Liber Iudicum

Iudicum, chapter 8, Vulgate and King James Version

Chapter 8 Vulgate

   1 Dixeruntque ad eum viri Ephraim: "Quid est hoc quod nobis facere voluisti, ut non nos vocares, cum ad pugnam pergeres contra Madian?" iurgantes fortiter et prope vim inferentes.
   2 Quibus ille respondit: "Quid enim tale facere potui, quale vos fecistis? Nonne melior est racemus Ephraim vindemiis Abiezer?
   3 In manus vestras Deus tradidit principes Madian Oreb et Zeb. Quid tale facere potui, quale vos fecistis?" Quod cum locutus esset, requievit spiritus eorum, quo tumebant contra eum.
   4 Cumque venisset Gedeon ad Iordanem, transivit eum cum trecentis viris, qui secum erant et prae lassitudine fugientes persequi vix poterant.
   5 Dixitque ad viros Succoth: "Date, obsecro, panes populo, qui mecum est, quia valde defecerunt, et ego persequor Zebee et Salmana reges Madian"
   6 Responderunt principes Succoth: "Forsitan palmae manuum Zebee et Salmana in manu tua sunt, ut demus exercitui tuo panes?"
   7 Quibus ille ait: "Cum ergo tradiderit Dominus Zebee et Salmana in manus meas, triturabo carnes vestras cum spinis deserti et tribulis"
   8 Et inde conscendens venit in Phanuel locutusque est ad viros eius loci similia. Cui et illi responderunt, sicut responderant viri Succoth.
   9 Dixit itaque et eis: "Cum reversus fuero in pace, destruam turrim hanc"
   10 Zebee autem et Salmana requiescebant in Carcar cum omni exercitu suo, quasi quindecim milia viri, qui remanserant ex omnibus turmis orientalium populorum, caesis centum viginti milibus bellatorum educentium gladium.
   11 Ascendensque Gedeon per viam eorum, qui in tabernaculis morabantur ad orientalem partem Nobe et Iegbaa, percussit castra hostium, qui securi erant et nihil adversi suspicabantur.
   12 Fugeruntque Zebee et Salmana. Persequens Gedeon comprehendit duos reges Madian Zebee et Salmana, turbato omni exercitu eorum.
   13 Revertensque Gedeon filius Ioas de bello per ascensum Hares,
   14 apprehendit puerum de viris Succoth interrogavitque eum nomina principum et seniorum Succoth, qui scripsit ei septuaginta septem viros.
   15 Venitque ad viros Succoth et dixit eis: "En Zebee et Salmana, super quibus exprobrastis mihi dicentes: "Forsitan manus Zebee et Salmana in manibus tuis sunt, ut demus viris tuis, qui lassi sunt, panes?" "
   16 Tulit ergo seniores civitatis et spinas deserti ac tribulos; et trituravit cum eis viros Succoth.
   17 Turrim quoque Phanuel subvertit, occisis habitatoribus civitatis.
   18 Dixitque ad Zebee et Salmana: "Quales fuerunt viri, quos occidistis in Thabor?" Qui responderunt: "Similes tui, et unusquisque ex eis quasi filius regis"
   19 Quibus ille ait: "Fratres mei fuerunt, filii matris meae. Vivit Dominus, si servassetis eos, non vos occiderem!"
   20 Dixitque Iether primogenito suo: "Surge et interfice eos!" Qui non eduxit gladium; timebat enim, quia adhuc puer erat.
   21 Dixeruntque Zebee et Salmana: "Tu surge et irrue in nos, quia iuxta aetatem robur est hominis" Surrexit Gedeon et interfecit Zebee et Salmana et tulit lunulas, quibus colla camelorum eorum decorata erant.
   22 Dixeruntque viri Israel ad Gedeon: "Dominare nostri, tu et filius tuus et filius filii tui, quia liberasti nos de manu Madian"
   23 Quibus ille ait: "Non dominabor vestri, nec dominabitur in vos filius meus, sed dominabitur Dominus"
   24 Dixitque ad eos: "Unam petitionem postulo a vobis: date mihi unusquisque anulum ex praeda sua" Anulos enim aureos Ismaelitae habere consuerant.
   25 Qui responderunt: "Libentissime dabimus" Expandentesque super terram pallium proiecerunt in eo unusquisque anulum de praeda sua.
   26 Et fuit pondus postulatorum anulorum mille septingenti auri sicli absque lunulis et inauribus et vestibus purpureis, quibus Madian reges uti soliti erant, et praeter torques camelorum.
   27 Fecitque ex eo Gedeon ephod et posuit illud in civitate sua Ephra. Fornicatusque est omnis Israel in eo, et factum est Gedeoni et omni domui eius in ruinam.
   28 Humiliatus est autem Madian coram filiis Israel, nec potuerunt ultra elevare cervices, sed quievit terra per quadraginta annos, quibus Gedeon vivebat.
   29 Abiit itaque Ierobbaal filius Ioas et habitavit in domo sua;
   30 habuitque Gedeon septuaginta filios, qui egressi sunt de femore eius, eo quod multas haberet uxores.
   31 Concubina quoque illius, quam habebat in Sichem, genuit ei filium, cui ipse nomen imposuit Abimelech.
   32 Mortuusque est Gedeon filius Ioas in senectute bona et sepultus est in sepulcro Ioas patris sui in Ephra filiorum Abiezer.
   33 Postquam autem mortuus est Gedeon, aversi sunt filii Israel et fornicati cum Baalim posuerunt sibi Baalberith in deum.
   34 Nec recordati sunt Domini Dei sui, qui eruit eos de manu omnium inimicorum suorum per circuitum,
   35 nec fecerunt misericordiam cum domo Ierobbaal Gedeon iuxta omnia bona, quae fecerat Israeli.

Source: Bibliorum Sacrorum Editio, Sacrosanti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II, Ratione Habita, Iussu Pauli PP. VI Recognita, Auctoritate Ioannis Pauli PP. II Promulgata, Editio Typica Altera

King James Version

   1 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.
   2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?
   3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.
   4 ¶ And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.
   5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
   6 ¶ And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?
   7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.
   8 ¶ And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.
   9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.
   10 ¶ Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.
   11 ¶ And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure.
   12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.
   13 ¶ And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,
   14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.
   15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?
   16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
   17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.
   18 ¶ Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.
   19 And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.
   20 And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.
   21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels' necks.
   22 ¶ Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.
   23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.
   24 ¶ And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
   25 And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.
   26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks.
   27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
   28 ¶ Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.
   29 And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.
   30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.
   31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.
   32 ¶ And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
   33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god.
   34 And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:
   35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.