba y Zalmuna estaban en Carcor con sus ejércitos de unos quince mil hombres. Estos eran todos los que quedaban de los ejércitos del pueblo de Oriente; ya habían muerto ciento veinte mil hombres.
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 Gedeón tomó la ruta de las caravanas hacia el este de Noba y Yogbea, y atacó a su ejército, tomándolos desprevenidos.
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 Zeba y Zalmuna huyeron, pero él persiguió a los dos reyes madianitas y los capturó, derrotando a todo su ejército.
And Zebah and Zalmunna fled. And Gideon pursued and overtook them, sending their entire army into confusion.
13 Entonces Gedeón, hijo de Joás, regresó de la batalla por el paso de Heres.
And returning from the war before sunrise,
14 Allí capturó a un joven de Sucot y lo interrogó. El hombre le escribió los nombres de los setenta y siete líderes y ancianos de Sucot.
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 Gedeón fue y les dijo a los líderes del pueblo de Sucot: “Aquí están Zeba y Zalmuna, de los que se burlaron cuando me dijeron: ‘¿Por qué debemos darle pan a tu ejército cansado cuando aún no has capturado a Zeba y Zalmuna?’”
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 Así que tomó a los ancianos de la ciudad de Sucot y los castigó usando espinas y cardos del desierto.
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 También derribó la torre de Peniel y mató a los hombres del pueblo.
He also overturned the tower of Penuel, and he killed the men of the city.
18 Entonces Gedeón les preguntó a Zeba y a Zalmuna: “¿Cómo eran los hombres que mataron en el Tabor?” “Se parecían a ustedes”, respondieron. “Cada uno de ellos tenía la estatura de un príncipe”.
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 “Esos eran mis hermanos, los hijos de mi madre”, estalló Gedeón. “¡Vive el Señor, si los hubieran dejado vivir, no los mataría a ustedes!”.
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 Entonces le dijo a Jéter, su hijo mayor: “¡Anda, mátalos!”. Pero el joven se negó a sacar la espada, porque era joven y tenía miedo.
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 Zeba y Zalmuna le dijeron a Gedeón: “¡Vamos, hazlo tú! Muéstrate como un hombre y mátanos”. Entonces Gedeón se acercó y mató a Zeba y a Zalmuna, y tomó los adornos en forma de media luna del cuello de sus camellos.
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 Entonces los israelitas le dijeron a Gedeón: “Tú deberías ser nuestro gobernante. Tú, tu hijo y el hijo de tu hijo, porque tú nos has salvado de los madianitas”.
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 “Yo no seré su gobernante, ni mi hijo tampoco”, respondió Gedeón. “El Señor será el gobernante de Israel”.
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 Entonces Gedeón dijo: “Tengo una petición que hacerles: que cada uno de ustedes me dé un pendiente de su botín”. (Sus enemigos eran ismaelitas y llevaban pendientes de oro).
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 “Te los daremos con gusto”, respondieron. Entonces extendieron un manto, y cada uno de ellos echó sobre él pendientes de su botín.
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 El peso de los pendientes que recibió Gedeón era de 1.700 siclos, sin incluir los adornos, sino los colgantes y las prendas de color púrpura que llevaban los reyes madianitas ni las cadenas que llevaban al cuello de sus camellos.
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 Con el oro, Gedeón hizo un efod, que colocó en su ciudad natal de Ofra. Todo Israel se prostituyó allí adorándolo como un ídolo, y se convirtió en una trampa para Gedeón y su familia.
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 Así fue como los madianitas fueron subyugados ante los israelitas y no volvieron a ganar poder. Así, la tierra estuvo en paz durante cuarenta años, estando Gedeón en vida.
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 Jerob-baal, hijo de Joás, volvió a su hogar y vivía en su propia casa.
And so Jerubbaal, the son of Joash, went and lived in his own house.
30 Gedeón tuvo setenta hijos, todos suyos, porque tuvo muchas esposas.
And he had seventy sons, who went forth from his own thigh. For he had many wives.
31 Su concubina, que vivía en Siquem, también tuvo un hijo. Lo llamó Abimelec.
But his concubine, whom he had in Shechem, bore him a son named Abimelech.
32 Gedeón, hijo de Joás, murió a una edad avanzada y fue sepultado en la tumba de su padre Joás, en Ofra de los abiezritas.
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 Pero en cuanto murió Gedeón, los israelitas volvieron a prostituirse, adorando ante los baales. Hicieron de Baal-berit su dios.
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 Se olvidaron del Señor, su Dios, que los había salvado de todos los enemigos que los rodeaban.
And they did not remember the Lord their God, who rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on all sides.
35 No mostraron ningún respeto a la familia de Jerob-baal (Gedeón) por todo el bien que había hecho por Israel.
Neither did they show mercy to the house of Jerubbaal Gideon, in accord with all the good that he had done for Israel.
