1 T hen the people of Israel sinned in the eyes of the Lord. And the Lord gave them into the hands of Midian for seven years.

Mas os filhos de Israel fizeram o que era mau aos olhos do Senhor, e o Senhor os entregou na mão de Midiã por sete anos.

2 M idian was stronger than Israel. Because of Midian the people of Israel made big caves in the sides of the mountains where they could live which were safe places for themselves.

Prevalecia, pois, a mão de Midiã sobre Israel e, por causa de Midiã, fizeram os filhos de Israel para si as covas que estão nos montes, as cavernas e as fortalezas.

3 F or when Israel had planted seeds, the Midianites and Amalekites and the people of the east would come and fight against them.

Porque sucedia que, havendo Israel semeado, subiam contra ele os midianitas, os amalequitas e os filhos do oriente;

4 T hey would set up their tents beside them and destroy the food of the field as far as Gaza. They would leave no food for Israel, and no sheep, cattle or donkeys.

e, acampando-se contra ele, destruíam o produto da terra até chegarem a Gaza, e não deixavam mantimento em Israel, nem ovelhas, nem bois, nem jumentos.

5 T hey would come with their animals and their tents. They were like locusts, there were so many of them. There were too many of them and their camels to number. And they came into the land to destroy it.

Porque subiam com os seus rebanhos e tendas; vinham em multidão, como gafanhotos; tanto eles como os seus camelos eram inumeráveis; e entravam na terra, para a destruir.

6 S o Israel became very poor because of Midian. The people of Israel cried to the Lord.

Assim Israel se enfraqueceu muito por causa dos midianitas; então os filhos de Israel clamaram ao Senhor.

7 T he people of Israel cried to the Lord because of Midian.

E sucedeu que, clamando eles ao Senhor por causa dos midianitas,

8 A nd the Lord sent a man to speak for Him to the people of Israel. The man said to them, “The Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘I brought you here from Egypt. I brought you out of the house where you were made to work.

enviou-lhes o Senhor um profeta, que lhes disse: Assim diz o Senhor, Deus de Israel: Do Egito eu vos fiz subir, e vos tirei da casa da servidão;

9 I set you free from the power of the Egyptians and from the hands of all who made it hard for you. I drove them away from in front of you and gave you their land.

livrei-vos da mão dos egípcios, e da mão de todos quantos vos oprimiam, e os expulsei de diante de vós, e a vós vos dei a sua terra.

10 I said to you, “I am the Lord your God. Do not be afraid of the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live.” But you have not obeyed Me.’”

Também eu vos disse: Eu sou o Senhor vosso Deus; não temais aos deuses dos amorreus, em cuja terra habitais. Mas não destes ouvidos ã minha voz.

11 T hen the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak tree in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. The angel came as Joash’s son Gideon was beating out grain where grapes are crushed, to save it from the Midianites.

Então o anjo do Senhor veio, e sentou-se debaixo do carvalho que estava em Ofra e que pertencia a Joás, abiezrita, cujo filho Gideão estava malhando o trigo no lagar para o esconder dos midianitas.

12 T he angel of the Lord showed himself to Gideon and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O powerful soldier.”

Apareceu-lhe então o anjo do Senhor e lhe disse: O Senhor é contigo, ó homem valoroso.

13 G ideon said to him, “O sir, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all His powerful works which our fathers told us about? They said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has left us alone. He has put us under the power of Midian.”

Gideão lhe respondeu: Ai, senhor meu, se o Senhor é conosco, por que tudo nos sobreveio? e onde estão todas as suas maravilhas que nossos pais nos contaram, dizendo: Não nos fez o Senhor subir do Egito? Agora, porém, o Senhor nos desamparou, e nos entregou na mão de Midiã.

14 T he Lord looked at him and said, “Go in this strength of yours. And save Israel from the power of Midian. Have I not sent you?”

Virou-se o Senhor para ele e lhe disse: Vai nesta tua força, e livra a Israel da mão de Midiã; porventura não te envio eu?

15 G ideon said to Him, “O Lord, how can I save Israel? See, my family is the least in Manasseh. And I am the youngest in my father’s house.”

Replicou-lhe Gideão: Ai, senhor meu, com que livrarei a Israel? eis que a minha família é a mais pobre em Manassés, e eu o menor na casa de meu pai.

16 B ut the Lord said to him, “For sure I will be with you. You will destroy Midian as one man.”

Tornou-lhe o Senhor: Porquanto eu hei de ser contigo, tu ferirás aos midianitas como a um só homem.

17 G ideon said to Him, “If I have found favor in Your eyes, show me something to prove that it is You Who speaks with me.

Prosseguiu Gideão: Se agora tenho achado graça aos teus olhos, dá-me um sinal de que és tu que falas comigo.

18 I ask of You, do not leave here until I return to You with my gift and lay it before You.” And the Lord said, “I will stay until you return.”

Rogo-te que não te apartes daqui até que eu volte trazendo do meu presente e o ponha diante de ti. Respondeu ele: Esperarei até que voltes.

19 T hen Gideon went into his house and got a young goat ready. He made bread without yeast from a basket of flour. He put the meat in a basket and the water from boiling the meat in a pot. Then he brought them out to him under the tree and set them down in front of him.

Entrou, pois, Gideão, preparou um cabrito e fez, com uma e efa de farinha, bolos ázimos; pôs a carne num cesto e o caldo numa panela e, trazendo para debaixo do carvalho, lho apresentou.

20 T he angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the bread without yeast and lay them on this rock. Then pour out the water.” Gideon did so.

Mas o anjo de Deus lhe disse: Toma a carne e os bolos ázimos, e põe-nos sobre esta rocha e derrama-lhes por cima o caldo. E ele assim fez.

21 T he angel of the Lord put out the end of the stick that was in his hand and touched the meat and the bread without yeast. And fire came up from the rock and burned up the meat and the bread without yeast. Then the angel of the Lord was seen no more.

E o anjo do Senhor estendeu a ponta do cajado que tinha na mão, e tocou a carne e os bolos ázimos; então subiu fogo da rocha, e consumiu a carne e os bolos ázimos; e o anjo do Senhor desapareceu-lhe da vista.

22 S o Gideon knew that he was the angel of the Lord. And he said, “I am afraid, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.”

Vendo Gideão que era o anjo do Senhor, disse: Ai de mim, Senhor Deus! pois eu vi o anjo do Senhor face a face.

23 T he Lord said to him, “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid. You will not die.”

Porém o Senhor lhe disse: Paz seja contigo, não temas; não morrerás.

24 T hen Gideon built an altar there to the Lord. He gave it the name, The Lord is Peace. It is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites to this day.

Então Gideão edificou ali um altar ao Senhor, e lhe chamou Jeová-Salom; e ainda até o dia de hoje está o altar em Ofra dos abiezritas.

25 T hat same night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull and a second bull seven years old. Use them to pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father. And cut down the tree of the false goddess Asherah that is beside it.

Naquela mesma noite, disse o Senhor a Gidão: Toma um dos bois de teu pai, a saber, o segundo boi de sete anos, e derriba o altar de Baal, que é de teu pai, e corta a asera que está ao pé dele.

26 B uild an altar to the Lord your God on the top of this strong place. Set the stones in the right way. Then take a second bull and give a burnt gift. Use the wood of the tree of the false goddess Asherah which you cut down.”

Edifica ao Senhor teu Deus um altar no cume deste lugar forte, na forma devida; toma o segundo boi, e o oferece em holocausto, com a lenha da asera que cortares

27 G ideon took ten of his servants and did what the Lord had told him to do. But he was too afraid of those of his father’s house and the men of the city to do it during the day. So he did it during the night.

Então Gideão tomou dez homens dentre os seus servos, e fez como o Senhor lhe dissera; porém, temendo ele a casa de seu pai e os homens daquela cidade, não o fez de dia, mas de noite.

28 W hen the men of the city got up early in the morning, they saw that the altar of Baal was torn down. They saw that the false goddess Asherah which was beside it was cut down. And the second bull was given on the altar which had been built.

Levantando-se, pois, os homens daquela cidade, de madrugada, eis que estava o altar de Baal derribado, cortada a asera que estivera ao pé dele, e o segundo boi oferecido no altar que fora edificado.

29 T he men said to one another, “Who did this?” After they had looked around and asked, they were told, “Gideon the son of Joash did this thing.”

Pelo que disseram uns aos outros: Quem fez isto? E, depois de investigarem e inquirirem, disseram: Gideão, filho de Joás, é quem fez isto.

30 T hen the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, so he may die. For he has torn down the altar of Baal. And he has cut down our goddess Asherah which was beside it.”

Então os homens daquela cidade disseram a Joás: Tira para fora teu filho, para que morra, porque derribou o altar de Baal e cortou a asera que estava ao pé dele.

31 B ut Joash said to all who were gathered against him, “Will you fight for Baal? Will you save him? Whoever will fight for him will be put to death this morning. If he is a god, let him fight for himself because someone has torn down his altar.”

Joás, porém, disse a todos os que se puseram contra ele: Contendereis vós por Baal? livrá-lo-eis vós? Qualquer que por ele contender, ainda esta manhã será morto; se ele é deus, por si mesmo contenda, pois foi derribado o seu altar.

32 S o on that day he gave Gideon the name Jerubbaal, which means, “Let Baal fight against him.” Because he tore down his altar.

Pelo que naquele dia chamaram a Gidão Jerubaal, dizendo: Baal contenda contra ele, pois derribou o seu altar.

33 T hen all the Midianites and Amalekites and people of the east gathered together. They crossed the Jordan and set up their tents in the valley of Jezreel.

Então todos os midianitas, os amalequitas e os filhos do oriente se ajuntaram e, passando o Jordão, acamparam no vale de Jizreel.

34 B ut the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon. He blew a horn and called together the Abiezerites to follow him.

Mas o Espírito do Senhor apoderou-se de Gideão; e tocando ele a trombeta, os abiezritas se ajuntaram após ele.

35 H e sent men with news to go through Manasseh. And the Manassites were called together to follow him. He sent men with news to Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali. And they came to meet him.

E enviou mensageiros por toda a tribo de Manassés, que também se ajuntou após ele; e ainda enviou mensageiros a Aser, a Zebulom e a Naftali, que lhe saíram ao encontro.

36 T hen Gideon said to God, “Save Israel through me, as You have said.

Disse Gideão a Deus: Se hás de livrar a Israel por minha mão, como disseste,

37 S ee, I will put wool on the floor where grain is crushed. If the wool is wet, and it is dry on the ground, I will know that You will save Israel through me, as You have said.”

eis que eu porei um velo de lã na eira; se o orvalho estiver somente no velo, e toda a terra ficar enxuta, então conhecerei que hás de livrar a Israel por minha mão, como disseste.

38 I t was so. Gideon got up early the next morning and took the wool in his hand. Enough water poured from the wool to fill a pot.

E assim foi; pois, levantando-se de madrugada no dia seguinte, apertou o velo, e espremeu dele o orvalho, que encheu uma taça.

39 T hen Gideon said to God, “Do not let Your anger burn against me for speaking to You once again. Let me make one more test with the wool. Let it be dry only on the wool. And let the ground be wet all around it.”

Disse mais Gideão a Deus: Não se acenda contra mim a tua ira se ainda falar só esta vez. Permite que só mais esta vez eu faça prova com o velo; rogo-te que só o velo fique enxuto, e em toda a terra haja orvalho.

40 G od did so that night. For it was dry only on the wool. And all the ground was wet around it.

E Deus assim fez naquela noite; pois só o velo estava enxuto, e sobre toda a terra havia orvalho.