Iudicum 6

VULGATA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Fecerunt autem filii Israël malum in conspectu Domini : qui tradidit illos in manu Madian septem annis,	1 The Israelites offended the LORD, who therefore delivered them into the power of Midian for seven years,
2 et oppressi sunt valde ab eis. Feceruntque sibi antra et speluncas in montibus, et munitissima ad repugnandum loca.	2 so that Midian held Israel subject. For fear of Midian the Israelites established the fire signals on the mountains, the caves for refuge, and the strongholds.
3 Cumque sevisset Israël, ascendebat Madian et Amalec, ceterique orientalium nationum :	3 And it used to be that when the Israelites had completed their sowing, Midian, Amalek and the Kedemites would come up,
4 et apud eos figentes tentoria, sicut erant in herbis cuncta vastabant usque ad introitum Gazæ : nihilque omnino ad vitam pertinens relinquebant in Israël, non oves, non boves, non asinos.	4 encamp opposite them, and destroy the produce of the land as far as the outskirts of Gaza, leaving no sustenance in Israel, nor sheep, oxen or asses.
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 livestock, and their tents would become as numerous as locusts; and neither they nor their camels could be numbered, when they came into the land to lay it waste.
6 Humiliatusque est Israël valde in conspectu Madian.	6 Thus was Israel reduced to misery by Midian, and so the Israelites cried out to the LORD.
7 Et clamavit ad Dominum postulans auxilium contra Madianitas.	7 When Israel cried out to the LORD because of Midian,
8 Qui misit ad eos virum prophetam, et locutus est : Hæc dicit Dominus Deus Israël : Ego vos feci conscendere de Ægypto, et eduxi vos de domo servitutis,	8 he sent a prophet to the Israelites who said to them, "The LORD, the God of Israel, says: I led you up from Egypt; I brought you out of the place of slavery.
9 et liberavi de manu Ægyptiorum, et omnium inimicorum qui affligebant vos : ejecique eos ad introitum vestrum, et tradidi vobis terram eorum.	9 I rescued you from the power of Egypt and of all your other oppressors. I drove them out before you and gave you their land.
10 Et dixi : Ego Dominus Deus vester : ne timeatis deos Amorrhæorum, in quorum terra habitatis. Et noluistis audire vocem meam.	10 And I said to you: I, the LORD, am your God; you shall not venerate the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are dwelling. But you did not obey me."
11 Venit autem angelus Domini, et sedit sub quercu, quæ erat in Ephra, et pertinebat ad Joas patrem familiæ Ezri. Cumque Gedeon filius ejus excuteret atque purgaret frumenta in torculari, ut fugeret Madian,	11 Then the angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. While his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press to save it from the Midianites,
12 apparuit ei angelus Domini, et ait : Dominus tecum, virorum fortissime.	12 the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, "The LORD is with you, O champion!"
13 Dixitque ei Gedeon : Obsecro, mi domine, si Dominus nobiscum est, cur apprehenderunt nos hæc omnia ? ubi sunt mirabilia ejus, quæ narraverunt patres nostri, atque dixerunt : De Ægypto eduxit nos Dominus ? nunc autem dereliquit nos Dominus, et tradidit in manu Madian.	13 "My Lord," Gideon said to him, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are his wondrous deeds of which our fathers told us when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' For now the LORD has abandoned us and has delivered us into the power of Midian."
14 Respexitque ad eum Dominus, et ait : Vade in hac fortitudine tua, et liberabis Israël de manu Madian : scito quod miserim te.	14 The LORD turned to him and said, "Go with the strength you have and save Israel from the power of Midian. It is I who send you."
15 Qui respondens ait : Obsecro, mi domine, in quo liberabo Israël ? ecce familia mea infima est in Manasse, et ego minimus in domo patris mei.	15 But he answered him, "Please, my lord, how can I save Israel? My family is the meanest in Manasseh, and I am the most insignificant in my father's house."
16 Dixitque ei Dominus : Ego ero tecum : et percuties Madian quasi unum virum.	16 "I shall be with you," the LORD said to him, "and you will cut down Midian to the last man."
17 Et ille : Si inveni, inquit, gratiam coram te, da mihi signum quod tu sis qui loqueris ad me :	17 He answered him, "If I find favor with you, give me a sign that you are speaking with me.
18 nec recedas hinc, donec revertar ad te, portans sacrificium, et offerens tibi. Qui respondit : Ego præstolabor adventum tuum.	18 Do not depart from here, I pray you, until I come back to you and bring out my offering and set it before you." He answered, "I will await your return."
19 Ingressus est itaque Gedeon, et coxit hædum, et de farinæ modio azymos panes : carnesque ponens in canistro, et jus carnium mittens in ollam, tulit omnia sub quercu, et obtulit ei.	19 So Gideon went off and prepared a kid and an ephah of flour in the form of unleavened cakes. Putting the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, he brought them out to him under the terebinth and presented them.
20 Cui dixit angelus Domini : Tolle carnes et azymos panes, et pone supra petram illam, et jus desuper funde. Cumque fecisset ita,	20 The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and unleavened cakes and lay them on this rock; then pour out the broth." When he had done so,
21 extendit angelus Domini summitatem virgæ, quam tenebat in manu, et tetigit carnes et panes azymos : ascenditque ignis de petra, et carnes azymosque panes consumpsit : angelus autem Domini evanuit ex oculis ejus.	21 the angel of the LORD stretched out the tip of the staff he held, and touched the meat and unleavened cakes. Thereupon a fire came up from the rock which consumed the meat and unleavened cakes, and the angel of the LORD disappeared from sight.
22 Vidensque Gedeon quod esset angelus Domini, ait : Heu mi Domine Deus : quia vidi angelum Domini facie ad faciem.	22 Gideon, now aware that it had been the angel of the LORD, said, "Alas, Lord GOD, that I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!"
23 Dixitque ei Dominus : Pax tecum : ne timeas, non morieris.	23 The LORD answered him, "Be calm, do not fear. You shall not die."
24 Ædificavit ergo ibi Gedeon altare Domino, vocavitque illud, Domini pax, usque in præsentem diem. Cumque adhuc esset in Ephra, quæ est familiæ Ezri,	24 So Gideon built there an altar to the LORD and called it Yahweh-shalom. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25 nocte illa dixit Dominus ad eum : Tolle taurum patris tui, et alterum taurum annorum septem, destruesque aram Baal, quæ est patris tui, et nemus, quod circa aram est, succide.	25 That same night the LORD said to him, "Take the seven-year-old spare bullock and destroy your father's altar to Baal and cut down the sacred pole that is by it.
26 Et ædificabis altare Domino Deo tuo in summitate petræ hujus, super quam ante sacrificium posuisti : tollesque taurum secundum, et offeres holocaustum super struem lignorum, quæ de nemore succideris.	26 You shall build, instead, the proper kind of altar to the LORD, your God, on top of this stronghold. Then take the spare bullock and offer it as a holocaust on the wood from the sacred pole you have cut down."
27 Assumptis ergo Gedeon decem viris de servis suis, fecit sicut præceperat ei Dominus. Timens autem domum patris sui, et homines illius civitatis, per diem noluit id facere, sed omnia nocte complevit.	27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD had commanded him. But through fear of his family and of the townspeople, he would not do it by day, but did it at night.
28 Cumque surrexissent viri oppidi ejus mane, viderunt destructam aram Baal, lucumque succisum, et taurum alterum impositum super altare, quod tunc ædificatum erat.	28 Early the next morning the townspeople found that the altar of Baal had been destroyed, the sacred pole near it cut down, and the spare bullock offered on the altar that was built.
29 Dixeruntque ad invicem : Quis hoc fecit ? Cumque perquirerent auctorem facti, dictum est : Gedeon filius Joas fecit hæc omnia.	29 They asked one another, "Who did this?" Their inquiry led them to the conclusion that Gideon, son of Joash, had done it.
30 Et dixerunt ad Joas : Produc filium tuum huc, ut moriatur : quia destruxit aram Baal, et succidit nemus.	30 So the townspeople said to Joash, "Bring out your son that he may die, for he has destroyed the altar of Baal and has cut down the sacred pole that was near it."
31 Quibus ille respondit : Numquid ultores estis Baal, ut pugnetis pro eo ? qui adversarius est ejus, moriatur antequam lux crastina veniat : si deus est, vindicet se de eo, qui suffodit aram ejus.	31 But Joash replied to all who were standing around him, "Do you intend to act in Baal's stead, or be his champion? If anyone acts for him, he shall be put to death by morning. If he whose altar has been destroyed is a god, let him act for himself!"
32 Ex illo die vocatus est Gedeon Jerobaal, eo quod dixisset Joas : Ulciscatur se de eo Baal, qui suffodit aram ejus.	32 So on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, because of the words, "Let Baal take action against him, since he destroyed his altar."
33 Igitur omnis Madian, et Amalec, et orientales populi, congregati sunt simul : et transeuntes Jordanem, castrametati sunt in valle Jezraël.	33 Then all Midian and Amalek and the Kedemites mustered and crossed over into the valley of Jezreel, where they encamped.
34 Spiritus autem Domini induit Gedeon, qui clangens buccina convocavit domum Abiezer, ut sequeretur se.	34 The spirit of the LORD enveloped Gideon; he blew the horn that summoned Abiezer 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 He sent messengers, too, throughout Manasseh, which also obeyed his summons; through Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, likewise, he sent messengers and these tribes advanced to meet the others.
36 Dixitque Gedeon ad Deum : Si salvum facis per manum meam Israël, sicut locutus es,	36 Gideon said to God, "If indeed you are going to save Israel through me, as you promised,
37 ponam hoc vellus lanæ in area : si ros in solo vellere fuerit, et in omni terra siccitas, sciam quod per manum meam, sicut locutus es, liberabis Israël.	37 I am putting this woolen fleece on the threshing floor. If dew comes on the fleece alone, while all the ground is dry, I shall know that you will save Israel through me, as you promised."
38 Factumque est ita. Et de nocte consurgens expresso vellere, concham rore implevit.	38 That is what took place. Early the next morning he wrung the dew from the fleece, squeezing out of it a bowlful of water.
39 Dixitque rursus ad Deum : Ne irascatur furor tuus contra me si adhuc semel tentavero, signum quærens in vellere. Oro ut solum vellus siccum sit, et omnis terra rore madens.	39 Gideon then said to God, "Do not be angry with me if I speak once more. Let me make just one more test with the fleece. Let the fleece alone be dry, but let there be dew on all the ground."
40 Fecitque Deus nocte illa ut postulaverat : et fuit siccitas in solo vellere, et ros in omni terra.	40 That night God did so; the fleece alone was dry, but there was dew on all the ground.