Judges · Chapter 6

[ edit] The ſones forſoþe of Yrael diden yuel in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord, þe which took hem in þe hoond of Madian ſeuen ȝeer. And þei ben oppreſſid greetli of hem; and þei maden to hem caaues, and ſpelunkis in hillis, and mooſt defenſable placis to wiþſtonden. And whanne Irael wex feers, Madian ſtiede vp, and Amalech, and oþer of þe eſt naciouns; and anentis hem pitchinge tentis, as þei weren in graſſe, alle þingis þei waſtiden vnto þe entre of Gaze, and no þing perteynynge to þe lijf vtterli þei laften in Yrael, ne ſheep, ne oxe, ne aſſes.

Forſoþe þei and alle þe flockis of hem camen wiþ her tabernaclis, and at þe licknes of locuſtis alle placis fulfillide þe vnnoumbrable multitude of men and of camels, and waſtynge what euere þing þei touchiden. And Yrael is mekid greetli in þe ſiȝt of Madian.

And he cryede to þe Lord, aſkynge help aȝens Madianytis; þe which ſente to hem a man prophete, and ſpak, Þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord God of Yrael, Y haue maad ȝou to come doun fro Egipt, and haue brouȝt ȝou out fro þe hous of ſeruage, and delyuerd fro þe hoond of Egipciens, and of alle þe enemyes þat tourmentiden ȝow; and haue þrowun hem out at ȝoure entree, and haue taak to ȝow þe loond of hem; and ſeide, I þe Lord ȝoure God; ne drede ȝe þe goddis of Amorreis, in whos loond ȝe dwellen; and ȝe wolden not here my vois. Forſoþe þe aungel of þe Lord cam, and ſat vndur þe ook, þat was in Effra, and perteynede to Joas, þe fader of þe meyne of Ezry.

And whanne Gedeon, þe ſone of hym, ſhockide out, and purgide whetis in þe preſſynge place, þat he fleiȝ Madian, þe aungel of þe Lord apperide to hym, and ſeiþ, Þe Lord wiþ þee, mooſt ſtroong of men. And Gedion ſeide to hym, Y biſeche, my lord, if þe Lord is wiþ vs, whi þanne han taak vs alle þes yuels? Where ben þe merueyls of hym, þe whiche oure faders tolden, and ſeiden, Þe Lord haþ lad vs out of Egipt? Now forſoþe he haþ forſakun vs, and takun in þe hoond of Madian. And þe Lord bihelde to hym, and ſeiþ, Go in þis þi ſtrengþ, and þou ſhalt delyuer Yrael fro þe hoond of Madian; wite þow, þat Y haue ſent þee. Þe which anſwerynge ſeiþ, My lord, Y biſeche, in what ſhal Y delyuer Yrael?

Loo! my meyne is loweſt in Manaſſe, and Y leeſt in þe hows of my fader. And þe Lord ſeide to hym, I ſhal be wiþ þee, and þow ſhalt ſmyte Madian as o man. And he, If Y haue foundun, he ſeiþ, grace before þee, ȝif to me a tokne, þat þou be, þe which ſpekiſt wiþ me; ne goo þou hens, to þe tyme þat I turne aȝen to þee, bryngynge ſacrifice, and offrynge to þee. Þe which anſwerde, Y ſhal abide þi comynge. And ſo Gedeon wente in, and ſeþide a kydde, and of a buſſhel of flour þerf looues, and fleiſh puttynge in þe leep; and þe fleſh broþþe puttynge in to þe pot, he took alle þingis vndur þe ook, and offerde to hym.

To whom ſeide þe aungel of þe Lord, Tak þe fleſh, and þe þerf looues, and putte vpon þe ſtoon, and þe broþþe heelde þere vpon. And whanne he hadde doo ſo, þe aungel of þe Lord ſtreiȝte out þe vttermoſt part of þe ȝeerde þat he heelde in hoond, and he touchid þe fleſh, and þe þerf looues; and fier ſtiede up fro þe ſtoon, and conſumede þe fleſh, and þe þerf looues. Forſoþe þe aungel of þe Lord vanyſſhide a wey fro þe eyen of hym. And Gedeon ſeynge þat it was þe aungel of þe Lord ſeiþ, Wo me, Lord God, for Y haue ſeen þe aungel of þe Lord face to face. And þe Lord ſeide to hym, Pees wiþ þee; ne drede þow, þou ſhalt not dye.

Þanne Gedeon bilde þere an auter to þe Lord, and he clepide it þe Pees of þe Lord, vnto þe day þat is now. And whanne ȝit he hadde be in Effra, þat is þe meyne of Ezry, þat nyȝt þe Lord ſeide to hym, Tak þe bole of þi fader, and anoþer bole of ſeuen ȝeer, and þou ſhalt diſtruye þe auter of Baal, þat is of þi fader, and þe wode, þat is about þe auter, hew doun; and þou ſhalt bilde an auter to þe Lord þi God in þe ouermoſt of þis ſtoon, vpon þe which þou puttiſt before ſacrifice; and þou ſhalt take þe ſecounde bole, and offer brent ſacrifice vpon þe hepe of wode, þat þow haſt kut of þe wode. Þann Gedeon taken to ten men of his ſeruauntis, dide as þe Lord comaundide to hym.

Forſoþe dredynge þe hows of his fader, and þe men of þat cytee, by day he wold not doon, but alle þingis þe nyȝt he fulfilde. And whanne þe men of his burgh toun erly weren ryſen, þei ſeen þe auter of Baal deſtruyed, and þe mawmet woode hewun doun, and anoþer bole ſet vpon þe auter, þat þanne was bild vp. And þei ſeiden to gidre, Who haþ doon þis? And whanne þei ſouȝten þe doer of þe dede, it is ſeide, Gedeon, þe ſone of Joas, dide alle þeſe þingis. And þei ſeiden to Joas, Bryng forþ þi ſone hider, þat he be deed, for he haþ deſtruyed þe auter of Baal, and hewen doun þe wode.

To whom he anſwerde, Wheþer ȝe ben wrechers of Baal, þat ȝe fiȝten for hym? who is þe aduerſarye of hym, dye he, before þe morwetide liȝt come; if he is God, venge he hymſilf of hym þat haþ deluen vp þe auter of hym. Fro þat day Gedeon is clepid Jeroboal, forþi þat Joas ſeide, Baal take veniaunce of hym þat haþ doluen down þe auter of hym. Þerfor al Madian, and Amelech, and þe eſte puplis ben gedrid to gidre, and paſſynge ouer Jordan ſettiden tentis in þe valey of Jezrael. Forſoþe þe ſpyryt of þe Lord cloþide Gedeon; þe which criynge wiþ tromp clepide to gidre þe hows of Abiezer, for he ſhulde folwe hym.

And he ſente meſſangers into al Manaſſen, þe which and he folwide hym; and oþer meſſangers into Aſer, and Zabulon, and Neptalym, þe whiche aȝen camen to hym. And Gedeon ſeide to þe Lord, If þow makiſt ſaaf bi myn hoond þe puple of Irael, as þow haſt ſpokun, Y ſhal put þis fleeſe of wul in þe floore; if dewe in þe fleeſe alone were, and in al þe erþe drouȝþ, Y ſhal wyte, þat bi myn hoond, as þou haſt ſpokun, þow ſhalt delyuer Yrael. And it is doo ſo.

And fro þe niȝt riſynge, þruſt out of þe fleeſe, he fulfillede an holwȝ veſſel wiþ dew; and eft he ſeide to þe Lord, Ne wexe not wrooþ þi woodnes aȝens me, if ȝit ones Y tempte a tokne ſechynge in þe fleeſe; Y preye, þat oonli þe fleeſe be drye, and al þe erþe wiþ dew moyſt. And þe Lord dide þat nyȝt, as he axide; and þere was drouȝþ in þe fleeſe alone, and dewe in al þe erþe.