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.
Abayisirayiri ne bakola ebibi mu maaso ga Mukama Katonda. N’abawaayo mu mikono gy’Abamidiyaani okumala emyaka musanvu.
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.
Abayisirayiri ne batulugunyizibwa nnyo Abamidiyaani. Kyebaava beesimira empuku ne beetoolooza ebibuga byabwe agasenge.
3 Whenever the Israelis planted things in their fields, the people of Midian and Amalek and other groups from the east invaded Israel.
Buli Abayisirayiri lwe baasiganga ensigo, Abamidiyaani, Abamaleki n’abantu ab’ebuvanjuba ne babalumbanga.
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.
Ne basiisira mu nsi eyo, ne bazikiriza ebirime byonna okutuusiza ddala e Gaaza. Ne bawemmenta endiga, ente, endogoyi era tebaalekera Bayisirayiri kantu konna.
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.
Kubanga baayiikanga ng’enzige mu bungi nga tebabalika. Nga bajja n’eweema, ente, n’eŋŋamira zaabwe. Bwe batyo ne bazikiriza ensi.
6 The people of Midian took almost everything the Israelis owned. So finally the Israelis pleaded for Yahweh to help them.
Abayisirayiri baajeezebwa nnyo Abamidiyaani, Abayisirayiri kyebaava balaajaanira Mukama Katonda.
7 When the Israelis pleaded with Yahweh to help them because of [what] the people from Midian [were doing to them],
Awo Abayisirayiri bwe baalaajanira Mukama olw’Abamidiyaani,
8 he sent to them a prophet, who said, “Yahweh, the God we Israelis worship, says this: ‘Your ancestors were slaves in Egypt.
Mukama, n’atumira Abayisirayiri Nnabbi, n’abagamba nti, “Mukama Katonda w’Abayisirayiri agamba bw’ati: nabakulembera okuva mu Misiri, ne mbaggya mu nnyumba ey’obuddu,
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.
ne mbanunula okuva mu mikono gy’Abamisiri, ne mu mikono gy’abo bonna abababonnyabonnyanga ne mbafuumuula ku lwammwe era ne mbawa mmwe ensi yaabwe;
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.’”
ne mbagamba nti, ‘Nze Mukama Katonda wammwe, temussanga kitiibwa mu bakatonda b’Abamoli, bannannyini nsi gye mubeeramu.’ Naye mmwe temugondedde ddoboozi lyange.”
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.
Malayika wa Mukama Katonda n’ajja mu Ofula, n’atuula wansi w’omuti omwera ogwali ogwa Yowaasi ow’omu ssiga lya Abiezeri: ne mutabani we Gidyoni yali akubira eŋŋaano mu ssogolero alyoke agikweke Abamidiyaani.
12 Yahweh [went over] to Gideon and said to him, “You mighty warrior, Yahweh is helping you!”
Malayika wa Mukama Katonda n’amulabikira, n’amugamba nti, “Ggwe omusajja omulwanyi namige. Mukama ali wamu naawe.”
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.”
Gidyoni n’abuuza nti, “Ayi Mukama wange, obanga Mukama ali wamu naffe, kale lwaki bino byonna bitutuuseeko? Eby’amagero eby’ekitalo bajjajjaffe bye baatubuulirako nti, ‘Mukama yatuggya mu Misiri, byo biruwa?’ Naye Kaakano Mukama Katonda atwabulidde era atuwaddeyo mu mikono gy’Abamidiyaani.”
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]!”
Mukama Katonda n’amukyukira n’agamba nti, “Ggenda n’amaanyigo g’olina, onunule Abayisirayiri mu mikono gy’Abamidiyaani: si nze nkutumye?”
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!”
N’amuddamu nti, “Ayi Mukama wange, nnyinza ntya okununula Abayisirayiri? Kubanga essiga mwe nva lye lisinga okunyoomebwa mu kika kya Manase ate nze nsembayo obuto mu maka ga kitaffe.”
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!”
Mukama n’amugamba nti, “Ndibeera wamu naawe, era olifufuggaza Abamidiyaani ng’olinga akuba omuntu omu.”
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.
Gidyoni n’amuddamu nti, “Obanga nsiimiddwa mu maaso go mpa obukakafu nga ddala ggwe wuuyo ayogera nange.
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.”
Nkwegayiridde, tova wano, ka ŋŋende nkuleetere ekirabo kyange nkiteeke mu maaso go.” Mukama n’agamba nti, “Kale kambeere wano okutuusa lw’onookomawo.”
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.
Gidyoni n’ayingira mu nju ye, n’atta omwana gw’embuzi n’ateekateeka n’emigaati egitazimbulukuswa ng’akozesa kilo abiri ez’obuwunga bw’eŋŋaano. Ennyama n’agiteeka mu kibbo; ne guleevi waayo ne bamussa mu kibya, n’abimuleetera wansi w’omwera n’abimuwa.
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.
Naye malayika wa Katonda n’amulagira nti, “Ddira ennyama n’emigaati egitazimbulukuswa obiteeke ku jjinja lino obifukeko guleevi.” Gidyoni n’akola bw’atyo.
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.
Awo malayika wa Mukama Katonda n’akoma ku nnyama ne ku migaati egitazimbulukuswa nga yeeyambisa omuggo gwe yalina. Omuliro ne guva mu jjinja ne gububuuka ne gwokya ennyama n’emigaati egitazimbulukuswa byonna ne bisaanawo. Amangwago malayika wa Mukama n’abulawo.
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]!”
Gidyoni n’ategeera ng’oyo abadde malayika wa Mukama; Gidyoni n’agamba nti, “Zinsanze, Ayi Mukama Katonda, kubanga tulabaganye ne malayika wa Mukama maaso ku maaso.”
23 But Yahweh called to him and said, “Do not be afraid! You will not die [because of seeing me]!”
Naye Mukama Katonda n’amugamba nti, “Emirembe gibe ku ggwe tootya tojja kufa.”
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.
Gidyoni n’azimbira Mukama Katonda ekyoto mu kifo ekyo; n’akituuma erinnya Yakuwasalumu (Mukama gy’emirembe); n’okutuusa kaakano kikyaliyo mu Ofula eky’ab’omu ssiga lya Abiezeri.
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.
Ekiro ekyo Mukama Katonda n’agamba Gidyoni nti, “Mmennya ekyoto kwe basinziza Baali, ofuneyo ente eya sseddume ensava eddirira esinga obulungi okuva mu kiraalo kya kitaawo; otemeeteme ekifaananyi ekibajje ekya Asera ekiriraanye ekyoto kya Baali:
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.”
mu kifo ekyo kungulu ozimbireko Mukama Katonda wo ekyoto mu nzimba entuufu eyalagirwa, oddire ente eyo eya sseddume gy’oggye mu kiraalo kya kitaawo ogiweeyo ng’ekiweebwayo ekyokebwa ng’ogyokya n’ebibajjo by’ekifaanannyi kya Asera.”
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.
Awo Gidyoni n’atwala kkumi ku baddu be, n’akola nga Mukama bwe yamulagira, naye kino yakikola kiro olw’okutya ab’omu nju ya kitaawe n’abantu abalala ab’omu kibuga.
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.
Abantu b’omu kibuga baagenda okugolokoka ku nkya mu makya, nga ekyoto kwe baasinzizanga Baali kimenyeddwamenyeddwa, n’ekifaananyi kya Asera ekyakiri okumpi nga nakyo kitemeddwatemeddwa, n’ente eya ssava ng’eweereddwayo ku kyoto ekiggya.
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].
Ne beebuuza nti, “Ani akoze kino?” Awo bwe babuuliriza, ne bategeezebwa nti, “Gidyoni mutabani wa Yowaasi y’akikoze”.
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!”
Abantu b’omu kibuga ne bagamba Yowaasi nti, “Ffulumya mutabani wo tumutte, kubanga amenyeemenye ekyoto kwetusinziza Baali; ate era n’atemaatema n’ekifaananyi kya Asera ekibadde kikiriraanye.”
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!”
Yowaasi n’addamu ekibinja ky’abantu abaali bamulumbye nti, “Mwagala kulwanirira Baali? Mwagala kuwagira bigendererwa bye? Omuntu yenna ayagala okumulwanirira wa kuttibwa nga obudde tebunakya; obanga ddala Baali ye Katonda, yerwanirire yekka, kubanga ekyoto kye kyamenyeddwamenyeddwa.”
32 From that time, people called Gideon Jerub-Baal, which means ‘Baal should defend himself’, because he tore down Baal’s altar.
Okuva ku olwo Gidyoni ne bamukazaako erya Yerubbaali ekitegeeza nti, “Baali amulwanyise.” Kubanga yamenyaamenya ekyoto kya Baali.
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.
Awo Abamidiyaani, Abamaleki n’abantu b’ebuvanjuba ne beegatta bonna ne basomoka omugga Yoludaani ne basiisira mu kiwonvu ky’e Yezuleeri.
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.
Omwoyo wa Mukama Katonda n’akka ku Gidyoni; n’afuuwa ekkondeere ng’ayita ab’essiga lya Abiyezeeri bamugoberere.
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.
N’atuma ababaka eri ab’ekika kya Manase nabo bamugoberere. N’atuma n’ababaka abalala eri ab’ekika kya Aseri, n’ekya Zebbulooni n’ekya Nafutaali bamusisinkane.
36 Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to enable me to rescue the Israeli people as you promised,
Awo Gidyoni n’agamba Katonda nti, “Obanga olinunula Abayisirayiri ng’oyita mu nze nga bwe wasuubiza,
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.”
ka nteeke ebyoya by’endiga mu kifo awakubirwa eŋŋaano; bwe binaatoba omusulo naye ng’ettaka eribyetoolodde lyo kkalu, ne ndyoka nkakasa ddala ng’olinunula Abayisirayiri ng’oyita mu nze nga bwe wasuubiza.”
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!
Ddala bwe kityo bwe kyali; kubanga Gidyoni bwe yagolokoka enkeera mu makya ebyoya by’endiga n’abikamulamu omusulo ne muvaamu ekibya kiramba eky’amazzi.
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.”
Gidyoni n’agamba Katonda nti, “Nkwegayiridde tonsunguwalira, kankusabe obukakafu omulundi omulala gumu gwokka. Ku luno njagala ebyoya by’endiga bye biba bibeera ebikalu, ettaka eribyetoolodde litobe omusulo.”
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.
Ekiro ekyo Katonda n’akola nga Gidyoni bwe yamusaba, ebyoya by’endiga ne biba bikalu, lyo ettaka eribyetoolodde ne litoba omusulo.
