Judges 6

The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.

وَعَادَ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ يَقْتَرِفُونَ الإِثْمَ فِي عَيْنَيِ الرَّبِّ فَسَلَّطَ عَلَيْهِمِ الْمِدْيَانِيِّينَ سَبْعَ سَنَوَاتٍ.

Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds.

وَاشْتَدَّتْ وَطْأَةُ الْمِدْيَانِيِّينَ عَلَى إِسْرَائِيلَ حَتَّى لَجَأَ الإِسْرَائِيلِيُّونَ إِلَى الْجِبَالِ لِيَعِيشُوا فِي الْكُهُوفِ وَالْمَغَائِرِ.

Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country.

وَكُلَّمَا زَرَعَ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ زَرْعاً جَاءَ النَّاهِبُونَ الْمِدْيَانِيُّونَ وَالْعَمَالِقَةُ وَسِوَاهُمْ مِنْ أَبْنَاءِ الْمَشْرِقِ لِيَنْهَبُوا مَحَاصِيلَهُمْ،

They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys.

فَيَغْزُونَهُمْ وَيُتْلِفُونَ غَلّاتِ أَرْضِهِمْ حَتَّى تُخُومِ غَزَّةَ وَلا يَتْرُكُونَ لِلإِسْرَائِيلِيِّينَ مَا يَقْتَاتُونَ بِهِ، وَيَسْتَوْلُونَ أَيْضاً عَلَى الْغَنَمِ وَالْبَقَرِ وَالْحَمِيرِ.

They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count them or their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it.

لأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَغْزُونَ الْبِلادَ بِمَوَاشِيهِمْ وَخِيَامِهِمْ، فَكَانُوا فِي كَثْرَةِ الْجَرَادِ، لَا يُحْصَى لَهُمْ وَلا لِجِمَالِهِمْ عَدَدٌ، فَيَغْزُونَ الأَرْضَ وَيُتْلِفُونَهَا.

Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help.

فَأَذَلَّ الْمِدْيَانِيُّونَ الإِسْرَائِيلِيِّينَ جِدّاً، فَاسْتَغَاثَ هَؤُلاءِ بِالرَّبِّ.

When the Israelites cried out to the Lord because of Midian,

وَعِنْدَمَا اسْتَغَاثَ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ بِالرَّبِّ مِنْ ظُلْمِ الْمِدْيَانِيِّينَ،

he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

أَرْسَلَ الرَّبُّ نَبِيًّا إِلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «هَذَا مَا يَقُولُهُ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ: لَقَدْ أَخْرَجْتُكُمْ مِنْ مِصْرَ وَحَرَّرْتُكُمْ مِنْ نِيرِ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ.

I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them out before you and gave you their land.

وَأَنْقَذْتُكُمْ مِنْ قَبْضَةِ الْمِصْرِيِّينَ وَمِنْ يَدِ جَمِيعِ مُضَايِقِيكُمْ، وَطَرَدْتُهُمْ مِنْ وَجْهِكُمْ وَوَهَبْتُكُمْ أَرْضَهُمْ.

I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”

وَقُلْتُ لَكُمْ: أَنَا الرَّبُّ إِلَهُكُمْ. لَا تَخَافُوا آلِهَةَ الأَمُورِيِّينَ الَّذِينَ أَنْتُمْ مُقِيمُونَ فِي أَرْضِهِمْ، لَكِنَّكُمْ لَمْ تُطِيعُوا قَوْلِي».

The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites.

ثُمَّ جَاءَ مَلاكُ الرَّبِّ إِلَى قَرْيَةِ عَفْرَةَ، وَجَلَسَ تَحْتَ شَجَرَةِ الْبَلُّوطِ الَّتِي يَمْلِكُهَا يُوآشُ الأَبِيعَزَرِيُّ. وَكَانَ ابْنُهُ جِدْعُونُ يَخْبِطُ حِنْطَةً فِي الْمِعْصَرَةِ لِكَيْ يُهَرِّبَهَا مِنَ الْمِدْيَانِيِّينَ.

When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

فَتَجَلَّى لَهُ مَلاكُ الرَّبِّ وَقَالَ لَهُ: «الرَّبُّ مَعَكَ أَيُّهَا الْمُحَارِبُ الْجَبَّارُ».

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

فَقَالَ لَهُ جِدْعُونُ: «دَعْنِي أَسْأَلُكَ يَا سَيِّدِي: إِنْ كَانَ الرَّبُّ مَعَنَا، فَلِمَاذَا أَصَابَنَا كُلُّ هَذَا الْبَلاءِ؟ وَأَيْنَ كُلُّ عَجَائِبِهِ الَّتِي حَدَّثَنَا بِها آبَاؤُنَا قَائِلِينَ: أَلَمْ يُخْرِجْنَا الرَّبُّ مِنْ مِصْرَ؟ وَالآنَ قَدْ نَبَذَنَا الرَّبُّ وَجَعَلَنَا فِي قَبْضَةِ مِدْيَانَ».

The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

فَالْتَفَتَ إِلَيْهِ الرَّبُّ وَأَجَابَ: «اذْهَبْ بِمَا تَمْلِكُهُ مِنْ قُوَّةٍ وَأَنْقِذْ إِسْرَائِيلَ مِنْ قَبْضَةِ الْمِدْيَانِيِّينَ. أَلَسْتُ أَنَا الَّذِي أَرْسَلَكَ؟»

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

فَأَجَابَ جِدْعُونُ: «دَعْنِي أَسْأَلُكَ يَا سَيِّدِي: كَيْفَ أُنْقِذُ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَعَشِيرَتِي هِيَ أَضْعَفُ عَشَائِرِ سِبْطِ مَنَسَّى، وَأَنَا أَقَلُّ أَفْرَادِ عَائِلَتِي شَأْناً؟»

The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

فَقَالَ لَهُ الرَّبُّ: «سَأَكُونُ مَعَكَ فَتَقْضِي عَلَى الْمِدْيَانِيِّينَ وَكَأَنَّكَ تَقْضِي عَلَى رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ».

Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me.

فَقَالَ لَهُ: «إِنْ كُنْتُ حَقّاً قَدْ حَظِيتُ بِرِضَاكَ، فَأَعْطِنِي عَلامَةً أَنَّكَ أَنْتَ الَّذِي تُخَاطِبُنِي.

Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.”

And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return.”

أَرْجُوكَ أَلا تَمْضِيَ مِنْ هُنَا حَتَّى أَرْجِعَ وَأَضَعَ تَقْدِمَتِي أَمَامَكَ». فَأَجَابَهُ: «سَأَبْقَى حَتَّى تَرْجِعَ».

Gideon went inside, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah^[a] of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak.

فَدَخَلَ جِدْعُونُ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ وَأَعَدَّ جَدْياً وَإِيفَةَ دَقِيقٍ فَطِيراً، وَوَضَعَ اللَّحْمَ فِي سَلٍّ وَالْحِسَاءَ فِي قِدْرٍ، وَحَمَلَهَا إِلَيْهِ تَحْتَ الْبَلُّوطَةِ وَقَدَّمَهَا لَهُ.

The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so.

فَقَالَ الْمَلاكُ لَهُ: «خُذِ اللَّحْمَ وَالْفَطِيرَ، وَضَعْهُمَا فَوْقَ تِلْكَ الصَّخْرَةِ وَاسْكُبِ الْحِسَاءَ» فَفَعَلَ جِدْعُونُ ذَلِكَ.

Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of the staff that was in his hand. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared.

فَمَدَّ مَلاكُ الرَّبِّ طَرَفَ الْعُكَّازِ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ وَمَسَّ بِهِ اللَّحْمَ وَالْفَطِيرَ، فَانْدَلَعَتْ نَارٌ مِنَ الصَّخْرَةِ وَالْتَهَمَتْهُمَا. وَتَوَارَى مَلاكُ الرَّبِّ عَنْ عَيْنَيْهِ.

When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”

وَعِنْدَمَا تَبَيَّنَ جِدْعُونُ أَنَّهُ مَلاكُ الرَّبِّ، هَتَفَ مُرْتَعِباً: «آهِ يَا سَيِّدِي الرَّبَّ! لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ مَلاكَ الرَّبِّ وَجْهاً لِوَجْهٍ».

But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.”

فَقَالَ لَهُ الرَّبُّ: «السَّلامُ لَكَ، لَا تَخَفْ، فَأَنْتَ لَنْ تَمُوتَ».

So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

فَبَنَى جِدْعُونُ هُنَاكَ مَذْبَحاً لِلرَّبِّ سَمَّاهُ: يَهْوَهْ شَلُومَ (وَمَعْنَاهُ: الرَّبُّ سَلامٌ). وَمَازَالَ الْمَذْبَحُ قَائِماً إِلَى هَذَا الْيَوْمِ فِي عَفْرَةِ الأَبِيعَزَرِيِّينَ.

That same night the Lord said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old.^[b] Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole^[c] beside it.

وَقَالَ الرَّبُّ لِجِدْعُونَ فِي تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ: «خُذْ ثَوْراً كَامِلَ النُّضْجِ مِنْ قَطِيعِ أَبِيكَ: وَثَوْراً ثَانِياً عُمْرُهُ سَبْعُ سَنَوَاتٍ، وَاهْدِمْ مَذْبَحَ الْبَعْلِ الَّذِي يَعْبُدُهُ أَبُوكَ، وَاقْطَعْ نُصُبَ عَشْتَارُوثَ الَّذِي إِلَى جِوَارِهِ.

Then build a proper kind of^[d] altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second^[e] bull as a burnt offering.”

وَابْنِ مَذْبَحاً لِلرَّبِّ إِلَهِكَ عَلَى رَأْسِ تِلْكَ الصَّخْرَةِ، وَرَتِّبْ حِجَارَتَهُ فِي الْمَكَانِ الْمُعَدِّ، وَخُذِ الثَّوْرَ وَأَصْعِدْهُ مُحْرَقَةً عَلَى خَشَبِ النُّصُبِ الَّذِي قَطَّعْتَهُ».

So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.

عِنْدَئِذٍ أَخَذَ جِدْعُونُ عَشَرَةَ رِجَالٍ مِنْ عَبِيدِهِ وَنَفَّذَ لَيْلاً مَا أَمَرَهُ الرَّبُّ بِهِ، لأَنَّهُ كَانَ يَخْشَى غَضَبَ بَيْتِ أَبِيهِ وَأَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ، فَلَمْ يَجْرُؤْ عَلَى فِعْلِ ذَلِكَ نَهَاراً.

In the morning when the people of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar!

وَفِي فَجْرِ الْيَوْمِ التَّالِي اكْتَشَفَ أَهْلُ الْمَدِينَةِ أَنَّ مَذْبَحَ الْبَعْلِ مُتَهَدِّمٌ وَالنُّصُبَ الَّذِي إِلَى جِوَارِهِ مَقْطُوعٌ، وَالثَّوْرَ الثَّانِي قَدْ أُصْعِدَ عَلَى الْمَذْبَحِ الْجَدِيدِ.

They asked each other, “Who did this?”

When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”

فَسَأَلَ الْوَاحِدُ صَاحِبَهُ: «مَنْ صَنَعَ هَذَا الأَمْرَ؟» وَبَعْدَ بَحْثٍ وَتَحَرٍّ، اكْتَشَفُوا أَنَّ جِدْعُونَ بْنَ يُوآشَ هُوَ الْجَانِي.

The people of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”

فَقَالَ أَهْلُ الْمَدِينَةِ لِيُوآشَ: «أَخْرِجِ ابْنَكَ. يَجِبُ أَنْ يَمُوتَ لأَنَّهُ هَدَمَ مَذْبَحَ الْبَعْلِ وَقَطَعَ النُّصُبَ الَّذِي إِلَى جِوَارِهِ».

But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.”

فَقَالَ يُوآشُ لِجَمِيعِ الثَّائِرِينَ عَلَيْهِ: «أَعَازِمُونَ أَنْتُمْ عَلَى الدِّفَاعِ عَنِ الْبَعْلِ؟ أَمْ أَنْتُمْ تُحَاوِلُونَ إِنْقَاذَهُ؟ إِنَّ مَنْ يُقَاتِلُ دِفَاعاً عَنِ الْبَعْلِ حَتْماً يَمُوتُ فِي هَذَا الصَّبَاحِ (لأَنَّ ذَلِكَ إِهَانَةٌ لِلْبَعْلِ). إِنْ كَانَ الْبَعْلُ حَقّاً إِلَهاً فَلْيُقَاتِلْ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ لأَنَّ مَذْبَحَهُ قَدْ هُدِمَ».

So because Gideon broke down Baal’s altar, they gave him the name Jerub-Baal^[f] that day, saying, “Let Baal contend with him.”

وَمُنْذُ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ دُعِيَ جِدْعُونُ يَرُبَّعْلَ، لأَنَّ يُوآشَ قَالَ: «لِيُقَاتِلْهُ بَعْلٌ»؛ لأَنَّ جِدْعُونَ قَدْ هَدَمَ مَذْبَحَهُ.

Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.

وَتَحَالَفَتْ جُيُوشُ مِدْيَانَ وَعَمَالِيقَ وَسِوَاهُمْ مِنْ أَبْنَاءِ الْمَشْرِقِ وَعَسْكَرُوا فِي وَادِي يَزْرَعِيلَ.

Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him.

وَحَلَّ رُوحُ الرَّبِّ عَلَى جِدْعُونَ فَنَفَخَ الْبُوقَ فَانْضَمَّ إِلَيْهِ رِجَالُ أَبِيعَزَرَ.

He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them.

وَأَرْسَلَ جِدْعُونُ مَبْعُوثِينَ إِلَى أَسْبَاطِ مَنَسَّى وَأَشِيرَ وَزَبُولُونَ وَنَفْتَالِي يَسْتَدْعِي قُوَّاتِهِمِ الْمُحَارِبَةَ، فَخَفُّوا إِلَيْهِ.

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

وَقَالَ جِدْعُونُ لِلهِ: «إِنْ كُنْتَ حَقّاً سَتُنْقِذُ إِسْرَائِيلَ عَلَى يَدَيَّ كَمَا وَعَدْتَ (فَأَعْطِنِي عَلامَةً عَلَى ذَلِكَ):

look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.”

سَأَضَعُ اللَّيْلَةَ جَزَّةَ صُوفٍ فِي الْبَيْدَرِ، فَإِنِ ابْتَلَّتِ الْجَزَّةُ وَحْدَهَا بِالنَّدَى، وَبَقِيَتِ الأَرْضُ كُلُّهَا جَافَّةً، أُدْرِكُ أَنَّكَ تُنْقِذُ إِسْرَائِيلَ عَلَى يَدَيَّ كَمَا وَعَدْتَنِي».

And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.

وَهَذَا مَا حَدَثَ: فَعِنْدَمَا بَكَّرَ جِدْعُونُ فِي الصَّبَاحِ التَّالِي أَخَذَ جَزَّةَ الصُّوفِ وَضَغَطَهَا وَعَصَرَهَا فَقَطَرَ مِنْهَا مِلْءُ قَصْعَةٍ مِنَ الْمَاءِ.

Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.”

فَقَالَ جِدْعُونُ للهِ: «لا يَحْتَدِمْ غَضَبُكَ عَلَيَّ وَدَعْنِي أَتَقَدَّمُ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى فَقَطْ بِطَلَبٍ وَاحِدٍ. اسْمَحْ لِي أَنْ أُجْرِيَ اخْتِبَاراً آخَرَ عَلَى هَذِهِ الْجَزَّةِ. لِتَبْقَ هَذِهِ الْجَزَّةُ وَحْدَهَا جَافَّةً، أَمَّا بَقِيَّةُ الأَرْضِ فَلْيُبَلِّلْهَا النَّدَى».

That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

فَصَنَعَ الرَّبُّ ذَلِكَ. فِي تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ ابْتَلَّتِ الأَرْضُ كُلُّهَا بِالنَّدَى وَبَقِيَتِ الْجَزَّةُ وَحْدَهَا جَافَّةً.