Liber Iudicum, 6

1. Fecerunt autem filii Israel malum in conspectu Domini, qui tradidit eos in manu Madian septem annis.

1. The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD gave them into the hand of Mid'ian seven years.

2. Et oppressi sunt valde ab eis. Feceruntque sibi antra et speluncas in montibus et tutissima loca.

2. And the hand of Mid'ian prevailed over Israel; and because of Mid'ian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves and the strongholds.

3. Cumque sevisset Israel, ascendebat Madian et Amalec ceterique orientalium nationum

3. For whenever the Israelites put in seed the Mid'ianites and the Amal'ekites and the people of the East would come up and attack them;

4. et apud eos figentes tentoria, sicut erant in herbis, cuncta vastabant usque ad introitum Gazae nihilque omnino ad vitam pertinens relinquebant in Israel, non oves, non boves, non asinos.

4. they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the land, as far as the neighborhood of Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel, and no sheep or ox or ass.

5. Ipsi enim et universi greges eorum veniebant cum tabernaculis suis et, instar locustarum, universa complebant, innumera multitudo hominum et camelorum, quidquid tetigerant devastantes.

5. For they would come up with their cattle and their tents, coming like locusts for number; both they and their camels could not be counted; so that they wasted the land as they came in.

6. Humiliatusque est Israel valde in conspectu Madian.

6. And Israel was brought very low because of Mid'ian; and the people of Israel cried for help to the LORD.

7. Et clamavit ad Dominum postulans auxilium contra Madianitas.

7. When the people of Israel cried to the LORD on account of the Mid'ianites,

8. Qui misit ad eos virum prophetam, et locutus est: “Haec dicit Dominus, Deus Israel: Ego vos feci conscendere de Aegypto et eduxi vos de domo servitutis

8. the LORD sent a prophet to the people of Israel; and he said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt, and brought you out of the house of bondage;

9. et liberavi de manu Aegyptiorum et omnium inimicorum, qui affligebant vos, eiecique eos ad introitum vestrum et tradidi vobis terram eorum.

9. and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you, and gave you their land;

10. Et dixi: Ego Dominus Deus vester, ne timeatis deos Amorraeorum, in quorum terra habitatis. Et noluistis audire vocem meam”.

10. and I said to you, `I am the LORD your God; you shall not pay reverence to the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.' But you have not given heed to my voice."

11. Venit autem angelus Domini et sedit sub quercu, quae erat in Ephra et pertinebat ad Ioas de familia Abiezer. Cumque Gedeon filius eius excuteret atque purgaret frumenta in torculari, ut absconderet a Madian,

11. Now the angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak at Ophrah, which belonged to Jo'ash the Abiez'rite, as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Mid'ianites.

12. apparuit ei angelus Domini et ait: “Dominus tecum, vir fortis!”.

12. And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, "The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor."

13. Dixitque ei Gedeon: “Obsecro, domine mi, si Dominus nobiscum est, cur apprehenderunt nos haec omnia? Ubi sunt omnia mirabilia eius, quae narraverunt patres nostri atque dixerunt: “De Aegypto eduxit nos Dominus”? Nunc autem dereliquit nos Dominus et tradidit in manu Madian”.

13. And Gideon said to him, "Pray, sir, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this befallen us? And where are all his wonderful deeds which our fathers recounted to us, saying, `Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has cast us off, and given us into the hand of Mid'ian."

14. Respexitque ad eum Dominus et ait: “Vade in hac fortitudine tua et liberabis Israel de manu Madian; scito quod miserim te”.

14. And the LORD turned to him and said, "Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Mid'ian; do not I send you?"

15. Qui respondens ait: “Obsecro, Domine, in quo liberabo Israel? Ecce familia mea infima est in Manasse, et ego minimus in domo patris mei”.

15. And he said to him, "Pray, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manas'seh, and I am the least in my family."

16. Dixitque ei Dominus: “Ego ero tecum, et percuties Madian quasi unum virum”.

16. And the LORD said to him, "But I will be with you, and you shall smite the Mid'ianites as one man."

17. Et ille: “Si inveni, inquit, gratiam coram te, da mihi signum quod tu sis, qui loquaris ad me;

17. And he said to him, "If now I have found favor with thee, then show me a sign that it is thou who speakest with me.

18. ne recedas hinc, donec revertar ad te portans oblationem et offerens tibi”. Qui respondit: “Ego praestolabor adventum tuum”.

18. Do not depart from here, I pray thee, until I come to thee, and bring out my present, and set it before thee." And he said, "I will stay till you return."

19. Ingressus est itaque Gedeon et coxit haedum et de farinae ephi azymos panes; carnesque ponens in canistro et ius carnium mittens in ollam tulit omnia sub quercum et obtulit ei.

19. So Gideon went into his house and prepared a kid, and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour; the meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the oak and presented them.

20. Cui dixit angelus Dei: “Tolle carnes et panes azymos et pone super petram illam et ius desuper funde”. Cumque fecisset ita,

20. And the angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them." And he did so.

21. extendit angelus Domini summitatem virgae, quam tenebat in manu, et tetigit carnes et azymos panes, ascenditque ignis de petra et carnes azymosque panes consumpsit. Angelus autem Domini evanuit ex oculis eius.

21. Then the angel of the LORD reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and there sprang up fire from the rock and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight.

22. Vidensque Gedeon quod esset angelus Domini ait: “Heu mihi, Domine Deus, quia vidi angelum Domini facie ad faciem!”.

22. Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the LORD; and Gideon said, "Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face."

23. Dixitque ei Dominus: “Pax tecum, ne timeas, non morieris!”.

23. But the LORD said to him, "Peace be to you; do not fear, you shall not die."

24. Aedificavit ergo ibi Gedeon altare Domino vocavitque illud: “Dominus pax”; usque in praesentem diem adhuc est in Ephra filiorum Abiezer.

24. Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it, The LORD is peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiez'rites.

25. Nocte illa dixit Dominus ad eum: “Tolle taurum patris tui, alterum taurum scilicet annorum septem, destruesque aram Baal, quae est patris tui, et palum, qui iuxta aram est, succide;

25. That night the LORD said to him, "Take your father's bull, the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Ba'al which your father has, and cut down the Ashe'rah that is beside it;

26. et aedificabis altare Domino Deo tuo in summitate petrae huius secundum ordinem; tollesque taurum secundum et offeres holocaustum super struem lignorum pali, quem succideris”.

26. and build an altar to the LORD your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order; then take the second bull, and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Ashe'rah which you shall cut down."

27. Assumptis igitur Gedeon decem viris de servis suis, fecit, sicut praeceperat Dominus; timens autem domum patris sui et homines illius civitatis per diem facere noluit, sed omnia nocte complevit.

27. So Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had told him; but because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night.

28. Cumque surrexissent viri oppidi eius mane, viderunt destructam aram Baal palumque succisum et taurum alterum impositum super altare, quod tunc aedificatum erat.

28. When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Ba'al was broken down, and the Ashe'rah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered upon the altar which had been built.

29. Dixeruntque ad invicem: “Quis hoc fecit?”. Cumque perquirerent auctorem facti, dictum est: “Gedeon filius Ioas fecit haec omnia”.

29. And they said to one another, "Who has done this thing?" And after they had made search and inquired, they said, "Gideon the son of Jo'ash has done this thing."

30. Et dixerunt ad Ioas: “Produc filium tuum, ut moriatur, quia destruxit aram Baal et succidit palum”.

30. Then the men of the town said to Jo'ash, "Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has pulled down the altar of Ba'al and cut down the Ashe'rah beside it."

31. Respondit Ioas omnibus, qui circumdabant eum: “Numquid certare vultis pro Baal et salvare eum? Qui certabit pro Baal, morietur usque mane. Si Deus est, certet pro seipso contra eum, qui destruxit aram eius”.

31. But Jo'ash said to all who were arrayed against him, "Will you contend for Ba'al? Or will you defend his cause? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been pulled down."

32. Ex illo die vocatus est Gedeon Ierobbaal, eo quod dicebatur: “Certet contra eum Baal, quia destruxit altare eius”.

32. Therefore on that day he was called Jerubba'al, that is to say, "Let Ba'al contend against him," because he pulled down his altar.

33. Igitur omnis Madian et Amalec et orientales populi congregati sunt simul et transeuntes Iordanem castrametati sunt in valle Iezrahel.

33. Then all the Mid'ianites and the Amal'ekites and the people of the East came together, and crossing the Jordan they encamped in the Valley of Jezreel.

34. Spiritus autem Domini induit Gedeon, qui clangens bucina convocavit domum Abiezer, ut sequeretur.

34. But the Spirit of the LORD took possession of Gideon; and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiez'rites were called out to follow him.

35. Misitque nuntios in universum Manassen, qui et ipse secutus est eum; et alios nuntios in Aser et Zabulon et Nephthali, qui occurrerunt ei.

35. And he sent messengers throughout all Manas'seh; and they too were called out to follow him. And he sent messengers to Asher, Zeb'ulun, and Naph'tali; and they went up to meet them.

36. Dixitque Gedeon ad Deum: “Si salvum facis per manum meam Israel, sicut locutus es,

36. Then Gideon said to God, "If thou wilt deliver Israel by my hand, as thou hast said,

37. ponam vellus lanae in area: si ros in solo vellere fuerit, et in omni terra siccitas, sciam quod per manum meam, sicut locutus es, liberabis Israel”.

37. behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that thou wilt deliver Israel by my hand, as thou hast said."

38. Factumque est ita. Et de nocte consurgens, expresso vellere concham rore complevit.

38. And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water.

39. Dixitque rursus ad Deum: “Ne irascatur furor tuus contra me, si adhuc semel tentavero signum quaerens in vellere. Oro, ut solum vellus siccum sit, et omnis terra rore madens”.

39. Then Gideon said to God, "Let not thy anger burn against me, let me speak but this once; pray, let me make trial only this once with the fleece; pray, let it be dry only on the fleece, and on all the ground let there be dew."

40. Fecitque Deus nocte illa, ut postulaverat; et fuit siccitas in solo vellere, et ros in omni terra.

40. And God did so that night; for it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.