 |
The 7th Chapter
Then Jerobaal otherwise called
Gedeon rose early and all the people that were with him, and pitched
beside the well of Harad, so that the host of the Madianites were in
a valley on the north side of the hill Hamoreh. And the Lord said
unto Gedeon, the people that are with thee are too many for me to
give the Madianites into their hands, lest Israel make her *vaunt to
my dishonor and say, our own hand hath saved us. Now therefore make
a proclamation in the Ears of the people and say: if any man dread
or be afraid, let him return and get him soon from mount Galaad. And
there departed and returned of the people twenty two thousand, and
there abode ten thousand.
And the Lord said unto Gedeon: the people are yet too many,
bring them down unto the water, and I will try them unto thee there.
And of whom I say unto thee, this shall go with thee, the same shall
go with thee. And whosoever I say unto thee, this shall not go with
thee, the same shall not go. And when he had brought down the people
unto the water, the Lord said unto Gedeon: As many as lap the water
with their tongues, as dogs do, them put by themselves, and so do
them that kneel down upon their knees to drink. And the number of
them that put their hands to their mouths and lapped, were three
hundred men. And all the remnant of the people knelt down upon their
knees to drink water. And the Lord said unto Gedeon, with the three
hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Madianites
into thine hand. And all the other people shall go every man unto
his own home.
And they took victuals with them for the folk, and their
trumpets. And he sent all the rest of Israel, every man unto his
tent, and kept the three hundred with him. And the host of Madian
was beneath him in a valley. And the same night the Lord said unto
him, up and go down unto the host, for I have delivered it into
thine hand. But if thou fear to go down, then go thou down unto the
host, and Pharah thy lad, and hearken what they say, and so shall
thine hands be strong, and then thou shalt go down unto the host.
Then he went down with Pharah his lad, even hard unto the men
of arms that were in the host. And the Madianites, the Amalekites,
and all they of the East, lay along in the valley, like unto
grasshoppers in multitude, and their camels were without number,
even as the sand by the sea side in multitude. And when Gedeon was
come: behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow and
said: Behold I dreamed a dream and me thought that a broiled loaf of
barley bread tumbled into the host of Madian, and came unto a tent,
and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay
along. And his fellow answered and said, this is nothing else save
the sword of Gedeon the son of Joas a man of Israel, into whose hand
the Lord hath delivered Madian and all the host.
When Gedeon heard the telling of the dream and the
interpretation of the same, he bowed himself to the earth and
returned unto the host of Israel, and said: up for the Lord hath
delivered into your hands the host of the Madianites. And he divided
the three hundred men into three companies, and gave every man a
trumpet in his hand, with an empty pitcher and lamps therein, and
said unto them look on me and do likewise: and behold, when I come
to the side of the host, even as I do, so do you. And when I blow
with a trumpet and all that are with me, blow ye with trumpets also
on every side the host and say, here be the Lord and Gedeon.
And so Gedeon and the three hundred men that were with him,
came unto the side of the host in the beginning of the middle watch,
and raised up the watch men. And they blew with their trumpets and
brake the pitchers that were in their hands. And all three companies
blew with trumpets and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in
their left hands, and the trumpets in their right, to blow with all.
And they cried the sword of the Lord and of Gedeon. And they stood
still, every man in his place round about the host. And all the host
ran and cried and fled. And as the three hundred blew with trumpets,
the Lord set every mans sword upon his neighbor, throughout all the
host. And the host fled until they came to Bethsitah, to Zererath,
and to the edge of Abelmeholah beside Tabath. And the men of Israel
gathered together of the tribe of Naphthalim, of Aser, and of all
Manasses, and followed after the Madianites. For Gedeon had sent
messengers throughout all mount Ephraim saying: come down against
the Madianites and take from them the waters both Bethbarath and
also of Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered together and
came down and took the waters, both of Bethbarath and also of
Jordan. And they took two captains of the Madianites, Oreb and Zeb,
and slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeb at the press Zeb and
followed after Madian. And brought the heads of Oreb and Zeb to
Gedeon on the other side Jordan.
*vaunt (flaunt, boast, brag)
|
 |
The 8th Chapter
And the men of Ephraim said unto
him. Why hast thou served us thus, that thou called us not, when
thou wentest to fight with the Madianites. And they *chode with him
a good. And he said unto them: What deed have I done like unto
yours: are not the clusters of Ephraim better than the wine harvest
of Abiezer? God hath delivered into your hands the Lords of Madian,
Oreb and Zeb. And what was I able to do like as you have done. And
then their spirits abated from off him, when he had said that. And
then Gedeon came to Jordan and passed over, both he and the three
hundred men that were with him very faint and yet followed the
chase. And he said unto the men of Socoth: give I pray you cakes of
bread unto the people that follow me: for they be fainty, that I may
follow after Zebah and Zalmona kings of Madian. And the Lords of
Socoth said: are the hands of Zebah and Zalmona now in thine hands
that we should give bread unto thy company. And Gedeon said,
therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmona into mine
hand, I will tear the flesh of you with the thorns of the wilderness
and with briers. And he went thence to Phanuel, and spake unto them
likewise. And the men of Phanuel answered him, as did the men of
Socoth. And he said also unto the men of Phanuel, when I come again
in peace, I will break down this tower. Zebah and Zalmona were in
Arkar and their hosts with them, upon a fifteen thousand, which were
all that were left of all the hosts of them of the East. And they
that were slain were a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew
swords.
And Gedeon went through them that dwell in tabernacles on the
east side of Nobah and Jebahah, and smote the host: for the host did
cast no perils. Zebah and Zalmona fled. But he followed after them,
and took the two kings of the Madianites, Zebah and Zalmona and
discomfited all the host.
And Gedeon the son of Joas returned from battle, the *son
being yet up, and caught a lad of the men of Socoth, and enquired of
him. And he wrote him of the Lords and Elders of Socoth seventy
seven men. Then he came unto the men of Socoth and said: Behold
Zebah and Zalmona, with which ye cast me in the teeth saying: are
the hands of Zebah and Zalmona already in thine hand, that we should
give bread unto thy fainty men. And he took the elders of the city,
and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and all to tear them
therewith. And he brake down the tower of Phanuel and slew the men
of the city.
And then said unto Zebah and Zalmona, what manner men were
they which ye slew at Thabor? and they answered, the likeness of
thee and them is all one, even after the fashion of the children of
a king. And he said, they were my brethren, even my mothers
children, and as truly as the Lord liveth, if ye had saved their
lives, I would not slay you. And he said unto Jether his eldest son,
up and slay them: But the lad drew not his sword, for he feared,
because he was yet young. Then Zebah and Zalmona said: Rise thou and
fall upon us, for as the man is so is his strength. And Gedeon arose
and slew them: and he took away the chains that were on their camels
necks.
Then the men of Israel said unto Gedeon, Reign over us, both
thou, thy son and thy sons son, for thou hast delivered us out of
the hands of the Madianites. And Gedeon said unto them, I will not
reign over you, neither shall my children reign over you, but the
Lord shall reign over you.
Neverthelater Gedeon said unto them: I would desire a certain
request of you, even that you would give me every man the earrings
of his prey. For they had golden earrings, because they were
Ismaelites. And they said, we will do it. And they spread a mantle
and did cast thereinto every man the earrings of his prey. And the
weight of the golden earrings was a thousand and seven hundred
sickles of gold, beside brooches, ouches and garments of scarlet
that were of the kings of Madian, and beside the chains, that were
about their camels necks. And Gedeon made an ephod thereof, and put
it in his city Ephrah. And all Israel went a whoring after him
there, which thing was the ruin of Gedeons house. Thus were the
Madianites brought low before the children of Israel, so that they
lift up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty
years in the days of Gedeon.
And Jerobaal the son of Joas went and dwelt in his own house.
And Gedeon had seventy sons of his body begotten, for he had many
wives. And his concubine that dwelt in Sichem bare him a son also,
whose name he called Abimelech. And Gedeon the son of Joas died,
when he was of a good age, and was buried in the burial of Joas his
father, even in Ephrah that pertained unto the father of the Ezrites.
But as soon as Gedeon was dead, the children of Israel turned
away and went a whoring after Baal, and made Baal berith their God,
and thought not on the Lord their God which had delivered them out
of the hands of all their enemies on every side. Neither showed they
mercy on the house of Jerobaal, otherwise called Gedeon, according
to all the goodness which he showed them.
*chode (scold/argue) *son as written; sonne, elsewhere see that sun
was written sunne.
|
 |
The 9th Chapter
For Abimelech the son of
Jerobaal went to Sichem, unto his mothers brethren, and communed
with them and with all his mothers fathers kindred saying: say I
pray you, in the ears of all the inhabiters of Sichem: whether is
better for you that all the sons of Jerobaal which are seventy
persons reign over you, either that one reign over you. And remember
thereto, that I am your bones and your flesh. And his mothers
brethren rehearsed of him in the audience of all the Citizens of
Sichem, all these words, and moved their hearts to follow Abimelech,
in that they said how he was their brother. And they gave him
seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal Berith, with which
Abimelech hired Jehel and *light persons which went with him. And
they went unto his fathers house at Ephrah, and slew all his
brethren, the sons of Jerobaal, even seventy persons with one stone.
Notwithstanding yet Joatham the youngest son of Jerobaal escaped,
for he hid himself. And all the citizens of Sichem gathered together
with all the house of Mello, and went and made Abimelech King at a
certain oak that was by Sichem.
And when it was told Joatham, he went and stood in the top of
mount Garizim, and lift up his voice and called, and said unto them:
Hearken unto me you citizens of Sichem, that God may hearken unto
you. The trees went to anoint a King over them, and said unto the
olive tree, reign over us. But the olive tree said unto them: should
I leave my fatness which both God and man praiseth in me, and go to
be promoted over the trees. Then said the trees to the fig tree,
come thou and be king over us. And the fig tree answered them,
should I forsake my sweetness and my good fruit, and should go to be
promoted over the trees. Then said the trees unto the vine, come
thou and be King over us. And the vine answered, should I leave my
wine that cheereth both God and man, and go to be promoted over the
trees. Then said all the trees unto the fiery bush come thou and
reign over us. And the fiery bush said unto the trees: if it will be
true that ye will anoint me king over you, then come and rest under
my shadow, and ye shall see that a fire shall come out of the fiery
bush and waste the cypress trees of Libanon.
And even so now, if ye have done truly and uncorruptly to make
Abimelech king. And if ye have dealt well with Jerobaal and his
house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his
hands, forasmuch as my father fought for you and adventured his
life, and rid you out of the hands of the Madianites. And ye are
risen up against my fathers house this day. And have slain his
children, even seventy persons with one stone and have made
Abimelech the son of his maidservant King over the citizens of
Sichem, because he is your brother, if then ye have dealt purely and
truly with Jerobaal and with his house this day: then rejoice ye in
Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. But if ye have not dealt
truly, then I pray God a fire may come out of Abimelech and consume
the citizens of Sichem and the house of Mello. And that there come a
fire out of the citizens of Sichem, and out of the house Mello and
consume Abimelech. And Joatham ran away and fled and went to Beer
and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother. When Abimelech
had reigned three years God sent an hate between Abimelech and the
citizens of Sichem. And the citizens of Sichem railed upon Abimelech,
and wished that the wickedness done to the seventy sons of Jerobaal
might come on him, and laid the blood of them unto Abimelech their
brother which slew them, and unto the other citizens of Sichem which
aided him in the killing of his brethren. And the citizens of Sichem
set men to lay await for him in the top of the mountains, which men
robbed all that came along the way by them. And it was told
Abimelech.
And Gaal the son of Abed and his brethren went and gat them to
Sichem. And the men of Sichem put their confidence in him. And they
went out into the fields and gathered in their grapes and trod them
and made merry: and went into the house of their God, and did eat
and drink and cursed Abimelech. And Gaal the son of Abed said: what
is Abimelech? and what is Sichem? that we should serve him, is he
not the son of Jerobaal? and Zebul is his officer? serve such as
come of Hemor the father of Sichem, for what reason is it that we
should serve him? would God this people were under my hand, then I
would take Abimelech out of the way. And one said unto Abimelech,
make thine host greater and go out. And when Zebul the ruler of the
city heard the words of Gaal the son of Abed, he was wroth and sent
messengers unto Abimelech privily saying: Behold Gaal the son of
Abed and his brethren be come to Sichem: and behold they set the
city against thee. Now therefore up by night, both thou and all the
people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the fields. And rise
early in the morning as soon as the *son is up and come upon the
city. And when he and the people that is with him come out against
thee, do to him what thine hands shall be able. And Abimelech rose
up, and all the people that were with him, by night. And they laid
await to the city in four companies. And Gaal the son of Abed went
out and stood in the entering of the gate of the city. And Abimelech
rose up and the folk that were with him, from lying await. And when
Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul: Behold there come people down
from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him: the shadow
of the hills seem men unto thee. And Gaal answered again and said:
see there come folk down by the middle of the land and another
company come along by the charmers Oak. Then said Zebul unto him:
where is now thy mouth that said, what fellow is Abimelech, that we
should serve him. These are the people that thou so despisest. Go
out now a fellowship and fight with them. And Gaal went out before
the citizens of Sichem, and fought with Abimelech. And Abimelech
chased him that he fled before him and many were overthrown and
slain, even until they came unto the entering of the gate. And then
Abimelech went and dwelt at Arumah. And then Zebul thrust out Gaal
and his brethren, and would not suffer them to dwell in Sichem. And
on the morrow the people went out into the field. And it was told
Abimelech. And he took his people and divided them into three
companies and lay await in the fields. And when he saw that the
people were come out of the city, he ran upon them and laid upon
them.
And Abimelech and the companies that were with him, ran and
stood in the entering of the gate of the city. And the two other
companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields and slew
them. And then Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and
took it, and slew the people that were therein, and destroyed the
city and sowed salt in the place. And when all the men of the town
of Sichem heard that, they entered into a stronghold of the house of
their god Baal Berith. And when it was told Abimelech, that all the
men of the tower of Sichem were gathered together, he gat him to
mount Zelmon, both he and all that were with him, and took axes with
him and cut down an arm of a tree, and took it up, and put it on his
shoulder, and said unto the folk that were with him, whatsoever ye
see me do: speed yourselves and do likewise. And all the people cut
down also every man a bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them
into the hold, and set the hold a fire upon them: so that all the
men of the tower of Sichem were slain, upon a thousand persons what
of men and women together.
Then went Abimelech to Thebes and besieged it and took it. But
there was a strong tower in the midst of the city, and thither ran
all the men and women and all the citizens of the city and shut it
to them, and got them up upon the top of the tower. Then came
Abimelech unto the tower and fought against it, and went hard unto
the entering of the gate, to set it on fire. But a woman cast a
piece of a millstone upon his head and all to brake his brain pan.
Then Abimelech called hastily unto the young man that bare his
harness, and said unto him: draw thy sword and slay me, that men say
not of me, a woman slew him. And his lad thrust him through and he
died.
And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they
departed, every man unto his own house. And thus all the wickedness
of Abimelech which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy
brethren, and thereto all the wickedness of the men of Sichem, God
did bring upon their heads: And upon them came the curse of Joatham
the son of Jerobaal.
*light persons: from the Hebrew "pachaz" to be wanton and reckless.
*son exactly as original sonne; elsewhere sun is spelled sunne.
|
 |
The 10th Chapter
After Abimelech there arose, to
defend Israel, one Thola, the son of Phuah, the son of Dodo, a man
of Isacar, which dwelt in Samir in mount Ephraim. And he judged
Israel twenty three years, and then died and was buried in Samir.
And after him arose Jair a Galaadite, which judged Israel twenty two
years. And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty Ass colts, and had
thirty cities for them, which are called the towns of Jair unto this
day, and are in the land of Galaad. And Jair died, and was buried in
Kamon.
And the children of Israel wrought wickedness yet again, in
the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim and Astharoth, and the Gods
of Siria, and the Gods of Sidon, the Gods of Moab, the Gods of the
children of Ammon, and the Gods of the Philistines, and forsook the
Lord and served him not. And the Lord was wroth with Israel, and
sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of
the children of Ammon: which *pilled and oppressed the children of
Israel in those days eighteen years, all that were on the other side
Jordan in the land of the Amorites in Galaad. Moreover the children
of Ammon went over Jordan to fight against Juda, Benjamin, and the
house of Ephraim: so that Israel was sore cumbered. Then the
children of Israel cried unto the Lord saying: we have sinned
against thee: for we have forsaken our own God, and have served
Baalim. And the Lord said unto the children of Israel: did not the
Egyptians, the Amorites, the children of Ammon, the Philistines, the
Sidonites, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppress you? And ye cried
to me, and I delivered you out of their hands. And for all that ye
have forsaken me, and serve strange Gods, wherefore I will help you
no more. But go and cry unto the Gods which ye have chosen, and let
them save you in the time of your tribulation.
But the children of Israel said unto the Lord we have sinned:
do thou unto us whatsoever please thee, and deliver us only at this
time. And they put away the strange Gods from them and served the
Lord. And the misery of Israel grieved his soul.
Then the children of Ammon gathered together and pitched in
Galaad. And the children of Israel gathered them together and
pitched in Mazphah. And the company of the Lords of Galaad said each
to other, whosoever will begin the battle against the children of
Ammon, the same shall be head over all the inhabiters of Galaad.
*pilled (charged excessively for things: extortion ie; "what ever
the market will bear"
|
Chapter 1-6 |
7-10
| 11-17
| 18-end |
Next Book
|
