In confidence whereof I once again
Defy thee to the trial of mortal fight,
By combat to decide whose God is God,
Thine, or whom I with Israel's sons adore.
Fair honour that thou dost thy God, in trusting
He will accept thee to defend his cause,
A murderer, a revolter, and a robber.
Tongue-doughty giant, how dost thou prove me these?
Is not thy nation subject to our lords?
Their magistrates confessed it, when they took thee
As a league-breaker, and delivered bound
Into our hands: for hadst thou not committed
Notorious murder on those thirty men
At Ascalon, who never did thee harm,
Then like a robber strippedst them of their robes?
The Philistines, when thou hadst broke the league,
Went up with armed powers thee only seeking,
To others did no violence nor spoil.
ᾗ δὴ πεποιθὼς, δευτέροις κηρύγμασιν αὐτὸν κελεύω σ', ὁπότερός γ ̓ ἔσται θεὸς, εἴτ ̓ οὖν σὸς, εἴτ ̓ ἐμῆς ὃς αἰσυμνᾷ χθονός,
στεῤῥᾶς ἐλέγχειν ἐσχάτῃ κρίσει μάχης.
ἢ κάρτα τιμῆς τὸν σὸν ἀξιοῖς Θεὸν,
σέ νιν δοκῶν ἂν πρόμαχον αἰνέσαι ποτὲ,
λῃστήν τε παράνομόν τε καὶ μιαιφόνον.
πῶς δὴ, θρασύστομ', ὡς τὸ σῶμ ̓ ὑπερφυής;
ὑμῶν ἀνάσσουσ ̓ οἵ γε τῇδε κοίρανοι·
τούτῳ δὲ συμφωνοῦσιν οἱ ̓ν ὑμῖν πάλαι
ἄρχοντες, οἳ, δήσαντες, ὥστε σοῦ κρατεῖν
ἡμῖν παρέδοσαν σ ̓, ὃς παρὰ σπονδῶν νόμους
ἄνδρας τριάκοντ' Ασκαλωνίτας, σέθεν γ'
ἀζημίους, πάντη δὲ δημόθρουν τόδε,
ἔκτεινας, ὡς δὲ φὼρ ἐσύλησας στολήν.
σὲ δ ̓ αὖ μετῆλθον οἱ Φιλιστῖνοι μόνον,
ὅπλ ̓ ἐπιφέροντες, τὸν παρεκβεβηκότα
αὐτοὶ δὲ λείας ὕβρεως τ ̓ ἀναίτιοι.
Among the daughters of the Philistines
I chose a wife, which argued me no foe;
And in your city held my nuptial feast.
But your ill-meaning politician lords,
Under pretence of bridal friends and guests,
Appointed to await me thirty spies,
Who, threatening cruel death, constrained the bride.
To wring from me, and tell to them, my secret,
That solved the riddle which I had proposed.
When I perceived all set on enmity.
As on my enemies, wherever chanced,
I used hostility, and took their spoil,
To pay my underminers in their coin.
My nation was subjected to your lords—
It was the force of conquest; force with force
Is well ejected when the conquered can.
But I, a private person, whom my country
As a league-breaker gave up bound, presumed
Single rebellion, and did hostile acts
I was no private, but a person raised,
With strength sufficient, and command from Heaven,
To free my country; if their servile minds
ἐχθρὸς μὲν οὐκ ἦ, τῶν Φιλιστίνων χθονὶ
δάμαρθ ̓ ἑλόμενος, καν γάμοις ἑορτάσας·
ὑμῶν δ ̓ ἄνακτες κακοφρονοῦντες αἱμύλοι
ἔμοιγ ̓ ἐνέδρας ἃς λέγεις ἐσκεύασαν
οὗτοι δ ̓ ἀπειλαῖς ἐβιάσαντο τὴν νυὸν
ὥς σφε κτανεῖν ἔμελλον, ἐκμαθεῖν ἐμοῦ
κρυπτὸν σόφισμα καὶ λύσεις αἰνιγμάτων·
αὐτοῖσι δ', ἐκμαθοῦσα, διέδωκεν τόδε·
ἔχθραν δ' ἰδών μοι πάντα μηχανώμενον,
αὐτὸς τὸν ἀεὶ παρατυχόνθ ̓ ἡγούμενος
ἐχθρὸν, τὰ κείνων σκῦλ ̓ ἀφειλόμην ἐγὼ,
ἰσόσταθμ ̓ ἕλκων, τούς τε δρῶντας ἀντιδρῶν.
βίᾳ δὲ τἀμὰ τοῖσι σοῖσιν ὑπετάγη·
θέμις τὸν ἥσσω τοῦ κρατήσαντος κρατεῖν,
καιροῦ τυχόντα· τοῖσδε δ ̓ εἴ τις ἀντερεῖ,
ὁθούνεκ' ἰδιώτην με καὶ σπονδῶν παρὲξ
καὶ χωρὶς ἄλλων εἰς στάσιν πεπτωκότα
δεσμοῖς πολῖται, πολέμιόν τε, παρέδοσαν
ἀλλ ̓ οὐ τοιοῦτός εἰμι, θεόδοτος δ ̓ ἀνὴρ
σθένων τε θεῖον, τὴν πάτραν ἐλευθεροῦν·
κεἰ δούλιον τὸ λῆμα, μηδ' ἐσταλμένον
Me their deliverer sent would not receive,
But to their masters gave me up for nought,
The unworthier they; whence to this day they serve.
I was to do my part from Heaven assigned,
And had performed it, if my known offence
Had not disabled me, not all your force.
These shifts refuted, answer thy appellant,
Though by his blindness maimed for high attempts,
Who now defies thee thrice to single fight,
As a petty enterprise of small enforce.
With thee, a man condemned, a slave enrolled,
Due by the law to capital punishment?
To fight with thee no man of arms will deign.
Cam'st thou for this, vain boaster, to survey me,
To descant on my strength, and give thy verdict?
Come nearer, part not hence so slight informed,
But take good heed my hand survey not thee. 1230
O Baal-zebub! can my ears unused
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