Liber Iudicum, 8

1. dixeruntque ad eum viri Ephraim quid est hoc quod facere voluisti ut non nos vocares cum ad pugnam pergeres contra Madian jurgantes fortiter et prope vim inferentes

1. And the men of Ephraim said to him: What is this that thou meanest to do, that thou wouldst not call us when thou wentest to fight against Madian? and they chid him sharply and almost offered violence.

2. quibus ille respondit quid enim tale facere potui quale vos fecistis nonne melior est racemus Ephraim vindemiis Abiezer

2. And he answered them: What could I have done like to that which you have done? Is not one bunch of grapes of Ephraim better than the vintages of Abiezer?

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

3. The Lord hath delivered into your bands the princes of Madian, Oreb and Zeb: what could I have done like to what you have done? And when he had said this, their spirit was appeased, with which they swelled against him.

4. cumque venisset Gedeon ad Jordanem transivit eum cum trecentis viris qui secum erant et præ lassitudine fugientes persequi non poterant

4. And when Gedeon was come to the Jordan, he passed over it with the three hundred men, that were with him: who were so weary that they could not pursue after them that fled.

5. dixitque ad viros Soccoth date obsecro panes populo qui mecum est quia valde defecerunt ut possimus persequi Zebee et Salmana reges Madian

5. And he said to the men of Soccoth: Give, I beseech you, bread to the people that is with me, for they are faint: that we may pursue Zebee, and Salmana the kings of Madian.

6. responderunt principes Soccoth forsitan palmæ manuum Zebee et Salmana in manu tua sunt et idcirco postulas ut demus exercitui tuo panes

6. The princes of Soccoth answered: Peradventure the palms of the hands of Zebee and Salmana are in thy hand, and therefore thou demandest that we should give bread to thy army.

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

7. And he said to them: When the Lord therefore shall have delivered Zebee and Salmana into my hands, I will thresh your flesh with the thorns and briers of the desert.

8. et inde conscendens venit in Phanuhel locutusque est ad viros ejus loci similia cui et illi responderunt sicut responderant viri Soccoth

8. And going up from thence, he came to Phanuel: and he spoke the like things to the men of that place. And they also answered him, as the men of Soccoth had answered.

9. dixit itaque et eis cum reversus fuero victor in pace destruam turrem hanc

9. He said therefore to them also: When I shall return a conqueror in peace, I will destroy this tower.

10. Zebee autem et Salmana requiescebant cum omni exercitu suo quindecim milia enim viri remanserant ex omnibus turmis orientalium populorum cæsis centum viginti milibus bellatorum et educentium gladium

10. But Zebee and Salmana were resting with all their army. For fifteen thousand men were left of all the troops of the eastern people, and one hundred and twenty thousand warriors that drew the sword, were slain.

11. ascendensque Gedeon per viam eorum qui in tabernaculis morabantur ad orientalem partem Nobee et Jecbaa percussit castra hostium qui securi erant et nihil adversi suspicabantur

11. And Gedeon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents, on the east of Nobe and Jegbaa, and smote the camp of the enemies, who were secure, and suspected no hurt.

12. fugeruntque Zebee et Salmana quos persequens Gedeon conprehendit turbato omni exercitu eorum

12. And Zebee and Salmana fled, and Gedeon pursued and took them, all their host being put in confusion.

13. revertensque de bello ante solis ortum

13. And returning from the battle before the sun rising,

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

14. He took a boy of the men of Soccoth: and he asked him the names of the princes and ancients of Soccoth, and he described unto him seventy-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

15. And he came to Soccoth and said to them: Behold Zebee and Salmana, concerning whom you upbraided me, saying: Peradventure the hands of Zebee and Salmana, are in thy hands, and therefore thou demandest that we should give bread to the men that are weary and faint.

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

16. So he took the ancients of the city and thorns and briers of the desert, and tore them with the same, and cut in pieces the men of Soccoth.

17. turrem quoque Phanuhel subvertit occisis habitatoribus civitatis

17. And he demolished the tower of Phanuel, 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

18. And he said to Zebee and Salmana: What manner of men were they whom you slew in Thabor? They answered: They were like thee, and one of them as the son of a king.

19. quibus ille ait fratres mei fuerunt filii matris meæ vivit Dominus si servassetis eos non vos occiderem

19. He answered them: They were my brethren, the sons of my mother. As the Lord liveth, if you had saved them, I would not kill you.

20. dixitque Jetther primogenito suo surge et interfice eos qui non eduxit gladium timebat enim quia adhuc puer erat

20. And he said to Jether his eldest son: Arise, and slay them. But he drew not his sword: for he was afraid, being but yet a boy.

21. dixeruntque Zebee et Salmana tu surge et inrue in nos quia juxta ætatem robur est hominis surrexit Gedeon et interfecit Zebee et Salmana et tulit ornamenta ac bullas quibus colla regalium camelorum decorari solent

21. And Zebee and Salmana said: Do thou rise, and run upon us: because the strength of a man is according to his age: Gedeon rose up and slew Zebee and Salmana: and he took the ornaments and bosses, with which the necks of the camels of kings are wont to be adorned.

22. dixeruntque omnes viri Israël ad Gedeon dominare nostri tu et filius tuus et filius filii tui quia liberasti nos de manu Madian

22. And all the men of Israel said to Gedeon: Rule thou over us and thy son, and thy son's son: because thou hast delivered us from the hand of Madian.

23. quibus ille ait non dominabor vestri nec dominabitur in vos filius meus sed dominabitur Dominus

23. And he said to them: I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you, but the Lord shall rule over you.

24. dixitque ad eos unam petitionem postulo a vobis date mihi inaures ex præda vestra inaures enim aureas Ismahelitæ habere consuerant

24. And he said to them: I desire one request of you: Give me the earlets of your spoils. For the Ismaelites were accustomed to wear golden earlets.

25. qui responderunt libentissime dabimus expandentesque super terram pallium projecerunt in eo inaures de præda

25. They answered: We will give them most willingly. And spreading a mantle on the ground, they cast upon it the earlets of the spoils.

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

26. And the weight of the earlets that he requested, was a thousand seven hundred sicles of gold, besides the ornaments, and jewels, and purple raiment which the kings of Madian were went to use, and besides the golden chains that were about the camels' necks.

27. fecitque ex eo Gedeon ephod et posuit illud in civitate sua Ephra fornicatusque est omnis Israël in eo et factum est Gedeoni et omni domui ejus in ruinam

27. And Gedeon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city Ephra. And all Israel committed fornication with it, and it became a ruin to Gedeon and to all his house.

28. humiliatus est autem Madian coram filiis Israël nec potuerunt ultra elevare cervices sed quievit terra per quadraginta annos quibus præfuit Gedeon

28. But Madian was humbled before the children of Israel, neither could they any more lift up their beads: but the land rested for forty years, while Gedeon presided.

29. abiit itaque Hierobbaal filius Joas et habitavit in domo sua

29. So Jerobaal the son of Joas went, and dwelt in his own house.

30. habuitque septuaginta filios qui egressi sunt de femore ejus eo quod plures haberet uxores

30. And he had seventy sons, who came out of his thigh, for he had many wives.

31. concubina autem illius quam habebat in Sychem genuit ei filium nomine Abimelech

31. And his concubine, that he had in Sichem, bore him a son, whose name was Abimelech.

32. mortuusque est Gedeon filius Joas in senectute bona et sepultus in sepulchro Joas patris sui in Ephra de familia Ezri

32. And Gedeon the son of Joas died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father in Ephra of the family of Ezri.

33. postquam autem mortuus est Gedeon aversi sunt filii Israël et fornicati cum Baalim percusseruntque cum Baal fœdus ut esset eis in deum

33. But after Gedeon was dead, the children of Israel turned again, and committed fornication with Baalim. And they made a covenant with Baal, that he should be their god:

34. nec recordati sunt Domini Dei sui qui eruit eos de manu omnium inimicorum suorum per circuitum

34. And they remembered not the Lord their God, who delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies round about:

35. nec fecerunt misericordiam cum domo Hierobbaal Gedeon juxta omnia bona quæ fecerat Israheli

35. Neither did they shew mercy to the house of Jerobaal Gedeon, according to all the good things he had done to Israel.