1
Kisha wana wa Israeli walifanya yaliyo maovu mbele za macho ya Bwana; Bwana akawatia mikononi mwa Midiani muda wa miaka saba
Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; so He delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years,
2
Mkono wa Midiani ulikuwa na nguvu juu ya Israeli; tena kwa sababu ya Midiani wana wa Israeli walijifanyia hayo mashimo yaliyo milimani, na hayo mapango, na hizo ngome.
and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.
3
Basi ikawa, hapo Israeli walipokuwa wamepanda mashamba, Wamidiani wakakwea, na Waamaleki, na hao wana wa mashariki; wakakwea juu yao;
Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east would come up and invade them,
4
wakapanga marago juu yao, na kuyaharibu hayo maongeo ya nchi, hata ufikapo Gaza, wala hawakuacha katika Israeli riziki ziwazo zote; kondoo, wala ng'ombe, wala punda.
encamping against them as far as Gaza and destroying the produce of the land. They left Israel with no sustenance, neither sheep nor oxen nor donkeys.
5
Kwa maana walikwea na ng'ombe zao na hema zao, wakaja mfano wa nzige kwa wingi; wao na ngamia zao pia walikuwa hawana hesabu; nao waliingia katika hiyo nchi ili kuiharibu.
For the Midianites came with their livestock and their tents like a great swarm of locusts. They and their camels were innumerable, and they entered the land to ravage it.
6
Israeli walitwezwa sana kwa sababu ya Wamidiani; nao wana wa Israeli wakamlilia Bwana.
Israel was greatly impoverished by Midian, and the Israelites cried out to the LORD.
7
Kisha ikawa, hapo wana wa Israeli walipomlilia Bwana kwa sababu ya Midiani,
Now when the Israelites cried out to the LORD because of Midian,
8
Bwana akamtuma nabii aende kwa hao wana wa Israeli; naye akawaambia, Bwana, yeye Mungu wa Israeli, asema hivi, Mimi niliwaleta ninyi mkwee kutoka Misri, nikawatoa katika nyumba ya utumwa;
He sent them a prophet, who told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
9
nami niliwaokoa na mikono ya Wamisri, na mikono ya wote waliokuwa wakiwaonea, nami niliwafukuza watoke mbele zenu, nami niliwapa ninyi nchi yao;
I delivered you out of the hands of Egypt and all your oppressors. I drove them out before you and gave you their land.
10
kisha niliwaambia, Mimi ndimi Bwana, Mungu wenu; msiiche miungu ya Waamori, ambayo mwaketi katika nchi yao; lakini hamkuitii sauti yangu.
And I said to you: ‘I am the LORD your God. You must not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.’ But you did not obey Me.”
11
Malaika wa Bwana akaenda akaketi chini ya mwaloni uliokuwa katika Ofra, uliokuwa mali yake Yoashi, Mwabiezeri; na mwanawe Gideoni alikuwa akipepeta ngano ndani ya shinikizo, ili kuificha machoni pa Wamidiani.
Then the angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.
12
Malaika wa Bwana akamtokea, akamwambia, Bwana yu pamoja nawe, Ee shujaa.
And the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.”
13
Gideoni akamwambia, Ee Bwana wangu, ikiwa Bwana yu pamoja nasi, mbona mambo haya yote yametupata? Yako wapi matendo yake ya ajabu, waliyotuhadithia baba zetu, wakisema, Je! Siye Bwana, aliyetuleta huku kutoka Misri? Ila sasa ametutupa, naye ametutia katika mikono ya Midiani.
“Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonders of which our fathers told us, saying, ‘Has not the LORD brought us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”
14
Bwana akamtazama, akasema, Enenda kwa uwezo wako huu, ukawaokoe Israeli na mkono wa Midiani. Je! Si mimi ninayekutuma?
The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Am I not sending you?”
15
Akamwambia, Ee Bwana, nitawaokoa Israeli kwa jinsi gani? Tazama, jamaa zangu ndio walio maskini sana katika Manase, na mimi ndimi niliye mdogo katika nyumba ya baba yangu.
“Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”
16
Bwana akamwambia, Hakika nitakuwa pamoja nawe, nawe utawapiga Wamidiani kama mtu mmoja.
“Surely I will be with you,” the LORD replied, “and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man.”
17
Naye akamwambia, Kama nimepata kibali mbele za macho yako, basi unionyeshe ishara, ya kuwa ndiwe wewe unayesema nami.
Gideon answered, “If I have found favor in Your sight, give me a sign that it is You speaking with me.
18
Tafadhali, usiondoke hapa hata nikujie, nikatoe zawadi yangu, na kuiweka mbele zako. Akasema, Nitangoja hata utakaporudi.
Please do not depart from this place until I return to You. Let me bring my offering and set it before You.” And the LORD said, “I will stay until you return.”
19
Basi Gideoni akaingia ndani, akaandaa mwana-mbuzi, na mikate isiyotiwa chachu, ya efa ya unga; akaitia ile nyama katika kikapu, akautia mchuzi katika nyungu, akamletea hapo nje chini ya mwaloni, akampa.
So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread and an ephah of flour. He placed the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and brought them out to present to Him under the oak.
20
Naye malaika wa Mungu akamwambia, Itwae nyama na mikate isiyotiwa chachu, uiweke juu ya mwamba huu, ukaumwage huu mchuzi. Akafanya hivyo.
And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so.
21
Ndipo malaika wa Bwana akanyosha ncha ya fimbo ile iliyokuwa mkononi mwake, akaigusa ile nyama na ile mikate; moto ukatoka mwambani, ukaiteketeza ile nyama na mikate; malaika wa Bwana akaondoka mbele ya macho yake.
Then the angel of the LORD extended the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. And fire flared from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight.
22
Gideoni akaona ya kuwa ni malaika wa Bwana; Gideoni akasema, Ole wangu, Ee Bwana MUNGU! Kwa kuwa nimemwona Bwana uso kwa uso.
When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he said, “Oh no, Lord GOD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!”
23
Bwana akamwambia Amani iwe pamoja nawe; usiogope; hutakufa.
But the LORD said to him, “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid, for you will not die.”
24
Ndipo Gideoni akamjengea Bwana madhabahu hapo, akaiita jina lake, Yehova-Shalomu; hata hivi leo iko huko katika Ofra ya Waabiezeri.
So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25
Ikawa usiku uo huo Bwana akamwambia, Mtwae ng'ombe wa baba yako, yaani ng'ombe wa pili, wa miaka saba, ukaiangushe madhabahu ya Baali, aliyo nayo baba yako, ukaikate Ashera ile iliyo karibu nayo;
On that very night the LORD said to Gideon, “Take your father’s young bull and a second bull seven years old, tear down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.
26
ukamjengee Bwana, Mungu wako, madhabahu juu ya ngome hii, kwa taratibu zake; ukamtwae yule ng'ombe wa pili na kumtoa awe sadaka ya kuteketezwa, kwa kuni za ile Ashera uliyoikata.
Then build a proper altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold. And with the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down, take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering.”
27
Ndipo Gideoni akatwaa watu kumi miongoni mwa watumishi wake, akafanya kama Bwana alivyomwambia; lakini ikawa kwa sababu aliwaogopa watu wa nyumba ya baba yake, na watu wa mji, hakuweza kuyatenda hayo wakati wa mchana, basi aliyatenda usiku.
So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city, he did it by night rather than in the daytime.
28
Hata watu wa mji walipoondoka asubuhi na mapema, tazama, madhabahu ya Baali imebomolewa, na ile Ashera iliyokuwa karibu nayo imekatwa, na yule ng'ombe wa pili ametolewa sadaka juu ya ile madhabahu iliyojengwa.
When the men of the city got up in the morning, there was Baal’s altar torn down, with the Asherah pole cut down beside it and the second bull offered up on the newly built altar.
29
Wakaambiana, Ni nani aliyetenda jambo hili? Hata walipotafuta habari na kuuliza, wakasema, Gideoni, mwana wa Yoashi, ndiye aliyetenda jambo hili.
“Who did this?” they said to one another. And after they had investigated thoroughly, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”
30
Ndipo watu wa mji wakamwambia Yoashi Mlete mwanao, afe; kwa sababu ameibomoa madhabahu ya Baali na kwa sababu ameikata ile Ashera iliyokuwa karibu nayo.
Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has torn down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”
31
Yoashi akawaambia watu wote waliokuwa wakishindana naye, Je! Mtamtetea Baali? Au mtamwokoa ninyi? Yeye atakayemtetea na auawe hivi asubuhi; kama yeye ni Mungu, na ajitetee nafsi yake, kwa sababu mtu mmoja ameibomoa madhabahu yake.
But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Are you contending for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself with the one who has torn down his altar.”
32
Basi akamwita Yerubaali siku hiyo, akisema, Baali na atete naye kwa ajili ya nafsi yake, kwa sababu ameibomoa madhabahu yake.
So on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend with him,” because he had torn down Baal’s altar.
33
Wakati huo Wamidiani na Waamaleki, na hao wana wa mashariki walikutana pamoja; wakavuka na kupanga hema zao katika bonde la Yezreeli.
Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east gathered together, crossed over the Jordan, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
34
Lakini roho ya Bwana ikaja juu yake Gideoni; naye akapiga tarumbeta; na Abiezeri walikutanika na kumfuata.
So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, who blew the ram’s horn and rallied the Abiezrites behind him.
35
Kisha akatuma wajumbe waende kati ya Manase yote; wao nao walikutana pamoja ili kumfuata; kisha akatuma wajumbe waende kwa Asheri, na kwa Zabuloni, na kwa Naftali; nao wakakwea ili kumlaki.
Calling them to arms, Gideon sent messengers throughout Manasseh, as well as Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, so that they came up to meet him.
36
Gideoni akamwambia Mungu, Ikiwa wewe utawaokoa Israeli kwa mkono wangu, kama ulivyosema,
Then Gideon said to God, “If You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said,
37
tazama, nitaweka ngozi ya kondoo katika kiwanja cha kupuria; na kama ukiwapo umande juu ya ngozi tu, na nchi yote ikiwa kavu, basi, hapo ndipo nitakapojua ya kuwa utawaokoa Israeli kwa mkono wangu, kama ulivyosema.
then behold, I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said.”
38
Ikawa hivyo; kwa maana aliondoka asubuhi na mapema, akaikamua ile ngozi, akautoa ule umande katika ile ngozi, bakuli zima la maji.
And that is what happened. When Gideon arose the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.
39
Gideoni akamwambia Mungu, Hasira yako isiwake juu yangu, nami nitasema mara hii tu; nakuomba, nijaribu kwa ngozi hii mara hii tu; sasa ngozi tu na iwe kavu, na uwe umande juu ya nchi yote.
Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me; let me speak one more time. Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time let it be dry, and the ground covered with dew.”
40
Mungu akafanya hivyo usiku ule; maana ile ngozi tu ilikuwa kavu, napo palikuwa na umande juu ya nchi yote.
And that night God did so. Only the fleece was dry, and dew covered the ground.