Judges 8
1 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.
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.
2 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?
“¿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!
3 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.
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.
4 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.
Entonces Gedeón cruzó el Jordán con sus trescientos hombres. Aunque estaban agotados, continuaron la búsqueda.
5 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.”
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”.
6 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.”
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?”
7 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.”
“¡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.
8 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.
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.
9 And so he said to them also, “When I will have returned as a victor in peace, I will destroy this tower.”
Entonces les dijo: “¡Cuando regrese victorioso, demoleré esta torre!”.
10 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.
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.
11 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.
Gedeón tomó la ruta de las caravanas hacia el este de Noba y Yogbea, y atacó a su ejército, tomándolos desprevenidos.
12 And Zebah and Zalmunna fled. And Gideon pursued and overtook them, sending their entire army into confusion.
Zeba y Zalmuna huyeron, pero él persiguió a los dos reyes madianitas y los capturó, derrotando a todo su ejército.
13 And returning from the war before sunrise,
Entonces Gedeón, hijo de Joás, regresó de la batalla por el paso de Heres.
14 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.
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.
15 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.’”
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?’”
16 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.
Así que tomó a los ancianos de la ciudad de Sucot y los castigó usando espinas y cardos del desierto.
17 He also overturned the tower of Penuel, and he killed the men of the city.
También derribó la torre de Peniel y mató a los hombres del pueblo.
18 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.”
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”.
19 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.”
“Esos eran mis hermanos, los hijos de mi madre”, estalló Gedeón. “¡Vive el Señor, si los hubieran dejado vivir, no los mataría a ustedes!”.
20 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.
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.
21 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.
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.
22 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.”
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”.
23 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.”
“Yo no seré su gobernante, ni mi hijo tampoco”, respondió Gedeón. “El Señor será el gobernante de Israel”.
24 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.
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).
25 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.
“Te los daremos con gusto”, respondieron. Entonces extendieron un manto, y cada uno de ellos echó sobre él pendientes de su botín.
26 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.
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.
27 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.
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.
28 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.
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.
29 And so Jerubbaal, the son of Joash, went and lived in his own house.
Jerob-baal, hijo de Joás, volvió a su hogar y vivía en su propia casa.
30 And he had seventy sons, who went forth from his own thigh. For he had many wives.
Gedeón tuvo setenta hijos, todos suyos, porque tuvo muchas esposas.
31 But his concubine, whom he had in Shechem, bore him a son named Abimelech.
Su concubina, que vivía en Siquem, también tuvo un hijo. Lo llamó Abimelec.
32 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.
Gedeón, hijo de Joás, murió a una edad avanzada y fue sepultado en la tumba de su padre Joás, en Ofra de los abiezritas.
33 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.
Pero en cuanto murió Gedeón, los israelitas volvieron a prostituirse, adorando ante los baales. Hicieron de Baal-berit su dios.
34 And they did not remember the Lord their God, who rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on all sides.
Se olvidaron del Señor, su Dios, que los había salvado de todos los enemigos que los rodeaban.
35 Neither did they show mercy to the house of Jerubbaal Gideon, in accord with all the good that he had done for Israel.
No mostraron ningún respeto a la familia de Jerob-baal (Gedeón) por todo el bien que había hecho por Israel.
