Richter 8

1 Da sprach Ephraims Mannschaft zu ihm: "Was hast du uns angetan, daß du uns nicht riefst, als du in den Kampf wider Midian gezogen bist?", Und sie machten ihm heftige Vorwürfe.

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 Er sprach zu ihnen: "Was habe ich im Vergleich zu euch getan? Ist nicht Ephraims Nachlese besser als Abiezers Lese?

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 In eure Hand hat Gott die Midianiterfürsten Oreb und Zeeb gegeben. Was habe ich im Vergleich mit euch tun können?" Da legte sich ihr Zorn gegen ihn, als er so sprach.

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 Dann zog Gideon an den Jordan. Er und die dreihundert Mann bei ihm zogen hinüber. Sie waren zwar matt, setzten aber die Verfolgung fort.

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 Da sprach er zu Sukkots Männern: "Gebt den Leuten, die ich befehlige, Brotkuchen! Denn sie sind matt. Ich aber jage den Midianiterkönigen Zebach und Salmunna nach."

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 Da sagten Sukkots Oberste: "Hast du schon Zebach und Salmunna in deiner Hand, daß wir deiner Heerschar Brot geben sollten?"

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 Da sprach Gideon: "Nun gut! Gibt der Herr Zebach und Salmunna in meine Hand, dann zerdresche ich euch mit Wüstendornen und Disteln."

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 Von da zog er nach Penuel hinauf und sprach zu diesem ebenso. Aber Penuels Männer erwiderten ihm, wie die Männer Sukkots erwidert hatten.

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 Da sprach er zu Penuels Männern: "Komme ich heil zurück, dann schleife ich diesen Turm."

And so he said to them also, “When I will have returned as a victor in peace, I will destroy this tower.”

10 Zebach und Salmunna aber waren in Karkor mit ihrem Heer, etwa fünfzehntausend Mann. Das war alles, was vom ganzen Heer der Söhne des Ostens übriggeblieben war. Der Gefallenen waren es 120.000 Mann Schwertgerüstete.

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 Gideon zog nun den Weg gegen die Zeltleute östlich von Nobach und Jogbeha und überfiel das Lager; das Lager aber lag sorglos da.

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 Zebach und Salmunna flohen. Er aber jagte ihnen nach, fing die beiden Midianskönige Zebach und Salmunna und vernichtete das ganze Lager.

And Zebah and Zalmunna fled. And Gideon pursued and overtook them, sending their entire army into confusion.

13 Hierauf kehrte Gideon, des Joas Sohn, an der Sonnensteige vom Kriegszug um.

And returning from the war before sunrise,

14 Da griff er einen jungen Mann aus Sukkots Männern und fragte ihn aus. Und er schrieb ihm Sukkots Oberste und Älteste auf, siebenundsiebzig Mann.

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 So kam er zu den Männern von Sukkot und sprach: "Hier sind Zebach und Salmunna, deretwegen ihr mich gehöhnt habt mit den Worten: 'Hast du schon Zebach und Salmunna in deiner Hand, daß wir deinen hungrigen Männern Brot geben sollten?'"

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 Dann nahm er die Ältesten der Stadt sowie Wüstendornen und Stacheln und verurteilte Sukkots Männer.

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 Ebenso schleifte er Penuels Turm und metzelte die Männer der Stadt nieder.

He also overturned the tower of Penuel, and he killed the men of the city.

18 Dann sprach er zu Zebach und Salmunna: "Wie sind die Männer gewesen, die ihr am Tabor erschlagen habt?" Sie sprachen:"Ganz so wie du. Jeder nach Aussehen ein Königssohn."

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 Er sprach: "Das sind meine Brüder gewesen, meiner Mutter Söhne. So wahr der Herr lebt! Hättet ihr sie leben lassen, ich brächte euch nicht um."

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 Dann rief er seinen Erstgeborenen Jeter: "Auf! Schlag sie nieder!" Aber der Knabe zog sein Schwert nicht, weil er sich scheute. Denn er war noch zu jung.

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 Da sprachen Zebach und Salmunna: "Auf! Stoß du uns nieder! Denn wie der Mann, so seine Kraft!" Da stand Gideon auf und erschlug Zebach und Salmunna. Er nahm auch die kleinen Monde an den Hälsen ihrer Kamele.

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 Da sprach Israels Mannschaft zu Gideon: "Walte über uns, du, dein Sohn und dein Enkel! Denn du hast uns aus Midians Hand befreit."

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 Da sprach Gideon zu ihnen: "Weder will ich über euch walten, noch mein Sohn. Der Herr walte über euch!"

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 Dann sprach Gideon zu ihnen: "Ich will mir von euch etwas anderes erbitten: Gebt mir jeder aus seiner Beute einen Ring!" Jene hatten nämlich goldene Ringe, weil sie Ismaeliter waren.

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 Da sagten sie: "Gern geben wir dir sie." Und sie breiteten einen Mantel aus, und jeder warf seinen Beutering darauf.

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 Das Gewicht der Goldringe, die er erbeten hatte, betrug 1.700 Ring Gold, außer den Monden, Ohrgehängen und Purpurkleidern, die die Midianskönige getragen, und den Halsbändern ihrer Kamele.

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 Gideon machte daraus ein Ephod und stellte es in seiner Stadt Ophra auf. Und ganz Israel hurte ihm dort nach. So ward es Gideon und seinem Hause zum Fallstricke.

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 Also ward Midian von den Israeliten gedemütigt, daß es nicht wieder das Haupt erhob. Und das Land hatte in Gideons Tagen vierzig Jahre Ruhe.

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 Und Jerubbaal, des Joas Sohn, zog ab und blieb fortan zu Hause.

And so Jerubbaal, the son of Joash, went and lived in his own house.

30 Gideon aber besaß siebzig Vollsöhne. Denn er hatte viele Weiber.

And he had seventy sons, who went forth from his own thigh. For he had many wives.

31 Sein Nebenweib zu Sichem aber hatte ihm auch einen Sohn geboren, und er legte ihm den Namen Abimelek bei.

But his concubine, whom he had in Shechem, bore him a son named Abimelech.

32 Gideon, des Joas Sohn, starb in hohem Alter und ward in seines Vaters Joas Grab begraben, im Ophra der Abiezriten.

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 Als aber Gideon tot war, hurten die Israeliten wieder mit den Baalen. Sie nahmen sich den Bundesbaal zum Schutzgott.

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 Und die Israeliten gedachten nicht mehr des Herrn, ihres Gottes, der sie aus der Hand all ihrer Feinde ringsum befreit hatte.

And they did not remember the Lord their God, who rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on all sides.

35 Auch erwiesen sie keine Liebe der Familie Jerubbaals, vormals Gideon genannt, trotz dem Guten, das er Israel getan hatte.

Neither did they show mercy to the house of Jerubbaal Gideon, in accord with all the good that he had done for Israel.