1
Kisha Yerubaali, yaani Gideoni, na watu wote waliokuwa pamoja naye wakaondoka na mapema, wakapiga kambi yao karibu na kijito cha Harodi; na kambi ya Midiani ilikuwa upande wao wa kaskazini, karibu na mlima wa More, bondeni.
Early in the morning Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the men with him camped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.
2
Bwana akamwambia Gideoni, Watu hawa walio pamoja nawe ni wengi mno hata nikawatie Wamidiani katika mikono yao, wasije Israeli wakajivuna juu yangu wakisema, Mkono wangu mwenyewe ndio ulioniokoa.
Then the LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’
3
Basi sasa enda, tangaza habari masikioni mwa watu hawa, na kusema, Mtu awaye yote anayeogopa na kutetemeka, na arudi aondoke katika mlima wa Gileadi. Ndipo watu ishirini na mbili elfu wakarudi katika watu hao, wakabaki watu elfu kumi.
Now, therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the men: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of them turned back, but ten thousand remained.
4
Bwana akamwambia Gideoni; Hata sasa watu hawa ni wengi mno; uwalete chini majini, nami nitawajaribu huko kwa ajili yako; kisha itakuwa ya kwamba yule nitakayekuambia, Huyu atakwenda pamoja nawe, ndiye atakayekwenda pamoja nawe; na mtu yule nitakayekuambia, Huyu hatakwenda pamoja nawe, basi mtu huyo hatakwenda.
Then the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go. But if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”
5
Basi akawaleta watu chini majini. Bwana akamwambia Gideoni, Kila mtu atakayeyaramba maji kwa ulimi wake, kama vile arambavyo mbwa, huyo utamweka kando; kadhalika kila mtu apigaye magoti kunywa.
So Gideon brought the men down to the water, and the LORD said to him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel to drink.”
6
Na hesabu ya hao waliokunywa kwa kuramba-ramba, wakipeleka mkono kinywani, ilikuwa watu mia tatu; bali watu wengine wote walipiga magoti kunywa maji.
And the number of those who lapped the water with their hands to their mouths was three hundred men; all the others knelt to drink.
7
Bwana akamwambia Gideoni, Kwa watu hawa mia tatu walioyaramba maji nitawaokoa, nami nitawatia Wamidiani katika mikono yako; lakini watu hawa wote wengine na waende zao, kila mtu mahali pake.
Then the LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped the water I will save you and deliver the Midianites into your hand. But all the others are to go home.”
8
Basi wale watu wakachukua vyakula vyao mikononi mwao, na tarumbeta zao; naye akawapeleka watu wote wa Israeli, kila mtu hemani kwake; bali aliwazuia wale watu mia tatu; na kambi ya Wamidiani ilikuwa chini yake, bondeni.
So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred men, who took charge of the provisions and rams’ horns of the others. And the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.
9
Ikawa usiku uo huo Bwana akamwambia, Ondoka, shuka kambini; maana nimeitia katika mikono yako.
That night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up and go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand.
10
Lakini, ukiogopa kushuka, shuka pamoja na Pura mtumishi wako kambini;
But if you are afraid to do so, then go down to the camp with your servant Purah
11
nawe utasikia wanayoyasema, na baada ya haya mikono yako itatiwa nguvu; ushuke kambini. Ndipo akashuka pamoja na Pura mtumishi wake hata kufikilia mwisho wa watu wenye silaha waliokuwa kambini.
and listen to what they are saying. Then your hands will be strengthened to attack the camp.” So he went with Purah his servant to the outposts where armed men were guarding the camp.
12
Nao Wamidiani na Waamaleki na, hao wana wa mashariki walikuwa wametua bondeni, mfano wa nzige kwa wingi; na ngamia zao walikuwa hawana hesabu; mfano wa mchanga wa ufuoni, kwa wingi.
Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and all the other people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts, and their camels were as countless as the sand on the seashore.
13
Hata Gideoni alipofika, tazama, palikuwa na mtu mmoja aliyekuwa akimhadithia mwenziwe ndoto, akasema, Tazama, naliota ndoto, na tazama, mkate wa shayiri ulianguka katika kambi ya Wamidiani, ukafika hata hema moja, ukaipiga hata ikaanguka, nao ukaipindua, hata ikalala chini.
And as Gideon arrived, a man was telling his friend about a dream. “Behold, I had a dream,” he said, “and I saw a loaf of barley bread come tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent so hard that the tent overturned and collapsed.”
14
Mwenzake akamjibu akasema, Habari hii haikosi kuwa upanga wa Gideoni, mwana wa Yoashi, mtu wa Israeli. Mungu amewatia Wamidiani na jeshi lote katika mkono wake.
His friend replied: “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has delivered Midian and the whole camp into his hand.”
15
Ikawa, aliposikia habari ya ile ndoto, na kufasiriwa kwake, akasujudu; akarudi katika jeshi la Israeli akasema, Inukeni, kwa maana Bwana amelitia jeshi la Midiani mikononi mwenu.
When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Get up, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand.”
16
Kisha akawapanga wale watu mia tatu wawe vikosi vitatu, akatia tarumbeta katika mikono ya watu wote, na mitungi isiyo maji, na mienge ndani ya hiyo mitungi.
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies and gave each man a ram’s horn in one hand and a large jar in the other, containing a torch.
17
Akawaambia, Nitazameni, mkafanye kama nifanyavyo mimi; angalieni, nitakapofika mwisho wa kambi, itakuwa, nifanyavyo mimi nanyi fanyeni kadhalika.
“Watch me and do as I do,” Gideon said. “When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do exactly as I do.
18
Nitakapopiga tarumbeta, mimi na wote walio pamoja nami, basi ninyi nanyi zipigeni tarumbeta pande zote za kambi, mkaseme, Kwa Bwana, na kwa Gideoni.
When I and all who are with me blow our horns, then you are also to blow your horns from all around the camp and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon!’”
19
Basi Gideoni, na wale watu mia waliokuwa pamoja naye, wakafika mwisho wa kambi, mwanzo wa zamu ya kati, wakati walipokuwa wamebadili wenye zamu; wakazipiga hizo tarumbeta, wakaivunja vipande vipande ile mitungi iliyokuwa mikononi mwao.
Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the changing of the guard. They blew their horns and broke the jars that were in their hands.
20
Vile vikosi vitatu wakapiga tarumbeta, wakaivunja mitungi, wakaishika mienge kwa mikono yao ya kushoto, na zile tarumbeta katika mikono yao ya kuume ili kuzipiga; wakapiga kelele, Upanga wa Bwana na wa Gideoni.
The three companies blew their horns and shattered their jars. Holding the torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”
21
Wakasimama kila mtu mahali pake kuizunguka kambi pande zote; jeshi lote wakakimbia; nao wakapiga kelele, wakawakimbiza.
Each Israelite took his position around the camp, and the entire Midianite army fled, crying out as they ran.
22
Wakazipiga zile tarumbeta mia tatu, naye Bwana akaufanya upanga wa kila mtu uwe juu ya mwenziwe, na juu ya jeshi lote, jeshi likakimbia mpaka Bethshita, kuendelea Serera, hata mpaka wa Abel-Mehola, karibu na Tabathi.
And when the three hundred rams’ horns sounded, the LORD set all the men in the camp against one another with their swords. The army fled to Beth-shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.
23
Wanaume wa Israeli walikuwa wamekusanyika kutoka Naftali, na kutoka Asheri, na kutoka Manase yote, wakawafuata Midiani.
Then the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh, and they pursued the Midianites.
24
Kisha Gideoni akapeleka wajumbe katika nchi yote ya vilima vilima ya Efraimu, akisema, Haya, telemkeni juu ya Midiani, na kuyashika hayo maji mbele yao, mpaka Bethbara, maana, huo mto wa Yordani. Basi watu waume wote wa Efraimu walikutana pamoja, wakayashika maji mpaka Bethbara, maana, huo mto wa Yordani.
Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim to say, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth-barah.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth-barah.
25
Wakawashika hao wakuu wawili wa Midiani, Orebu na Zeebu; wakamwua huyo Orebu pale penye jabali la Orebu, na huyo Zeebu wakamwua hapo penye shinikizo la divai la Zeebu, kisha wakawaandamia Wamidiani; vichwa vya Orebu na Zeebu wakamletea Gideoni huko ng'ambo ya pili ya Yordani.
They also captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian; and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. So they pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.