Judges 8

1And 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.

2And 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?

3The Lord hath delivered into your hands 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.

4And 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.

5And 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.

6The 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.

7And 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.

8And 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.

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

10But 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.

11And 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.

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

13And returning from the battle before the sun rising,

14He 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.

15And 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.

16So 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.

17And he demolished the tower of Phanuel, and slew the men of the city.

18And 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.

19He 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.

20And 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.

21And 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.

22And 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.

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

24And 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.

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

26And 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 wont to use, and besides the golden chains that were about the camels necks.

27And 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.

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

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

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

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

32And 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.

33But 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:

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

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

1Dixeruntque ad eum viri Ephraim : Quid est hoc quod facere voluisti, ut nos non vocares, cum ad pugnam pergeres contra Madian? jurgantes fortiter, et prope vim inferentes.

2Quibus ille respondit : Quod enim tale facere potui, quale vos fecistis? nonne melior est racemus Ephraim, vindemiis Abiezer?

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

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

5Dixitque ad viros Soccoth : Date, obsecro, panes populo qui mecum est, quia valde defecerunt : ut possimus persequi Zebee et Salmana reges Madian.

6Responderunt principes Soccoth : Forsitan palmæ manuum Zebee et Salmana in manu tua sunt, et idcirco postulas ut demus exercitui tuo panes.

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

8Et inde conscendens, venit in Phanuel : locutusque est ad viros loci illius similia. Cui et illi responderunt, sicut responderant viri Soccoth.

9Dixit itaque et eis : Cum reversus fuero victor in pace, destruam turrim hanc.

10Zebee autem et Salmana requiescebant cum omni exercitu suo. Quindecim enim millia viri remanserant ex omnibus turmis orientalium populorum, cæsis centum viginti millibus bellatorum educentium gladium.

11Ascendensque Gedeon per viam eorum, qui in tabernaculis morabantur, ad orientalem partem Nobe et Jegbaa, percussit castra hostium, qui securi erant, et nihil adversi suspicabantur.

12Fugeruntque Zebee et Salmana, quos persequens Gedeon comprehendit, turbato omni exercitu eorum.

13Revertensque de bello ante solis ortum,

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

15Venitque 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.

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

17Turrim quoque Phanuel subvertit, occisis habitatoribus civitatis.

18Dixitque ad Zebee et Salmana : Quales fuerunt viri, quos occidistis in Thabor? Qui responderunt : Similes tui, et unus ex eis quasi filius regis.

19Quibus ille respondit : Fratres mei fuerunt, filii matris meæ. Vivit Dominus, quia si servassetis eos, non vos occiderem.

20Dixitque Jether primogenito suo : Surge, et interfice eos. Qui non eduxit gladium : timebat enim, quia adhuc puer erat.

21Dixeruntque Zebee et Salmana : Tu surge, et irrue 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.

22Dixeruntque omnes viri Israël ad Gedeon : Dominare nostri tu, et filius tuus, et filius filii tui : quia liberasti nos de manu Madian.

23Quibus ille ait : Non dominabor vestri, nec dominabitur in vos filius meus, sed dominabitur vobis Dominus.

24Dixitque ad eos : Unam petitionem postulo a vobis : date mihi inaures ex præda vestra. Inaures enim aureas Ismaëlitæ habere consueverant.

25Qui responderunt : Libentissime dabimus. Expandentesque super terram pallium, projecerunt in eo inaures de præda:

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

27Fecitque 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.

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

29Abiit itaque Jerobaal filius Joas, et habitavit in domo sua:

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

31Concubina autem illius, quam habebat in Sichem, genuit ei filium nomine Abimelech.

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

33Postquam autem mortuus est Gedeon, aversi sunt filii Israël, et fornicati sunt cum Baalim. Percusseruntque cum Baal fœdus, ut esset eis in deum:

34nec recordati sunt Domini Dei sui, qui eruit eos de manibus inimicorum suorum omnium per circuitum:

35nec fecerunt misericordiam cum domo Jerobaal Gedeon, juxta omnia bona quæ fecerat Israëli.

1καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀνὴρ Εφραιμ τί τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο ἐποίησας ἡμῖν τοῦ μὴ καλέσαι ἡμᾶς ὅτε ἐξεπορεύου πολεμῆσαι ἐν τῇ Μαδιαμ καὶ ἐκρίνοντο μετ' αὐτοῦ κραταιῶς

2καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς τί ἐποίησα νῦν καθὼς ὑμεῖς οὐχὶ κρείττω ἐπιφυλλίδες Εφραιμ ἢ τρυγητὸς Αβιεζερ

3ἐν χειρὶ ὑμῶν παρέδωκεν κύριος τοὺς ἄρχοντας Μαδιαμ τὸν Ωρηβ καὶ τὸν Ζηβ καὶ τί ἠδυνάσθην ποιῆσαι καθὼς ὑμεῖς καὶ κατέπαυσαν τότε ἀνῆκε τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτῶν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ λαλῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν λόγον τοῦτον

4καὶ ἦλθεν Γεδεων ἐπὶ τὸν Ιορδάνην καὶ διέβη αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ τριακόσιοι ἄνδρες μετ' αὐτοῦ ὀλιγοψυχοῦντες καὶ πεινῶντες

5καὶ εἶπεν τοῖς ἀνδράσιν Σοκχωθ δότε δὴ ἄρτους τῷ λαῷ τῷ μετ' ἐμοῦ ὅτι πεινῶσιν ἐγὼ δὲ διώκω ὀπίσω Ζεβεε καὶ Σαλμανα βασιλέων Μαδιαμ

6καὶ εἶπαν οἱ ἄρχοντες Σοκχωθ μὴ χεὶρ Ζεβεε καὶ Σαλμανα νῦν ἐν τῇ χειρί σου ὅτι δώσομεν τῇ στρατιᾷ σου ἄρτους

7καὶ εἶπεν Γεδεων οὐχ οὕτως ἐν τῷ δοῦναι κύριον τὸν Ζεβεε καὶ Σαλμανα ἐν τῇ χειρί μου καὶ καταξανῶ τὰς σάρκας ὑμῶν ἐν ταῖς ἀκάνθαις τῆς ἐρήμου καὶ ἐν ταῖς βαρκοννιμ

8καὶ ἀνέβη ἐκεῖθεν εἰς Φανουηλ καὶ ἐλάλησεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς κατὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἀπεκρίθησαν αὐτῷ οἱ ἄνδρες Φανουηλ ὃν τρόπον ἀπεκρίθησαν αὐτῷ οἱ ἄνδρες Σοκχωθ

9καὶ εἶπεν τοῖς ἀνδράσιν Φανουηλ λέγων ἐν τῷ ἐπιστρέφειν με μετ' εἰρήνης κατασκάψω τὸν πύργον τοῦτον

10καὶ Ζεβεε καὶ Σαλμανα ἐν Καρκαρ καὶ ἡ παρεμβολὴ αὐτῶν μετ' αὐτῶν ὡσεὶ πεντεκαίδεκα χιλιάδες οἱ καταλειφθέντες ἐν πάσῃ παρεμβολῇ υἱῶν ἀνατολῶν καὶ οἱ πεπτωκότες ἦσαν ἑκατὸν καὶ εἴκοσι χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν ἐσπασμένων ῥομφαίαν

11καὶ ἀνέβη Γεδεων ὁδὸν κατοικούντων ἐν σκηναῖς ἀνατολῶν τῆς Ναβεθ ἐξ ἐναντίας Ζεβεε καὶ ἐπάταξεν τὴν παρεμβολήν ἡ δὲ παρεμβολὴ ἦν πεποιθυῖα

12καὶ ἔφυγεν Ζεβεε καὶ Σαλμανα καὶ ἐδίωξεν ὀπίσω αὐτῶν καὶ ἐκράτησεν τοὺς δύο βασιλεῖς Μαδιαμ τὸν Ζεβεε καὶ τὸν Σαλμανα καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν παρεμβολὴν αὐτῶν ἐξέτριψεν

13καὶ ἀνέστρεψεν Γεδεων υἱὸς Ιωας ἐκ τοῦ πολέμου ἀπὸ ἀναβάσεως Αρες

14καὶ συνέλαβον παιδάριον ἐκ τῶν ἀνδρῶν Σοκχωθ καὶ ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτόν καὶ ἀπεγράψατο πρὸς αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἄρχοντας Σοκχωθ καὶ τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους αὐτῆς ἑβδομήκοντα ἑπτὰ ἄνδρας

15καὶ παρεγένετο Γεδεων πρὸς τοὺς ἄρχοντας Σοκχωθ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἰδοὺ Ζεβεε καὶ Σαλμανα δι' οὓς ὠνειδίσατέ με λέγοντες μὴ χεὶρ Ζεβεε καὶ Σαλμανα νῦν ἐν τῇ χειρί σου ὅτι δώσομεν τοῖς ἀνδράσιν σου τοῖς ἐκλελυμένοις ἄρτους

16καὶ ἔλαβεν τοὺς ἄρχοντας καὶ τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῆς πόλεως καὶ κατέξανεν αὐτοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἀκάνθαις τῆς ἐρήμου καὶ ταῖς βαρακηνιμ καὶ κατέξανεν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἄνδρας Σοκχωθ

17καὶ τὸν πύργον Φανουηλ κατέσκαψεν καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν τοὺς ἄνδρας τῆς πόλεως

18καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς Ζεβεε καὶ Σαλμανα ποῦ οἱ ἄνδρες οὓς ἀπεκτείνατε ἐν Θαβωρ καὶ εἶπαν ὡσεὶ σύ ὅμοιος σοί ὅμοιος αὐτῶν ὡς εἶδος μορφὴ υἱῶν βασιλέων

19καὶ εἶπεν Γεδεων ἀδελφοί μου καὶ υἱοὶ τῆς μητρός μού εἰσιν καὶ ὤμοσεν αὐτοῖς ζῇ κύριος εἰ ἐζωογονήσατε αὐτούς οὐκ ἂν ἀπέκτεινα ὑμᾶς

20καὶ εἶπεν τῷ Ιεθερ τῷ πρωτοτόκῳ αὐτοῦ ἀναστὰς ἀπόκτεινον αὐτούς καὶ οὐκ ἔσπασεν τὸ παιδάριον αὐτοῦ τὴν μάχαιραν αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἐφοβήθη ὅτι ἦν νεώτερος

21καὶ εἶπεν Ζεβεε καὶ Σαλμανα ἀνάστα δὴ σὺ καὶ ἀπάντησον ἡμῖν ὅτι ὡς ἀνὴρ ἡ δύναμις αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνέστη Γεδεων καὶ ἀνεῖλεν τὸν Ζεβεε καὶ τὸν Σαλμανα καὶ ἔλαβεν τοὺς μηνίσκους τοὺς ἐν τοῖς τραχήλοις τῶν καμήλων αὐτῶν

22καὶ εἶπεν ἀνὴρ Ισραηλ πρὸς Γεδεων ἄρχε ἐν ἡμῖν σὺ καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου ὅτι σέσωκας ἡμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς Μαδιαμ

23καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς Γεδεων οὐκ ἄρξω ἐγὼ ὑμῶν καὶ οὐκ ἄρξει ὁ υἱός μου ὑμῶν κύριος ἄρξει ὑμῶν

24καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς Γεδεων αἰτήσομαι παρ' ὑμῶν αἴτησιν καὶ δότε μοι ἀνὴρ ἐνώτιον τῶν σκύλων αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἐνώτια χρυσᾶ πολλὰ ἦν αὐτοῖς ὅτι Ισμαηλῖται ἦσαν

25καὶ εἶπαν διδόντες δώσομεν καὶ ἀνέπτυξεν τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔρριψεν ἐκεῖ ἀνὴρ ἐνώτιον χρυσοῦν τῶν σκύλων αὐτοῦ

26καὶ ἐγενήθη ὁ σταθμὸς τῶν ἐνωτίων τῶν χρυσῶν ὧν ᾐτήσατο σίκλοι χίλιοι καὶ ἑπτακόσιοι χρυσοῦ πλὴν τῶν σιρώνων καὶ τῶν ὁρμίσκων ενφωθ καὶ τῶν περιβολαίων τῶν πορφυρῶν τῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν Μαδιαμ καὶ πλὴν τῶν κλοιῶν τῶν χρυσῶν τῶν ἐν τοῖς τραχήλοις τῶν καμήλων αὐτῶν

27καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτὸ Γεδεων εἰς εφουδ καὶ ἔστησεν αὐτὸ ἐν πόλει αὐτοῦ ἐν Εφραθα καὶ ἐξεπόρνευσεν πᾶς Ισραηλ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ἐκεῖ καὶ ἐγένετο τῷ Γεδεων καὶ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ εἰς σκάνδαλον

28καὶ ἐνετράπη Μαδιαμ ἐνώπιον υἱῶν Ισραηλ καὶ οὐ προσέθεντο ἆραι κεφαλὴν αὐτῶν καὶ ἡσύχασεν ἡ γῆ ἔτη τεσσαράκοντα ἐν ἡμέραις Γεδεων

29καὶ ἐπορεύθη Ιεροβααλ υἱὸς Ιωας καὶ κατῴκησεν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ

30καὶ τῷ Γεδεων ἦσαν ἑβδομήκοντα υἱοὶ ἐκπορευόμενοι ἐκ μηρῶν αὐτοῦ ὅτι γυναῖκες πολλαὶ ἦσαν αὐτῷ

31καὶ ἡ παλλακὴ αὐτοῦ ἡ ἐν Σικιμοις ἔτεκεν αὐτῷ καί γε αὐτὴ υἱόν καὶ ἐπέθηκεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Αβιμελεχ

32καὶ ἀπέθανεν Γεδεων υἱὸς Ιωας ἐν πολιᾷ ἀγαθῇ καὶ ἐτάφη ἐν τῷ τάφῳ Ιωας τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐν Εφραθα πατρὸς Αβιεζρι

33καὶ ἐγενήθη ὡς ἀπέθανεν Γεδεων καὶ ἀπεστράφησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ καὶ ἐξεπόρνευσαν ὀπίσω τῶν Βααλιμ καὶ ἔθεντο αὑτοῖς τὸν Βααλβεριθ εἰς διαθήκην τοῦ εἶναι αὐτοῖς αὐτὸν εἰς θεόν

34καὶ οὐκ ἐμνήσθησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτῶν τοῦ ῥυσαμένου αὐτοὺς ἐκ χειρὸς πάντων τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτῶν κυκλόθεν

35καὶ οὐκ ἐποίησαν ἔλεος μετὰ τοῦ οἴκου Ιεροβααλ Γεδεων κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν ἀγαθωσύνην ἣν ἐποίησεν μετὰ Ισραηλ