Judges · Chapter 8

[ edit] And þe men of Effraym ſeiden to hym, What is þis þat þou woldeſt doo, þat þou clepediſt not vs, whanne þou ſhuldiſt go to fiȝt aȝens Madian? chidynge ſtronglich and almeſt violence brynggynge yn. To whom he anſwerde, What ſiche þing forſoþe myȝte Y doo, what ȝe han doon? Wheþer is not betere þe graape of Effraym þan þe vendage of Abieþer? Into ȝoure hoondis þe Lord haþ takun þe princis of Madian, Oreb and Zeb. What ſiche þing miȝte Y doo, what þing ȝe han doo? Þe which þing whanne he hadde ſpoken, þe ſpyryt of hem took reſt, bi þe which þei bolneden aȝens hym.

And whanne Gedeon was comyn to Jordan, he paſſide it wiþ þre hundrid men, þat weren wiþ hym; and for werynes, fleynge þei myȝten not purſue. And he ſeide to þe men of Socchoþ, Y biſeche, ȝyueþ looues to þe puple, þat is wiþ me; for greetlich þei defauten, þat we mowen purſue Zebee and Salmana, kyngis of Madian. Þe princis of Soccoþ anſwerden, Perauenture þe palmes of þe hoondis of Zebee and of Salmana ben in þin hoond, and þerfor þow aſkiſt, þat we ȝeuen to þin ooſt looues. To whom he ſeiþ, Whanne þerfor þe Lord ſhal taak into myn hoondis Zebee and Salmana, and whanne Y were turned aȝen ouercomer in pees, Y ſhal to-teren ȝoure fleſh wiþ þornes and breris of deſeert.

And þens goynge he cam into Phanuel; and he ſpak to þe men of þat place lijk þingis, and to whom þei anſwerden, as anſwerden þe men of Soccoþ. And to hem he ſeide alſo, Whanne Y were turned aȝen ouercomer in pees, Y ſhall deſtruy þis tour. Zebee forſoþe and Salmana reſtiden wiþ al her ooſt; forſoþe fifteen þowſand men abiden ſtil of alle þe cumpanyes of þe eſt puplis, ſleyn an hundryd and twenty þouſandis of fiȝters and of drawers out ſwerd. And Gedeon ſtiynge vp bi þe weye of hem þat dwelliden in tabernaclis at þe eeſt cooſt of Nobee and Lecaa, he ſmoot þe tentis of þe enemyes, þat weren ſiker, and no þing of aduerſyte ortroweden.

And Zebee and Salmana flowen, whom purſuynge Gedeon took, diſturblid al þe ooſt of hem. And he turnynge aȝen fro þe bateyl before þe ſunne ryſynge, he took a child of þe men of Soccoþ; and he aſkyde hym þe names of þe pryncis, and of þe eldren of Soccoþ; and he diſcriuyde ſeuenty and ſeuen men bi noumbre. And he cam to Socoþ, and ſeide to hem, Loo Zebee and Salmana! vpon þe whiche ȝee myſſeyden to me, ſeiynge, Perauenture þe hoondys of Zebee and Salmana in þin hoondis ben, and þerfor þou aſkiſt, þat we ȝeuen to þe men, þat ben wery and han defautid, looues.

He took þanne þe eldre of þe cyte, and þornes of deſeert and breris, and torente wiþ hem, and diſtruyede þe men of Socoþ; forſoþe þe tour of Phanuel he turnede vpſedoun, ſlayn þe dwellers of þe cyte. And he ſeide to Zebee and to Salmana, What weren þe men, whom ȝe ſlowen in Thabor? Þe whiche anſwerden, Lijk þee, and oon of hem as þe ſone of a kyng. To whom he, My briþeren þei weren, þe ſones of my moder; God lyueþ, if ȝe hadden kepte hem, Y wolde not haue ſlayn ȝow. And he ſeide to Jepter, his fyrſt gotun, Ryſe, and ſle hem. Þe which drewe not out þe ſwerd; forſoþe he dredde, for a child he was ȝit.

And Zebee and Salmana ſeyden, Þow ryſe, and fal into vs; for after age and ſtrengþ þow art of a man. Gedeon roos, and ſlewe Zebee and Salmana, and took þe ournementis, and billis, wiþ þe whiche þe neckis of kyngis chamels ben wonyd to be anourned. And alle þe men of Yrael ſeiden to Gedeon, Haue lordſhip of vs, þow, and þi ſone, and þe ſone of þi ſone; for þow haſt delyuerd vs fro þe hoond of Madian. To whom he ſeiþ, I ſhal not haue lordſhip of ȝou, ne my ſone ſhal haue lordſhip in ȝou, but þe Lord ſhal haue lordſhip. And he ſeide to hem, Oon aſkynge Y aſke of ȝow, ȝeueþ to me þe eere ryngys of ȝoure praye; forſoþe Yſmaelitis weren woned to han golden eereryngis.

Þe whiche anſwerden, Mooſt glaadly we ſhulen ȝeue. And ſpredynge a brood vpon þe erþe a mantil, þei þrewen forþ in it þe eere ryngis of þe praye; and þe weiȝt of þe aſkid eereryngis was a þouſand and ſeuenti ſiclis of gold, wiþ outen þe ournementis and brochis and purpur clooþ, þe which þe kyngis of Madian weren wont to vſe, and biſide þe goldun beeȝis of chamels. And Gedeon maad of it a coop, and putte it in Effra his citee; and al Yrael dide fornycacioun in it; and it was maad to Gedeon and to alle þe hows of hym into fallynge. Forſoþe Madian is mekid before þe ſones of Yrael, ne þei myȝten more ouer reer vp þe nollis; but þe loond reſtide bi fourty ȝeer, in þe which Gedeon was in dignyte.

And ſo Joroboal, þe ſone of Joas, ȝede, and dwelte in his hows; and he hadde ſeuenti ſones, þat camen out of þe hype of hym, forþi þat he hadde many wyues. Forſoþe þe ſecoundarye wijf of hym, þat he had in Sichem, gat hym a ſone, Abymalech bi name. And Gedeon, þe ſone of Joas, is deed in a good age, and biryed in þe ſepulcre of Joas his fader, in Efra, of þe meyne of Ezry.

Forſoþe after þat Gedeon is deed, þe ſones of Irael ben turned awey, and han doo fornycacioun wiþ Baalym; and þei ſmyten wiþ Baal couenaunt of pees, þat he were to hem into God, ne þei recordiden of þe Lord her God, þe which delyuerde hem fro þe hoond of alle her enemyes bi enuyroun; ne þei diden mercy wiþ þe hows of Jeroboal Gedeon, after alle þe good þingys þat he dide to Yrael.