Bilingual reading

The men of Ephraim said to him, “Why have you treated us this way, that you didn’t call us when you went to fight with Midian?” They rebuked him sharply.

He said to them, “What have I now done in comparison with you? Isn’t the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

God has delivered into your hand the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb! What was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger was abated toward him when he had said that.

Gideon came to the Jordan and passed over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, faint, yet pursuing.

He said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”

The princes of Succoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?”

Gideon said, “Therefore when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.”

He went up there to Penuel, and spoke to them in the same way; and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.

He spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.”

Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of the children of the east; for there fell one hundred twenty thousand men who drew sword.

Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and struck the army; for the army felt secure.

Zebah and Zalmunna fled and he pursued them. He took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and confused all the army.

Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle from the ascent of Heres.

He caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him; and he described for him the princes of Succoth, and its elders, seventy-seven men.

He came to the men of Succoth, and said, “See Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?’”

He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.

He broke down the tower of Penuel, and killed the men of the city.

Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?” They answered, “They were like you. They all resembled the children of a king.”

He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the LORD lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you.”

He said to Jether his firstborn, “Get up and kill them!” But the youth didn’t draw his sword; for he was afraid, because he was yet a youth.

Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “You rise and fall on us; for as the man is, so is his strength.” Gideon arose, and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents that were on their camels’ necks.

Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you, your son, and your son’s son also; for you have saved us out of the hand of Midian.”

Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you. The LORD shall rule over you.”

Gideon said to them, “I do have a request: that you would each give me the earrings of his plunder.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

They answered, “We will willingly give them.” They spread a garment, and every man threw the earrings of his plunder into it.

The weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold, in addition to the crescents, and the pendants, and the purple clothing that was on the kings of Midian, and in addition to the chains that were about their camels’ necks.

Gideon made an ephod out of it, and put it in Ophrah, his city. Then all Israel played the prostitute with it there; and it became a snare to Gideon and to his house.

So Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more. The land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.

Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house.

Gideon had seventy sons conceived from his body, for he had many wives.

His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.

Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

As soon as Gideon was dead, the children of Israel turned again and played the prostitute following the Baals, and made Baal Berith their god.

The children of Israel didn’t remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side;

neither did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, that is, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shown to Israel.

فقالَ لَه رِجالُ أَفرائيم: «لِماذا صَنَعتَ بِنا هٰكذا، ولم تَدعُنا حينَ ذَهَبتَ لِقِتالِ المِديَنيِّين؟» وخاصَموه خِصامًا شَديدًا

فقالَ لَهم: «ماذا فَعَلتُ أَنا الآنَ بِالنَّظَرِ إِلى ما فَعَلتُم أَنتُم؟ أَلَيسَ أَنَّ خُصاصَةَ أَفْرائيمَ أَفضَلُ مِن قِطافِ أَبيعَزَر؟

فإِنَّما إِلى أَيديكم أَسلَمَ اللهُ قائِدَيِ المِديَنِيِّين، عوريبَ وزيبًا. فماذا كانَ يُمكِنُني أَن أَفعَلَ بِالنَّظَرِ إِلى ما فَعَلتُم؟» فسَكَنَ غَضَبُهم عنه، حينَ قالَ لَهم هٰذا الكَلام

ووَصَلَ جِدْعونُ إِلى الأُردُنّ، وعَبَرَ هو والثَّلاثُ مِئَةِ رَجُلٍ الَّذينَ معَه، وهم قد أَعيَوا مِنَ المُطارَدة

فقالَ لِأَهلِ سُكُّوت: «أَعْطوا القَومَ الَّذينَ يَتبَعونَني أَرغِفَةَ خُبزٍ، لِأَنَّهم قد أَعْيَوا، وأَنا جادٌّ في طَلَبِ زاباحَ وصَلْمُنَّاع، مَلِكَي مِديَن»

فقالَ لَه رُؤَساءُ سُكُّوت: «أَلَعَلَّ أَكُفَّ زاباحَ وصَلْمُنَّاعَ في يَدِكَ حتَّى نُعطِيَ عَسكَرَكَ خُبزًا؟»

فقالَ جِدْعون: «لِذٰلك، فإِذا جَعَلَ الرَّبُّ في يدي زاباحَ وصَلْمُنَّاع، لَأَدوسُ أَجْسادَكم بِأَشواكِ البَرِّيَّةِ والنَّوارِج»

وصَعِدَ مِن هُناكَ إِلى فَنوئيل وقالَ لَهم مِثلَ ذٰلك. فأَجابَه أَهلُ فَنوئيلَ كما أَجابَه أَهلُ سُكُّوت

فقالَ لِأهلِ فَنوئيلَ أَيضًا: «إِذا ما رَجَعتُ ظافِرًا لَأُدَمِّرَنَّ هٰذا البُرْج»

وكانَ زاباحُ وصَلْمُنَّاعُ في القَرقَر، ومَعهما جيشُهما نَحوُ خَمسَةَ عَشَرَ أَلفَ رَجُل، وهم كُلُّ مَن بَقِيَ مِن جَيشِ بَني المَشرِقِ كُلِّه. وكانَ الَّذينَ سَقَطوا مِئَةَ أَلفٍ وعِشْرينَ أَلفَ رَجُلٍ مُستَلِّ سَيف

فصَعِدَ جِدْعونُ في طَريقِ ساكِني الخِيامِ شَرقِيَّ نوبَحَ ويُجبَهَة، وضرَبَ الجَيشَ وكانَ الجَيشُ مُطمَئِنًّا

فهَرَبَ زاباحُ وصَلْمُنَّاع، فطارَدوهما، فقَبَضَ على مَلِكَي مِديَن، زاباحَ وصَلْمُنَّاع، وضَرَبَ كُلَّ الجَيش

ورَجَعَ جِدْعونُ بنُ يوآشَ مِنَ القِتال، مارًّا بِعَقَبَةِ حارَس

وقَبَضَ على فَتًى مِن أَهلِ سُكُّوت وٱستَجوَبَه، فكَتَبَ لَه أَسْماءَ رُؤَساءِ سُكُّوتَ وشُيوخِها، سَبعَةً وسَبْعينَ رَجُلًا

ثُمَّ عادَ إِلى أَهلِ سُكُّوتَ وقال: «هُوَذا زاباحُ وصَلْمُنَّاعُ اللَّذانِ عَيَّرتُموني بِهما وقُلتُم: أَلَعَلَّ أَكُفَّ زاباحَ وصَلْمُنَّاعَ في يَدِكَ، حتَّى نُعطِيَ رِجالَكَ المُعْيينَ خُبزًا؟»

وقَبَضَ على شُيوخِ المَدينة، وأَخَذَ أَشْواكًا مِنَ البَرِّيَّةِ والنَّوارِجَ ومَزَّقَ بِها أَهلَ سُكُّوت

ودَمَّرَ بُرجَ فَنوئيل، وقَتَلَ رِجالَ المَدينة

وقالَ لِزاباحَ وصَلْمُنَّاع: «كَيفَ كانَ الرِّجالُ الَّذينَ قَتَلتُماهم بِتابور؟» فقالا لَه: «كانوا مِثلَكَ، وهَيئَةُ كُلِّ واحِدٍ منهم هَيئَةُ ٱبنِ مَلِك»

فقال: «هم إِخوَتي وأَبْناءُ أُمِّي. حَيٌّ الرَّبّ! لو أَبقَيتُما علَيهم، لَما كُنتُ أَقتُلُكما»

ثُمَّ قالَ لِياثَرَ بِكرِه: «قُمْ فاقتُلْهما»، فلَم يَستَلَّ الصَّبِيُّ سَيفَه خَوفًا، لِأَنَّه ما زالَ صَبِيًّا

فقالَ زاباحُ وصَلْمُنَّاع: «قُمْ أَنتَ وٱضرِبْنا، لِأَنَّ الرَّجُلَ بِبَأْسِه». فقامَ جِدْعونُ وقَتَلَ زاباحَ وصَلْمُنَّاع، وأَخَذَ أَهِلَّةَ الفِضَّةِ الَّتي كانَت في أَعْناقِ جِمالِهما

وقالَ رِجالُ إِسْرائيلَ لِجِدْعون: «تَسَلَّطْ علَينا، أَنتَ وٱبنُكَ وٱبنُ ٱبنِكَ، لِأَنَّكَ خَلَّصتَنا مِن أَيدي مِديَن»

فقالَ لَهم جِدْعون: «لا أَنا أَتَسَلَّطُ علَيكم ولا ٱبْني يَتَسَلَّطُ علَيكم، بلِ الرَّبُّ هو يَتَسَلَّطُ علَيكم»

ثُمَّ قالَ لَهم جِدْعون: «إِنِّي أَطلُبُ مِنكم طَلَبًا: يُعْطيني كُلُّ واحِدٍ مِنكم خاتَمًا مِن غَنيمَتِه»، فقَد كانَ لَهم خاتَمانِ مِن ذَهَب، لِأَنَّهم إِسْماعيليُّون

فقالوا: «لَكَ ذٰلك». وبَسَطوا رِداءً، فأَلْقى علَيه كُلٌّ مِنهم خاتَمًا مِن غَنيمَتِه

وكانَ وَزنُ الخَواتِمِ الذَّهَبِ الَّتي طَلَبَها أَلفًا وسَبعَ مِئَةِ مِثْقالِ ذَهَب، ما عَدا الأَهِلَّةَ والأَشْنافَ والثِّيابَ الأُرجُوانِيَّةَ الَّتي كانَت على مُلوكِ مِديَن، وما عَدا القَلائِدَ الَّتي كانَت في أَعْناقِ جِمالِهم

فصاغَ جِدْعُونُ ذٰلك أَفودًا، وجعَلَه في مَدينَتِه عُفرَة. فزَنى كُلُّ إِسْرائيلَ بٱتِّباعِه الأَفود، فكانَ ذٰلك فَخًّا لِجِدْعونَ وبَيتِه

وذَلَّ مِديَنُ أَمامَ بَني إِسْرائيل، ولم يَعودوا يَرفَعونَ رُؤُوسَهم، وهَدَأَتِ الأَرضُ أَربَعينَ سَنةً أَيَّامَ جِدْعون

وٱنصَرَفَ يَرُبَّعلُ بنُ يوآش، وأَقامَ في بَيتِه

وصارَ لِجِدْعونَ سَبْعونَ ٱبنًا خَرَجوا مِن صُلبِه، لِأَنَّه تَزَوَّجَ نِساءً كَثيرات

ووَلَدَت لَه أَيضًا سُرِّيَّتُه الَّتي في شَكيمَ ٱبنًا وسَمَّاه أَبيمَلِك

وماتَ جِدْعونُ بنُ يوآشَ بِشَيبَةٍ سَعيدة، ودُفِنَ في قَبرِ يوآشَ أَبيه في عُفرَةِ أَبيعَزَر

وكانَ بَعدَ مَوتِ جِدْعونَ أَنَّ بَني إِسْرائيلَ عادوا إِلى الزِّنى بٱتِّباعِهمِ البَعْل وٱتَّخَذوا لِأَنفُسِهم بَعلَ بَريتَ إِلٰهًا

ولَم يَذكُرْ بَنو إِسْرائيلَ الرَّبَّ إِلْهَهُمُ الَّذي أَنقَذَهم مِن أَيدي جَميعِ أَعْدائِهمِ المُحيطينَ بِهم

ولم يَصنَعوا رَحمةً إِلى بَيتِ يَرُبَّعْلَ جِدْعونَ، مُقابِلَ الخَيرِ الَّذي صَنَعَه إِلى إِسْرائيل