Lawkcengkung 6
1 Isarelnaw ni BAWIPA mithmu vah hno kahawihoehe a sak awh, hatdawkvah, BAWIPA ni Midian kut dawk kum 7 touh san a toung sak.
Again the Israelis did things that Yahweh said were very evil. So he allowed the people of Midian to conquer them and rule them for seven years.
2 Midiannaw ni Isarelnaw teh a rektap dawkvah, Isarelnaw ni kâhro nahanlah mon dawk talai kâkhu ka cak poung lah a tai awh.
The people of Midian treated the Israelis so cruelly that the Israelis fled to the mountains. There they made places to live in caves and animal dens.
3 Bangkongtetpawiteh, Isarelnaw ni law a sak awh nah tangkuem koe Midiannaw, Amaleknaw, hoi Kanîtholae taminaw ni pou a tho sin awh teh, pou a tuk awh.
Whenever the Israelis planted things in their fields, the people of Midian and Amalek and other groups from the east invaded Israel.
4 Isarel ram thungvah tungpup rim a sak awh teh, talai dawk e ka paw e caticamu pueng Gaza totouh a raphoe pouh awh. Isarelnaw ni kâkawknae banghai tat pout laipalah, tu, maito, la totouh pek pouh awh hoeh.
They set up tents in the area, and then destroyed the crops as far south as Gaza. They did not leave anything for the Israelis’ sheep or cattle or donkeys to eat.
5 Bangkongtetpawiteh, ahnimouh ni saring hoi rim khuehoi samtong yit touh ka phat lah a tho awh. Amamouh hoi kalauknaw teh touk thai lah awm hoeh. Isarel ram raphoe hanelah a tho awh.
They came into Israel with their tents and their livestock like a swarm of locusts. There were [so many of them that] arrived riding on their camels that no one could count them. They stayed and ruined the Israelis’ crops.
6 Midian kecu dawk Isarel teh puenghoi roedeng a khang awh dawkvah, BAWIPA a kaw awh.
The people of Midian took almost everything the Israelis owned. So finally the Israelis pleaded for Yahweh to help them.
7 Midiannaw kecu dawk Isarel ni BAWIPA a kaw toteh,
When the Israelis pleaded with Yahweh to help them because of [what] the people from Midian [were doing to them],
8 Isarelnaw koe BAWIPA ni profet buet touh a tha pouh.
he sent to them a prophet, who said, “Yahweh, the God we Israelis worship, says this: ‘Your ancestors were slaves in Egypt.
9 Na ka rektap e Izip kut dawk hoi thoseh, na ka pacekpahleknaw kut dawk hoi thoseh, nangmanaw na taran ahawi awh teh, ahnimanaw hah nangmouh hmalah ka pâlei vaiteh, a ram roup na poe awh han.
But I rescued them from the leaders of Egypt and from all the others who oppressed them. I expelled their enemies from this land, and gave it to your ancestors.
10 Kai teh nangmae BAWIPA Cathut doeh. Nangmouh na onae dawk kaawm e Amonnaw e cathutnaw hah taket awh hanh, ka ti eiteh, ka lawk hah na ngai awh hoeh atipouh.
I told you all, “I am Yahweh, your God. You are now in the land where the descendants of Amor live, but you must not worship the gods whom they worship.” But you did not pay attention to me.’”
11 Hahoi BAWIPA e kalvantami a tho pouh teh, Ophrah kho, Abiezrit capa Joash e kathen kung rahim vah a tahung. Joash e capa Gideon teh amae cang hah Midiannaw ni a pâphawng hoeh nahanelah, misur katinnae teng vah a katin pouh.
One day Yahweh appeared [in the form of] an angel and sat underneath a big oak tree at Ophrah [town]. That tree belonged to Joash, who was from the clan of Abiezer. Joash’s son Gideon was threshing wheat in the pit where they pressed [grapes to make] wine. He was threshing the grain there in order to hide it from the people of Midian.
12 BAWIPA e kalvantami ni ahni koe a kamphawng pouh teh, athakaawme ransa, BAWIPA teh nang koe ao atipouh navah,
Yahweh [went over] to Gideon and said to him, “You mighty warrior, Yahweh is helping you!”
13 Oe BAWIPA Cathut teh maimouh koe awm pawiteh, bangkongmaw hete hnonaw teh maimouh koe a pha sak vaw. Mintoenaw teh BAWIPA ni Izip ram hoi a tâco sak awh nahoehmaw, kai koe ouk a dei awh e kângairuhnonaw te nâne. Hatei, atuteh BAWIPA ni na pahnawt teh, Midian kut dawk na poe toe khe telah a ti.
Gideon replied, “Sir, if Yahweh is helping us, why have all these [bad things] happened to us? We heard about [RHQ] all the miracles that Yahweh performed for our ancestors. We heard people tell us about how he rescued them from [being slaves in] Egypt. But now Yahweh has abandoned us, and we are ruled by the people from Midian.”
14 Hahoi Bawipa ni a kamlang sin teh, atu na tawn e thaonae kâuep hoi cet haw, Midian kut dawk hoi Isarel teh rasat haw, Kai ni na patoun e nahoehmaw atipouh.
Then Yahweh turned toward him and said, “I will give you strength to enable you to rescue the Israelis from the people of Midian. I am sending you [to do that]!”
15 Hahoi teh Gideon ni, BAWIPA kaimouh ni Isarelnaw bangtelah hoi maw ka rasa thai awh han vaw. Ka miphun teh Manasseh thung dawk hoe ka mathoe e, kama hai thoseh ka hmaunawngha thung dawk kathoungpounge lah ka o.
Gideon replied, “But Yahweh, how can I rescue the Israelis? My clan is the least significant in the whole tribe descended from Manasseh, and I am the least significant person in my whole family!”
16 Hahoi BAWIPA ni a pato teh, hatei nang koe ka o han, Midiannaw teh tami buet touh na thei e patetlah na thei han doeh atipouh.
Yahweh said to him, “I will help you. So you will defeat the army of Midian [as easily] as if you were fighting only one man!”
17 Gideon ni nang koehoi minhmai kahawi ka hmawt pawiteh, nang hoi atu kâpatonae panue nahanelah, kamnuenae hno buet touh na hmawt sak haw.
Gideon replied, “If you are truly pleased with me, do something which will prove that you who are speaking to me are really Yahweh.
18 Hno buetbuet touh ka sin vaiteh, na hmalah ka thokhai hoehroukrak hete hmuen koehoi na kampuen pouh hanh ei a telah ka kâhei navah ahni ni, na ban hoehroukrak ka o han a ti.
But do not go away until I go and bring back an offering to you.” Yahweh answered, “Okay, I will stay here until you return.”
19 Gideon ni a cei teh, hmaeca buet touh, tavai ephah buet touh, tonphuenhoehe vaiyeinaw hah a sin teh, hmae moi hah tangthung dawk a pâseng teh, hmae moi hang teh hlaam dawk a ta teh, kalvantami aonae koe bengkengkung rahim a sin teh a poe.
Gideon hurried to his home. He [killed] a young goat [and] cooked [it]. Then he took (a half a bushel/18 liters) of flour and baked some bread without yeast. Then he put the cooked meat in a basket, and put the broth [from the meat] in a pot, and took it to Yahweh, who was sitting under the tree.
20 Hahoi Cathut e kalvantami ni ahni koe, moi hoi tonphuenhoehe hah lat loe, hete talung van hrueng loe, a hang hoi awi loe atipouh. Hottelah a sak pouh.
Then Yahweh said to him, “Put the meat and the bread on this rock. Then pour the broth on top of it.” So Gideon did that.
21 Hahoi teh, BAWIPA e kalvantami ni a kut dawk a sin e sonron a dâw teh, moi hoi tonphuenhoehe vaiyei hah a nep. Hahoi talung thung hoi a tâco teh, moi hoi tonphuenhoehe vaiyei hmai he a kak pouh. BAWIPA e kalvantami teh yout a kahma pouh.
Then Yahweh touched the meat and bread with the walking stick that was in his hand. A fire flamed up from the rock and burned up everything that Gideon had brought! And then Yahweh disappeared.
22 Hat torei teh, Gideon ni BAWIPA e kalvantami tie a panue. Hahoi teh, Oe Bawipa Jehovah, atuteh BAWIPA e kalvantami minhmai rek ka hmu toe a ti.
When Gideon realized that it was really Yahweh [who had appeared in the form of an angel and talked with him], he exclaimed, “O, Yahweh, I have seen you face-to-face [when you had the form of] an angel! [So I will surely die]!”
23 BAWIPA ni na lungpuen hanh. Yawhawinae awmseh. Nang teh na dout mahoeh.
But Yahweh called to him and said, “Do not be afraid! You will not die [because of seeing me]!”
24 Hote hmuen koe Gideon ni Bawipa hanlah thuengnae a sak teh, BAWIPA teh roumnae (Jehovah-shaloam) telah a phung. Abiezrit capa e hmuen koe Ophrah kho dawk sahnin ditouh ao.
Then Gideon built an altar to [worship] Yahweh there. He named it ‘Yahweh gives us peace’. That altar is still there in Ophrah [town], in the land that belongs to the descendants of Abiezer.
25 Hote hnin tangmin vah BAWIPA ni na poe e maito matawng hoi apâhni e kum sari touh e maitotan hah sin nateh, na pa ni a sak e Baal cathut thuengnae khoungroe hah raphoe nateh, khoungroe teng kaawm e Asherah thing hah tâtueng loe.
That night Yahweh said to Gideon, “Take the second-best/oldest bull from your father’s herd, the bull that is seven years old. [Kill it]. Then tear down the altar that your father built to [worship] the god Baal. Also cut down the pole for worshipping [the goddess] Astarte that is there beside it.
26 Kai ni ka dei e patetlah hete talung van vah, BAWIPA hanlah thuengnae khoungroe na sak hnukkhu, na tâtueng e thing hoi apâhni e maito hah hmaisawi thuengnae lah sak loe atipouh.
Then build a [stone] altar to worship me, your God Yahweh, here on this hill. Take the wood from the pole you cut down and make a fire [to cook the meat of the bull] as a burnt offering to me.”
27 Gideon ni amae sannaw 10 touh a kaw teh, BAWIPA ni a dei e patetlah a sak, a na pa e imthungkhunaw thoseh, khocanaw thoseh a taki teh, kanîthun vah a sak ngam hoeh dawkvah tangmin vah a sak.
So Gideon and his servants did what Yahweh commanded. But they did it at night, because he was afraid what the other members of his family and the other men in town would do to him if they found out that he had done that.
28 Amom khocanaw a thaw awh navah, Baal cathut e khoungroe peng a kâraphoe teh, ateng kaawm e Asherah thing hai a rawp teh, a hnukkhu sak e thuengnae khoungroe van vah, apâhni e maitotan thueng e hah a hmu awh.
Early the next morning, as soon as the men got up, they saw that the altar to Baal had been torn down, and the pole for worshiping Astarte was gone. They saw that there was a new altar there, and on it was what remained from the bull they had sacrificed.
29 Hat toteh, hete hno heh apimouh ka sak telah buet touh hoi buet touh akung a kâkhei awh navah, hete hno teh Joash capa Gideon ni a sak telah tami tangawn ni ati awh.
The people asked each other, “Who did this?” After they investigated, someone told them that it was Gideon, the son of Joash, [who had done it].
30 Hattoteh khocanaw ni Joash koe, nange capa ni Baal cathutnaw e khoungroe peng a raphoe teh, ateng kaawm e Asherahkung hah a tâtueng dawkvah, ahni teh thei hanelah tâcawt sak hottelah atipouh awh.
They went to Joash and said to him, “Bring your son out here! (He must be executed/We must kill him), because he destroyed our god Baal’s altar and cut down the pole for our goddess Astarte!”
31 Hateiteh, Joash ni ahnimouh koe nangmouh teh Baal cathut koelah maw na kampang awh han, hotnaw na rungngang awh han, ahni koelah kampang e tami teh, khodai hoehnahlan dout lawiseh. Baal teh cathut katang pawiteh, ahnie thuengnae khoungroe a raphoe kecu dawk, ama ni a sak e teh amamouh ni khang na lawiseh, telah bout atipouh.
But Joash replied, “Are you trying to defend Baal? Are you trying to argue his case? Anyone who tries to defend Baal should be executed by tomorrow morning! If Baal is truly a god, he ought to be able to defend himself, and to get rid of the person who tore down his altar!”
32 Hottelah Baal cathut e khoungroe ka raphoe e tami teh, amamouh ni a sak e patetlah ahni ni khang sak lawiseh, ati teh, amae capa hah hat hnin vah, Jerubbaal telah a min a phung.
From that time, people called Gideon Jerub-Baal, which means ‘Baal should defend himself’, because he tore down Baal’s altar.
33 Hattoteh Midian tami, Amalek tami, Kanîtholae tami pueng a kamkhueng awh teh, Jezreel yawn tanghling dawk a roe awh.
Soon after that, the armies of the people of Midian and of Amalek and the people from the east gathered together. They crossed the Jordan River [to attack the Israelis]. They set up their tents in Jezreel Valley.
34 BAWIPA e Muitha teh Gideon koe a pha. Gideon ni mongka a ueng teh, Abiezer capanaw ni a hnuk a kâbang awh.
Then Yahweh’s Spirit took control of Gideon. He blew a ram’s horn to summon the men to prepare to fight. So the men of the clan of Abiezer came to him.
35 A patounenaw hah Manasseh ram pueng dawk a patoun teh, Manasseh miphun pueng ni a kâbang awh. Asher ram, Zebulun ram, Naphtali ram koe lahai a patounenaw bout a patoun teh, ahnimanaw hai kamkhuengnae koe a tho awh.
He also sent messengers throughout the tribes descended from [the four tribes of] Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali [to tell their soldiers to come], and all of them came.
36 Gideon ni Cathut koe nang ni na dei e patetlah Isarel miphunnaw hah kaie kut dawk hoi na hlout sak katang han na pawiteh,
Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to enable me to rescue the Israeli people as you promised,
37 kai ni tu buet touh e muen hah thongma dawk ka ta han. Hote tumuen teh tadamtui cukruk bawm boilah, talai remphui pawiteh, na dei e patetlah Isarel miphunnaw kaie kut dawk hoi na rungngang han tie hah ka panue han.
confirm it by doing this: Tonight I will put a dry wool fleece on the ground where I thresh the grain. Tomorrow morning, if the fleece is wet with dew but the ground is dry, then I will know that I am the one you will enable to rescue the people of Israel as you promised.”
38 Hatteh ka hei e patetlah ao. Amom a thaw teh, tumuen a kasu boteh tadamtui kawlung buet touh yikkawi.
And that is what happened. When Gideon got up the next morning, he picked up the fleece, and squeezed out a whole bowlful of water!
39 Gideon ni na lung khuek sak hanh ei, vai touh bout ka dei einei. Tu buet touh e muen hoi atu vai touh dueng na tanouk sak ei. Talai pueng tadamtui a duk vaiteh, tumuen remphui naseh, telah Cathut koe a hei e patetlah,
Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me, but let me ask you to do one more thing. Tonight I will put the fleece out again. This time, let the fleece remain dry, while the ground is wet with the dew.”
40 hote karum hai Cathut ni a sak pouh teh, talai pueng a duk teh tumuen remphui lah ao.
So that night, God did what Gideon asked him to do. The next morning the fleece was dry, but the ground was covered with dew.
