¹ Opet mi dođe reč Gospodnja govoreći:

² Sine čovečji, govori sinovima naroda svog, i kaži im: Kad pustim na koju zemlju mač, ako narod one zemlje uzme koga između sebe, i postave ga sebi za stražara,

³ I on videvši mač gde ide na zemlju zatrubi u trubu, i opomene narod,

⁴ Ako se ko čuvši trubu ne uzme na um, i mač došavši pogubi ga, krv će njegova biti na njegovoj glavi.

⁵ Jer ču glas trubni, i ne uze se na um, krv će njegova biti na njemu; da se uze na um, sačuvao bi dušu svoju.

⁶ Ako li stražar videvši mač gde ide ne zatrubi u trubu i narod ne bude opomenut, a mač došav pogubi koga između njih, taj će poginuti za svoje bezakonje, ali ću krv njegovu iskati iz ruke stražareve.

⁷ I tebe, sine čovečji, tebe postavih stražarem domu Izrailjevom; slušaj dakle reč iz mojih usta i opominji ih od mene.

⁸ Kad kažem bezbožniku: Bezbožniče, poginućeš; a ti ne progovoriš i ne opomeneš bezbožnika da se prođe puta svog; taj će bezbožnik poginuti za svoje bezakonje; ali ću krv njegovu iskati iz tvoje ruke.

⁹ Ako li ti opomeneš bezbožnika da se vrati sa svog puta, a on se ne vrati sa svog puta, on će poginuti za svoje bezakonje, a ti ćeš sačuvati dušu svoju.

¹⁰ Zato ti, sine čovečji, reci domu Izrailjevom: Vi govorite ovako i kažete: Prestupi naši i gresi naši na nama su, i s njih propadamo; kako bismo živeli?

¹¹ Reci im: Tako bio ja živ, govori Gospod Gospod, nije mi milo da umre bezbožnik, nego da se vrati bezbožnik sa svog puta i bude živ; vratite se, vratite se sa zlih puteva svojih, jer zašto da mrete, dome Izrailjev?

¹² Zato ti, sine čovečji, reci sinovima naroda svog: Pravednog neće izbaviti pravda njegova kad zgreši, i bezbožnik neće propasti sa bezbožnosti svoje kad se vrati od bezbožnosti svoje, kao što pravednik ne može s nje živeti kad zgreši.

¹³ Kad kažem pravedniku da će doista živeti, a on se pouzda u pravdu svoju pa učini nepravdu, od sve pravde njegove ništa se neće spomenuti, nego će poginuti s nepravde svoje koju učini.

¹⁴ A kad kažem bezbožniku: Doista ćeš poginuti, a on se obrati od greh svog i stane činiti sud i pravdu,

¹⁵ I vrati bezbožnik zalog, i vrati šta je oteo, i stane hoditi po uredbama životnim ne čineći bezakonja, doista će biti živ, neće umreti.

¹⁶ Od svih greha što je zgrešio ništa mu se neće spomenuti; činio je sud i pravdu, doista će živ biti.

¹⁷ A sinovi naroda tvog govore: Nije prav put Gospodnji; a njihov put nije prav.

¹⁸ Kad se pravednik odvrati od pravde svoje i učini nepravdu, poginuće s toga.

¹⁹ A kad se bezbožnik odvrati od svoje bezbožnosti i učini sud i pravdu, on će živ biti s toga.

²⁰ A vi govorite: Nije prav put Gospodnji. Sudiću vam, dome Izrailjev, svakome po putevima njegovim.

²¹ A dvanaeste godine robovanja našeg, desetog meseca, petog dana dođe k meni jedan koji uteče iz Jerusalima, i reče: Uze se grad.

²² A ruka Gospodnja dođe nada me uveče pre nego dođe onaj što pobeže, i otvori mi usta dokle onaj dođe k meni ujutru; otvoriše mi se usta, te više ne ćutah.

²³ I dođe mi reč Gospodnja govoreći:

²⁴ Sine čovečji, koji žive u onim pustolinama u zemlji Izrailjevoj govore i kažu: Avram beše jedan, i nasledi ovu zemlju; a nas je mnogo; nama je data ova zemlja u nasledstvo.

²⁵ Zato im reci: Ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Jedete s krvlju, i oči svoje podižete ka gadnim bogovima svojim, i krv prolivate, i hoćete da nasledite zemlju?

²⁶ Opirete se na mač svoj, činite gadove, i skvrnite svaki ženu bližnjeg svog, i hoćete da nasledite zemlju?

²⁷ Ovako im reci: Ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Tako ja živ bio, koji su u pustolinama, pašće od mača; i koji je u polju, zverima ću ga dati da ga izjedu; a koji su po gradovima i po pećinama, od pomora će pomreti.

²⁸ Tako ću sasvim opusteti tu zemlju, i nestaće ponosa sile njene, i opusteće gore Izrailjeve da neće niko prolaziti.

²⁹ I oni će poznati da sam ja Gospod kad zemlju sasvim opustim za sve gadove njihove što činiše.

³⁰ A o tebi, sine čovečji, sinovi naroda tvog kazuju o tebi uza zidove i na vratima kućnim, i govore jedan drugom, svaki bratu svom, i vele: Hodite i čujte kakva reč dođe od Gospoda.

³¹ I dolaze k tebi kao kad se narod skuplja, i narod moj seda pred tobom, i sluša reči tvoje, ali ih ne izvršuje; u ustima su im ljupke, a srce njihovo ide za svojim lakomstvom.

³² I gle, ti si im kao ljupka pesma, kao čovek lepog glasa i koji dobro svira; slušaju reči tvoje, ali ih ne izvršuju.

³³ Ali kad to dođe, a evo ide, onda će poznati da je bio prorok među njima.

¹ Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people who were with him, rose up early, and encamped beside the spring of Harod: and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

² Yahweh said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me.'

³ Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, 'Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.'" Twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.

⁴ Yahweh said to Gideon, "The people are still too many. Bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. It shall be, that of whom I tell you, 'This shall go with you,' the same shall go with you; and of whoever I tell you, 'This shall not go with you,' the same shall not go."

⁵ So he brought down the people to the water; and Yahweh said to Gideon, "Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue, like a dog laps, you shall set him by himself; likewise everyone who bows down on his knees to drink."

⁶ The number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water.

⁷ Yahweh said to Gideon, "By the three hundred men who lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, each to his own place."

⁸ So the people took food in their hand, and their trumpets; and he sent all the men of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men: and the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

⁹ It happened the same night, that Yahweh said to him, "Arise, go down into the camp; for I have delivered it into your hand.

¹⁰ But if you are afraid to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp:

¹¹ and you shall hear what they say; and afterward your hands will be strengthened to go down into the camp." Then went he down with Purah his servant to the outermost part of the armed men who were in the camp.

¹² The Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is on the seashore for multitude.

¹³ When Gideon had come, behold, there was a man telling a dream to his fellow; and he said, "Behold, I dreamed a dream; and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came to the tent, and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat."

¹⁴ His fellow answered, "This is nothing other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel. God has delivered Midian into his hand, with all the army."

¹⁵ It was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and its interpretation, that he worshiped; and he returned into the camp of Israel, and said, "Arise; for Yahweh has delivered the army of Midian into your hand!"

¹⁶ He divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers.

¹⁷ He said to them, "Watch me, and do likewise. Behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so you shall do.

¹⁸ When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and shout, 'For Yahweh and for Gideon!'"

¹⁹ So Gideon, and the hundred men who were with him, came to the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and broke in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands.

²⁰ The three companies blew the trumpets, and broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands with which to blow; and they shouted, "The sword of Yahweh and of Gideon!"

²¹ They stood every man in his place around the camp; and all the army ran; and they shouted, and put [them] to flight.

²² They blew the three hundred trumpets, and Yahweh set every man's sword against his fellow, and against all the army; and the army fled as far as Beth Shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.

²³ The men of Israel were gathered together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after Midian.

²⁴ Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against Midian, and take before them the waters, as far as Beth Barah, even the Jordan!" So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and took the waters as far as Beth Barah, even the Jordan.

²⁵ They took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian: and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.