Judges 8
1 And the men of Ephraim said to him, “What is this, that you wanted to do, so that you would not call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they rebuked him strongly, and came close to using violence.
Et les hommes d'Ephraïm lui dirent: Qu'est-ce de ta part que cette manière d'agir envers nous, de ne pas nous appeler lorsque tu marchais à l'attaque de Madian? Et ils le prirent à partie avec véhémence.
2 And he responded to them: “But what could I have done that would be so great as what you have done? Is not one bunch of grapes of Ephraim better than the vintages of Abiezer?
Et il leur dit: Qu'ai-je fait d'égal à vos exploits? le grappillage d'Ephraïm n'est-il pas préférable à la vendange d'Abiézer?
3 The Lord has delivered into your hands the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What could I have done that would be so great as what you have done?” And when he had said this, their spirit, which was swelling up against him, was quieted.
C'est entre vos mains que Dieu a livré les princes Madianites Oreb et Zeeb. Qu'ai-je pu faire aussi bien que vous? Alors l'animosité qu'ils avaient contre lui, s'apaisa, comme il parlait ainsi.
4 And when Gideon had arrived at the Jordan, he crossed over it with the three hundred men who were with him. And they were so weary that they were unable to pursue those who were fleeing.
Et Gédéon, arrivé sur le Jourdain, le passa avec les trois cents hommes qui l'accompagnaient fatigués et poursuivant toujours.
5 And he said to the men of Succoth, “I beg you, give bread to the people who are with me, for they are greatly weakened, so that we may be able to pursue Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”
Alors il dit aux gens de Succoth: Donnez donc des galettes de pain à la troupe qui me suit, car elle est rendue, et je suis à la poursuite de Zébah et Tsalmunna, rois de Madian.
6 The leaders of Succoth answered, “Perhaps the palms of the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna are in your hand, and for this reason, you request that we give bread to your army.”
Et les chefs de Succoth lui dirent: Tiens-tu déjà captifs Zébah et Tsalmunna pour que nous donnions du pain à ton escorte?
7 And he said to them, “So then, when the Lord will have delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hands, I will thresh your flesh with the thorns and briers of the desert.”
Et Gédéon dit: Eh bien! si l'Éternel met Zébah et Tsalmunna en mon pouvoir, je triturerai votre chair avec des ronces de la steppe et des chardons.
8 And going up from there, he arrived at Penuel. And he spoke to the men of that place similarly. And they also answered him, just as the men of Succoth had answered.
Et de là il monta à Pnuel, et il y tint le même langage, et les gens de Pnuel lui firent la même réponse que les gens de Succoth.
9 And so he said to them also, “When I will have returned as a victor in peace, I will destroy this tower.”
Et il dit aussi aux gens de Pnuel: Si je reviens sain et sauf, je raserai cette tour-là.
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were resting with their entire army. For fifteen thousand men were left out of all the troops of the eastern people. And one hundred twenty thousand warriors that drew the sword had been cut down.
Or Zébah et Tsalmunna étaient à Carcor avec leur armée d'environ quinze mille hommes, total de ce qui était resté de toute l'armée des enfants de l'Orient: cent vingt mille hommes tirant l'épée avaient péri.
11 And Gideon ascended by the way of those who were dwelling in tents, to the eastern part of Nobah and Jogbehah. And he struck the camp of the enemies, who were confident and were suspecting nothing adverse.
Et Gédéon s'avança du côté de ceux qui logent dans des tentes, à l'orient de Noba et de Jogbeha et dressa son camp, tandis que [l'autre] camp était en sécurité.
12 And Zebah and Zalmunna fled. And Gideon pursued and overtook them, sending their entire army into confusion.
Et Zébah et Tsalmunna prirent la fuite, et il les poursuivit, et fit prisonniers les deux rois de Madian, Zébah et Tsalmunna: il avait jeté l'épouvante dans tout le camp.
13 And returning from the war before sunrise,
Alors Gédéon, fils de Joas, revint de la guerre et partit de la hauteur qui domine Hérès.
14 he took a boy from among the men of Succoth. And he asked him the names of the leaders and elders of Succoth. And he described seventy-seven men.
Et il arrêta un jeune homme d'entre les gens de Succoth, qu'il interrogea, et qui lui désigna par écrit les chefs de Succoth et les Anciens, soixante-dix-sept hommes.
15 And he went to Succoth, and he said to them: “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, over whom you rebuked me, saying: ‘Perhaps the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna are in your hands, and for this reason, you request that we give bread to men who are languishing and weakened.’”
Puis il se présenta aux gens de Succoth et dit: Voici Zébah et Tsalmunna desquels vous me disiez ironiquement: Tiens-tu déjà Zébah et Tsalmunna captifs, pour que nous donnions du pain à tes gens épuisés?
16 Therefore, he took the elders of the city, and, using the thorns and briers of the desert, he threshed them with these, and he cut the men of Succoth to pieces.
Et il saisit les Anciens de la ville et prit des ronces de la steppe et des chardons, et les fit servir au supplice des hommes de Succoth.
17 He also overturned the tower of Penuel, and he killed the men of the city.
Et il rasa la tour de Pnuel, et massacra les gens de la ville.
18 And he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were those whom you killed at Tabor?” They responded, “They were like you, and one of them was like the son of a king.”
Et il dit à Zébah et Tsalmunna: Comment étaient les hommes que vous avez égorgés au Thabor? Et ils dirent: Tel tu es, tels ils étaient: ils avaient chacun la prestance de fils de rois.
19 He answered them: “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had preserved them, I would not kill you.”
Et il dit: C'étaient mes frères, fils de ma mère. Par la vie de l'Éternel, si vous leur eussiez laissé la vie, je ne vous égorgerais pas.
20 And he said to Jether, his firstborn son, “Rise up, and put them to death.” But he did not draw his sword. For he was afraid, being still a boy.
Et il dit à Jéther, son premier-né: Va, égorge-les! Mais l'enfant ne tirait pas l'épée, parce qu'il avait peur, car c'était encore un enfant.
21 And Zebah and Zalmunna said: “You should rise up and rush against us. For the strength of a man is in accord with his age.” Gideon rose up, and he killed Zebah and Zalmunna. And he took the ornaments and studs, with which the necks of the royal camels are usually adorned.
Alors Zébah et Tsalmunna dirent: Allons, toi-même, jette-toi sur nous! car tel est l'homme, telle est sa force. Alors Gédéon se leva et égorgea Zébah et Tsalmunna. Et il prit les lunules qui étaient au cou de leurs chameaux.
22 And all the men of Israel said to Gideon: “You should rule over us, and your son, and your son’s son. For you freed us from the hand of Midian.”
Et les hommes d'Israël dirent à Gédéon: Domine sur nous, et toi et ton fils et le fils de ton fils, parce que tu nous as sauvés des mains des Madianites.
23 And he said to them: “I will not rule over you. Neither shall my son rule over you. Instead, the Lord shall rule over you.”
Et Gédéon leur dit: Je ne dominerai point sur vous, et mon fils ne dominera point sur vous; c'est l'Éternel qui doit dominer sur vous.
24 And he said to them: “I petition one request from you. Give me the earrings from your spoils.” For the Ishmaelites were accustomed to wear gold earrings.
Et Gédéon leur dit: J'ai une demande à vous faire: donnez-moi chacun une boucle de narine de votre butin! (Car ils portaient à la narine des boucles d'or, étant Ismaélites.)
25 They responded, “We are very willing to give them.” And spreading a cloak on the ground, they cast upon it the earrings from the spoils.
Et ils dirent: Nous te les donnerons. Et ils étendirent un manteau et chacun y jeta une boucle de narine de son butin.
26 And the weight of the earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, aside from the ornaments, and necklaces, and purple garments, which the kings of Midian were accustomed to use, and aside from the gold chains on the camels.
Et le poids des boucles de narine d'or qu'il demanda, fut de mille sept cents sicles d'or, non compris les lunules et les pendants d'oreille et les vêtements de pourpre que portaient les rois de Madian, et les colliers qui étaient au cou de leurs chameaux.
27 And Gideon made an ephod from these, and he kept it in his city, Ophrah. And all of Israel committed fornication with it, and it became a ruin to Gideon and to all his house.
Et Gédéon en fit un Ephod, et il le plaça dans sa ville, à Ophra; et tout Israël alla s'y prostituer, et ce fut un piège pour Gédéon et pour sa maison.
28 But Midian was humbled before the sons of Israel. Neither were they able any longer to lift up their necks. But the land rested for forty years, while Gideon presided.
C'est ainsi que les Madianites plièrent devant les enfants d'Israël, et ils ne relevèrent plus la tête. Et le pays eut un repos de quarante ans à l'époque de Gédéon.
29 And so Jerubbaal, the son of Joash, went and lived in his own house.
Et Jérubbaal, fils de Joas, s'en alla habiter dans sa maison.
30 And he had seventy sons, who went forth from his own thigh. For he had many wives.
Or Gédéon eut soixante-dix fils, issus de son sang, car il avait beaucoup de femmes.
31 But his concubine, whom he had in Shechem, bore him a son named Abimelech.
Et sa concubine, qui était à Sichem, lui enfanta un fils, et il lui donna le nom d'Abimélech.
32 And Gideon, the son of Joash, died in a good old age, and he was buried in the sepulcher of his father, at Ophrah, of the family of Ezri.
Et Gédéon, fils de Joas, mourut dans une belle vieillesse, et reçut la sépulture dans le tombeau de Joas, son père, à Ophra des Abi-Ezrites.
33 But after Gideon died, the sons of Israel turned away, and they committed fornication with the Baals. And they struck a covenant with Baal, so that he would be their god.
Et lorsque Gédéon fut mort, de nouveau les enfants d'Israël se prostituèrent aux Baals, et ils firent leur dieu de Baal-Berith.
34 And they did not remember the Lord their God, who rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on all sides.
Et les enfants d'Israël ne se souvinrent pas de l'Éternel, leur Dieu, qui les avait sauvés des mains de tous leurs ennemis d'alentour.
35 Neither did they show mercy to the house of Jerubbaal Gideon, in accord with all the good that he had done for Israel.
Et ils ne montrèrent pas à la maison de Jérubbaal, de Gédéon, une affection proportionnée à tout le bien qu'il avait fait à Israël.
