Judges 6
1 And the sons of Israel did the thing that was wicked, in the sight of Yahweh, —so Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years;
Fecerunt autem filii Israel malum in conspectu Domini: qui tradidit illos in manu Madian septem annis,
2 and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel, —because of Midian, did the sons of Israel prepare for themselves the hollows which were in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.
et oppressi sunt valde ab eis. Feceruntque sibi antra et speluncas in montibus, et munitissima ad repugnandum loca.
3 And so it used to be, if Israel had sown, then came up Midian and Amalek and the sons of the east, yea came up against them,
Cumque sevisset Israel, ascendebat Madian et Amalec, ceterique Orientalium nationum:
4 and encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the land, until thou comest unto Gaza, —neither left they sustenance in Israel, nor sheep nor ox, nor ass;
et apud eos figentes tentoria, sicut erant in herbis cuncta vastabant usque ad introitum Gazæ: nihilque omnino ad vitam pertinens relinquebant in Israel, non oves, non boves, non asinos.
5 for, they with their cattle, used to come up, with their tents—yea they used to come like locusts, for multitude, both they and their cattle, were without number, —so they came into the land, to lay it waste.
Ipsi enim et universi greges eorum veniebant cum tabernaculis suis, et instar locustarum universa complebant, innumera multitudo hominum, et camelorum, quidquid tetigerant devastantes.
6 Thus was Israel greatly impoverished, because of Midian, —and the sons of Israel made outcry unto Yahweh.
Humiliatusque est Israel valde in conspectu Madian.
7 And it came to pass, when the sons of Israel cried unto Yahweh, —on account of Midian,
Et clamavit ad Dominum postulans auxilium contra Madianitas.
8 then sent Yahweh a prophet unto the sons of Israel, —who said unto them—Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel, I, led you up out of Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of servants;
Qui misit ad eos virum prophetam, et locutus est: Hæc dicit Dominus Deus Israel: Ego vos feci conscendere de Ægypto, et eduxi vos de domo servitutis,
9 Yea I rescued you out of the hand of Egypt, and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, —that I might drive them out from before you, and I gave unto you their land;
et liberavi de manu Ægyptiorum, et omnium inimicorum, qui affligebant vos: eiecique eos ad introitum vestrum, et tradidi vobis Terram eorum.
10 Yea and I said to you, —I, Yahweh, am your God, Ye must not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye are about to dwell, —But ye have not hearkened unto my voice.
Et dixi: Ego Dominus Deus vester, ne timeatis deos Amorrhæorum, in quorum terra habitatis. Et noluistis audire vocem meam.
11 Then came the messenger of Yahweh, and sat down under the oak which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash, the Abiezrite; and, Gideon his son, was beating out wheat in the winepress, to escape the notice of the Midianites;
Venit autem Angelus Domini, et sedit sub quercu, quæ erat in Ephra, et pertinebat ad Ioas patrem familiæ Ezri. Cumque Gedeon filius eius excuteret atque purgaret frumenta in torculari, ut fugeret Madian,
12 so the messenger of Yahweh appeared unto him, —and said unto him, Yahweh, is with thee, thou mighty man of valour!
apparuit ei Angelus Domini, et ait: Dominus tecum virorum fortissime.
13 And Gideon said unto him—Pardon, my lord! if Yahweh be with us, then wherefore hath all this befallen us? and where are all his wonders, which our fathers have recounted to us—saying, Was it not, out of Egypt, that Yahweh brought us up? But, now, hath Yahweh abandoned us, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.
Dixitque ei Gedeon: Obsecro mi domine, si Dominus nobiscum est, cur apprehenderunt nos hæc omnia? Ubi sunt mirabilia eius, quæ narraverunt patres nostri, atque dixerunt: De Ægypto eduxit nos Dominus? Nunc autem dereliquit nos Dominus et tradidit in manu Madian.
14 And Yahweh, turned unto him, and said—Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel, out of the hand of Midian, —have I not sent thee?
Respexitque ad eum Dominus, et ait: Vade in hac fortitudine tua, et liberabis Israel de manu Madian: scito quod miserim te.
15 And he said unto him—Pardon, O my Lord! How, shall I save Israel? Lo! my thousand, is the poorest in Manasseh, and, I, am the youngest in the house of my father.
Qui respondens ait: Obsecro, mi domine, in quo liberabo Israel? Ecce familia mea infima est in Manasse, et ego minimus in domo patris mei.
16 And Yahweh said unto him—I will be with thee, —so shalt thou smite the Midianites, as one man.
Dixitque ei Dominus: Ego ero tecum: et percuties Madian quasi unum virum.
17 And he said unto him, If, I beseech thee, I have found favour in thine eyes, then wilt thou work for me a sign, that it is, thou, who art speaking with me.
Et ille, Si inveni, inquit, gratiam coram te, da mihi signum quod tu sis qui loqueris ad me.
18 Do not, I beseech thee, withdraw from hence, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said: I, will tarry until thou return.
Nec recedas hinc, donec revertar ad te, portans sacrificium, et offerens tibi. Qui respondit: Ego præstolabor adventum tuum.
19 So, Gideon, went in, and made ready a kid of the goats, and, of an ephah of meal, unleavened cakes, the flesh, he put in a basket, and, the broth, he put in a pot, —and brought them forth unto him, under the oak, and presented them.
Ingressus est itaque Gedeon, et coxit hœdum, et de farinæ modio azymos panes: carnesque ponens in canistro, et ius carnium mittens in ollam, tulit omnia sub quercu, et obtulit ei.
20 And the messenger of God said unto him—Take the flesh and the cakes, and set them on this crag, and, the broth, do thou pour out. And he did so.
Cui dixit Angelus Domini: Tolle carnes et azymos panes, et pone supra petram illam, et ius desuper funde. Cumque fecisset ita,
21 Then the messenger of Yahweh put forth the end of the staff, that was in his hand, and touched the flesh, and the cakes, —and there came up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh, and the cakes, and, the messenger of Yahweh, had departed out of his sight.
extendit Angelus Domini summitatem virgæ, quam tenebat in manu, et tetigit carnes et panes azymos: ascenditque ignis de petra, et carnes, azymosque panes consumpsit: Angelus autem Domini evanuit ex oculis eius.
22 Then saw Gideon that, the messenger of Yahweh, it was, —so Gideon said—Alas, My Lord Yahweh! forasmuch as I have seen the messenger of Yahweh, face to face!
Vidensque Gedeon quod esset Angelus Domini, ait: Heu mi Domine Deus: quia vidi Angelum Domini facie ad faciem.
23 And Yahweh said unto him—Peace be unto thee! Do not fear, —thou shalt not die.
Dixitque ei Dominus: Pax tecum: ne timeas, non morieris.
24 So Gideon built there an altar unto Yahweh, and called it, Yahweh-shalom. Unto this day, it remaineth, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Ædificavit ergo ibi Gedeon altare Domino, vocavitque illud, Domini pax, usque in præsentem diem. Cumque adhuc esset in Ephra, quæ est familiæ Ezri,
25 And it came to pass, on that night, that Yahweh said unto him—Take the young bullock that belongeth to thy father, even the second bullock of seven years, —and throw thou down the altar of Baal, that belongeth to thy father, and, the sacred stem that is by it, shalt thou cut down.
nocte illa dixit Dominus ad eum: Tolle taurum patris tui, et alterum taurum annorum septem, destruesque aram Baal, quæ est patris tui: et nemus, quod circa aram est, succide:
26 Then shalt thou build an altar, unto Yahweh thy God, on the top of this fort, with the pile, —and shalt take the second bullock, and cause it to go up as an ascending-sacrifice, with the wood of the sacred stem which thou shalt cut down.
et ædificabis altare Domino Deo tuo in summitate petræ huius, super quam ante sacrificium posuisti: tollesque taurum secundum, et offeres holocaustum super struem lignorum, quæ de nemore succideris.
27 So Gideon took ten men from among his servants, and did as Yahweh had spoken unto him, —and so it was that, as he too much feared the house of his father, and the men of the city, to do it by day, he did it by night.
Assumptis ergo Gedeon decem viris de servis suis, fecit sicut præceperat ei Dominus. Timens autem domum patris sui, et homines illius civitatis, per diem noluit id facere, sed omnia nocte complevit.
28 And the men of the city rose up early in the morning, and lo! the altar of Baal, had been overthrown, and, the sacred stem that was by it, had been cut down, and the second bullock had been caused to ascend upon the altar that had been built.
Cumque surrexissent viri oppidi eius mane, viderunt destructam aram Baal, lucumque succisum, et taurum alterum impositum super altare, quod tunc ædificatum erat.
29 So they said, one to another, Who hath done this thing? And they inquired, and made search, and it was said, Gideon son of Joash, hath done this thing.
Dixeruntque ad invicem: Quis hoc fecit? Cumque perquirerent auctorem facti, dictum est: Gedeon filius Ioas fecit hæc omnia.
30 So the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring forth thy son, that he may die, —because he hath overthrown the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the sacred stem that was by it.
Et dixerunt ad Ioas: Produc filium tuum huc, ut moriatur: quia destruxit aram Baal, et succidit nemus.
31 And Joash said unto all who stood by him—Will, ye, plead for Baal, or will, ye, save him? Whoso pleadeth for him, let him be put to death while it is yet morning, —if, a god, he be let him plead for himself, because one hath overthrown his altar.
Quibus ille respondit: Numquid ultores estis Baal, ut pugnetis pro eo? Qui adversarius est eius, moriatur antequam lux crastina veniat: si deus est, vindicet se de eo, qui suffodit aram eius.
32 So he was called on that day, Jerubbaal, saying, —Let Baal, plead against him. Because he had overthrown his altar.
Ex illo die vocatus est Gedeon, Ierobaal, eo quod dixisset Ioas: Ulciscatur se de eo Baal, qui suffodit aram eius.
33 Now, all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the sons of the east, were gathered together, —and they crossed over and pitched in the vale of Jezreel.
Igitur omnis Madian, et Amalec, et Orientales populi congregati sunt simul. Et transeuntes Iordanem, castrametati sunt in valle Iezrael.
34 But, the spirit of Yahweh, clothed Gideon, —so he blew with a horn, and Abiezer was gathered after him.
Spiritus autem Domini induit Gedeon, qui clangens buccina convocavit domum Abiezer, ut sequeretur se.
35 Messengers also, sent he throughout all Manasseh, and, they also, were gathered after him, —messengers also, sent he throughout Asher, and throughout Zebulun, and throughout Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.
Misitque nuncios in universum Manassen, qui et ipse secutus est eum: et alios nuncios in Aser et Zabulon et Nephthali, qui occurrerunt ei.
36 And Gideon said unto God, —If thou art about to bring salvation, by my hand, unto Israel, as thou hast spoken,
Dixitque Gedeon ad Deum: Si salvum facis per manum meam Israel, sicut locutus es,
37 lo! I am placing a woollen fleece, on the threshing-floor, —if, dew, be on the fleece alone and, on all the ground, it be dry, then shall I know that thou wilt bring salvation, by my hand, unto Israel, as thou hast spoken.
ponam hoc vellus lanæ in area: si ros in solo vellere fuerit, et in omni terra siccitas, sciam quod per manum meam, sicut locutus es, liberabis Israel.
38 And it was so, and he rose up early, on the morrow, and pressed together the fleece, —and wrung out the dew from the fleece, a small bowl full of water.
Factumque est ita. Et de nocte consurgens expresso vellere, concham rore implevit.
39 Then said Gideon unto God, Let not thine anger kindle upon me, but let me speak, only this once, —Let me, I pray thee, put to the proof, only this once, with the fleece, I pray thee, let it be dry on the fleece alone, while, on all the ground, there be dew.
Dixitque rursus ad Deum: Ne irascatur furor tuus contra me si adhuc semel tentavero, signum quærens in vellere. Oro ut solum vellus siccum sit, et omnis terra rore madens.
40 And God did so on that night, —and it was dry on the fleece alone, while, on all the ground, there was dew.
Fecitque Deus nocte illa ut postulaverat: et fuit siccitas in solo vellere, et ros in omni terra.
