Ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo 6
1 Israelviwo gawɔ nu si nye vɔ̃ le Yehowa ŋkume eye ƒe adre sɔŋ wòtsɔ wo de asi na Midiantɔwo.
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 Midiantɔwo ƒe asi sẽ ɖe Israelviwo dzi ale gbegbe be Israelviwo wɔ bebeƒewo na wo ɖokuiwo ɖe towo tome, agadowo me kple sitsoƒewo.
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 Ne Israelviwo ƒã nukuwo la, Midiantɔwo, Amalekitɔwo kple ɣedzeƒetɔ bubuwo vana dzea Israelviwo dzi.
Whenever the Israelis planted things in their fields, the people of Midian and Amalek and other groups from the east invaded Israel.
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 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 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 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 Midiantɔwo na Israelviwo da ahe ale gbegbe be wodo ɣli na Yehowa be wòaxɔ na yewo.
The people of Midian took almost everything the Israelis owned. So finally the Israelis pleaded for Yahweh to help them.
7 Esi Israelviwo do ɣli na Yehowa le Midiantɔwo ta la,
When the Israelis pleaded with Yahweh to help them because of [what] the people from Midian [were doing to them],
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.
he sent to them a prophet, who said, “Yahweh, the God we Israelis worship, says this: ‘Your ancestors were slaves in Egypt.
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.
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 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 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 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.
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 Yehowa ƒe dɔla la ɖe eɖokui fiae eye wògblɔ nɛ be, “Yehowa li kpli wò, wò ŋutsu kalẽtɔ!”
Yahweh [went over] to Gideon and said to him, “You mighty warrior, Yahweh is helping you!”
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.”
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 Yehowa trɔ ɖe eŋu gblɔ nɛ be, “Yi le wò ŋusẽ me eye nàɖe Israel tso Midiantɔwo ƒe asi me. Ɖe nyemele dɔwòm oa?”
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 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!”
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 Yehowa ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Manɔ kpli wò eye nàtsrɔ̃ Midiantɔwo katã abe ame ɖekae wonye ene!”
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 ɖo eŋu be, “Ke azɔ la, ne mekpɔ amenuveve le wò ŋkume la, na dzesim ne manyae be wòe le nu ƒom nam vavã.
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 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.”
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 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 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 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,
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 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.
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 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 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 Ke Yehowa gblɔ nɛ be, “Ŋutifafa na wò! Mègavɔ̃ o. Mèle kuku ge o.”
But Yahweh called to him and said, “Do not be afraid! You will not die [because of seeing me]!”
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.
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 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 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 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 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 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.
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 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 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 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.”
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 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.”
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 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.”
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 Tso gbe ma gbe dzi la, wona ŋkɔ Gideon be, “Yerubaal” si gɔmee nye “Baal newɔ avu kplii.” Elabena egbã Baal ƒe vɔsamlekpui.
From that time, people called Gideon Jerub-Baal, which means ‘Baal should defend himself’, because he tore down Baal’s 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.
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 Tete Yehowa ƒe Gbɔgbɔ ɖiɖi ɖe Gideon dzi. Eku kpẽ yɔ Abiezeritɔwo be woadze ye yome.
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 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 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 gblɔ na Mawu be, “Ne àto nye asi dzi aɖe Israel abe ale si nèdo ŋugbe ene la
Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to enable me to rescue the Israeli people 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.”
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 Eva eme nenema tututu! Esi Gideon fɔ ŋdi la, etsɔ alẽgbalẽ la, fiae eye zãmu si dza ɖe edzi la yɔ gagbɛ ɖeka.
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 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, “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 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.
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.
