Judges 6
1 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.
Israel kaminawk loe Angraeng mikhnukah kasae hmuen to sak o let bae; to pongah Angraeng mah nihcae to saning sarihto thung Midian kaminawk ban ah paek.
2 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.
Midian kaminawk mah Israelnawk to pazawk moe, pacaekthlaek pongah, Israel kaminawk loe abuephaih akhaw hoi thlungkhaw to mae taengah sak o.
3 Whenever the Israelis planted things in their fields, the people of Midian and Amalek and other groups from the east invaded Israel.
Israel kaminawk mah caak koi hmuen patit o naah, Midian kaminawk, Amalek kaminawk hoi ni angyae bang ih kaminawk to angzoh o moe, phraek pae o king.
4 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.
Lawk ah khosak pae o moe, lawk ah patit ih hmuennawk boih, Gaza karoek to paro pae o king; Israel kaminawk mah caak o hanah, tuu, maitaw hoi hrangnawk doeh pathlung pae o ai.
5 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.
Nihcae loe pacah ih moinawk, kahninawk to phawh o moe, kroek laek ai kangpoeng pakhuhnawk baktiah a caeh o; kaminawk hoi kaengkuu hrangnawk loe kroek laek ai khoek to pop o; Israel prae paro hanah angzoh o.
6 The people of Midian took almost everything the Israelis owned. So finally the Israelis pleaded for Yahweh to help them.
Israel kaminawk loe Midian kaminawk pongah paroeai amtang o; to naah Angraeng khaeah hang o.
7 When the Israelis pleaded with Yahweh to help them because of [what] the people from Midian [were doing to them],
Midan kaminawk mah pacaekthlaek o pongah, Israel kaminawk mah Angraeng khaeah hang o naah,
8 he sent to them a prophet, who said, “Yahweh, the God we Israelis worship, says this: ‘Your ancestors were slaves in Egypt.
Angraeng mah, nihcae khaeah tahmaa maeto patoeh pae; tahmaa mah nihcae khaeah, Israel Angraeng Sithaw mah, Misong ah ohhaih ahmuen, Izip prae hoiah nangcae to kang zaeh.
9 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.
Izip kaminawk ban hoi nangcae pacaekthlaek kaminawk ban thung hoiah kang loih o sak; na hmaa ah nihcae to kang haek pae o moe, nihcae ih prae to kang paek o.
10 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.’”
Kai mah nangcae khaeah, Kai loe na Angraeng Sithaw ah ka oh; na oh o haih prae ih Amor kaminawk ih sithawnawk to zii o hmah, tiah ka thuih pae; toe ka lok na tahngai o ai, tiah a naa.
11 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.
Angraeng ih van kami maeto angzoh moe, Oprah vang ah kaom Abiezer acaeng Joash ih thing kamtaak tlim ah anghnut; to naah a capa Gideon loe Midian kaminawk mah hnuk han ai ah, misurtui pasawhhaih ahmuen taengah cang to atit.
12 Yahweh [went over] to Gideon and said to him, “You mighty warrior, Yahweh is helping you!”
Angraeng ih van kami Gideon khaeah angphong moe, anih khaeah, Misatuk thacak kami, Angraeng loe nang hoi nawnto oh, tiah a naa.
13 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.”
Toe Gideon mah anih khaeah, Aw ka Angraeng, Angraeng mah kaicae om thuih nahaeloe, tipongah hae baktih hmuen hae ka tong o loe? Angraeng mah kaicae hae Izip prae thung hoiah ang zaeh, tiah kam panawk mah thuih o ih lok baktih toengah sak ih, dawnrai hmuennawk to naah maw oh boih boeh? Toe vaihi loe Angraeng mah kaicae hae pahnawt moe, kaicae hae Midian kaminawk ban ah paek boeh, tiah a naa.
14 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]!”
Angraeng mah anih to khet moe, Na tawnh ih thacakhaih hoiah caeh ah, Midian kaminawk ban thung hoiah Israel kaminawk to na pahlong tih; kai mah kang patoeh boeh na ai maw? tiah a naa.
15 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!”
Gideon mah anih khaeah, Aw ka Angraeng, Israel kaminawk to kawbangmaw ka pahlong thai han? Khenah, Manasseh acaeng thungah kainawk cakawh loe kam tang o; kai loe kam pa imthung ah kathoeng koek ah ka oh, tiah a naa.
16 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!”
Angraeng mah anih khaeah, Kang oh thuih han hmang, kami maeto hum baktiah, Midian kaminawk to na hum tih, tiah a naa.
17 Gideon replied, “If you are truly pleased with me, do something which will prove that you who are speaking to me are really Yahweh.
Gideon mah, Na mikcuk naakrak ah ka oh nahaeloe, nang thuih ih lok loe tangtang ni, tiah ka panoek thai hanah, angmathaih na paek ah.
18 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.”
Na hmaa ah patoem hanah, tangqum to ka sinh moe, kang zo let ai karoek to hae ah om raeh, tiah a naa. To naah Angraeng mah, Nam laem let karoek to kang zing han hmang, tiah a naa.
19 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.
Gideon loe im ah caeh moe, maeh caa maeto a boh; a thongh pacoengah, takaw ephah maeto a lak moe, taeh thuh ai ih takaw to a sak; benthang pongah moi to pacaeng moe, atui to laom pongah a suek; anih hanah thing tahlip ah sin pae moe, a paek.
20 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.
Sithaw ih van kami mah anih khaeah, Taeh thuh ai ih takaw hoi moi to lah loe, hae thlung nuiah suem ah; to pacoengah atui hoi bawh ah, tiah a naa. A thuih ih lok baktih toengah a sak.
21 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.
Angraeng ih van kami mah moi hoi taeh thuh ai ih takaw to, a ban ih cung tadong hoiah sui; to naah thlung hoiah hmai to angqong moe, moi hoi taeh thuh ai ih takaw to hmai mah kangh. To pacoengah Angraeng ih van kami to anghmat ving.
22 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]!”
Angraeng ih van kami ni, tiah Gideon mah panoek naah, Aw Angraeng Sithaw, Angraeng ih van kami to mikhmai kangtong ah ka hnuk boeh, tiah a thuih.
23 But Yahweh called to him and said, “Do not be afraid! You will not die [because of seeing me]!”
Angraeng mah anih khaeah, Nang khaeah monghaih om nasoe, zii hmah, na dueh mak ai, tiah a naa.
24 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.
To pongah Gideon mah to ahmuen ah Angraeng hanah hmaicam maeto sak moe, Jehovah Shalom, tiah ahmin sak. Hmaicam loe vaihni ni khoek to Abiezer kaminawk ih Ophrah ah oh.
25 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.
To na ni qum ah Angraeng mah anih khaeah, Nam pa ih maitaw tae kanawk hnetto lah loe, saning sarihto kaom hnetto haih maitaw tae to la ah; nam pa mah sak ih Baal hmaicam to phraeh loe, a taeng ih Asherah tung to pakhruh ah.
26 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.”
Hae lungsong nuiah na Angraeng Sithaw hanah hmaicam to sah ah; hnetto haih maitaw tae to lah loe, na pakhruk ih Asherah thing hoiah hmai angbawnhaih to sah ah, tiah a naa.
27 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.
To pongah Gideon mah a tamna kami hato kawk moe, Angraeng mah thuih ih lok baktih toengah a sak; toe angmah ih imthung takoh hoi avang thung ih kaminawk to a zit pongah, khodai ah sah ai, khoving ah ni a sak.
28 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.
Khawnbang khawnthaw ah vangpui ih kaminawk angthawk o naah loe, khenah, Baal hmaicam loe amro moe, a taengah kaom Asherah tung doeh pakhruk ving ah oh boeh; to ih Asherah tung thing hoiah hmaicam kangtha nuiah, hnetto haih maitaw tae hoi sak ih hmai angbawnhaih to a hnuk o.
29 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].
Hae tiah hmuen sah kami loe mi maw? tiah maeto hoi maeto angdueng o. Nihcae mah dueng o naah, Joash capa Gideon mah sak, tiah thuih pae o.
30 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!”
Vangpui thung ih kaminawk mah, Joash khaeah, Na capa to hae ah na hoiah; a duek han oh; anih mah ni Baal hmaicam hae phraek moe, a taeng ih Asherah tung doeh pakhruk, tiah a naa o.
31 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!”
Toe Joash mah anih palungphui thuih kaminawk boih khaeah, Baal ih tok maw na sak o moe, anih maw na pahlong o han? Anih ih toksah kami loe akhawn bang atue laem ai naah dueh nasoe! Baal hae sithaw tangtang ah om nahaeloe, a hmaicam to kami maeto mah phraek ving boeh pongah, Baal angmah lu la nasoe, tiah a naa.
32 From that time, people called Gideon Jerub-Baal, which means ‘Baal should defend himself’, because he tore down Baal’s altar.
Gideon mah Baal ih hmaicam to phraek moe, Anih to Baal mah lu la nasoe, tiah thuih pongah, to na niah Joash mah Gideon to Jerub-Baal, tiah ahmin paek.
33 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.
To naah Midian, Amalek hoi ni angyae bang ih kaminawk boih maeto ah amkhueng o moe, Jordan vapui yaeh ih, Jezreel azawn ah atai o.
34 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.
To naah Gideon nuiah Angraeng ih Muithla to oh; anih mah mongkah to ueng naah, Abiezer kaminawk anih hnukah bang o.
35 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.
Manasseh kaminawk boih khaeah laicaeh to patoeh, to naah Manasseh kaminawk anih hnukah bang o; to pacoengah Asher, Zebulun hoi Naphtali kaminawk khaeah doeh laicaeh to patoeh; nihcae doeh a hnukah caeh o toeng.
36 Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to enable me to rescue the Israeli people as you promised,
Gideon mah Sithaw khaeah, Na thuih ih lok baktih toengah, ka ban hoiah Israel kaminawk to na pahlong han nahaeloe,
37 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.”
khenah, tuumui khukbuen to cang atithaih ahmuen ah ka baih han; tuumui sak ih khukbuen nui khue ah dantui to krah moe, long to phui nahaeloe, na thuih ih lok baktih toengah, ka ban hoiah Israel kaminawk to ka pahlong tih, tiah ka panoek han, tiah a naa.
38 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!
To tiah hmuen to oh tangtang; Gideon loe khawnbang khawnthaw ah angthawk meo, tuumui khukbuen to a lak, dantui to pasawh naah, tui boengloeng maeto koi.
39 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.”
To pacoeng ah Gideon mah Sithaw khaeah, Ka nuiah palungphui hmah raeh; tahmenhaih hoi vaito kang hnik let han vop; tuumui khukbuen hoi vaito tanoekhaih ka sak let han vop; vaihi loe tuumui khukbuen to phui nasoe loe, long ah dantui sui nasoe, tiah a naa.
40 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.
A thuih ih lok baktih toengah to naqum ah Sithaw mah sak pae; tuumui khukbuen khue to phuih moe, long ah loe dantui to krak.
