Ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo 6
1 Israelviwo gawɔ nu si nye vɔ̃ le Yehowa ŋkume eye ƒe adre sɔŋ wòtsɔ wo de asi na Midiantɔwo.
The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight. So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years.
2 Midiantɔwo ƒe asi sẽ ɖe Israelviwo dzi ale gbegbe be Israelviwo wɔ bebeƒewo na wo ɖokuiwo ɖe towo tome, agadowo me kple sitsoƒewo.
The Midianite oppression was so great that because of them the Israelites made themselves hiding places in mountains, caves, and fortifications.
3 Ne Israelviwo ƒã nukuwo la, Midiantɔwo, Amalekitɔwo kple ɣedzeƒetɔ bubuwo vana dzea Israelviwo dzi.
Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other peoples from the east would come and attack them.
4 Woƒua asaɖa anyi ɖe anyigba la dzi, gblẽa nukuawo yi keke Gaza ke eye womegblẽa nu gbagbe aɖeke ɖi na Israelviwo o, alẽwo loo, nyiwo loo alo tedziwo o.
They would set up their camps and destroy the country's crops as far away as Gaza. They didn't leave anything to eat in the whole of Israel, and they took for themselves all the sheep, cattle, and donkeys.
5 Wovana kple woƒe lãhawo kple woƒe agbadɔwo abe ʋetsuviwo ene. Mele bɔbɔe be woaxlẽ ŋutsuawo kple woƒe kposɔwo o. Wovana dzea anyigba la dzi be woagblẽe keŋkeŋ.
They arrived in huge numbers with their livestock and tents like swarms of locusts, with so many camels they couldn't be counted. They invaded the land to completely devastate it.
6 Midiantɔwo na Israelviwo da ahe ale gbegbe be wodo ɣli na Yehowa be wòaxɔ na yewo.
The Israelites were made desperately poor by the Midianites and they called out to the Lord for help.
7 Esi Israelviwo do ɣli na Yehowa le Midiantɔwo ta la,
When the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help because of the Midianites,
8 edɔ Nyagblɔɖila aɖe ɖa, ame si gblɔ be, “Ale Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu la gblɔe nye si, ‘Mekplɔ mi do goe tso Egipte le kluvinyenyenyigba dzi.
the Lord sent the Israelites a prophet. He told them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought you out of Egypt; I led you out from the place where you were slaves.
9 Meɖe mi le Egipte ƒe ŋusẽ te kple ame siwo katã te mi ɖe anyi la ƒe asi me. Menya wo ɖa le mia ŋgɔ eye metsɔ woƒe anyigba na mi.
I saved you from the power of the Egyptians and from everyone who oppressed you. I expelled them before you and gave their land to you.
10 Megblɔ na mi be nyee nye Yehowa, miaƒe Mawu, migasubɔ Amoritɔwo ƒe mawuwo, ame siwo ƒe anyigba dzi miele la o, gake mieɖo tom o.’”
I warned you: I am the Lord your God. You must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you're now living.’ But you didn't listen to me.”
11 Gbe ɖeka la, Yehowa ƒe dɔla aɖe va nɔ anyi ɖe oɖumti la te le Ofra, le Yoas, Abiezritɔ la ƒe agble me. Yoaz ƒe vi, Gideon, ɣla eɖokui ɖe wainfiaƒe aɖe le vɔvɔ̃ na Midiantɔwo ta eye wònɔ lu klẽm kple asi.
The angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak tree in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress there to hide it from the Midianites.
12 Yehowa ƒe dɔla la ɖe eɖokui fiae eye wògblɔ nɛ be, “Yehowa li kpli wò, wò ŋutsu kalẽtɔ!”
The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “The Lord is with you, great man of courage!”
13 Gideon ɖo eŋu be, “Nye aƒetɔ, ne Yehowa la li kplim la, ekema nu ka ta nu siawo katã dzɔ ɖe mía dzi? Gawu la, afi ka eƒe nukunu siwo katã ŋu mía fofowo ƒo nu na mí tsoe esi wogblɔ be, ‘Ɖe Yehowa mekplɔ mí do goe tso Egipte oa?’ la le? Ke azɔ la Yehowa gblẽ mí ɖi.”
“Excuse me, my lord, but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” Gideon replied. “Where are all his wonderful miracles that our forefathers reminded us about when they said, ‘Wasn't it the Lord who led us out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has given up on us and has handed us over to the Midianites.”
14 Yehowa trɔ ɖe eŋu gblɔ nɛ be, “Yi le wò ŋusẽ me eye nàɖe Israel tso Midiantɔwo ƒe asi me. Ɖe nyemele dɔwòm oa?”
The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength that you have and save Israel from the Midianites. Aren't I the one sending you?”
15 Ke Gideon ɖo eŋu be, “Aƒetɔ, aleke nye ame gblɔe sia mate ŋu aɖe Israel? Nye hlɔ̃e nye hlɔ̃ gblɔetɔ le Manase ƒe to blibo la me eye nyee nye ame gblɔetɔ kekeake le nye ƒome blibo la me!”
“Excuse me, my lord, but how can I save Israel?” Gideon replied. “My family is the least important of the tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least important person of that family!”
16 Yehowa ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Manɔ kpli wò eye nàtsrɔ̃ Midiantɔwo katã abe ame ɖekae wonye ene!”
“I will be with you,” the Lord told him. “You will defeat the Midianites as if they were just one man.”
17 Gideon ɖo eŋu be, “Ke azɔ la, ne mekpɔ amenuveve le wò ŋkume la, na dzesim ne manyae be wòe le nu ƒom nam vavã.
“Please, Lord, if you think well of me, give me a sign that it's really you telling me this,” Gideon asked.
18 Taflatse, mègadzo o va se ɖe esime maɖatsɔ nye nuɖuɖu ava ɖo wò ŋkume.” Eye Yehowa ɖo eŋu be, “Malala wò va se ɖe esime nàtrɔ agbɔ.”
“Don't leave until I come back and present my offering to you.” “I will remain here until you return,” he replied.
19 Gideon ɖe abla yi aƒe me, wu gbɔ̃vi aɖe, mee eye wòtsɔ wɔ lita blaeve-vɔ-eve ƒo abolo maʋamaʋãe; etsɔ lã la ɖe kusi me eye wòtsɔ detsia ɖe ze me heyi na Mawudɔla la le oɖumti la te.
Gideon went and cooked a young goat, and baked some unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot. He carried them out and presented them to the angel under the oak tree.
20 Mawudɔla la gblɔ nɛ be, “Tsɔ lã la kple abolo maʋamaʋã la da ɖe agakpe ma dzi eye nàtrɔ detsi la kɔ ɖe edzi.” Esi Gideon wɔ alea la,
The angel of God told him, “Place the meat and the unleavened bread on this rock and pour the broth over them.” So Gideon did.
21 Mawudɔla la tsɔ eƒe atikplɔ ƒe nugbɔ ka lã la kple abolo maʋamaʋã la ŋu. Kasia dzo bi tso agakpe la me eye wòfia lã la kple abolo la! Tete Yehowa ƒe dɔla la bu vĩi.
The angel of the Lord held out the staff he was holding and touched the meat and unleavened bread with the tip. Fire flamed from the rock and burned up the meat and unleavened bread. Then the angel vanished.
22 Esi Gideon dze sii be Yehowa ƒe dɔlae yekpɔ la, edo ɣli be, “Oo, Aƒetɔ Yehowa! Mekpɔ Yehowa ƒe dɔla ŋkume kple ŋkume!”
When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he cried out, “Oh no, Lord God! I've seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”
23 Ke Yehowa gblɔ nɛ be, “Ŋutifafa na wò! Mègavɔ̃ o. Mèle kuku ge o.”
But the Lord told him, “Peace! Don't worry, you're not going to die.”
24 Ale Gideon ɖi vɔsamlekpui aɖe na Yehowa ɖe afi ma eye wòna ŋkɔe be, “Yehowae nye Ŋutifafa” Vɔsamlekpui sia gale afi ma, le Ofra, le Abiezritɔwo ƒe anyigba dzi.
So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it “The Lord is Peace.” It's still there today, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25 Le gbe ma gbe ƒe zã me la, Yehowa gblɔ na Gideon be, “Lé fofowò ƒe nyitsu gã ɖeka kple nyitsu bubu si xɔ ƒe adre. Gbã fofowò ƒe vɔsamlekpui si wòɖi na Baal eye nàho aƒeli si le exa la ƒu anyi
That night the Lord told Gideon, “Take your father's bull and a second bull seven years old, and tear down your father's altar of Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.
26 Azɔ la ɖi vɔsamlekpui bubu na Yehowa, wò Mawu la ɖe togbɛ sia dzi. Tsɔ nyitsu evelia wɔ numevɔsae eye nàtsɔ aƒeli si nèho la wɔ nakee na vɔsa la.”
Then build an altar to the Lord your God in the proper way on hilltop. Using the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down as firewood, take the second bull and present it as a burnt offering.”
27 Gideon kplɔ eƒe subɔla ewo ɖe asi eye wòwɔ nu si Yehowa ɖo nɛ. Ewɔ nu siawo le zã me elabena enɔ fofoa ƒe aƒemetɔwo kple dua me tɔwo siaa vɔ̃m elabena enya nu si woawɔ ne wonya ame si wɔ nu siawo.
Gideon accompanied by ten of his servants did what the Lord had told him. However, because he was afraid of his family and the people of the town, he did it during the night rather than in the day.
28 Le ŋdi esime dua me ŋutsuwo fɔ la, wokpɔ be wogbã Baal ƒe vɔsamlekpui, heho aƒeli si le exa la ƒu anyi eye wokpɔ be wotsɔ nyitsu bubu sa vɔe le vɔsamlekpui yeye la dzi!
Early in the morning when the people of the town got up, they saw that the altar of Baal had been torn down and the Asherah pole beside it had been cut down, with the second bull sacrificed on the altar that had just been built.
29 Amewo de asi biabia me be, “Ame kae wɔ nu sia?” Esi woku nya la gɔme nyuie la, wogblɔ na wo be, “Yoas ƒe viŋutsu, Gideon ye wɔe.”
They asked one another, “Who did this?” They made inquiries and they were told, “Gideon, son of Joash, did it.”
30 Dua me ŋutsuwo bia tso Yoas si be, “Kplɔ viwò ŋutsu la do goe; edze na ku elabena egbã Baal ƒe vɔsamlekpui eye wòho aƒeli si le exa la ƒu anyi.”
“Hand over your son,” the people of the town ordered Joash. “He must die, because he has torn down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”
31 Yoas ɖo eŋu na ameha si ƒo xlãe le adã fiam la be, “Miawoe awɔ aʋa ɖe Baal nua? Ɖe miele agbagba dzem be miaxɔ nɛa? Woawu ame si awɔ avu ɖe enu le ŋdi! Ne Baal nye mawu tututu la, aʋli eɖokui ta ne ame aɖe gbã eƒe vɔsamlekpui.”
Joash replied to all those confronting him, “Are you arguing on Baal's behalf? Do you have to save him? Anyone who argues for him will be put to death by morning! If he is a god let him fight for himself against those who tore down his altar.”
32 Tso gbe ma gbe dzi la, wona ŋkɔ Gideon be, “Yerubaal” si gɔmee nye “Baal newɔ avu kplii.” Elabena egbã Baal ƒe vɔsamlekpui.
That day Gideon was called Jerub-baal, which means “Let Baal fight with him,” because he had torn down his altar.
33 Azɔ la, Midiantɔwo katã, Amalekitɔwo kple ɣedzeƒe dukɔ bubuwo wɔ ɖeka eye wotso Yɔdan tɔsisi la va ƒu asaɖa anyi ɖe Yezreel balime.
All the Midianites, Amalekites, and other peoples of the East gathered together and crossed over the Jordan. They camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
34 Tete Yehowa ƒe Gbɔgbɔ ɖiɖi ɖe Gideon dzi. Eku kpẽ yɔ Abiezeritɔwo be woadze ye yome.
The Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew the trumpet, calling Abiezrites to join him.
35 Edɔ dɔlawo wotsa le Manase, yɔ ameawo be woabla akpa eye wòɖe Aser, Zebulon kple Naftali hã be woawo hã nayi aɖado go wo.
He sent messengers through the whole territory of Manasseh, calling them to join him, and also to Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so they also came and joined the others.
36 Gideon gblɔ na Mawu be, “Ne àto nye asi dzi aɖe Israel abe ale si nèdo ŋugbe ene la
Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel through me as you promised,
37 kpɔ ɖa, matsɔ alẽgbalẽ sia ada ɖe lugbɔƒe la; nenye be zãmu dza ɖe alẽgbalẽ la ko dzi le esime anyigba la le ƒuƒui la, ekema manyae be àɖe Israel to nye asi dzi abe ale si nègblɔ ene.”
then look—I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If the fleece is wet with dew but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to save Israel through me as you promised.”
38 Eva eme nenema tututu! Esi Gideon fɔ ŋdi la, etsɔ alẽgbalẽ la, fiae eye zãmu si dza ɖe edzi la yɔ gagbɛ ɖeka.
That's what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he pressed on the fleece and squeezed out the dew, enough water to fill a bowl.
39 Gideon gagblɔ na Mawu be, “Mègado dɔmedzoe ɖe ŋunye o, ke boŋ ɖe mɔ nam magabia nu bubu ɖeka ko. Ɖe mɔ nam be magatsɔ alẽgbalẽ la awɔ dodokpɔ ɖekae. Fifia la, na alẽgbalẽ la nanɔ ƒuƒuie eye zãmu nadza ɖe anyigba dzi aƒo xlãe.”
Then Gideon said to God, “Please don't get cross with me. Just let me make one more request. Let me do one more test with the fleece. This time let the fleece be dry and the whole ground covered with dew.”
40 Le zã ma me la, Mawu wɔ nenema tututu. Alẽgbalẽ la ɖeɖe nɔ ƒuƒuie, ke zãmu dza ɖe anyigba si ƒo xlãe la ya dzi.
That night God did exactly that. The fleece alone was dry and the whole ground was covered with dew.
