The Message Bible MSG
The Latin Vulgate VUL
1 Yet again the People of Israel went back to doing evil in God's sight. God put them under the domination of Midian for seven years.
1
fecerunt autem filii Israhel malum in conspectu Domini qui tradidit eos in manu Madian septem annis
2 Midian overpowered Israel. Because of Midian, the People of Israel made for themselves hideouts in the mountains - caves and forts.
2
et oppressi sunt valde ab eis feceruntque sibi antra et speluncas in montibus et munitissima ad repugnandum loca
3 When Israel planted its crops, Midian and Amalek, the easterners, would invade them,
3
cumque sevisset Israhel ascendebat Madian et Amalech et ceteri orientalium nationum
4 camp in their fields, and destroy their crops all the way down to Gaza. They left nothing for them to live on, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey.
4
et apud eos figentes tentoria sicut erant in herbis cuncta vastabant usque ad introitum Gazae nihilque omnino ad vitam pertinens relinquebant in Israhel non oves non boves non asinos
5 Bringing their cattle and tents, they came in and took over, like an invasion of locusts. And their camels - past counting! They marched in and devastated the country.
5
ipsi enim et universi greges eorum veniebant cum tabernaculis et instar lucustarum universa conplebant innumera multitudo hominum et camelorum quicquid tetigerant devastantes
6 The People of Israel, reduced to grinding poverty by Midian, cried out to God for help.
6
humiliatusque est Israhel valde in conspectu Madian
7 One time when the People of Israel had cried out to God because of Midian,
7
et clamavit ad Dominum postulans auxilium contra Madianitas
8 God sent them a prophet with this message: "God, the God of Israel, says, I delivered you from Egypt, I freed you from a life of slavery;
8
qui misit ad eos virum prophetam et locutus est haec dicit Dominus Deus Israhel ego vos feci conscendere de Aegypto et eduxi de domo servitutis
9 I rescued you from Egypt's brutality and then from every oppressor; I pushed them out of your way and gave you their land.
9
et liberavi de manu Aegyptiorum et omnium inimicorum qui adfligebant vos eiecique eos ad introitum vestrum et tradidi vobis terram eorum
10 "And I said to you, 'I am God, your God. Don't for a minute be afraid of the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living.' But you didn't listen to me."
10
et dixi ego Dominus Deus vester ne timeatis deos Amorreorum in quorum terra habitatis et noluistis audire vocem meam
11 One day the angel of God came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, whose son Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress, out of sight of the Midianites.
11
venit autem angelus Domini et sedit sub quercu quae erat in Ephra et pertinebat ad Ioas patrem familiae Ezri cumque Gedeon filius eius excuteret atque purgaret frumenta in torculari ut fugeret Madian
12 The angel of God appeared to him and said, "God is with you, O mighty warrior!"
12
apparuit ei et ait Dominus tecum virorum fortissime
13 Gideon replied, "With me, my master? If God is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all the miracle-wonders our parents and grandparents told us about, telling us, 'Didn't God deliver us from Egypt?' The fact is, God has nothing to do with us - he has turned us over to Midian."
13
dixitque ei Gedeon obsecro Domine si Dominus nobiscum est cur adprehenderunt nos haec omnia ubi sunt mirabilia eius quae narraverunt patres nostri atque dixerunt de Aegypto eduxit nos Dominus nunc autem dereliquit nos et tradidit in manibus Madian
14 But God faced him directly: "Go in this strength that is yours. Save Israel from Midian. Haven't I just sent you?"
14
respexitque ad eum Dominus et ait vade in hac fortitudine tua et liberabis Israhel de manu Madian scito quod miserim te
15 Gideon said to him, "Me, my master? How and with what could I ever save Israel? Look at me. My clan's the weakest in Manasseh and I'm the runt of the litter."
15
qui respondens ait obsecro Domine mi in quo liberabo Israhel ecce familia mea infima est in Manasse et ego minimus in domo patris mei
16 God said to him, "I'll be with you. Believe me, you'll defeat Midian as one man."
16
dixitque ei Dominus ego ero tecum et percuties Madian quasi unum virum
17 Gideon said, "If you're serious about this, do me a favor: Give me a sign to back up what you're telling me.
17
et ille si inveni inquit gratiam coram te da mihi signum quod tu sis qui loquaris ad me
18 Don't leave until I come back and bring you my gift." He said, "I'll wait till you get back."
18
ne recedas hinc donec revertar ad te portans sacrificium et offerens tibi qui respondit ego praestolabor adventum tuum
19 Gideon went and prepared a young goat and a huge amount of unraised bread (he used over half a bushel of flour!). He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and took them back under the shade of the oak tree for a sacred meal.
19
ingressus est itaque Gedeon et coxit hedum et de farinae modio azymos panes carnesque ponens in canistro et ius carnium mittens in ollam tulit omnia sub quercum et obtulit ei
20 The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and unraised bread, place them on that rock, and pour the broth on them." Gideon did it.
20
cui dixit angelus Domini tolle carnes et panes azymos et pone super petram illam et ius desuper funde cumque fecisset ita
21 The angel of God stretched out the tip of the stick he was holding and touched the meat and the bread. Fire broke out of the rock and burned up the meat and bread while the angel of God slipped away out of sight.
21
extendit angelus Domini summitatem virgae quam tenebat in manu et tetigit carnes et azymos panes ascenditque ignis de petra et carnes azymosque consumpsit angelus autem Domini evanuit ex oculis eius
22 And Gideon knew it was the angel of God! Gideon said, "Oh no! Master, God! I have seen the angel of God face to face!"
22
vidensque Gedeon quod esset angelus Domini ait heu mihi Domine Deus quia vidi angelum Domini facie ad faciem
23 But God reassured him, "Easy now. Don't panic. You won't die."
23
dixitque ei Dominus pax tecum ne timeas non morieris
24 Then Gideon built an altar there to God and named it "God's Peace." It's still called that at Ophrah of Abiezer.
24
aedificavit ergo ibi Gedeon altare Domino vocavitque illud Domini pax usque in praesentem diem cum adhuc esset in Ephra quae est familiae Ezri
25 That night this happened. God said to him, "Take your father's best seven-year-old bull, the prime one. Tear down your father's Baal altar and chop down the Asherah fertility pole beside it.
25
nocte illa dixit Dominus ad eum tolle taurum patris tui et alterum taurum annorum septem destruesque aram Baal quae est patris tui et nemus quod circa aram est succide
26 Then build an altar to God, your God, on the top of this hill. Take the prime bull and present it as a Whole-Burnt-Offering, using firewood from the Asherah pole that you cut down."
26
et aedificabis altare Domino Deo tuo in summitate petrae huius super quam sacrificium ante posuisti tollesque taurum secundum et offeres holocaustum super lignorum struem quae de nemore succideris
27 Gideon selected ten men from his servants and did exactly what God had told him. But because of his family and the people in the neighborhood, he was afraid to do it openly, so he did it that night.
27
adsumptis igitur Gedeon decem viris de servis suis fecit sicut praeceperat Dominus timens autem domum patris sui et homines illius civitatis per diem facere noluit sed omnia nocte conplevit
28 Early in the morning, the people in town were shocked to find Baal's altar torn down, the Asherah pole beside it chopped down, and the prime bull burning away on the altar that had been built.
28
cumque surrexissent viri oppidi eius mane viderunt destructam aram Baal lucumque succisum et taurum alterum inpositum super altare quod tunc aedificatum erat
29 They kept asking, "Who did this?" Questions and more questions, and then the answer: "Gideon son of Joash did it."
29
dixeruntque ad invicem quis hoc fecit cumque perquirerent auctorem facti dictum est Gedeon filius Ioas fecit haec omnia
30 The men of the town demanded of Joash: "Bring out your son! He must die! Why, he tore down the Baal altar and chopped down the Asherah tree!"
30
et dixerunt ad Ioas produc filium tuum ut moriatur quia destruxit aram Baal et succidit nemus
31 But Joash stood up to the crowd pressing in on him, "Are you going to fight Baal's battles for him? Are you going to save him? Anyone who takes Baal's side will be dead by morning. If Baal is a god in fact, let him fight his own battles and defend his own altar."
31
quibus ille respondit numquid ultores estis Baal et pugnatis pro eo qui adversarius eius est moriatur antequam lux crastina veniat si deus est vindicet se de eo qui suffodit aram eius
32 They nicknamed Gideon that day Jerub-Baal because after he had torn down the Baal altar, he had said, "Let Baal fight his own battles."
32
ex illo die vocatus est Gedeon Hierobbaal eo quod dixisset Ioas ulciscatur se de eo Baal qui suffodit altare eius
33 All the Midianites and Amalekites (the easterners) got together, crossed the river, and made camp in the Valley of Jezreel.
33
igitur omnis Madian et Amalech et orientales populi congregati sunt simul et transeuntes Iordanem castrametati sunt in valle Iezrahel
34 God's Spirit came over Gideon. He blew his ram's horn trumpet and the Abiezrites came out, ready to follow him.
34
spiritus autem Domini induit Gedeon qui clangens bucina convocavit domum Abiezer ut sequeretur
35 He dispatched messengers all through Manasseh, calling them to the battle; also to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali. They all came.
35
misitque nuntios in universum Manassen qui et ipse secutus est eum et alios nuntios in Aser et Zabulon et Nepthalim qui occurrerunt ei
36 Gideon said to God, "If this is right, if you are using me to save Israel as you've said,
36
dixitque Gedeon ad Dominum si salvum facis per manum meam Israhel sicut locutus es
37 then look: I'm placing a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If dew is on the fleece only, but the floor is dry, then I know that you will use me to save Israel, as you said."
37
ponam vellus hoc lanae in area si ros in solo vellere fuerit et in omni terra siccitas sciam quod per manum meam sicut locutus es liberabis Israhel
38 That's what happened. When he got up early the next morning, he wrung out the fleece - enough dew to fill a bowl with water!
38
factumque est ita et de nocte consurgens expresso vellere concam rore conplevit
39 Then Gideon said to God, "Don't be impatient with me, but let me say one more thing. I want to try another time with the fleece. But this time let the fleece stay dry, while the dew drenches the ground."
39
dixitque rursus ad Dominum ne irascatur furor tuus contra me si adhuc semel temptavero signum quaerens in vellere oro ut solum vellus siccum sit et omnis terra rore madens
40 God made it happen that very night. Only the fleece was dry while the ground was wet with dew.
40
fecitque Dominus nocte illa ut postulaverat et fuit siccitas in solo vellere et ros in omni terra
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.