Gideon
1 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
Kisha wana wa Israeli walifanya yaliyo maovu mbele za macho ya Bwana; Bwana akawatia mikononi mwa Midiani muda wa miaka saba
2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.
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.
3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;
Basi ikawa, hapo Israeli walipokuwa wamepanda mashamba, Wamidiani wakakwea, na Waamaleki, na hao wana wa mashariki; wakakwea juu yao;
4 and they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.
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.
5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.
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.
6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.
Israeli walitwezwa sana kwa sababu ya Wamidiani; nao wana wa Israeli wakamlilia Bwana.
7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites,
Kisha ikawa, hapo wana wa Israeli walipomlilia Bwana kwa sababu ya Midiani,
8 that the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;
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;
9 and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;
nami niliwaokoa na mikono ya Wamisri, na mikono ya wote waliokuwa wakiwaonea, nami niliwafukuza watoke mbele zenu, nami niliwapa ninyi nchi yao;
10 and I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.
kisha niliwaambia, Mimi ndimi Bwana, Mungu wenu; msiiche miungu ya Waamori, ambayo mwaketi katika nchi yao; lakini hamkuitii sauti yangu.
His Call
11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abi-ezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
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.
12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.
Malaika wa Bwana akamtokea, akamwambia, Bwana yu pamoja nawe, Ee shujaa.
13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
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.
14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
Bwana akamtazama, akasema, Enenda kwa uwezo wako huu, ukawaokoe Israeli na mkono wa Midiani. Je! Si mimi ninayekutuma?
15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.
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.
16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
Bwana akamwambia, Hakika nitakuwa pamoja nawe, nawe utawapiga Wamidiani kama mtu mmoja.
17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.
Naye akamwambia, Kama nimepata kibali mbele za macho yako, basi unionyeshe ishara, ya kuwa ndiwe wewe unayesema nami.
18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.
Tafadhali, usiondoke hapa hata nikujie, nikatoe zawadi yangu, na kuiweka mbele zako. Akasema, Nitangoja hata utakaporudi.
19 And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it .
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.
20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.
Naye malaika wa Mungu akamwambia, Itwae nyama na mikate isiyotiwa chachu, uiweke juu ya mwamba huu, ukaumwage huu mchuzi. Akafanya hivyo.
21 Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.
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.
22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.
Gideoni akaona ya kuwa ni malaika wa Bwana; Gideoni akasema, Ole wangu, Ee Bwana MUNGU! Kwa kuwa nimemwona Bwana uso kwa uso.
23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
Bwana akamwambia Amani iwe pamoja nawe; usiogope; hutakufa.
24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.
Ndipo Gideoni akamjengea Bwana madhabahu hapo, akaiita jina lake, Yehova-Shalomu; hata hivi leo iko huko katika Ofra ya Waabiezeri.
25 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:
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;
26 and build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.
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.
27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.
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.
28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.
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.
29 And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.
Wakaambiana, Ni nani aliyetenda jambo hili? Hata walipotafuta habari na kuuliza, wakasema, Gideoni, mwana wa Yoashi, ndiye aliyetenda jambo hili.
30 Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.
Ndipo watu wa mji wakamwambia Yoashi Mlete mwanao, afe; kwa sababu ameibomoa madhabahu ya Baali na kwa sababu ameikata ile Ashera iliyokuwa karibu nayo.
31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.
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.
32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.
Basi akamwita Yerubaali siku hiyo, akisema, Baali na atete naye kwa ajili ya nafsi yake, kwa sababu ameibomoa madhabahu yake.
33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.
Wakati huo Wamidiani na Waamaleki, na hao wana wa mashariki walikutana pamoja; wakavuka na kupanga hema zao katika bonde la Yezreeli.
34 But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abi-ezer was gathered after him.
Lakini roho ya Bwana ikaja juu yake Gideoni; naye akapiga tarumbeta; na Abiezeri walikutanika na kumfuata.
35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.
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.
36 And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,
Gideoni akamwambia Mungu, Ikiwa wewe utawaokoa Israeli kwa mkono wangu, kama ulivyosema,
37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside , then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.
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.
38 And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
Ikawa hivyo; kwa maana aliondoka asubuhi na mapema, akaikamua ile ngozi, akautoa ule umande katika ile ngozi, bakuli zima la maji.
39 And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.
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.
40 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
Mungu akafanya hivyo usiku ule; maana ile ngozi tu ilikuwa kavu, napo palikuwa na umande juu ya nchi yote.
