Judges 8
1 Then the descendants of Ephraim said to Gideon, “Why have you acted toward us like this? When you went out to fight against the people of Midian, why did you not summon us [to help you]?” They rebuked Gideon severely.
Na rĩrĩ, andũ a Efiraimu makĩũria Gideoni atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kĩĩ gĩtũmĩte ũtwĩke ũguo? Wagire gũtwĩta ũgĩthiĩ kũhũũrana na Amidiani nĩkĩ?” Nao makĩmũtetia mũno.
2 But Gideon replied, “I have done [RHQ] very little compared with what you have done! My small clan of descendants of Abiezer only started the battle, but [your very large group of] descendants of Ephraim [helped me to finish the task very well. It is like] the final grapes of the harvest being much better than the first grapes that are picked.
Nowe akĩmacookeria atĩrĩ, “Nĩatĩa niĩ njĩkĩte ngerekanĩtio na inyuĩ? Githĩ kũhaara thabibũ cia Efiraimu ti kwega gũkĩra magetha mothe ma thabibũ cia Abiezeri?
3 God enabled you to defeat Oreb and Zeeb, the generals of the army from Midian. That is [RHQ] much more important than what I did!” After Gideon told them that, they no longer resented what he had done.
Ngai nĩaneanire Orebu na Zeebu, atongoria a Amidiani moko-inĩ manyu. Nĩatĩa niĩ hotete gwĩka ngerekanĩtio na inyuĩ?” Maigua ũguo, marakara marĩa maamũrakarĩire namo magĩthira.
4 Then Gideon and his 300 men [went east and] crossed the Jordan [River]. Although they were very tired, they continued to pursue their enemies.
Gideoni na andũ ake magana matatũ, o na marĩ anogu, magĩtengʼeria thũ ciao magĩkinya Jorodani na makĩringa rũũĩ rũu.
5 When they arrived at Succoth [town], Gideon said to the town leaders, “Please give my men some food! They are very tired. We are pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”
Nake akĩĩra andũ a Sukothu atĩrĩ, “Heei ita rĩakwa kĩndũ gĩa kũrĩa; nĩ ũndũ nĩ anogu biũ, na no ndengʼeretie Zeba na Zalimuna, athamaki a Midiani.”
6 But the leaders of Succoth replied, “You have not caught [RHQ] Zebah and Zalmunna yet. So why should we give food to your troops [now? Catch them first, and then we will give you food].”
No anene a Sukothu makĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Rĩu-rĩ, ũkĩrĩ ũranyiita Zeba na Zalimuna magakorwo marĩ moko-inĩ maku? Tũkũhe thigari ciaku irio nĩkĩ?”
7 Gideon replied, “[Because you said that], after Yahweh enables us to defeat Zebah and Zalmunna, we will return. And then we will make whips from thorns from the desert, and with them we will rip the flesh off your bones!”
Nake Gideoni akĩmacookeria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ ũndũ wa ũguo mwoiga, rĩrĩa Jehova arĩneana Zeba na Zalimuna moko-inĩ makwa, ndĩĩtembũranga mĩĩrĩ yanyu na mĩigua ya werũ-inĩ na mahiũ ma nyeki-inĩ.”
8 From there, Gideon [and his 300 men] went to Peniel and asked for food there, but the people gave him the same answer.
Oima kũu akĩambata nginya Penieli, akĩmooria o ta ũguo oorĩtie andũ a Sukothu, nao magĩcookia o ta ũrĩa andũ a Sukothu maamũcookeirie.
9 So he said to the men of Peniel, “After I defeat those kings, I will return and tear down this tower!”
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio akĩĩra andũ a Penieli atĩrĩ, “Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ngaahũndũka hootanĩte-rĩ, niĩ nĩngamomora mũthiringo ũyũ mũraihu na igũrũ.”
10 By that time, Zebah and Zalmunna had gone to Karkor [town] with 15,000 troops. They were all that were left of the armies that had come from the east. 120,000 of their men had already been killed.
Nao Zeba na Zalimuna maarĩ kũu Karikori marĩ na ita rĩa andũ ta 15,000, acio oiki no-o maatigaire kuuma kũrĩ mbũtũ ya andũ a irathĩro; andũ 100,000 rĩa mĩrongo ĩĩrĩ arĩa maarũaga na hiũ cia njora nĩ moragĩtwo.
11 Gideon [and his men] went east along the road on which caravans travel. They went past Nobah and Jogbehah [villages] and arrived at the enemy camp by surprise.
Gideoni akĩambata na njĩra ya andũ arĩa maikaraga hema-inĩ mwena wa irathĩro rĩa Noba na Jogibeha, akiumĩrĩra mbũtũ ĩyo hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ĩtegeragĩria kũrĩ na ũgwati.
12 Zebah and Zalmunna fled, but Gideon’s men pursued them and captured them and all their warriors.
Zeba na Zalimuna, athamaki acio eerĩ a Midiani, makĩũra, nowe akĩmatengʼeria, akĩmanyiita, na akĩhoota mbũtũ ĩyo yao yothe.
13 After that, Gideon and his men [took Zebah and Zalmunna with them and] started to return, going through Heres Pass.
Gideoni mũrũ wa Joashu akĩhũndũka oimĩte mbaara-inĩ, agereire Ihĩtũkĩro rĩa Heresi.
14 There he captured a young man from Succoth, and demanded that he write down the names of all of the leaders in the town. The young man wrote down seventy-seven names.
Nake akĩnyiita mwanake wa Sukothu, na akĩmũhooya ũhoro, nake mwanake ũcio akĩmwandĩkĩra marĩĩtwa ma anene mĩrongo mũgwanja na mũgwanja a Sukothu, na nĩo athuuri a itũũra rĩu.
15 Then Gideon and his men returned to Succoth and said to those leaders, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. When we were here before, you made fun of me and said ‘You have not [RHQ] caught Zebah and Zalmunna yet! After you catch them, we will give your exhausted men some food.’”
Hĩndĩ ĩyo Gideoni agĩũka, akĩĩra andũ a Sukothu atĩrĩ, “Aya nĩo Zeba na Zalimuna, arĩa mwanyũrũrĩirie ũhoro wao, mũkiuga atĩrĩ, ‘Anga nĩũkĩnyiitĩte Zeba na Zalimuna magakorwo marĩ moko-inĩ maku? Tũkũhe andũ aya aku anogu irio nĩkĩ?’”
16 Then Gideon’s men took the town leaders and whipped them with whips made from briers from the desert, to teach them [that they deserved to be punished for not giving them any food].
Agĩkĩnyiita athuuri acio a itũũra, nake akĩherithia andũ acio a Sukothu na mĩigua ya werũ-inĩ, na mahiũ ma nyeki-inĩ.
17 Then [they went to] Peniel and tore down the tower, and killed all the men in the town.
Ningĩ akĩmomora mũthiringo ũcio mũraihu na igũrũ wa Penieli, na akĩũraga andũ a itũũra rĩu.
18 Then Gideon said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “The men you killed near Tabor [Mountain], what did they look like?” They replied, “They were like you; they all looked like they were sons of a king.”
Hĩndĩ ĩyo akĩũria Zeba na Zalimuna atĩrĩ, “Andũ arĩa mworagĩire kũu Tabori-rĩ, maahaanaga atĩa?” Nao magĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Nĩ andũ tawe, o ũmwe wao aahaanaga ta mũrũ wa mũthamaki.”
19 Gideon replied, “They were my brothers! Just as surely as Yahweh lives, I would not kill you if you had not killed them.”
Gideoni akĩmacookeria atĩrĩ, “Acio maarĩ ariũ a baba, o na ariũ a maitũ. O ta ũrĩa Jehova atũũraga muoyo-rĩ, korwo nĩmwahonokirie mĩoyo yao-rĩ, ndingĩamũũraga.”
20 Then he turned to his oldest son, Jether. He said to him, “Kill them!” But Jether was only a boy, and he was afraid, so he did not pull out his dagger [to kill them].
Akĩgarũrũkĩra Jetheri, mũriũ wake wa irigithathi, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Moorage!” Nowe Jetheri ndaigana gũcomora rũhiũ rwa njora, tondũ aarĩ o kamwana kanini, na nĩetigagĩra.
21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, “Do not ask a young boy to do the work that a man should do!” So Gideon killed both of them. Then he took the gold ornaments from the necks of their camels.
Zeba na Zalimuna makĩĩra Gideoni atĩrĩ, “Ũkĩra, ũtũũrage arĩ we. Tondũ o ta ũrĩa mũndũ atariĩ noguo hinya wake ũigana.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Gideoni agĩũkĩra, akĩmooraga, na akĩruta irengeeri iria ciagemetie ngingo cia ngamĩĩra ciao, agĩthiĩ nacio.
22 Then a group of Israeli men [came to] Gideon and said to him, “You be our ruler! [We want] you and your son and your grandsons [to] be our rulers, because you rescued us from the Midian army.”
Andũ a Isiraeli makĩĩra Gideoni atĩrĩ, “Tũthamakĩre, wee, na mũrũguo, na mũrũ wa mũrũguo o nake, nĩgũkorwo wee nĩũtũhonoketie, ũgatũruta moko-inĩ ma Midiani.”
23 But Gideon replied, “No, I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you. Yahweh will rule over you.”
Nowe Gideoni akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Niĩ ndikũmũthamakĩra, o na kana mũrũ wakwa. Jehova nĩwe ũkũmũthamakĩra.”
24 Then he said, “I request only one thing. I request that each of you give me one earring from the things you captured after the battle.” [All the men descended from Ishmael wore gold earrings.]
Ningĩ akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Harĩ ũndũ ũngĩ ũmwe ngũmũhooya, naguo nĩ atĩ o ũmwe wanyu aahe gĩcũhĩ kĩmwe gĩa gũtũ kĩa iria aatahire.” (Ũcio warĩ mũtugo wa Aishumaeli, gwĩkĩra icũhĩ cia thahabu matũ.)
25 They replied, “We will be glad to give earrings to you!” So they spread a cloth [on the ground], and each man threw on it one gold earring that he had taken [from a man he had killed in the battle].
Nao magĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Nĩtũgũciheana tũkenete.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio makĩara nguo thĩ, na o mũndũ agĩikia gĩcũhĩ ho kuuma kũrĩ indo iria aatahĩte.
26 The weight of all the earrings was (43 pounds/19.4 kg.). That did not include other things [that they gave to Gideon]—the other ornaments or the pendants or the clothes that the kings of Midian wore or the gold chains that were on the necks of their camels.
Naguo ũritũ wa icũhĩ icio cia thahabu aahooete wakinyire cekeri 1,700, mathaga marĩa mangĩ matatarĩtwo, na nĩmo mĩgathĩ, na nguo cia rangi wa ndathi iria ciehumbagwo nĩ athamaki a Amidiani, kana mĩnyororo ĩrĩa yarĩ ngingo cia ngamĩĩra ciao.
27 Gideon made/decorated a sacred vest from the gold, and later he put it in his hometown, Ophrah. But soon the Israeli people started to worship the vest. So it became like a trap [MET] for the people, [causing them to worship it instead of worshiping only God].
Gideoni agĩthondeka thahabu ĩyo ĩgĩtuĩka ebodi, ĩrĩa aigire kũu Ofira, itũũra rĩake. Isiraeli othe makĩhũũra ũmaraya na ũndũ wa kũmĩhooya marĩ kũu, nayo ĩgĩtuĩka mũtego harĩ Gideoni na nyũmba yake.
28 That is how the Israelis defeated the people from Midian. The people of Midian did not become strong enough to attack Israel again. So while Gideon was alive, there was peace in the land for 40 years.
Ũguo nĩguo andũ a Midiani maahootirwo nĩ andũ a Isiraeli, na matiacookire kwambararia mĩtwe rĩngĩ. Matukũ-inĩ marĩa Gideoni aatũũrire muoyo, bũrũri ũcio ũkĩgĩa na thayũ mĩaka mĩrongo ĩna.
29 Gideon went back home to live there.
Jerubu-Baali mũrũ wa Joashu nĩacookire gwake mũciĩ gũtũũra kuo.
30 He had many wives, and they bore him seventy sons.
Na aarĩ na ariũ mĩrongo mũgwanja ake mwene, nĩ ũndũ nĩ aarĩ na atumia aingĩ.
31 He also had a slave wife in Shechem [town], who bore him a son whom he named Abimelech.
Nayo thuriya yake ĩrĩa yaikaraga Shekemu, nĩyamũciarĩire mwana wa kahĩĩ, ũrĩa aatuire Abimeleku.
32 Gideon died when he was very old. They buried his body in the grave where his father Joash was buried, at Ophrah, in the land belonging to the descendants of Abiether.
Gideoni mũrũ wa Joashu aakuire arĩ mũkũrũ mũno, na agĩthikwo mbĩrĩra-inĩ ya ithe Joashu kũu Ofira ya Aabiezeri.
33 But as soon as Gideon died, the Israelis [stopped worshiping God and started worshiping the images of the god Baal, like] [MET] adultresses [leave their husbands and go to sleep with other men]. They made a [statue of a] new god called Baal-Berith.
Gideoni akua-rĩ, andũ a Isiraeli o rĩngĩ nĩmahũũrire ũmaraya na Mabaali. Makĩrũgamia Baali-Berithu ĩtuĩke ngai yao,
34 They forgot about Yahweh, the one who had rescued them from all their enemies that surrounded them.
na matiacookire kũririkana Jehova Ngai wao, ũrĩa wamahonoketie akamaruta moko-inĩ ma thũ ciao ciothe iria ciarĩ mĩena-inĩ yao yothe.
35 And even though Gideon had done many good things for the Israelis, they were not kind to Gideon’s family.
O na ningĩ nĩmagire gũcookia ngaatho kũrĩ nyũmba ya Jerubu-Baali (nĩwe Gideoni) nĩ ũndũ wa maũndũ marĩa mothe mega aamekĩire.
