Judges 6

NEW JERUSALEM	NOVA VULGATA
1 The Israelites did what is evil in Yahweh's eyes, and for seven years Yahweh handed them over toMidian;	1 Fecerunt autem filii Israel malum in conspectu Domini, qui tradidit eos in manu Madian septem annis.
2 and Midian bore down heavily on Israel. To escape from the Midianites the Israelites used the mountainclefts and the caves and shelters.	2 Et oppressi sunt valde ab eis. Feceruntque sibi antra et speluncas in montibus et tutissima loca.
3 Whenever Israel sowed seed the Midianites would march up with Amalek and the sons of the East.They would march on Israel.	3 Cumque sevisset Israel, ascendebat Madian et Amalec ceterique orientalium nationum
4 They would pitch camp on their territory and destroy the produce of the country as far as Gaza. Theyleft Israel nothing to live on, not a sheep or an ox or a donkey,	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.
5 for they came up as thick as locusts with their cattle and their tents; they and their camels wereinnumerable, they invaded the country to pil age it.	5 Ipsi enim et universi greges eorum veniebant cum tabernaculis suis et, instar locustarum, universa complebant, innumera multitudo hominum et camelorum, quidquid tetigerant devastantes.
6 Thus, Midian brought Israel to great distress, and the Israelites cried to Yahweh.	6 Humiliatusque est Israel valde in conspectu Madian.
7 When the Israelites cried to Yahweh because of Midian,	7 Et clamavit ad Dominum postulans auxilium contra Madianitas.
8 Yahweh sent a prophet to the Israelites. He said to them, 'This is what Yahweh, God of Israel, says, "Itwas I who brought you out of Egypt, and led you out of the place of slave-labour.	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
9 I rescued you from the power of the Egyptians and from the power of al who oppressed you. I drovethem out before you and gave their country to you.	9 et liberavi de manu Aegyptiorum et omnium inimicorum, qui affligebant vos, eiecique eos ad introitum vestrum et tradidi vobis terram eorum.
10 And I said to you: I am Yahweh your God. You are not to fear the gods of the Amorites in whosecountry you are now living. But you have not listened to my voice." '	10 Et dixi: Ego Dominus Deus vester, ne timeatis deos Amorraeorum, in quorum terra habitatis. Et noluistis audire vocem meam ”.
11 The Angel of Yahweh came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah which belonged to Joash ofAbiezer. Gideon his son was threshing wheat inside the wine-press, to keep it hidden from Midian,	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,
12 and the Angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said, 'Yahweh is with you, valiant warrior!'	12 apparuit ei angelus Domini et ait: “ Dominus tecum, vir fortis! ”.
13 Gideon replied, 'Excuse me, my lord, but if Yahweh is with us, why is al this happening to us? Andwhere are al his miracles which our ancestors used to tel us about when they said, "Did not Yahweh bring usout of Egypt?" But now Yahweh has deserted us; he has abandoned us to Midian.'	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 ”.
14 At this, Yahweh turned to him and said, 'Go in this strength of yours, and you wil rescue Israel fromthe power of Midian. Am I not sending you myself?'	14 Respexitque ad eum Dominus et ait: “ Vade in hac fortitudine tua et liberabis Israel de manu Madian; scito quod miserim te ”.
15 Gideon replied, 'Forgive me, my lord, but how can I deliver Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manassehand I am the least important of my father's family.'	15 Qui respondens ait: “ Obsecro, Domine, in quo liberabo Israel? Ecce familia mea infima est in Manasse, et ego minimus in domo patris mei ”.
16 Yahweh replied, 'I shal be with you and you wil crush Midian as though it were one man.'	16 Dixitque ei Dominus: “ Ego ero tecum, et percuties Madian quasi unum virum ”.
17 Gideon said, 'If I have found favour in your sight, give me a sign that you are speaking to me.	17 Et ille: “ Si inveni, inquit, gratiam coram te, da mihi signum quod tu sis, qui loquaris ad me;
18 Please do not go away from here until I come back to you, bringing you my offering and laying it beforeyou.' And he replied, 'I shal stay until you come back.'	18 ne recedas hinc, donec revertar ad te portans oblationem et offerens tibi ”. Qui respondit: “ Ego praestolabor adventum tuum ”.
19 Gideon went away, he prepared a young goat and from an ephah of flour he made unleavened cakes.He put the meat into a basket and the broth into a pot, then brought it all to him under the terebinth. As heapproached,	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.
20 the Angel of Yahweh said to him, 'Take the meat and unleavened cakes, put them on this rock andpour the broth over them.' Gideon did so.	20 Cui dixit angelus Dei: “ Tolle carnes et panes azymos et pone super petram illam et ius desuper funde ”. Cumque fecisset ita,
21 The Angel of Yahweh then stretched out the tip of the staff which he was carrying, and touched themeat and unleavened cakes. Fire sprang from the rock and consumed the meat and unleavened cakes, and theAngel of Yahweh vanished before his eyes.	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.
22 Gideon then knew that this was the Angel of Yahweh, and he said, 'Alas, my Lord Yahweh! Now I haveseen the Angel of Yahweh face to face!'	22 Vidensque Gedeon quod esset angelus Domini ait: “Heu mihi, Domine Deus, quia vidi angelum Domini facie ad faciem! ”.
23 Yahweh answered, 'Peace be with you; have no fear; you wil not die.'	23 Dixitque ei Dominus: “ Pax tecum, ne timeas, non morieris! ”.
24 Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh and called it Yahweh-Peace. This altar stands in our own day atOphrah of Abiezer.	24 Aedificavit ergo ibi Gedeon altare Domino vocavitque illud: “ Dominus pax ”; usque in praesentem diem adhuc est in Ephra filiorum Abiezer.
25 Now that night, Yahweh said to Gideon, 'Take your father's bul , the seven-year-old bul , and pull downthe altar to Baal belonging to your father and cut down the sacred pole beside it.	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;
26 Then, on top of this strong-point, build a proper altar to Yahweh your God. Then take the bul and burnit as a burnt offering on the wood of the sacred pole which you have cut down.'	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 ”.
27 Gideon then took ten of his servants and did as Yahweh had ordered him. But, being too frightened ofhis family and of the townspeople to do it in daylight, he did it at night.	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.
28 Next morning, when the townspeople got up, they found that the altar to Baal had been destroyed, thesacred pole standing beside it had been cut down and the bull had been sacrificed as a burnt offering on thenewly built altar.	28 Cumque surrexissent viri oppidi eius mane, viderunt destructam aram Baal palumque succisum et taurum alterum impositum super altare, quod tunc aedificatum erat.
29 'Who has done this?' they asked one another. They searched, made enquiries and declared, 'Gideonson of Joash has done it.'	29 Dixeruntque ad invicem: “ Quis hoc fecit? ”. Cumque perquirerent auctorem facti, dictum est: “ Gedeon filius Ioas fecit haec omnia ”.
30 The townspeople then said to Joash, 'Bring out your son; he must die for having destroyed Baal's altarand cut down the sacred pole which stood beside it.'	30 Et dixerunt ad Ioas: “ Produc filium tuum, ut moriatur, quia destruxit aram Baal et succidit palum ”.
31 To the people al crowding round him, Joash replied, 'Is it your job to plead for Baal? Is it your job tochampion his cause? (Anyone who pleads for Baal must be put to death before dawn.) If he is a god, let himplead for himself, now that Gideon has destroyed his altar.'	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 ”.
32 That day, Gideon was given the name Jerubbaal, because, they said, 'Baal must plead against him,because he has destroyed his altar!'	32 Ex illo die vocatus est Gedeon Ierobbaal, eo quod dicebatur: “ Certet contra eum Baal, quia destruxit altare eius ”.
33 Al Midian and Amalek and the sons of the East joined forces and, having crossed the Jordan, pitchedcamp in the plain of Jezreel.	33 Igitur omnis Madian et Amalec et orientales populi congregati sunt simul et transeuntes Iordanem castrametati sunt in valle Iezrahel.
34 And the spirit of Yahweh clothed Gideon around; he sounded the horn and Abiezer ral ied behind him.	34 Spiritus autem Domini induit Gedeon, qui clangens bucina convocavit domum Abiezer, ut sequeretur.
35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and Manasseh too rallied behind him; he sentmessengers to Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, and they marched out to meet 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.
36 Gideon said to God, 'If it is real y you delivering Israel by means of me, as you have said,	36 Dixitque Gedeon ad Deum: “ Si salvum facis per manum meam Israel, sicut locutus es,
37 look, I am going to put a wool en fleece on the threshing-floor; if there is dew only on the fleece and althe ground stays dry, then I shall know that you wil deliver Israel by means of me, as you have 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 ”.
38 And so it happened. Early next morning, Gideon got up, squeezed the fleece and wrung enough dewout of the fleece to fill a cup.	38 Factumque est ita. Et de nocte consurgens, expresso vellere concham rore complevit.
39 Gideon then said to God, 'Do not be angry with me if I speak just once more. Al ow me to make thefleece-test just once more: let the fleece alone be dry and there be dew al over the ground!'	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 ”.
40 And God did so that night. The fleece alone stayed dry, and there was dew al over the ground.	40 Fecitque Deus nocte illa, ut postulaverat; et fuit siccitas in solo vellere, et ros in omni terra.