Κεφάλαιο 6

Κεφάλαιο 6

ΚΑΙ ἐποίησαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ τὸ πονηρὸν ἐνώπιον Κυρίου, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοὺς Κύριος ἐν χειρὶ Μαδιὰμ ἑπτὰ ἔτη. 2 καὶ ἴσχυσε χεὶρ Μαδιὰμ ἐπὶ ᾿Ισραήλ· καὶ ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἀπὸ προσώπου Μαδιὰμ τὰς τρυμαλιὰς τὰς ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι καὶ τὰ σπήλαια καὶ τὰ κρεμαστά. 3 καὶ ἐγένετο ἐὰν ἔσπειραν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ ἀνέβαινον Μαδιὰμ καὶ ᾿Αμαλήκ, καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ ἀνατολῶν συνανέβαινον αὐτοῖς· καὶ παρενέβαλον εἰς αὐτοὺς 4 καὶ κατέφθειραν τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῶν ἕως ἐλθεῖν εἰς Γάζαν καὶ οὐ κατελείποντο ὑπόστασιν ζωῆς ἐν τῇ γῇ ᾿Ισραὴλ οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς ποιμνίοις ταῦρον καὶ ὄνον· 5 ὅτι αὐτοὶ καὶ αἱ κτήσεις αὐτῶν ἀνέβαινον καὶ αἱ σκηναὶ αὐτῶν παρεγίνοντο καθὼς ἀκρὶς εἰς πλῆθος, καὶ αὐτοῖς καὶ ταῖς καμήλοις αὐτῶν οὐκ ἦν ἀριθμός, καὶ ἤρχοντο εἰς τὴν γῆν ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ διέφθειρον αὐτήν. 6 καὶ ἐπτώχευσεν ᾿Ισραὴλ σφόδρα ἀπὸ προσώπου Μαδιάμ, 7 καὶ ἐβόησαν υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ πρὸς Κύριον ἀπὸ προσώπου Μαδιάμ. 8 καὶ ἐξαπέστειλε Κύριος ἄνδρα προφήτην πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· τάδε λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ᾿Ισραήλ· ἐγώ εἰμι ὃς ἀνήγαγον ὑμᾶς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου καὶ ἐξήγαγον ὑμᾶς ἐξ οἴκου δουλείας ὑμῶν 9 καὶ ἐρρυσάμην ὑμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς Αἰγύπτου καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς πάντων τῶν θλιβόντων ὑμᾶς καὶ ἐξέβαλον αὐτοὺς ἐκ προσώπου ὑμῶν καὶ ἔδωκα ὑμῖν τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν 10 καὶ εἶπα ὑμῖν· ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν, οὐ φοβηθήσεσθε τοὺς θεοὺς τοῦ ᾿Αμορραίου, ἐν οἷς ὑμεῖς κάθησθε ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτῶν· καὶ οὐκ εἰσηκούσατε τῆς φωνῆς μου.

11 Καὶ ἦλθεν ἄγγελος Κυρίου καὶ ἐκάθισεν ὑπὸ τὴν τερέμινθον τὴν ἐν ᾿Εφραθὰ τὴν ᾿Ιωὰς πατρὸς τοῦ ᾿Εσδρί, καὶ Γεδεὼν ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ραβδίζων σῖτον ἐν ληνῷ εἰς ἐκφυγεῖν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ Μαδιάμ. 12 καὶ ὤφθη αὐτῷ ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτόν· Κύριος μετὰ σοῦ, ἰσχυρὸς τῶν δυνάμεων. 13 καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν Γεδεών· ἐν ἐμοί, Κύριέ μου, καὶ εἰ ἔστι Κύριος μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν, εἰς τί εὗρεν ἡμᾶς τὰ κακὰ ταῦτα; καὶ ποῦ ἐστι πάντα τὰ θαυμάσια αὐτοῦ, ἃ διηγήσαντο ἡμῖν οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν λέγοντες, μὴ οὐχὶ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἀνήγαγεν ἡμᾶς Κύριος; καὶ νῦν ἐξέρριψεν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἔδωκεν ἡμᾶς ἐν χειρὶ Μαδιάμ. 14 καὶ ἐπέστρεψε πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου καὶ εἶπε· πορεύου ἐν τῇ ἰσχύϊ σου ταύτῃ καὶ σώσεις τὸν ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐκ χειρὸς Μαδιάμ· ἰδοὺ ἐξαπέστειλά σε. 15 καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν Γεδεών· ἐν ἐμοί, Κύριέ μου, ἐν τίνι σώσω τὸν ᾿Ισραήλ; ἰδοὺ ἡ χιλιάς μου ἠσθένησεν ἐν Μανασσῇ, καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι μικρότερος ἐν οἴκῳ τοῦ πατρός μου. 16 καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου· Κύριος ἔσται μετὰ σοῦ, καὶ πατάξεις τὴν Μαδιὰμ ὡσεὶ ἄνδρα ἕνα. 17 καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν Γεδεών· εἰ δὴ εὗρον ἔλεος ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου καὶ ποιήσεις μοι σήμερον πᾶν ὅ,τι ἐλάλησας μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ, 18 μὴ χωρισθῇς ἐντεῦθεν ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῖν με πρός σε, καὶ ἐξοίσω τὴν θυσίαν καὶ θύσω ἐνώπιόν σου. καὶ εἶπεν· ἐγώ εἰμι, καθήσομαι ἕως τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι σε. 19 καὶ Γεδεὼν εἰσῆλθε καὶ ἐποίησεν ἔριφον αἰγῶν καὶ οἰφὶ ἀλεύρου ἄζυμα καὶ τὰ κρέα ἔθηκεν ἐν τῷ κοφίνῳ καὶ τὸν ζωμὸν ἔβαλεν ἐν τῇ χύτρᾳ καὶ ἐξήνεγκεν αὐτὰ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τὴν τερέμινθον καὶ προσήγγισε. 20 καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ Θεοῦ· λαβὲ τὰ κρέα καὶ τὰ ἄζυμα καὶ θὲς πρὸς τὴν πέτραν ἐκείνην καὶ τὸν ζωμὸν ἐχόμενα ἔκχεε· καὶ ἐποίησεν οὕτως. 21 καὶ ἐξέτεινεν ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου τὸ ἄκρον τῆς ράβδου τῆς ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἥψατο τῶν κρεῶν καὶ τῶν ἀζύμων, καὶ ἀνέβη πῦρ ἐκ τῆς πέτρας καὶ κατέφαγε τὰ κρέα καὶ τοὺς ἀζύμους· καὶ ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου ἐπορεύθη ἀπ᾿ ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ. 22 καὶ εἶδε Γεδεὼν ὅτι ἄγγελος Κυρίου οὗτός ἐστι, καὶ εἶπε Γεδεών· ἆ ἆ, Κύριέ μου Κύριε, ὅτι εἶδον τὸν ἄγγελον Κυρίου πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον. 23 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Κύριος· εἰρήνη σοι, μὴ φοβοῦ, οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃς. 24 καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐκεῖ Γεδεὼν θυσιαστήριον τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ ἐπεκάλεσεν αὐτῷ Εἰρήνη Κυρίου ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης, ἔτι αὐτοῦ ὄντος ἐν ᾿Εφραθὰ πατρὸς τοῦ ᾿Εσδρί.

25 Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Κύριος· λαβὲ τὸν μόσχον τὸν ταῦρον, ὅς ἐστι τῷ πατρί σου, καὶ μόσχον δεύτερον ἑπταετῆ καὶ καθελεῖς τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ Βάαλ ὅ ἐστι τῷ πατρί σου, καὶ τὸ ἄλσος τὸ ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸ ὀλοθρεύσεις. 26 καὶ οἰκοδομήσεις θυσιαστήριον τῷ Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ σου ἐπὶ κορυφὴν τοῦ Μαουὲκ τούτου ἐν τῇ παρατάξει καὶ λήψῃ τὸν μόσχον τὸν δεύτερον καὶ ἀνοίσεις ὁλοκαυτώματα ἐν τοῖς ξύλοις τοῦ ἄλσους, οὗ ἐξολοθρεύσεις. 27 καὶ ἔλαβε Γεδεὼν δέκα ἄνδρας ἀπὸ τῶν δούλων ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἐποίησεν ὃν τρόπον ἐλάλησε πρὸς αὐτὸν Κύριος· καὶ ἐγενήθη ὡς ἐφοβήθη τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας τῆς πόλεως τοῦ ποιῆσαι ἡμέρας, καὶ ἐποίησε νυκτός. 28 καὶ ὤρθρισαν οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως τὸ πρωΐ, καὶ ἰδοὺ καθῄρητο τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ Βάαλ, καὶ τὸ ἄλσος τὸ ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ ὠλόθρευτο· καὶ εἶδαν τὸν μόσχον τὸν δεύτερον, ὃν ἀνήνεγκεν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ ᾠκοδομημένον. 29 καὶ εἶπεν ἀνὴρ πρὸς τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ· τίς ἐποίησε τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο; καὶ ἐπεζήτησαν καὶ ἠρεύνησαν καὶ ἔγνωσαν ὅτι Γεδεὼν υἱὸς ᾿Ιωὰς ἐποίησε τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο. 30 καὶ εἶπαν οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως πρὸς ᾿Ιωάς· ἐξένεγκε τὸν υἱόν σου καὶ ἀποθανέτω, ὅτι καθεῖλε τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ Βάαλ καὶ ὅτι ὠλόθρευσε τὸ ἄλσος τὸ ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ. 31 καὶ εἶπε Γεδεὼν υἱὸς ᾿Ιωὰς τοῖς ἀνδράσι πᾶσιν, οἳ ἐπανέστησαν αὐτῷ· μὴ ὑμεῖς νῦν δικάζεσθε ὑπὲρ τοῦ Βάαλ; ἢ ὑμεῖς σώσετε αὐτόν; ὃς ἐὰν δικάσηται αὐτῷ, θανατωθήτω ἕως πρωΐ· εἰ Θεός ἐστι, δικαζέσθω αὐτῷ, ὅτι καθεῖλε τὸ θυσιαστήριον αὐτοῦ. 32 καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ῾Ιεροβάαλ λέγων· δικαζέσθω ἐν αὐτῷ ὁ Βάαλ, ὅτι καθῃρέθη τὸ θυσιαστήριον αὐτοῦ. 33 καὶ πᾶσα Μαδιὰμ καὶ ᾿Αμαλὴκ καὶ υἱοὶ ἀνατολῶν συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ παρενέβαλον ἐν τῇ κοιλάδι ᾿Ιεζραέλ. 34 καὶ πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἐνεδυνάμωσε τὸν Γεδεών, καὶ ἐσάλπισεν ἐν κερατίνῃ καὶ ἐφοβήθη ᾿Αβιέζερ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ. 35 καὶ ἀγγέλους ἀπέστειλεν εἰς πάντα Μανασσῆ καὶ ἐν ᾿Ασὴρ καὶ ἐν Ζαβουλὼν καὶ ἐν Νεφθαλὶ καὶ ἀνέβη εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῶν. 36 καὶ εἶπε Γεδεὼν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· εἰ σύ σώζεις ἐν χειρί μου τὸν ᾿Ισραὴλ καθὼς ἐλάλησας, 37 ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ τίθημι τὸν πόκον τοῦ ἐρίου ἐν τῇ ἅλωνι· ἐὰν δρόσος γένηται ἐπὶ τὸν πόκον μόνον καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ξηρασία, γνώσομαι ὅτι σώσεις ἐν χειρί μου τὸν ᾿Ισραήλ, καθὼς ἐλάλησας. 38 καὶ ἐγένετο οὕτως· καὶ ὤρθρισε τῇ ἐπαύριον καὶ ἐξεπίασε τὸν πόκον, καὶ ἔσταξε δρόσος ἀπὸ τοῦ πόκου, πλήρης λεκάνη ὕδατος. 39 καὶ εἶπε Γεδεὼν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· μὴ δὴ ὀργισθήτω ὁ θυμός σου ἐν ἐμοί, καὶ λαλήσω ἔτι ἅπαξ· πειράσω δὴ καί γε ἔτι ἅπαξ ἐν τῷ πόκῳ, καὶ γενέσθω ἡ ξηρασία ἐπὶ τὸν πόκον μόνον, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν γενηθήτω δρόσος. 40 καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς οὕτως ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ· καὶ ἐγένετο ξηρασία ἐπὶ τὸν πόκον μόνον, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἐγενήθη δρόσος.