27 Then Gedeon taking ten men of his ser- that are with thee are many, and Madian shall vants, did as the Lord had commanded him. not be delivered into their hands: lest Israel But fearing his father's house, and the men of should glory against me, and say: I was dethat city, he would not do it by day, but did all livered by my own strength. by night. 28 And when the men of that town were risen in the morning, they saw the altar of Baal destroyed, and the grove cut down, and the second bullock laid upon the altar, which then was built. 29 And they said one to another: Who hath done this? And when they inquired for the author of the fact, it was said: Gedeon the son of Joas did all this. 30 And they said to Joas: Bring out thy son hither, that he may die: Because he hath destroyed the altar of Baal, and hath cut down his grove. 3 Speak to the people, and proclaim in the hearing of all, Whosoever is fearful and timorous let him return. So two and twenty thousand men went away from mount Galaad and returned home, and only ten thousand remained. 4 And the Lord said to Gedeon: The people are still too many, bring them to the waters, and there I will try them: and of whom I shall say to thee, This shall go with thee, let him go: whom I shall forbid to go, let him return. 5 And when the people were come down to the waters, the Lord said to Gedeon: They that shall lap the water with their tongues, as dogs are wont to lap, thou shalt set apart by down their knees, shall be on the other side. 31 He answered them: Are you the aven- themselves: but they that shall drink bowing gers of Baal, that you fight for him? he that is his adversary, let him die before to-morrow light appear: if he be a god, let him revenge himself on him that hath cast down his altar. 32 From that day Gedeon was called Jerobaal, because Joas had said: Let Baal revenge himself on him that hath cast down his altar. 33 Now all Madian, and Amalec, and the eastern people were gathered together, and passing over the Jordan, camped in the valley of Jezrael. 34 But the spirit of the Lord came upon Gedeon, and he sounded the trumpet and called together the house of Abiezer, to follow him. 7 And the Lord said to Gedeon: By the three 35 And he sent messengers into all Manas- 36 And Gedeon said to God: If thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast said, 37 I will put this fleece of wool on the floor: if there be dew in the fleece only, and it be dry on all the ground beside, I shall know that by my hand, as thou hast said, thou wilt deliver Israel. 38 And it was so. And rising before day wringing the fleece, he filled a vessel with the dew. 39 And he said again to God: Let not thy wrath be kindled against me, if I try once more, seeking a sign in the fleece. I pray that the fleece only may be dry, and all the ground wet with dew. 40 And God did that night as he had requested: and it was dry on the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. CHAP. VII. Gedeon with three hundred men, by stratagem defeats the Madianites. THE 2 And the Lord said to Gedeon: The people A. M. 2759.-b Deut. 20. 8. 1 Mac. 3. 56. Ch. 7. v. 2. Lest Israel, &c. By this we see that God will not choose for hia instruments in great achievements, which depend purely on his grace, such as, through pride and self-conceit, will take the glory to themselves. Ver. 7. That lapped water. These were preferred that took the water up in their hands, and so lapped it, 10 But if thou be afraid to go alone, let Phara thy servant go down with thee. 11 And when thou shalt hear what they are saying, then shall thy hands be strengthened, and thou shalt go down more secure to the enemies' camp. And he went down with Phara his servant into part of the camp, where was the watch of men in arms. 12 But Madian and Amalec, and all the eastern people lay scattered in the valley, as a multitude of locusts: their camels also were innumerable, as the sand that lieth on the sea shore. 13 And when Gedeon was come, one told his neighbour a dream: and in this manner related what he had seen: I dreamt a dream and it seemed to me as if a hearth-cake of barley-bread rolled and came down into the camp of Madian: and when it was come to a tent it struck it, and beat it down flat to the ground. 14 He to whom he spoke, answered: This is nothing else but the sword of Gedeon the son of Joas a man of Israel. For the Lord hath delivered Madian, and all their camp into his hand. 15 And when Gedeon had heard the dream, and the interpretation thereof, he adored: and returned to the camp of Israel, and said: Arise, before them who laid themselves quite down to the waters to drink: which argued a more eager and sensual disposition. Ver. 13. A dream. Observation of dreams is commonly superstitious, and as such is condemned in the word of God: but in some extraordinary cases, as we here see, God is pleased by dreams to foretel what he is about to do. for the Lord hath delivered the camp of Madian] 2 And he answered them: What could I have into our hands. done like to that which you have done? Is not one bunch of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintages of Abiezer? 16 And he divided the three hundred men into three parts, and gave them trumpets in their hands, and empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. 17 And he said to them: What you shall see me do, do you the same: I will go into one part of the camp, and do you as I shall do. 18 When the trumpet shall sound in my hand, do you also blow the trumpets on every side of the camp. 19 And Gedeon, and the three hundred men that were with him, went into part of the camp, at the beginning of the midnight watch, and the watchmen being alarmed, they began to sound their trumpets, and to clap the pitchers one against another. 20 And when they sounded their trumpets in three places round about the camp, and had broken their pitchers, they held their lamps in their left hands, and with their right hands the trumpets which they blew, and they cried out : The sword of the Lord and of Gedeon: 3 The Lord hath delivered into your hands the princes of Madian, Oreb and Zeb: what could I have done like to what you have done? And when he had said this, their spirit was appeased, with which they swelled against him. 4 And when Gedeon was come to the Jordan, he passed over it with the three hundred men, that were with him: who were so weary that they could not pursue after them that fled. 5 And he said to the men of Soccoth: Give, beseech you, bread to the people that is with me, for they are faint: that we may pursue Zebee, and Salmana the kings of Madian. 6 The princes of Soccoth answered: Peradventure the palms of the hands of Zebee and Salmana are in thy hand, and therefore thou demandest that we should give bread to thy army. 7 And he said to them: When the Lord therefore shall have delivered Zebee and Salmana into my hands, I will thrash your flesh with the thorns and briers of the desert. I 21 Standing every man in his place round about the enemies' camp. So all the camp was trou- 8 And going up from thence, he came to Pha bled, and crying out and howling they fled away. nuel: and he spoke the like things to the men 22 And the three hundred men nevertheless of that place. And they also answered him, persisted sounding the trumpets. a And the as the men of Soccoth had answered. Lord sent the sword into all the camp, and they killed one another, 23 Fleeing as far as Bethsetta, and the border of Abelmahula in Tebbath. But the men of Israel shouting from Nephtali and Aser, and from all Manasses pursued after Madian. 24 And Gedeon sent messengers into all mount Ephraim, saying: Come down to meet Madian, and take the waters before them to Bethbera and the Jordan. And all Ephraim shouted, and took the waters before them and the Jordan as far as Bethbera. 25 And having taken two men of Madian, Oreb, and Zeb: Oreb they slew in the rock of Oreb, and Zeb in the wine-press of Zeb. And they pursued Madian, carrying the heads of Oreb and Zeb to Gedeon beyond the waters of the Jordan. CHAP. VIII. Gedeon appeaseth the Ephraimites. Taketh Zabee and Salmana. Destroyeth Soccoth and Phanuel. Refuseth to be king. Maketh an ephod of the gold of the prey, and dieth in a good old age. The people return to idolatry. ND the men of Ephraim said to him: AW the men of Ephraim satto do, that thou wouldst not call us when thou wentest to fight against Madian? and they chid him sharply and almost offered violence. • Ps. 82. 10.—b Ps. 82. 12. Isa. 10. 26. A. M. 2759.- Osee, 10. 14. Ver. 19. Their trumpets, &c. In a mystical sense, the preachers of the gospel, in order to spiritual conquests, must not only sound with the trumpet of the word of God, but must also break their earthen pitchers, by the mortification of the flesh and its passions, and carry lamps in their hands by the light of their virtues. Ver. 25. Two men. That is, two of their chiefs. Ch. 8. v. 2. What could I, &c. A meek and humble answer appeased them; who otherwise might have come to extremities. So great is the power of humility both with God and man. 9 He said therefore to them also: When I shall return a conqueror in peace, I will destroy this tower. 10 But Zebee and Salmana were resting with all their army. For fifteen thousand men were left of all the troops of the eastern people, and one hundred and twenty thousand warriors that drew the sword, were slain. 11 dAnd Gedeon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents, on the east of Nobe, and Jegbaa, and smote the camp of the enemies, who were secure, and suspected no hurt. 12 And Zebee and Salmana fled, and Gedeon pursued and took them, all their host being put in confusion. 13 And returning from the battle before the sun rising, 14 He took a boy of the men of Soccoth: and he asked him the names of the princes and ancients of Soccoth, and he described unto him seventy seven men. 15 And he came to Soccoth and said to them: Behold Zebee and Salmana, concerning whom hands of Zebee and Salmana are in thy hands, you upbraided me, saying: Peradventure the and therefore thou demandest that we should give bread to the men that are weary and faint. 16 So he took the ancients of the city, and thorns and briers of the desert, and tore them with the same, and cut in pieces the men of Soccoth. 17 And he demolished the tower of Phanuel, and slew the men of the city. 18 And he said to Zebee and Salmana: What manner of men were they whom you slew in Thabor? They answered: They were like thee, and one of them as the son of a king. 19 He answered them: They were my bre thren, the sons of my mother. As the Lord liveth, if you had saved them, I would not kill you. lech, but is overcome. Abimelech destroyeth Sic but is killed at Thebes. AN b ND Abimelech the son of Jerobaal to Sichem to his mother's brethrer 20 And he said to Jether his eldest son: Arise, and slay them. But he drew not his sword: for he was afraid, being but yet a boy. 21 And Zebee and Salmana said: Do thou rise, and run upon us: because the strength of spoke to them, and to all the kindred of h ther's father, saying: a man is according to his age: Gedeon rose up and slew Zebee and Salmana: and he took the. 2 Speak to all the men of Sichem : w ornaments and bosses, with which the necks of is better for you that seventy men all t of Jerobaal should rule over you, or i the camels of kings are wont to be adorned. 22 And all the men of Israel said to Gedeon: man should rule over you? And with. Rule thou over us, and thy son, and thy son's der that I am your bone, and your fles son: because thou hast delivered us from the 3 And his mother's brethren spoke all the men of Sichem, all these w they inclined their hearts after Abim ing: He is our brother: hand of Madian. 23 And he said to them: I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you, but the Lord shall rule over you. 24 And he said to them: I desire one request of you: Give me the earlets of your spoils. For the Ismaelites were accustomed to wear golden earlets. 4 And they gave him seventy weig hired to himself men that were ne out of the temple of Baalberith: wh 5 And he came to his father's hou gabonds, and they followed him. and slew his brethren the sons of venty men, upon one stone: and t ed only Joatham the youngest son 6 And all the men of Sichem who was hidden. 25 They answered: We will give them most to Gedeon and to all his house. 29 So Jerobaal the son of Joas went, and dwelt 30 And he had seventy sons, who came out of his thigh, for he had many wives. 31 And his concubine, that he had in Sichem, bore him a son, whose name was Abimelech, 32 And Gedeon the son of Joas died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father in Ephra of the family of Ezri. 33 But after Gedeon was dead, the children of Israel turned again, and committed fornication with Baalim. And they made a covenant with Baal, that he should be their god: 34 And they remembered not the Lord their God, who delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies round about: 35 Neither did they shew mercy to the house of Jerobaal Gedeon, according to all the good things he had done to Israel. 1235. Ver. 27. An ephod. A priestly garment: which Gedeon made with a good design; but the Israelites, after his death, abused it by making it an instrument of their idolatrous worship. Ver. 31. His concubine. She was his servant, but not his harlot: and is called his concubine, as wives of an inferior degree are commonly called in the Old Testament, though otherwise lawfully married. Ch. 9. v. 4. Baalberith. That is, Baal of the covenant, so for the benefits of him, wao fought for you, | 34 Abimelech therefore arose with all his army 17 And exposed his life to dangers, to deliver by night, and laid ambushes near Sichem in you from the hands of Madian, four places. 18 And you are now risen up against my father's house, and have killed his sons seventy men upon one stone, and have made Abimelech the son of his handmaid king over the inhabitants of Sichem, because he is your brother: 19 If therefore you have dealt well, and without fault with Jerobaal, and his house, rejoice ye this day in Abimelech, and may he rejoice in you. 35 And Gaal the son of bed went out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city. And Abimelech rose up, and all his army with him from the places of the ambushes. 36 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul: Behold a multitude cometh down from the mountains. And he answered him: Thou seest the shadows of the mountains as if they were the heads of men, and this is thy mistake. 37 Again Gaal said: Behold there cometh people down from the middle of the land, and one troop cometh by the way that looketh to 20 But if unjustly: let fire come out from him, and consume the inhabitants of Sichem, and the town of Mello: and let fire come out from the men of Sichem, and from the town of Mel-wards the oak. lo, and devour Abimelech. 38 And Zebul said to him: Where is now thy 21 And when he had said thus, he fled, and mouth wherewith thou saidst? Who is Abíwent into Bera: and dwelt there for fear of melech that we should serve him? Is not this Abimelech his brother. the people which thou didst despise? Go out, and fight against him. 22 So Abimelech reigned over Israel for three years. 23 And the Lord sent a very evil spirit between Abimelech and the inhabitants of Sichem, who began to detest him, 24 And to leave the crime of the murder of the seventy sons of Jerobaal, and the shedding of their blood upon Abimelech their brother, and upon the rest of the princes of the Sichimites, who aided him. 25 And they set an ambush against him on the top of the mountains: and while they waited for his coming, they committed robberies, taking spoils of all that passed by: and it was told Abimelech. 26 And Gaal the son of Obed came with his brethren, and went over to Sichem. And the inhabitants of Sichem taking courage at his coming, : 39 So Gaal went out in the sight of the people of Sichem, and fought against Abimelech, 40 Who chased and put him to flight, and drove him to the city and many were slain of his people, even to the gate of the city: 41 And Abimelech sat down in Ruma: but Zebul drove Gaal, and his companions out of the city, and would not suffer them to abide in it. 42 So the day following the people went out into the field. And it was told to Abimelech, 43 And he took his army, and divided it into three companies, and laid ambushes in the fields. And seeing that the people came out of the city, he arose and set upon them. 44 With his own company, assaulting and besieging the city: whilst the two other companies chased the enemies that were scattered about the field. 45 And Abimelech assaulted the city all that and took it, and killed the inhabitants thereof, and demolished it, so that he sowed salt in it. 27 Went out into the fields, wasting the vineyards, and treading down the grapes and sing-day ing and dancing they went into the temple of their god, and in their banquets and cups they cursed Abimelech. 28 And Gaal the son of Obed cried: Who is Abimelech, and what is Sichem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerobaal, and hath made Zebul his servant ruler over the men of Emor the father of Sichem? Why then shall we serve him? 29 Would to God that some man would put this people under my hand, that I might remove Abimelech out of the way. And it was said to Abimelech: Gather together the multitude of an army, and come. 30 For Zebul the ruler of the city, hearing the words of Gaal, the son of Obed, was very angry, 31 And sent messengers privately to Abimelech, saying: Behold, Gaal the son of Obed is come into Sichem with his brethren, and endeavoureth to set the city against thee. 32 Arise therefore in the night with the people that is with thee, and lie hid in the field: 33 And betimes in the morning at sunrising set upon the city. And when he shall come out against thee with his people, do to him what thou shalt be able. Ver. 45. Sorred salt. To make the ground barren, and fit for nothing. 46 And when they who dwelt in the tower of Sichem had heard this, they went into the temple of their god Berith, where they had made a covenant with him, and from thence the place had taken its name, and it was exceeding strong. 47 Abimelech also hearing that the men of the tower of Sichem were gathered together, 48 Went up into mount Selmon he and all his people with him: and taking an axe, he cut down the bough of a tree, and laying it on his shoulder and carrying it, he said to his companions: What you see me do, do you out of hand. 49 So they cut down boughs from the trees, every man as fast as he could, and followed their leader. And surrounding the fort they set it on fire: and so it came to pass that with the smoke and with the fire a thousand persons were killed, men and women together, of the inhabitants of the tower of Sichem. 50 Then Abimelech departing from thence came to the town of Thebes, which he surrounded and besieged with his army. 51 And there was in the midst of the city a high tower, to which both the men and the women were fled together, and all the princes of the city, and having shut and strongly bar red the gate, they stood upon the battlements 12 The Sidonians also and Amalec and Chaof the tower to defend themselves. naan oppress you, and you cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand? 52 And Abimelech coming near the tower, fought stoutly and approaching to the gate, endeavoured to set fire to it: 53 And behold a certain woman casting a piece of a millstone from above, dashed it against the head of Abimelech, and broke his skull. 54 And he called hastily to his armourbearer, and said to him: Draw thy sword, and kill me: lest it should be said that I was slain by a woman. Hedidas hewas commanded, and slew him. 55 And when he was dead, all the men of Israel that were with him, returned to their homes. 56 And God repaid the evil, that Abimelech had done against his father, killing his seventy brethren. 57 The Sichimites also were rewarded for what they had done, and the curse of Joatham the son of Jerobaal came upon them. CHAP. X. Thola ruleth Israel twenty three years: and Jair 13 And yet you have forsaken me, and have worshipped strange gods: therefore I will deliver you no more: 14 Go and call upon the gods which you have chosen: let them deliver you in the time of distress. 15 And the children of Israel said to the Lord: We have sinned, do thou unto us whatsoever pleaseth thee: only deliver us this time. 16 And saying these things, they cast away out of their coasts all the idols of strange gods, and served the Lord their God: and he was touched with their miseries. 17 And the children of Ammon shouting together, pitched their tents in Galaad: against whom the children of Israel assembled themselves together and camped in Maspha. 18 And the princes of Galaad said one to another: Whosoever of us shall first begin to fight against the children of Ammon, he shall be the leader of the people of Galaad. CHAP. XI. AFTER Abimelech there arose a ruler in Jephte is made ruler of the people of Galand; he first Israel, Thola son of Phua the uncle of Abimelech, a man of Issachar, who dwelt in Samir of mount Ephraim: 2 And he judged Israel three and twenty years, and he died and was buried in Samir. 4 Having thirty sons that rode on thirty asscolts, and were princes of thirty cities, which from his name were called Havoth Jair, that is, the towns of Jair, until this present day in the land of Galaad. 5 And Jair died: and was buried in the place which was called Camon. pleads their cause against the Ammonites; making a row obtains a signal victory: he performs his vow. THE HERE was at that time Jephte the Galaadite, a most valiant man and a warrior, the son of a woman that was a harlot, and his father was Galaad. 2 Now Galaad had a wife of whom he had sons: who after they were grown up, thrust out Jephte, saying: Thou canst not inherit in the house of our father, because thou art born of another mother. 3 Then he fled and avoided them and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered to him needy men, and robbers, and they followed him as their prince. 4 In those days the children of Ammon made war against Israel. 5 And as they pressed hard upon them, the ancients of Galaad went to fetch Jephte out of the land of Tob to help them: 6 But the children of Israel, adding new sins to their old ones, did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served idols, Baalim and Astaroth, and the gods of Syria and of Sidon and of Moab and of the children of Ammon and of the Philistines: and they left the Lord, and did not serve him. 7 And the Lord being angry with them, delivered them into the hands of the Philistines.6 And they said to him: Come thou and be our and of the children of Ammon. prince, and fight against the children of Ammon. 7 And he answered them: Are not you the men that hated me, and cast me out of my father's house, and now you are come to me constrained by necessity? 8 And they were afflicted, and grievously oppressed for eighteen years, all they that dwelt beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorrhite, who is in Galaad: 8 And the princes of Galaad said to Jephte: For this cause we are now come to thee, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be head over all the 9 Insomuch that the children of Ammon passing 2 Kings, 11. 21.-b1 Kings, 31. 4. 1 Par. 10. 4.-A.M. 2816. Ch. 10. v. 1. Uncle of Abimelech, i. e., half-brother to Gedeon, as being born of the same mother, but by a different father, and of a different tribe. Ver. 4. Havoth Jair. This name was now confirmed to these towns, which they had formerly received from another Jair. Numbers, 32. 41. 9 Jephte also said to them: If you be come to me sincerely, that I should fight for you against the children of Ammon, and the Lord shall deliver them into my hand, shall I be your prince? 10 They answered him: The Lord who heareth these things, he himself is mediator and witness that we will do as we have promised. 11 Jephte therefore went with the princes of Galaad, and all the people made him theit prince. And Jephte spoke all his words before the Lord in Maspha. |