Iudicum 8

1 Dixeruntque ad eum viri Ephraim: Quid est hoc quod facere voluisti, ut nos non vocares, cum ad pugnam pergeres contra Madian? iurgantes fortiter, et prope vim inferentes.

And the men of Ephraim said unto him: 'Why hast thou served us thus, that thou didst not call us when thou wentest to fight with Midian?' And they did chide with him sharply.

2 Quibus ille respondit: Quod enim tale facere potui, quale vos fecistis? nonne melior est racemus Ephraim, vindemiis Abiezer?

And he said unto them: 'What have I now done in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

3 In manus vestras Dominus tradidit principes Madian, Oreb, et Zeb: quid tale facere potui, quale vos fecistis? Quod cum locutus esset, requievit spiritus eorum, quo tumebant contra eum.

God hath delivered into your hand the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?' Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

4 Cumque venisset Gedeon ad Iordanem, transivit eum cum trecentis viris, qui secum erant: et præ lassitudine, fugientes persequi non poterant.

And Gideon came to the Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing.

5 Dixitque ad viros Soccoth: Date, obsecro, panes populo, qui mecum est, quia valde defecerunt: ut possimus persequi Zebee, et Salmana reges Madian.

And he said unto the men of Succoth: 'Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.'

6 Responderunt principes Soccoth: Forsitan palmæ manuum Zebee et Salmana in manu tua sunt, et idcirco postulas ut demus exercitui tuo panes.

And the princes of Succoth said: 'Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy power, that we should give bread unto thine army?'

7 Quibus ille ait: Cum ergo tradiderit Dominus Zebee et Salmana in manus meas, conteram carnes vestras cum spinis, tribulisque deserti.

And Gideon said: 'Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.'

8 Et inde conscendens, venit in Phanuel: locutusque est ad viros loci illius similia. Cui et illi responderunt, sicut responderant viri Soccoth.

And he went up thence to Penuel, and spoke unto them in like manner; and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.

9 Dixit itaque et eis: Cum reversus fuero victor in pace, destruam turrim hanc.

And he spoke also unto the men of Penuel, saying: 'When I come back in peace, I will break down this tower.'

10 Zebee autem et Salmana requiescebant cum omni exercitu suo. Quindecim enim millia viri remanserant ex omnibus turmis Orientalium populorum, cæsis centum viginti millibus bellatorum educentium gladium.

Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the host of the children of the east; for there fell a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

11 Ascendensque Gedeon per viam eorum, qui in tabernaculis morabantur, ad Orientalem partem Nobe, et Iegbaa, percussit castra hostium, qui securi erant, et nihil adversi suspicabantur.

And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host; for the host was secure.

12 Fugeruntque Zebee et Salmana, quos persequens Gedeon comprehendit, turbato omni exercitu eorum.

And Zebah and Zalmunna fled; and he pursued after them; and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.

13 Revertensque de bello ante solis ortum,

And Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle from the ascent of Heres.

14 apprehendit puerum de viris Soccoth: interrogavitque eum nomina principum et seniorum Soccoth, et descripsit septuaginta septem viros.

And he caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him; and he wrote down for him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, seventy and seven men.

15 Venitque ad Soccoth, et dixit eis: En Zebee, et Salmana super quibus exprobrastis mihi, dicentes: Forsitan manus Zebee et Salmana in manibus tuis sunt, et idcirco postulas ut demus viris qui lassi sunt, et defecerunt panes.

And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said: 'Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom ye did taunt me, saying: Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy power, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?'

16 Tulit ergo seniores civitatis et spinas deserti ac tribulos, et contrivit cum eis, atque comminuit viros Soccoth.

And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.

17 Turrim quoque Phanuel subvertit, occisis habitatoribus civitatis.

And he broke down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.

18 Dixitque ad Zebee et Salmana: Quales fuerunt viri, quos occidistis in Thabor? Qui responderunt: Similes tui, et unus ex eis quasi filius regis.

Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna: 'Where are the men whom ye slew at Tabor?' And they answered: 'As thou art, so were they; of one form with the children of a king.'

19 Quibus ille respondit: Fratres mei fuerunt, filii matris meæ. vivit Dominus, quia si servassetis eos, non vos occiderem.

And he said: 'They were my brethren, the sons of my mother; as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.'

20 Dixitque Iether primogenito suo: Surge, et interfice eos. Qui non eduxit gladium: timebat enim, quia adhuc puer erat.

And he said unto Jether his first-born: 'Up, and slay them.' But the youth drew not his sword; for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

21 Dixeruntque Zebee et Salmana: Tu surge, et irrue in nos: quia iuxta ætatem robur est hominis. Surrexit Gedeon, et interfecit Zebee et Salmana: et tulit ornamenta ac bullas, quibus colla regalium camelorum decorari solent.

Then Zebah and Zalmunna said: 'Rise thou, and fall upon us; for as the man is, so is his strength.' And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents that were on their camels' necks.

22 Dixeruntque omnes viri Israel ad Gedeon: Dominare nostri tu, et filius tuus, et filius filii tui: quia liberasti nos de manu Madian.

Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon: 'Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also; for thou hast saved us out of the hand of Midian.'

23 Quibus ille ait: Non dominabor vestri, nec dominabitur in vos filius meus, sed dominabitur vobis Dominus.

And Gideon said unto them: 'I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you.'

24 Dixitque ad eos: Unam petitionem postulo a vobis: Date mihi inaures ex præda vestra. Inaures enim aureas Ismaelitæ habere consueverant.

And Gideon said unto them: 'I would make a request of you, that ye would give me every man the ear-rings of his spoil.' — For they had golden ear-rings, because they were Ishmaelites.

25 Qui responderunt: Libentissime dabimus. Expandentesque super terram pallium, proiecerunt in eo inaures de præda:

And they answered: 'We will willingly give them.' And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the ear-rings of his spoil.

26 et fuit pondus postulatarum inaurium, mille septingenti auri sicli, absque ornamentis, et monilibus, et veste purpurea, quibus reges Madian uti soliti erant, et præter torques aureas camelorum.

And the weight of the golden ear-rings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside the crescents, and the pendants, and the purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks.

27 Fecitque ex eo Gedeon Ephod, et posuit illud in civitate sua Ephra. Fornicatusque est omnis Israel in eo, et factum est Gedeoni et omni domui eius in ruinam.

And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah; and all Israel went astray after it there; and it became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.

28 Humiliatus est autem Madian coram filiis Israel, nec potuerunt ultra cervices elevare: sed quievit terra per quadraginta annos, quibus Gedeon præfuit.

So Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.

29 Abiit itaque Ierobaal filius Ioas, et habitavit in domo sua:

And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.

30 habuitque septuaginta filios, qui egressi sunt de femore eius: eo quod plures haberet uxores.

And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten; for he had many wives.

31 Concubina autem illius, quam habebat in Sichem, genuit ei filium nomine Abimelech.

And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech.

32 Mortuusque est Gedeon filius Ioas in senectute bona, et sepultus est in sepulchro Ioas patris sui in Ephra de familia Ezri.

And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

33 Postquam autem mortuus est Gedeon, aversi sunt filii Israel, et fornicati sunt cum Baalim. Percusseruntque cum Baal fœdus, ut esset eis in deum:

And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel again went astray after the Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god.

34 nec recordati sunt Domini Dei sui, qui eruit eos de manibus inimicorum suorum omnium per circuitum:

And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side;

35 nec fecerunt misericordiam cum domo Ierobaal Gedeon iuxta omnia bona, quæ fecerat Israeli.

neither showed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shown unto Israel.