Livre des Juges 8

JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Or les gens d'Ephraïm dirent à Gédéon: "Quelle est donc cette manière d'agir envers nous: tu ne nousas pas convoqués lorsque tu es allé combattre Madiân?" Et ils le prirent violemment à partie.	1 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 Il leur répondit: "Qu'ai-je donc fait en comparaison de vous? Le grappillage d'Ephraïm, n'est-ce pasplus que la vendange d'Abiézer?	2 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 C'est entre vos mains que Dieu a livré les chefs de Madiân, Oreb et Zéeb. Qu'ai-je pu faire encomparaison de vous?" Sur ces paroles, leur emportement contre lui se calma.	3 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 Gédéon arriva au Jourdain et le traversa, mais lui et les 300 hommes qu'il avait avec lui étaientharassés par la poursuite.	4 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 Il dit donc aux gens de Sukkot: "Donnez, je vous prie, des galettes de pain à la troupe qui me suit, carelle est harassée, et je suis à la poursuite de Zébah et de Calmunna, rois de Madiân."	5 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 Mais les chefs de Sukkot répondirent: "Les mains de Zébah et de Calmunna sont-elles déjà dans tonpoing pour que nous donnions du pain à ton armée" --	6 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 "Eh bien! répliqua Gédéon, lorsque Yahvé aura livré en mes mains Zébah et Calmunna, je vousdéchirerai les chairs sur les épines du désert et les chardons."	7 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 De là, il monta à Penuel et il parla de la même manière aux gens de Penuel, qui répondirent commel'avaient fait les gens de Sukkot.	8 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 Il répliqua également aux gens de Penuel: "Quand je reviendrai vainqueur, je détruirai cette tour."	9 And so he said to them also, “When I will have returned as a victor in peace, I will destroy this tower.”
10 Zébah et Calmunna se trouvaient dans le Qarqor avec leur armée, environ 15.000 hommes, tous ceuxqui étaient restés de l'armée des fils de l'Orient. Ceux qui étaient tombés étaient au nombre de 120.000 hommestirant l'épée.	10 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 Gédéon monta par la route de ceux qui habitent sous la tente, à l'est de Nobah et de Yogbéha, et ildéfit l'armée, alors qu'elle se croyait en sûreté.	11 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 Zébah et Calmunna s'enfuirent. Il les poursuivit et il fit prisonniers les deux rois de Madiân, Zébah etCalmunna. Quant à l'armée, il la mit en déroute.	12 And Zebah and Zalmunna fled. And Gideon pursued and overtook them, sending their entire army into confusion.
13 Après la bataille, Gédéon fils de Yoash s'en revint par la montée de Harès.	13 And returning from the war before sunrise,
14 Ayant arrêté un jeune homme des gens de Sukkot, il le questionna et celui-ci lui donna par écrit lesnoms des chefs de Sukkot et des anciens, 77 hommes.	14 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 Gédéon se rendit alors auprès des gens de Sukkot et dit: "Voici Zébah et Calmunna, au sujet desquelsvous m'avez raillé, disant: Les mains de Zébah et de Calmunna sont-elles déjà dans ton poing pour que nousdonnions du pain à tes gens harassés?"	15 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 Il saisit alors les anciens de la ville et, prenant des épines du désert et des chardons, il déchira lesgens de Sukkot.	16 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 Il détruisit la tour de Penuel et massacra les habitants de la ville.	17 He also overturned the tower of Penuel, and he killed the men of the city.
18 Puis il dit à Zébah et Calmunna: "Comment donc étaient ces hommes que vous avez tués au Tabor"-- "Ils te ressemblaient, répondirent-ils. Chacun d'eux avait l'air d'un fils de roi" --	18 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 "C'étaient mes frères, fils de ma mère, reprit Gédéon. Par la vie de Yahvé! si vous les aviez laissésvivre, je ne vous tuerais pas."	19 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 Alors il commanda à Yéter, son fils aîné: "Debout! Tue-les." Mais l'enfant ne tira pas son épée, iln'osait pas, car il était encore jeune.	20 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 Zébah et Calmunna dirent alors: "Debout! toi, et frappe-nous, car tel est l'homme, telle est sa force."Alors Gédéon se leva, il tua Zébah et Calmunna et il prit les croissants qui étaient au cou de leurs chameaux.	21 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 Les gens d'Israël dirent à Gédéon: "Règne sur nous, toi, ton fils et ton petit-fils, puisque tu nous asauvés de la main de Madiân."	22 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 Mais Gédéon leur répondit: "Ce n'est pas moi qui régnerai sur vous, ni mon fils non plus, car c'estYahvé qui régnera sur vous."	23 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 "Laissez-moi, ajouta Gédéon, vous faire une requête. Que chacun de vous me donne un anneau deson butin." Les vaincus avaient en effet des anneaux d'or, car c'étaient des Ismaélites.	24 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 "Nous les donnerons volontiers" répondirent-ils. Il étendit donc son manteau et ils y jetèrent chacunun anneau de son butin.	25 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 Le poids des anneaux d'or qu'il avait demandés s'éleva à 1.700 sicles d'or, sans compter lescroissants, les pendants d'oreilles et les vêtements de pourpre que portaient les rois de Madiân, sans compter nonplus les colliers qui étaient au cou de leurs chameaux.	26 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 Gédéon en fit un éphod qu'il plaça dans sa ville, à Ophra. Tout Israël s'y prostitua après lui et ce futun piège pour Gédéon et sa maison.	27 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 Ainsi Madiân fut abaissé devant les Israélites. Il ne releva plus la tête et le pays fut en repos pendant40 ans, aussi longtemps que vécut Gédéon.	28 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 Yerubbaal, fils de Yoash, s'en alla donc et demeura dans sa maison.	29 And so Jerubbaal, the son of Joash, went and lived in his own house.
30 Gédéon eut 70 fils, issus de lui, car il avait beaucoup de femmes.	30 And he had seventy sons, who went forth from his own thigh. For he had many wives.
31 Sa concubine qui résidait à Sichem lui enfanta, elle aussi, un fils, auquel il donna le nom d'Abimélek.	31 But his concubine, whom he had in Shechem, bore him a son named Abimelech.
32 Gédéon, fils de Yoash, mourut après une heureuse vieillesse et on l'ensevelit dans le tombeau deYoash, son père, à Ophra d'Abiézer.	32 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 Après la mort de Gédéon, les Israélites recommencèrent à se prostituer aux Baals et ils prirent pourdieu Baal-Berit.	33 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 Les Israélites ne se souvinrent plus de Yahvé, leur Dieu, qui les avait délivrés de la main de tous lesennemis d'alentour.	34 And they did not remember the Lord their God, who rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on all sides.
35 Et à la maison de Yerubbaal-Gédéon, ils ne montrèrent pas la gratitude méritée par tout le bienqu'elle avait fait à Israël.	35 Neither did they show mercy to the house of Jerubbaal Gideon, in accord with all the good that he had done for Israel.