Bilingual reading

The children of Israel did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, so the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

The hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made themselves the dens which are in the mountains, the caves, and the strongholds.

So it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the children of the east came up against them.

They encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, until you come to Gaza. They left no sustenance in Israel, and no sheep, ox, or donkey.

For they came up with their livestock and their tents. They came in as locusts for multitude. Both they and their camels were without number; and they came into the land to destroy it.

Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the children of Israel cried to the LORD.

When the children of Israel cried to the LORD because of Midian,

The LORD sent a prophet to the children of Israel; and he said to them, “The LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you out of the house of bondage.

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

I said to you, “I am the LORD your God. You shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.” But you have not listened to my voice.’”

The LORD’s angel came and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Midianites.

The LORD’s angel appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!”

Gideon said to him, “Oh, my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, ‘Didn’t the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”

The LORD looked at him, and said, “Go in this your might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Haven’t I sent you?”

He said to him, “O Lord, how shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

The LORD said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”

He said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who talk with me.

Please don’t go away until I come to you, and bring out my present, and lay it before you.” He said, “I will wait until you come back.”

Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal. He put the meat in a basket and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it.

The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” He did so.

Then the LORD’s angel stretched out the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and fire went up out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. Then the LORD’s angel departed out of his sight.

Gideon saw that he was the LORD’s angel; and Gideon said, “Alas, Lord GOD! Because I have seen the LORD’s angel face to face!”

The LORD said to him, “Peace be to you! Don’t be afraid. You shall not die.”

Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it “The LORD is Peace.” To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

That same night, the LORD said to him, “Take your father’s bull, even the second bull seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is by it.

Then build an altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold, in an orderly way, and take the second bull, and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.”

Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had spoken to him. Because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city, he could not do it by day, but he did it by night.

When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah was cut down that was by it, and the second bull was offered on the altar that was built.

They said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” When they inquired and asked, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.”

Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, because he has broken down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the Asherah that was by it.”

Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? He who will contend for him, let him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has broken down his altar!”

Therefore on that day he named him Jerub-Baal, saying, “Let Baal contend against him, because he has broken down his altar.”

Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together; and they passed over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel.

But the LORD’s Spirit came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered together to follow him.

He sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they also were gathered together to follow him. He sent messengers to Asher, to Zebulun, and to Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.

Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken,

behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I’ll know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken.”

It was so; for he rose up early on the next day, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.

Gideon said to God, “Don’t let your anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once. Please let me make a trial just this once with the fleece. Let it now be dry only on the fleece, and on all the ground let there be dew.”

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

وصَنَعَ بَنو إِسْرائيلَ الشَّرَّ في عَينَيِ الرَّبّ، فأَسلَمَهمُ الرَّبُّ إِلى أَيدي مِديَنَ سَبعَ سِنين

وقَوِيَت أَيدي مِديَنَ على إِسْرائيل، فٱتَّخَذَ بَنو إِسْرائيلَ لِأَنفُسِهمِ الشُّقوقَ الَّتي في الجِبالِ والكُهوفَ والمَلاجِئَ بِسَبَبِ مِديَن

وكانَ، إِذا زَرَعَ إِسْرائيل، يَصعَدُ المِديَنِيُّونَ والعَمالِقَةُ وبَنو المَشرِق، ويَخرُجونَ علَيهم

ويُعَسكِرونَ علَيهم، ويُتلِفونَ غَلَّةَ الأَرْض، إِلى مَدْخَلِ غَزَّة، ولا يُبقونَ ميرَةً في إِسْرائيل، ولا غَنَمًا ولا بَقَرًا ولا حَميرًا

لِأَنَّهم كانوا يَصعَدونَ بماشِيَتِهم وخِيامِهم، ويأتونَ في عَدَدِ الجَرادِ كَثرَةً، لا يُحصَونَ هم ولا جِمالُهم، ويأتونَ الأَرضَ ويُتلِفونَها

فٱفتَقَرَ إِسْرائيلُ جِدًّا بِسَبَبِ مِديَن، وصَرَخَ بَنو إِسْرائيلَ إِلى الرَّبّ

وكانَ، لَمَّا صَرَخَ بَنو إِسْرائيلَ إِلى الرَّبِّ بِسَبَبِ المِديَنِيِّين

أَنَّ الرَّبَّ أَرسَلَ إِلى بَني إِسْرائيلَ رَجُلًا نَبِيًّا، فقالَ لَهم: «هٰكذا يَقولُ الرَّبُّ، إِلٰهُ إِسْرائيل: إِنِّي قد أَصعَدتُكم مِن مِصْرَ، وأَخرَجتُكُم مِن دارِ العُبودِيَّة

وأَنقَذتُكم مِن يَدِ المِصرِيِّينَ ومن يَدِ جَميعِ ظالِميكم، وطَرَدتُهم مِن أَمامِكم وأَعطَيتُكم أَرضَهم

وقُلتُ لَكم: إِنِّي أَنا الرَّبُّ إِلٰهُكم، فلا تَخافوا آلِهَةَ الأَمورِيِّينَ الَّذينَ أَنتُم مُقيمونَ بِأَرضِهم، فلَم تَسمَعوا لِصَوتي»

وجاءَ مَلاكُ الرَّبِّ وجَلَسَ تَحتَ البُطمَةِ الَّتي في عُفرَةَ الَّتي لِيُوآشَ الأَبيعَزَرِيّ، وكانَ جِدْعُونُ ٱبنُه يَدوسُ الحِنطَةَ في المَعصَرَة، لِتَهْريبِها مِن أَمامِ المِديَنِيِّين

فتَراءَى لَه مَلاكُ الرَّبِّ وقالَ لَه: «الرَّبُّ مَعَكَ، أَيُّها المحارِبُ الباسِل»

فقالَ لَه جِدْعُون: «ناشَدتُكَ، يا سيِّدي، إِن كانَ الرَّبُّ مَعَنا، فلِماذا أَصابَنا هٰذا كُلُّه؟ وأَينَ جَميعُ مُعجِزاتِه الَّتي حَدَّثَنا بِها آباؤُنا، قائِلينَ لَنا: إِنّ الرَّبَّ أَصعَدَنا مِن أَرضِ مِصْر؟ والآنَ قد تَرَكَنا الرَّبُّ وجَعَلَنا في قَبضَةِ مِديَن»

فٱلتَفَتَ إِلَيه الرَّبُّ وقال: «إِنطَلِقْ بِقُوَّتِكَ هٰذه وخَلِّصْ إِسْرائيلَ مِن قَبضَةِ مِديَن، أَفلَم أُرسِلْكَ؟»

فقالَ لَه جِدْعُون: «ناشَدتُكَ يا سَيِّدي. بماذا أُخَلِّصُ إِسْرائيل؟ هٰذه عَشيرَتي أَضعَفُ عَشيرةٍ في منَسَّى، وأَنا الأَصغَرُ في بَيتِ أَبي»

فقالَ لَه الرَّبّ: «أَنا أَكونُ مَعَكَ، وستَضرِبُ مِديَنَ كأَنَّه رَجُلٌ واحِد»

فقالَ لَه: «إِن كُنتُ قد نِلتُ حُظوَةً في عَينَيكَ، فأَعطِني عَلامةً على أَنَّكَ أَنتَ الَّذي كَلَّمَني

لا تَبتَعِدْ مِن هٰهُنا، حتَّى آتِيَكَ وأُخرِجَ تَقدِمَتي وأَضَعَها أَمامَك». فقالَ لَه: «إِنِّي مُقيمٌ حتَّى تَعود»

فدَخَلَ جِدْعُونُ وأَعَدَّ جَديًا مِنَ المَعِزِ وإِيفَةَ دَقيقٍ فَطيرًا، وجَعَلَ اللَحمَ في سَلَّة، ووَضَعَ مَرَقَ اللَّحْمِ في قِدرٍ، وخَرَجَ بِذٰلكَ إِلَيه تَحتَ البُطمَةِ وقَدَّمَه

فقالَ لَه مَلاكُ الله: «خُذِ اللَّحمَ والفَطير، وضَعْهما على هٰذه الصَّخرَة، وصُبَّ المَرَق». ففَعَلَ هٰكذا

فمَدَّ مَلاكُ الرَّبِّ طَرَفَ العَصا الَّتي بِيَدِه ومَسَّ اللَّحمَ والفَطير، فصَعِدَت نارٌ مِنَ الصَّخرَةِ وأَكَلَتِ اللَّحمَ والفَطير، وغابَ مَلاكُ الرَّبِّ عن عَينَيه

فعَلِمَ جِدْعُونُ أَنَّه مَلاكُ الرَّبّ. فقالَ جِدْعُون: «آهِ أَيُّها السَّيِّدُ الرَّبّ، إِنِّي رأَيتُ مَلاكَ الرَّبِّ وَجهًا لِوَجه»

فقالَ لَه الرَّبّ: «السَّلامُ عَليكَ، لا تَخَفْ فإِنَّكَ لا تَموت»

فبَنى جِدْعُونُ هُناكَ مَذبَحًا لِلرَّبّ، ودَعاه «الرَّبُّ سَلام»، وهو إِلى هٰذا اليَومِ لا يَزالُ في عُفرَةِ الأَبيعَزَرِيِّين

وكانَ في تِلكَ اللَّيلَةِ عَينِها أَنَّ الرَّبَّ قالَ لَه: «خُذْ ثَورَ أَبيكَ، الثَّورَ الَّذي أَتَت علَيه سَبعُ سِنين، وقَوِّضْ مَذبَحَ البَعْلِ الَّذي لِأَبيكَ، وقَطِّعِ الوَتَدَ المُقَدَّسَ الَّذي بِقُربِه

وٱبنِ مَذبَحًا لِلرَّبِّ إِلٰهِكَ على رأسِ هٰذه القَلعَةِ على النِّظامِ المألوف، وخُذِ الثَّورَ الثَّانِيَ وأَصعِدْه مُحرَقَةً على حَطَبِ الوَتَدِ المُقَدَّسِ الَّذي تُقَطِّعُه»

فأَخَذَ جِدْعُونُ عَشَرَةَ رِجالٍ من خَدَمِه، وفَعَلَ كما أَمَرَه الرَّبّ، وخافَ مِن بَيتِ أَبيه ومِن رِجالِ المَدينَةِ أَن يَعمَلَ ذٰلك نَهارًا، فعَمِلَه لَيلًا

وبَكَّرَ رِجالُ المَدينَةِ صَباحًا، فإِذا مَذبَحُ البَعلِ قد هُدِم، والوَتَدُ المُقَدَّسُ الَّذي كانَ بِقُربِه قد قُطِّع، وقَد أُصعِدَ الثَّورُ الثَّاني على المَذبَحِ المَبنِيّ

فقالَ بَعضُهم لِبَعْض: «مَن فَعَلَ هٰذا الأَمْر؟» وبَحَثوا وٱستَخبَروا فقالوا: «إِنَّ جِدْعُونَ بنَ يوآشَ هو الَّذي فَعَلَ هٰذا الأَمْر»

فقالَ أَهلُ المَدينَةِ لِيُوآش: «أَخرِجِ ٱبنَكَ لِيُقتَل، لِأَنَّه هَدَمَ مَذبَحَ البَعلِ وقَطَّعَ الوَتَدَ المُقَدَّسَ الَّذي بِقُربِه»

فقالَ يوآشُ لِجَميعِ الواقِفينَ بِالقُرْبِ مِنه: «أَعلَيكم أَنتُم أَن تُدافِعوا عنِ البَعْل؟ أَعلَيكم أَنتُم أن تُخَلِّصوه؟ (مَن أَرادَ أَن يُدافِعَ عَنه فإِنَّه إِلى الصَّباحِ مَقْتول). إِن كانَ هو إِلٰهًا، فلْيُدافِعْ عن نَفْسِه مِمَّن هَدَمَ مَذبَحَه»

ودُعِيَ جِدْعُونُ في ذٰلك اليَومِ يَرُبَّعْل، وقيلَ: «لِيَنتَقِمْ مِنه البَعْلُ، لِأَنَّه هَدَمَ مَذبَحَه»

وٱنضَمَّ جَميعُ مِديَنَ وعَماليقَ وبَني المَشرِقِ معًا، وعَبَروا الأُردُنّ، وعَسكَروا في سَهلِ يِزْرَعيل

وحَلَّ روحُ الرَّبِّ على جِدْعُون، فنَفَخَ في البوق، فخَرَجَ أَهلُ أَبيعَزَرَ وتَبِعوه

وأَرسَلَ رُسُلًا إِلى جَميعِ مَنَسَّى وٱستَدْعاهم لِيَتبَعوه. وأَرسَلَ رُسُلًا إِلى أَشيرَ وإِلى زَبولونَ وإِلى نَفْتالي، فصَعِدوا لِمُلاقاتِه

وقالَ جِدْعُونُ لله: «إِن كُنتَ مُخَلِّصَ بَني إِسْرائيلَ عن يدي، كما قُلتَ

فهاءَنَذا واضِعٌ جُزازَ صوفٍ في البَيدَر. فإِذا سَقَطَ النَّدى على الجُزازِ وَحدَه، وعلى سائِرِ الأَرضِ جَفاف، عَلِمتُ أَنَّكَ تُخلِّصُ إِسْرائيلَ عن يَدي، كما قُلتَ»

فكانَ كذٰلك. وبَكَّرَ في الغَد، فعَصَرَ الجُزاز، فخَرَجَ مِنه مِنَ النَّدى مِلءُ كوبِ ماء

فقالَ جِدْعُونُ لله: «لا تَغضَبْ علَيَّ، فأَتكَلَّمَ ثانِيةً أَيضًا وأُجَرَّبَ مَرَّةً أُخْرى فَقَط بِالجُزاز: لِيَكُنْ على الجُزازِ وَحدَه جَفاف وعلى سائِرِ الأَرضِ نَدى»

فصَنَعَ الرَّبُّ كذٰلك في تِلكَ اللَّيلَة، فكانَ على الجُزازِ وَحدَه جَفافٌ وعلى سائِرِ الأَرضِ نَدى