1
Basi watu wa Efraimu wakamwambia, Kwa nini wewe kututendea sisi kama haya? Hata usituite, hapo ulipokwenda kupigana na Midiani? Nao wakateta naye sana.
Then the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, “Why have you done this to us? Why did you fail to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they contended with him violently.
2
Lakini akawaambia, Je! Mimi nimefanya nini sasa kama mlivyofanya ninyi? Hayo masazo ya zabibu za Efraimu si mema kuliko mavuno ya Abiezeri?
But Gideon answered them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer?
3
Mungu amewatia hao wakuu wa Midiani, Orebu na Zeebu, mikononi mwenu; na mimi nilipata kufanya nini kama mlivyofanya ninyi? Ndipo hasira zao walizokuwa nazo juu yake zikatulia aliposema maneno hayo.
God has delivered Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian, into your hand. What was I able to do compared to you?” When he had said this, their anger against him subsided.
4
Basi Gideoni akafika Yordani, akauvuka, yeye na hao watu mia tatu waliokuwa pamoja naye, walikuwa wamepungukiwa na nguvu, lakini wawafuatia vivyo.
Then Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it, exhausted yet still in pursuit.
5
Naye akawaambia watu wa Sukothi, Tafadhali wapeni mikate hao watu waniandamao; kwa maana wanapungukiwa na nguvu, nami ni katika kuwafuatia Zeba na Salmuna, wafalme wa Midiani.
So Gideon said to the men of Succoth, “Please give my troops some bread, for they are exhausted, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”
6
Hao wakuu wa Sukothi wakasema, Je! Mikono ya Zeba na Salmuna i mkononi mwako sasa, hata sisi tukawape jeshi lako mikate?
But the leaders of Succoth asked, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give bread to your army?”
7
Ndipo Gideoni akasema, Kwa sababu hii, hapo Bwana atakapokuwa amewatia Zeba na Salmuna mkononi mwangu, ndipo nitaipura nyama ya miili yenu kwa miiba ya nyikani, na kwa michongoma.
“Very well,” Gideon replied, “when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with the thorns and briers of the wilderness!”
8
Basi kutoka hapo alikwea kwenda Penieli, akasema na watu wa mahali hapo maneno kama hayo; watu wa Penieli nao wakamjibu kama vile watu wa Sukothi walivyomjibu.
From there he went up to Penuel and asked the same from them, but the men of Penuel gave the same response as the men of Succoth.
9
Naye akawaambia hao watu wa Penieli nao, akisema, Nitakapokuja tena kwa amani, nitauvunja mnara huu.
So Gideon told the men of Penuel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower!”
10
Basi hao kina Zebu na Salmuna walikuwa katika Karkori, na majeshi yao walikuwa pamoja nao, watu kama kumi na tano elfu hesabu yao, ni wote waliobaki wa hilo jeshi lote la hao wana wa mashariki; kwa sababu walianguka watu mia na ishirini elfu waliokuwa wenye kutumia upanga.
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army of about fifteen thousand men—all that were left of the armies of the people of the east. A hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had already fallen.
11
Basi Gideoni alikwea kwa njia ya hao waliokuwa wenye kukaa hemani upande wa mashariki wa Noba na Yogbeha, akalipiga hilo jeshi; kwa maana lile jeshi lilikuwa salama.
And Gideon went up by way of the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked their army, taking them by surprise.
12
Zeba na Salmuna walikimbia; naye akawaandamia; akawakamata hao wafalme wawili wa Midiani Zeba na Salmuna, akalitapanya-tapanya hilo jeshi lote.
When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, Gideon pursued and captured these two kings of Midian, routing their entire army.
13
Kisha huyo Gideoni mwana wa Yoashi akarudi kutoka vitani, kutoka kwenye makweleo ya Heresi.
After this, Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle along the Ascent of Heres.
14
Ndipo akamshika mtu mmoja hirimu katika watu wa Sukothi, akamwuliza; naye akamwandikia majina ya hao wakuu wa Sukothi, na wazee wa mji, watu sabini na saba.
There he captured a young man of Succoth and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven leaders and elders of Succoth.
15
Kisha akawafikilia wale watu wa Sukothi, akawaambia, Tazama, Zeba na Salmuna, ambao ninyi mlinisimanga kwa ajili yao, mliposema, Je! Mikono ya Zeba na Salmuna iko sasa mikononi mwako wewe, hata tuwape watu wako waliochoka mikate?
And Gideon went to the men of Succoth and said, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give bread to your weary men?’”
16
Basi akawatwaa hao wazee wa mji, na miiba ya nyikani na michongoma, akawafunza hao watu wa Sukothi kwayo.
Then he took the elders of the city, and using the thorns and briers of the wilderness, he disciplined the men of Succoth.
17
Kisha akaupomosha mnara wa Penieli, na kuwaua watu wa mji huo.
He also pulled down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
18
Ndipo akawaambia hao Zeba na Salmuna, Hao watu mliowaua huko Tabori walikuwa watu wa namna gani? Wakamjibu, Walikuwa kama wewe ulivyo; kila mmoja alikuwa anafanana na wana wa mfalme.
Next, Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?” “Men like you,” they answered, “each one resembling the son of a king.”
19
Naye akasema, Watu hao walikuwa ndugu zangu, wana wa mamaangu mimi; kama yeye Bwana alivyo hai, kwamba mliwaokoa hai watu hao, mimi nisingewaua ninyi.
“They were my brothers,” Gideon replied, “the sons of my mother! As surely as the LORD lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.”
20
Kisha akamwambia Yetheri mwanawe mzaliwa wa kwanza, Haya, simama, uwaue hawa. Lakini huyo kijana hakutoa upanga wake; maana, akacha, kwa sababu alikuwa ni kijana tu.
So he said to Jether, his firstborn, “Get up and kill them.” But the young man did not draw his sword; he was fearful because he was still a youth.
21
Ndipo hapo Zeba na Salmuna wakasema, Simama wewe ukatuangukie sisi; kwa maana kama mtu alivyo, ndivyo zilivyo nguvu zake. Basi Gideoni akasimama, akawaua Zeba na Salmuna, akazitwaa koja zilizokuwa katika shingo za ngamia zao.
Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Get up and kill us yourself, for as the man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon got up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments from the necks of their camels.
22
Ndipo watu wa Israeli wakamwambia Gideoni, Tawala wewe juu yetu, wewe, na mwanao, na mjukuu wako pia; kwa kuwa wewe umetuokoa na mikono ya Midiani.
Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you and your son and grandson—for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”
23
Gideoni akawaambia, Mimi sitatawala juu yenu wala mwanangu hatatawala juu yenu; yeye Bwana atatawala juu yenu.
But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD shall rule over you.”
24
Kisha Gideoni akawaambia, Mimi nina haja yangu niitakayo kwenu, ni ya kila mtu kunipa hizo pete za masikio ya mateka yake. (Kwa maana walikuwa na pete za masikio za dhahabu, kwa sababu walikuwa ni Waishmaeli.)
Then he added, “Let me make a request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his plunder.” (For the enemies had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)
25
Wakajibu, Tutakupa kwa mioyo. Basi wakatandika nguo chini, wakatia humo kila mtu pete za masikio ya mateka yake.
“We will give them gladly,” they replied. So they spread out a garment, and each man threw an earring from his plunder onto it.
26
Na uzani wa hizo pete za dhahabu alizozitaka ulipata shekeli za dhahabu elfu moja na mia saba; mbali na makoja na vidani, na mavazi ya rangi ya zambarau waliyokuwa wameyavaa hao wafalme wa Midiani, tena mbali na mikufu iliyokuwa katika shingo za ngamia zao.
The weight of the gold earrings he had requested was 1,700 shekels, in addition to the crescent ornaments, the pendants, the purple garments of the kings of Midian, and the chains from the necks of their camels.
27
Basi Gideoni akafanya naivera kwa vitu vile, akaiweka katika mji wake, mji huo wa Ofra; nao Israeli wote wakaenda na kuiandama kwa ukahaba huko; nayo ilikuwa ni tanzi kwa Gideoni na kwa nyumba yake.
From all this Gideon made an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.
28
Hivyo Midiani walishindwa mbele ya wana wa Israeli, wala hawakuinua vichwa vyao tena. Nayo nchi ilipata kuwa na amani muda wa miaka arobaini katika siku za Gideoni.
In this way Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. So the land had rest for forty years in the days of Gideon,
29
Kisha huyo Yerubaali, mwana wa Yoashi, akaenda kukaa katika nyumba yake mwenyewe.
and he—Jerubbaal son of Joash—returned home and settled down.
30
Gideoni alikuwa na wana sabini waliozawa na mwili wake; kwa maana alikuwa na wake wengi.
Gideon had seventy sons of his own, since he had many wives.
31
Na suria yake aliyekuwako Shekemu, yeye naye akamzalia mwana, naye akamwita jina lake Abimeleki.
His concubine, who dwelt in Shechem, also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.
32
Basi Gideoni mwana wa Yoashi akafa mwenye umri wa uzee mwema, akazikwa katika kaburi la Yoashi baba yake, katika Ofra ya Waabiezeri.
Later, Gideon son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33
Kisha ikawa, mara alipokufa Gideoni, wana wa Israeli wakakengeuka tena, wakawaandama Mabaali kwa ukahaba, wakamfanya Baal-berithi kuwa ni mungu wao.
And as soon as Gideon was dead, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves with the Baals, and they set up Baal-berith as their god.
34
Kwani wana wa Israeli hawakumkumbuka Bwana, Mungu wao, ambaye ndiye aliyewaokoa na mikono ya adui zao wote pande zote;
The Israelites failed to remember the LORD their God who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side.
35
wala hawakuifanyia mema nyumba ya Yerubaali, yaani Gideoni, kwa kuyafuata hayo mema yote aliyowafanyia Israeli.
They did not show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) for all the good things he had done for Israel.