< Judges 6 >

1 Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; so He delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years,
καὶ ἐποίησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ τὸ πονηρὸν ἐνώπιον κυρίου καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοὺς κύριος ἐν χειρὶ Μαδιαμ ἑπτὰ ἔτη
2 and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.
καὶ ἴσχυσεν χεὶρ Μαδιαμ ἐπὶ Ισραηλ καὶ ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ ἀπὸ προσώπου Μαδιαμ τὰς τρυμαλιὰς τὰς ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν καὶ τὰ σπήλαια καὶ τὰ κρεμαστά
3 Whenever the Israelites would plant their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east would come up and invade them,
καὶ ἐγένετο ἐὰν ἔσπειραν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ καὶ ἀνέβαιναν Μαδιαμ καὶ Αμαληκ καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ ἀνατολῶν συνανέβαινον αὐτοῖς
4 encamping against them as far as Gaza and destroying the produce of the land. They left Israel with no sustenance, neither sheep nor oxen nor donkeys.
καὶ παρενέβαλον εἰς αὐτοὺς καὶ κατέφθειραν τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῶν ἕως ἐλθεῖν εἰς Γάζαν καὶ οὐ κατέλιπον ὑπόστασιν ζωῆς ἐν τῇ γῇ Ισραηλ οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς ποιμνίοις ταῦρον καὶ ὄνον
5 For the Midianites came with their livestock and their tents like a great swarm of locusts. They and their camels were innumerable, and they entered the land to ravage it.
ὅτι αὐτοὶ καὶ αἱ κτήσεις αὐτῶν ἀνέβαινον καὶ αἱ σκηναὶ αὐτῶν παρεγίνοντο καθὼς ἀκρὶς εἰς πλῆθος καὶ αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῖς καμήλοις αὐτῶν οὐκ ἦν ἀριθμός καὶ ἤρχοντο εἰς τὴν γῆν Ισραηλ καὶ διέφθειρον αὐτήν
6 Israel was greatly impoverished by Midian, and the Israelites cried out to the LORD.
καὶ ἐπτώχευσεν Ισραηλ σφόδρα ἀπὸ προσώπου Μαδιαμ καὶ ἐβόησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ πρὸς κύριον
7 Now when the Israelites cried out to the LORD because of Midian,
ἀπὸ προσώπου Μαδιαμ
8 He sent them a prophet, who told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν κύριος ἄνδρα προφήτην πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς Ισραηλ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς τάδε λέγει κύριος ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ ἐγώ εἰμι ὃς ἀνήγαγον ὑμᾶς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου καὶ ἐξήγαγον ὑμᾶς ἐξ οἴκου δουλείας ὑμῶν
9 I delivered you out of the hands of Egypt and all your oppressors. I drove them out before you and gave you their land.
καὶ ἐρρυσάμην ὑμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς Αἰγύπτου καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς πάντων τῶν θλιβόντων ὑμᾶς καὶ ἐξέβαλον αὐτοὺς ἐκ προσώπου ὑμῶν καὶ ἔδωκα ὑμῖν τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν
10 And I said to you: ‘I am the LORD your God. You must not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.’ But you did not obey Me.”
καὶ εἶπα ὑμῖν ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν οὐ φοβηθήσεσθε τοὺς θεοὺς τοῦ Αμορραίου ἐν οἷς ὑμεῖς καθήσεσθε ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτῶν καὶ οὐκ εἰσηκούσατε τῆς φωνῆς μου
11 Then the angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.
καὶ ἦλθεν ἄγγελος κυρίου καὶ ἐκάθισεν ὑπὸ τὴν τερέμινθον τὴν ἐν Εφραθα τὴν Ιωας πατρὸς τοῦ Εσδρι καὶ Γεδεων υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ῥαβδίζων σῖτον ἐν ληνῷ εἰς ἐκφυγεῖν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ Μαδιαμ
12 And the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.”
καὶ ὤφθη αὐτῷ ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν κύριος μετὰ σοῦ ἰσχυρὸς τῶν δυνάμεων
13 “Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonders of which our fathers told us, saying, ‘Has not the LORD brought us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”
καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Γεδεων ἐν ἐμοί κύριέ μου καὶ εἰ ἔστιν κύριος μεθ’ ἡμῶν εἰς τί εὗρεν ἡμᾶς τὰ κακὰ ταῦτα καὶ ποῦ ἐστιν πάντα τὰ θαυμάσια αὐτοῦ ἃ διηγήσαντο ἡμῖν οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν λέγοντες μὴ οὐχὶ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἀνήγαγεν ἡμᾶς κύριος καὶ νῦν ἐξέρριψεν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἔδωκεν ἡμᾶς ἐν χειρὶ Μαδιαμ
14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Am I not sending you?”
καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου καὶ εἶπεν πορεύου ἐν ἰσχύι σου ταύτῃ καὶ σώσεις τὸν Ισραηλ ἐκ χειρὸς Μαδιαμ ἰδοὺ ἐξαπέστειλά σε
15 “Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”
καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Γεδεων ἐν ἐμοί κύριέ μου ἐν τίνι σώσω τὸν Ισραηλ ἰδοὺ ἡ χιλιάς μου ἠσθένησεν ἐν Μανασση καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ μικρότερος ἐν οἴκῳ πατρός μου
16 “Surely I will be with you,” the LORD replied, “and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man.”
καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου κύριος ἔσται μετὰ σοῦ καὶ πατάξεις τὴν Μαδιαμ ὡσεὶ ἄνδρα ἕνα
17 Gideon answered, “If I have found favor in Your sight, give me a sign that it is You speaking with me.
καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Γεδεων εἰ δὲ εὗρον ἔλεος ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου καὶ ποιήσεις μοι σήμερον πᾶν ὅ τι ἐλάλησας μετ’ ἐμοῦ
18 Please do not depart from this place until I return to You. Let me bring my offering and set it before You.” And the LORD said, “I will stay until you return.”
μὴ χωρισθῇς ἐντεῦθεν ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῖν με πρὸς σέ καὶ ἐξοίσω τὴν θυσίαν καὶ θήσω ἐνώπιόν σου καὶ εἶπεν ἐγώ εἰμι καθίομαι ἕως τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι σε
19 So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread and an ephah of flour. He placed the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and brought them out to present to Him under the oak.
καὶ Γεδεων εἰσῆλθεν καὶ ἐποίησεν ἔριφον αἰγῶν καὶ οιφι ἀλεύρου ἄζυμα καὶ τὰ κρέα ἔθηκεν ἐν τῷ κοφίνῳ καὶ τὸν ζωμὸν ἔβαλεν ἐν τῇ χύτρᾳ καὶ ἐξήνεγκεν αὐτὰ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τὴν τερέμινθον καὶ προσήγγισεν
20 And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so.
καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ θεοῦ λαβὲ τὰ κρέα καὶ τὰ ἄζυμα καὶ θὲς πρὸς τὴν πέτραν ἐκείνην καὶ τὸν ζωμὸν ἐχόμενα ἔκχεε καὶ ἐποίησεν οὕτως
21 Then the angel of the LORD extended the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. And fire flared from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight.
καὶ ἐξέτεινεν ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου τὸ ἄκρον τῆς ῥάβδου τῆς ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἥψατο τῶν κρεῶν καὶ τῶν ἀζύμων καὶ ἀνέβη πῦρ ἐκ τῆς πέτρας καὶ κατέφαγεν τὰ κρέα καὶ τοὺς ἀζύμους καὶ ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου ἐπορεύθη ἀπὸ ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ
22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he said, “Oh no, Lord GOD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!”
καὶ εἶδεν Γεδεων ὅτι ἄγγελος κυρίου οὗτός ἐστιν καὶ εἶπεν Γεδεων ἆ ἆ κύριέ μου κύριε ὅτι εἶδον ἄγγελον κυρίου πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον
23 But the LORD said to him, “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid, for you will not die.”
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ κύριος εἰρήνη σοι μὴ φοβοῦ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃς
24 So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐκεῖ Γεδεων θυσιαστήριον τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ ἐπεκάλεσεν αὐτῷ εἰρήνη κυρίου ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης ἔτι αὐτοῦ ὄντος ἐν Εφραθα πατρὸς τοῦ Εσδρι
25 On that very night the LORD said to Gideon, “Take your father’s young bull and a second bull seven years old, tear down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.
καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ κύριος λαβὲ τὸν μόσχον τὸν ταῦρον ὅς ἐστιν τῷ πατρί σου καὶ μόσχον δεύτερον ἑπταετῆ καὶ καθελεῖς τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ Βααλ ὅ ἐστιν τῷ πατρί σου καὶ τὸ ἄλσος τὸ ἐπ’ αὐτὸ ὀλεθρεύσεις
26 Then build a proper altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold. And with the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down, take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering.”
καὶ οἰκοδομήσεις θυσιαστήριον κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ σου ἐπὶ κορυφὴν τοῦ Μαουεκ τούτου ἐν τῇ παρατάξει καὶ λήμψῃ τὸν μόσχον τὸν δεύτερον καὶ ἀνοίσεις ὁλοκαύτωμα ἐν τοῖς ξύλοις τοῦ ἄλσους οὗ ἐξολεθρεύσεις
27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city, he did it by night rather than in the daytime.
καὶ ἔλαβεν Γεδεων δέκα ἄνδρας ἀπὸ τῶν δούλων ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἐποίησεν ὃν τρόπον ἐλάλησεν πρὸς αὐτὸν κύριος καὶ ἐγενήθη ὡς ἐφοβήθη τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας τῆς πόλεως τοῦ ποιῆσαι ἡμέρας καὶ ἐποίησεν νυκτός
28 When the men of the city got up in the morning, there was Baal’s altar torn down, with the Asherah pole cut down beside it and the second bull offered up on the newly built altar.
καὶ ὤρθρισαν οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως τὸ πρωί καὶ ἰδοὺ καθῄρητο τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ Βααλ καὶ τὸ ἄλσος τὸ ἐπ’ αὐτῷ ὠλέθρευτο καὶ εἶδαν τὸν μόσχον τὸν δεύτερον ὃν ἀνήνεγκεν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ ᾠκοδομημένον
29 “Who did this?” they said to one another. And after they had investigated thoroughly, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”
καὶ εἶπεν ἀνὴρ πρὸς τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ τίς ἐποίησεν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο καὶ ἐπεζήτησαν καὶ ἠρεύνησαν καὶ ἔγνωσαν ὅτι Γεδεων υἱὸς Ιωας ἐποίησεν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο
30 Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has torn down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”
καὶ εἶπον οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως πρὸς Ιωας ἐξένεγκε τὸν υἱόν σου καὶ ἀποθανέτω ὅτι καθεῖλεν τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ Βααλ καὶ ὅτι ὠλέθρευσεν τὸ ἄλσος τὸ ἐπ’ αὐτῷ
31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Are you contending for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself with the one who has torn down his altar.”
καὶ εἶπεν Ιωας τοῖς ἀνδράσιν πᾶσιν οἳ ἐπανέστησαν αὐτῷ μὴ ὑμεῖς νῦν δικάζεσθε ὑπὲρ τοῦ Βααλ ἢ ὑμεῖς σώσετε αὐτόν ὃς ἐὰν δικάσηται αὐτῷ θανατωθήτω ἕως πρωί εἰ θεός ἐστιν δικαζέσθω αὐτῷ ὅτι καθεῖλεν τὸ θυσιαστήριον αὐτοῦ
32 So on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend with him,” because he had torn down Baal’s altar.
καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ Ιαρβααλ λέγων δικασάσθω ἐν αὐτῷ ὁ Βααλ ὅτι καθῃρέθη τὸ θυσιαστήριον αὐτοῦ
33 Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east gathered together, crossed over the Jordan, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
καὶ πᾶσα Μαδιαμ καὶ Αμαληκ καὶ υἱοὶ ἀνατολῶν συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ παρενέβαλον ἐν κοιλάδι Εζερεελ
34 So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, who blew the ram’s horn and rallied the Abiezrites behind him.
καὶ πνεῦμα κυρίου ἐνεδυνάμωσεν τὸν Γεδεων καὶ ἐσάλπισεν ἐν κερατίνῃ καὶ ἐφοβήθη Αβιεζερ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ
35 Calling them to arms, Gideon sent messengers throughout Manasseh, as well as Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, so that they came up to meet him.
καὶ ἀγγέλους ἀπέστειλεν εἰς πάντα Μανασση καὶ ἐν Ασηρ καὶ ἐν Ζαβουλων καὶ Νεφθαλι καὶ ἀνέβη εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῶν
36 Then Gideon said to God, “If You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said,
καὶ εἶπεν Γεδεων πρὸς τὸν θεόν εἰ σὺ σῴζεις ἐν χειρί μου τὸν Ισραηλ καθὼς ἐλάλησας
37 then behold, I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said.”
ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ τίθημι τὸν πόκον τοῦ ἐρίου ἐν τῇ ἅλωνι ἐὰν δρόσος γένηται ἐπὶ τὸν πόκον μόνον καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ξηρασία γνώσομαι ὅτι σώσεις ἐν χειρί μου τὸν Ισραηλ καθὼς ἐλάλησας
38 And that is what happened. When Gideon arose the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.
καὶ ἐγένετο οὕτως καὶ ὤρθρισεν τῇ ἐπαύριον καὶ ἐξεπίασεν τὸν πόκον καὶ ἔσταξεν δρόσος ἀπὸ τοῦ πόκου πλήρης λεκάνη ὕδατος
39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me; let me speak one more time. Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time let it be dry, and the ground covered with dew.”
καὶ εἶπεν Γεδεων πρὸς τὸν θεόν μὴ δὴ ὀργισθήτω ὁ θυμός σου ἐν ἐμοί καὶ λαλήσω ἔτι ἅπαξ πειράσω δὲ καί γε ἔτι ἅπαξ ἐν τῷ πόκῳ καὶ γενέσθω ἡ ξηρασία ἐπὶ τὸν πόκον μόνον καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν γενηθήτω δρόσος
40 And that night God did so. Only the fleece was dry, and dew covered the ground.
καὶ ἐποίησεν οὕτως ὁ θεὸς ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ καὶ ἐγένετο ξηρασία ἐπὶ τὸν πόκον μόνον καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἐγενήθη δρόσος

< Judges 6 >