Atiirĩrĩri 6
1 Andũ a Isiraeli o rĩngĩ nĩmekire maũndũ mooru maitho-inĩ ma Jehova, na ihinda rĩa mĩaka mũgwanja Jehova akĩmaneana moko-inĩ ma Amidiani.
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 Na tondũ hinya wa andũ a Midiani nĩwamahatĩrĩirie mũno, andũ a Isiraeli nĩmethondekeire kũndũ gwa kwĩhitha mĩanya-inĩ ya irĩma, na ngurunga-inĩ, na ciĩgitĩro-inĩ iria nũmu.
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 Rĩrĩa rĩothe andũ a Isiraeli maahaandaga irio-rĩ, Amidiani, na Aamaleki, na andũ angĩ a mwena wa irathĩro nĩmatharĩkagĩra bũrũri ũcio.
Whenever the Israelis planted things in their fields, the people of Midian and Amalek and other groups from the east invaded Israel.
4 Nao nĩmambĩte hema ciao kũu bũrũri-inĩ, na magĩthũkia irio iria ciarĩ mĩgũnda kũndũ guothe o nginya Gaza, na matiigana gũtigĩria andũ a Isiraeli kĩndũ o na kĩmwe kĩrĩ muoyo, arĩ ngʼondu kana ngʼombe, o na kana ndigiri.
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 Nĩgũkorwo maambataga kuo na mahiũ mao na hema ciao mahaana ta ngigĩ kũingĩha. Andũ na ngamĩĩra ciao matingĩatarĩkire; magĩtharĩkĩra bũrũri ũcio nĩgeetha mawanange biũ.
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 Amidiani makĩnyariira andũ a Isiraeli o nginya andũ a Isiraeli magĩkaĩra Jehova amateithie.
The people of Midian took almost everything the Israelis owned. So finally the Israelis pleaded for Yahweh to help them.
7 Na rĩrĩ, hĩndĩ ĩrĩa andũ a Isiraeli maarĩrĩire Jehova nĩ ũndũ wa Amidiani-rĩ, Jehova
When the Israelis pleaded with Yahweh to help them because of [what] the people from Midian [were doing to them],
8 akĩmatũmĩra mũnabii, ũrĩa wameerire atĩrĩ, “Ũũ nĩguo Jehova, Ngai wa Isiraeli, ekuuga: Niĩ ndamũrutire bũrũri wa Misiri, ngĩmũruta bũrũri wa ũkombo.
he sent to them a prophet, who said, “Yahweh, the God we Israelis worship, says this: ‘Your ancestors were slaves in Egypt.
9 Nĩ niĩ ndaamũtharire kuuma guoko-inĩ kwa andũ a Misiri, na kuuma guoko-inĩ kwa arĩa othe maamũhinyagĩrĩria. Ngĩmarutũrũra mbere yanyu na ngĩmũhe bũrũri wao.
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 Ngĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Niĩ nĩ niĩ Jehova Ngai wanyu; Mũtikanahooe ngai cia Aamori, arĩa ene bũrũri ũyũ mũtũire.’ No inyuĩ mũtiigana kũnjigua.”
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 Nake mũraika wa Jehova agĩũka agĩikara thĩ gĩtina-inĩ kĩa mũgandi o kũu Ofira, mũgandi wa Joashu ũrĩa Mũabiezeri, harĩa mũriũ Gideoni aahũũragĩra ngano kĩhihĩro-inĩ kĩa ndibei nĩguo amĩhithe ndĩkonwo nĩ Amidiani.
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 Nake mũraika ũcio wa Jehova akiumĩrĩra Gideoni, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Jehova arĩ hamwe nawe, njamba ĩno ĩrĩ hinya.”
Yahweh [went over] to Gideon and said to him, “You mighty warrior, Yahweh is helping you!”
13 Nake Gideoni akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “No rĩrĩ, mwathi wakwa, angĩkorwo Jehova arĩ hamwe na ithuĩ-rĩ, nĩ kĩĩ gĩtũmĩte maũndũ maya mothe matũkore? Makĩrĩ ha morirũ make mothe marĩa maithe maitũ maatwĩraga ũhoro wamo atĩrĩ, ‘Githĩ ti Jehova watwambatirie agĩtũruta bũrũri wa Misiri?’ No rĩu-rĩ, Jehova nĩatũtiganĩirie agatũneana guoko-inĩ kwa Midiani.”
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 Nake Jehova akĩmũgarũrũkĩra, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Thiĩ na hinya ũcio ũrĩ naguo ũkahonokie Isiraeli, ũmarute guoko-inĩ kwa Midiani. Githĩ ti niĩ ndĩragũtũma?”
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 Gideoni akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “No rĩrĩ, Mwathani, ingĩkĩhota atĩa kũhonokia Isiraeli? Mũhĩrĩga witũ nĩguo ũtarĩ hinya thĩinĩ wa Manase, na ningĩ nĩ niĩ mũnini mũno nyũmba-inĩ iitũ.”
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 Jehova akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Niĩ nĩngũkorwo ndĩ hamwe nawe, na nĩũkũhũũra Amidiani ũmaniine othe me hamwe.”
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 Nake Gideoni akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Ingĩkorwo nĩnjĩtĩkĩrĩkĩte maitho-inĩ maku-rĩ, kĩnyonie kĩmenyithia atĩ ti-itherũ nĩwe ũranjarĩria.
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 Ndagũthaitha ndũkae kuuma haha nginya njooke na ndeehe iruta rĩakwa na ndĩrĩige mbere yaku.” Nake Jehova akiuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩngweterera nginya ũcooke.”
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 Gideoni agĩtoonya nyũmba, agĩthĩnja koori, ningĩ agĩthondeka mĩgate ĩtarĩ na ndawa ya kũimbia kuuma eba ĩmwe ya mũtu. Agĩĩkĩra nyama icio gĩkabũ-inĩ, naguo thathi wacio akĩwĩkĩra nyũngũ-inĩ, agĩtwarĩra mũraika na akĩmũigĩra hau gĩtina-inĩ kĩa mũgandi.
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 Nake mũraika wa Ngai akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Oya nyama na mĩgate ĩyo ĩtarĩ na ndawa ya kũimbia, ũciigĩrĩre ihiga-inĩ rĩĩrĩ, na ũciitĩrĩrie thathi ũcio.” Nake Gideoni agĩĩka ũguo.
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 Nake mũraika wa Jehova akĩhutia nyama na mĩgate ĩyo ĩtaarĩ na ndawa ya kũimbia na mũthia wa rũthanju rwake. Mwaki ũgĩakana uumĩte ihiga-inĩ, ũgĩcina nyama icio o hamwe na mĩgate ĩyo. Nake mũraika wa Jehova akĩbuĩria na ndaacookire kuonwo.
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 Rĩrĩa Gideoni aamenyire atĩ oima mũraika wa Jehova-rĩ, akĩanĩrĩra, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ĩiya wakwa-ĩ! Mwathani Jehova! Nĩnyonete mũraika wa Jehova ũthiũ kwa ũthiũ!”
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 Nowe Jehova akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Gĩa na thayũ! Tiga gwĩtigĩra. Wee-rĩ, ndũgũkua.”
But Yahweh called to him and said, “Do not be afraid! You will not die [because of seeing me]!”
24 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Gideoni agĩakĩra Jehova kĩgongona hau, agĩgĩĩta Jehova nĩ Thayũ. Nakĩo gĩtũire kũu Ofira kwa Aabiezeri nginya ũmũthĩ.
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 O ũtukũ ũcio Jehova akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Oya ndegwa ya keerĩ kuuma rũũru-inĩ rwa thoguo ya mĩaka mũgwanja. Ũcooke ũgũithie kĩgongona gĩa thoguo kĩa Baali, na ũtemange gĩtugĩ kĩa Ashera kĩrĩa kĩrĩ mwena-inĩ wakĩo.
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 Ũcooke wakĩre Jehova Ngai waku kĩgongona kĩrĩa kĩagĩrĩire hau igũrũ rĩa harĩa hambatĩru. Hũthĩra ngũ cia gĩtugĩ kĩa Ashera kĩrĩa ũtemangire, ũndutĩre ndegwa ĩyo ya keerĩ ĩtuĩke igongona rĩa njino.”
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 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Gideoni akĩoya ndungata ciake ikũmi, agĩĩka o ta ũrĩa Jehova aamwĩrĩte. No rĩrĩ, tondũ nĩetigagĩra andũ a nyũmba yao na andũ a itũũra rĩu-rĩ, eekire maũndũ macio ũtukũ handũ ha mũthenya.
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 Rũciinĩ kwarooka gũkĩa rĩrĩa andũ a itũũra mookĩrire-rĩ, kĩgongona kĩa Baali kĩarĩ kĩmomore, hamwe na gĩtugĩ kĩa Ashera gĩtemangĩirwo hau mwena-inĩ wakĩo, nayo ndegwa ĩyo ya keerĩ ĩrutĩirwo kĩgongona-inĩ kĩu kĩerũ gĩakĩtwo!
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 Makĩũrania atĩrĩ, “Nũũ wĩkĩte ũũ?” Rĩrĩa maatuĩririe wega, makĩĩrwo atĩrĩ, “Nĩ Gideoni mũrũ wa Joashu wĩkĩte ũguo.”
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 Andũ acio a itũũra makĩĩra Joashu atĩrĩ, “Umia mũrũguo na nja. No nginya akue, nĩ ũndũ nĩoinangĩte kĩgongona kĩa Baali na agatemenga gĩtugĩ kĩa Ashera kĩrĩa kĩrĩ mwena-inĩ wakĩo.”
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 Nowe Joashu agĩcookeria kĩrĩndĩ kĩu kĩamũrigiicĩirie kĩ na ũũru atĩrĩ, “Anga nĩmũkwenda kũrũĩrĩra Baali? Mũrageria kũmũhonokia? Mũndũ ũrĩa ũkũmũrũĩrĩra, ũcio ekũũragwo gũtanakĩa! Angĩkorwo Baali nĩ ngai-rĩ, no ahote kwĩrũĩrĩra rĩrĩa mũndũ angiunanga kĩgongona gĩake.”
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 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũthenya ũcio magĩtua Gideoni “Jerubu-Baali,” makiuga atĩrĩ, “Baali nĩarekwo arũe nake we mwene,” nĩ ũndũ nĩoinangĩte kĩgongona kĩa Baali.
From that time, people called Gideon Jerub-Baal, which means ‘Baal should defend himself’, because he tore down Baal’s altar.
33 Na rĩrĩ, Amidiani othe, na Amaleki, na andũ angĩ a mwena wa irathĩro magĩcookanĩrĩria mbũtũ ciao cia ita, makĩringa mũrĩmo wa Jorodani, na makĩamba hema ciao Kĩanda-inĩ kĩa Jezireeli.
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 Hĩndĩ ĩyo Roho wa Jehova agĩũka igũrũ rĩa Gideoni, nake akĩhuha karumbeta, agĩĩta Aabiezeri mamũrũmĩrĩre.
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 Agĩtũma andũ bũrũri wothe wa Manase, akĩmeera meeohe indo cia mbaara, o na agĩtũmana mabũrũri ma Asheri, na Zebuluni, na Nafitali, o nao makĩambata makamatũnge.
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 Nake Gideoni akĩĩra Ngai atĩrĩ, “Ũngĩkorwo nĩũkũhonokia Isiraeli na guoko gwakwa o ta ũrĩa weranĩire-rĩ,
Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to enable me to rescue the Israeli people as you promised,
37 atĩrĩ, nĩngũiga rũũa rwa ngʼondu kĩhuhĩro-inĩ kĩa ngano. Ime rĩngĩkorwo rũũa-inĩ rwiki na kũu kũngĩ thĩ gũkorwo kũrĩ kũmũ-rĩ, hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩngamenya atĩ nĩũkũhonokia Isiraeli na ũndũ wa guoko gwakwa, o ta ũrĩa uugĩte.”
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 Na ũguo noguo gwatuĩkire. Gideoni akĩroka gũũkĩra rũciinĩ tene mũthenya ũyũ ũngĩ; akĩhiha rũũa rũu ime rũkiuma maaĩ mbakũri ĩmwe.
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 Ningĩ Gideoni akĩĩra Ngai atĩrĩ, “Ndũkae kũrakario nĩ niĩ. Ngirĩrĩria ngũhooe ũndũ ũngĩ ũmwe. Njĩtĩkĩria o igeria rĩngĩ rĩmwe na rũũa rũrũ. Ihinda rĩrĩ reke rũũa rũrũ rũkorwo rũrĩ rũmũ, nakuo thĩ gũkorwo kũhumbĩirwo nĩ ime.”
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 Ũtukũ ũcio Ngai agĩĩka o ro ũguo. No rũũa rwiki rwarĩ rũmũ; nakuo thĩ guothe kwarĩ kũhumbĩre nĩ ime.
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.
