Κριταί 6
1 καὶ ἐποίησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ τὸ πονηρὸν ἐνώπιον κυρίου καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοὺς κύριος ἐν χειρὶ Μαδιαμ ἑπτὰ ἔτη
Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, who delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years.
2 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
And they were greatly oppressed by them. And they made for themselves hollows and caves in the mountains, and very fortified places for defense.
3 καὶ ἐγένετο ἐὰν ἔσπειραν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ καὶ ἀνέβαιναν Μαδιαμ καὶ Αμαληκ καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ ἀνατολῶν συνανέβαινον αὐτοῖς
And when Israel had planted, Midian and Amalek, and the rest of the eastern nations ascended,
4 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
and pitching their tents among them, they laid waste to all that was planted, as far as the entrance to Gaza. And they left behind nothing at all to sustain life in Israel, neither sheep, nor oxen, nor donkeys.
5 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
For they and all their flocks arrived with their tents, and they filled all places like locusts, an innumerable multitude of men and camels, devastating whatever they touched.
6 καὶ ἐπτώχευσεν Ισραηλ σφόδρα ἀπὸ προσώπου Μαδιαμ καὶ ἐβόησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ πρὸς κύριον
And Israel was humbled greatly in the sight of Midian.
7 ἀπὸ προσώπου Μαδιαμ
And he cried out to the Lord, requesting assistance against the Midianites.
8 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
And he sent to them a man who was a prophet, and he said: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘I caused you to ascend from Egypt, and I led you away from the house of servitude.
9 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
And I freed you from the hand of the Egyptians and from all of the enemies who were afflicting you. And I cast them out at your arrival, and I delivered their land to you.
10 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
And I said: I am the Lord your God. You shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live. But you were not willing to listen to my voice.’”
11 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
Then an Angel of the Lord arrived, and he sat under an oak tree, which was at Ophrah, and which belonged to Joash, the father of the family of Ezri. And while his son Gideon was threshing and cleaning the grain at the winepress, so that he might flee from Midian,
12 καὶ ὤφθη αὐτῷ ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν κύριος μετὰ σοῦ ἰσχυρὸς τῶν δυνάμεων
the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and he said: “The Lord is with you, most valiant of men.”
13 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
And Gideon said to him: “I beg you, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why have these things happened to us? Where are his miracles, which our fathers described when they said, ‘The Lord led us away from Egypt.’ But now the Lord has forsaken us, and he has delivered us into the hand of Midian.”
14 καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου καὶ εἶπεν πορεύου ἐν ἰσχύι σου ταύτῃ καὶ σώσεις τὸν Ισραηλ ἐκ χειρὸς Μαδιαμ ἰδοὺ ἐξαπέστειλά σε
And the Lord looked down upon him, and he said: “Go forth with this, your strength, and you shall free Israel from the hand of Midian. Know that I have sent you.”
15 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
And responding, he said: “I beg you, my lord, with what shall I free Israel? Behold, my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in the house of my father.”
16 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου κύριος ἔσται μετὰ σοῦ καὶ πατάξεις τὴν Μαδιαμ ὡσεὶ ἄνδρα ἕνα
And the Lord said to him: “I will be with you. And so, you shall cut down Midian as if one man.”
17 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Γεδεων εἰ δὲ εὗρον ἔλεος ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου καὶ ποιήσεις μοι σήμερον πᾶν ὅ τι ἐλάλησας μετ’ ἐμοῦ
And he said: “If I have found grace before you, give me a sign that it is you who is speaking to me.
18 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
And may you not withdraw from here, until I return to you, carrying a sacrifice and offering it to you.” And he responded, “I will wait for your return.”
19 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
And so Gideon entered, and he boiled a goat, and he made unleavened bread from a measure of flour. And setting the flesh in a basket, and putting the broth of the flesh in a pot, he took it all under the oak tree, and he offered it to him.
20 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
And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Take the flesh and the unleavened bread, and place them on that rock, and pour out the broth upon it.” And when he had done so,
21 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
the Angel of the Lord extended the end of a staff, which he was holding in his hand, and he touched the flesh and the unleavened loaves. And a fire ascended from the rock, and it consumed the flesh and the unleavened loaves. Then the Angel of the Lord vanished from his sight.
22 καὶ εἶδεν Γεδεων ὅτι ἄγγελος κυρίου οὗτός ἐστιν καὶ εἶπεν Γεδεων ἆ ἆ κύριέ μου κύριε ὅτι εἶδον ἄγγελον κυρίου πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον
And Gideon, realizing that it had been the Angel of the Lord, said: “Alas, my Lord God! For I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face.”
23 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ κύριος εἰρήνη σοι μὴ φοβοῦ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃς
And the Lord said to him: “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid; you shall not die.”
24 καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐκεῖ Γεδεων θυσιαστήριον τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ ἐπεκάλεσεν αὐτῷ εἰρήνη κυρίου ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης ἔτι αὐτοῦ ὄντος ἐν Εφραθα πατρὸς τοῦ Εσδρι
Therefore, Gideon built an altar to the Lord there, and he called it, the Peace of the Lord, even to the present day. And while he was still at Ophrah, which is of the family of Ezri,
25 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
that night, the Lord said to him: “Take a bull of your father’s, and another bull of seven years, and you shall destroy the altar of Baal, which is your father’s. And you shall cut down the sacred grove which is around the altar.
26 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
And you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, at the summit of this rock, on which you placed the sacrifice before. And you shall take the second bull, and you shall offer a holocaust upon a pile of the wood, which you shall cut down from the grove.”
27 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
Therefore, Gideon, taking ten men from his servants, did just as the Lord had instructed him. But fearing his father’s household, and the men of that city, he was not willing to do it by day. Instead, he completed everything by night.
28 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
And when the men of that town had risen up in the morning, they saw the altar of Baal destroyed, and the sacred grove cut down, and the second bull set upon the altar, which then had been built.
29 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
And they said one to another, “Who has done this?” And when they inquired everywhere as to the author of the deed, it was said, “Gideon, the son of Joash, did all these things.”
30 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
And they said to Joash: “Bring forward your son here, so that he may die. For he has destroyed the altar of Baal, and he has cut down the sacred grove.”
31 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
But he responded to them: “Could you be the avengers of Baal, so that you fight on his behalf? Whoever is his adversary, let him die before the light arrives tomorrow; if he is a god, let him vindicate himself against him who has overturned his altar.”
32 καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ Ιαρβααλ λέγων δικασάσθω ἐν αὐτῷ ὁ Βααλ ὅτι καθῃρέθη τὸ θυσιαστήριον αὐτοῦ
From that day, Gideon was called Jerubbaal, because Joash had said, “Let Baal avenge himself against him who has overturned his altar.”
33 καὶ πᾶσα Μαδιαμ καὶ Αμαληκ καὶ υἱοὶ ἀνατολῶν συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ παρενέβαλον ἐν κοιλάδι Εζερεελ
And so, all of Midian, and Amalek, and the eastern peoples were gathered together. And crossing the Jordan, they encamped in the valley of Jezreel.
34 καὶ πνεῦμα κυρίου ἐνεδυνάμωσεν τὸν Γεδεων καὶ ἐσάλπισεν ἐν κερατίνῃ καὶ ἐφοβήθη Αβιεζερ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ
But the Spirit of the Lord entered Gideon, who, sounding the trumpet, summoned the house of Abiezer so that he might follow him.
35 καὶ ἀγγέλους ἀπέστειλεν εἰς πάντα Μανασση καὶ ἐν Ασηρ καὶ ἐν Ζαβουλων καὶ Νεφθαλι καὶ ἀνέβη εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῶν
And he sent messengers into all of Manasseh, who also followed him, and other messengers into Asher, and Zebulun, and Naphtali, who went to meet him.
36 καὶ εἶπεν Γεδεων πρὸς τὸν θεόν εἰ σὺ σῴζεις ἐν χειρί μου τὸν Ισραηλ καθὼς ἐλάλησας
And Gideon said to God: “If you will save Israel by my hand, just as you have said:
37 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
I will set this wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there will be dew only on the fleece, and all the ground is dry, I will know that by my hand, as you have said, you will free Israel.”
38 καὶ ἐγένετο οὕτως καὶ ὤρθρισεν τῇ ἐπαύριον καὶ ἐξεπίασεν τὸν πόκον καὶ ἔσταξεν δρόσος ἀπὸ τοῦ πόκου πλήρης λεκάνη ὕδατος
And so it was done. And rising in the night, wringing out the fleece, he filled a vessel with the dew.
39 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
And again he said to God: “Let not your fury be enkindled against me, if I test once more, seeking a sign in the fleece. I pray that only the fleece may be dry, and all the ground may be wet with dew.”
40 καὶ ἐποίησεν οὕτως ὁ θεὸς ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ καὶ ἐγένετο ξηρασία ἐπὶ τὸν πόκον μόνον καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἐγενήθη δρόσος
And that night, God did as he had requested. And it was dry only on the fleece, and there was dew on all the ground.
