Ndị Ikpe 7
1 Jerub-Baal, onye bụkwa Gidiọn, na ndị agha ya niile biliri nʼisi ụtụtụ, maa ụlọ ikwu ha nʼisi iyi Harod. Ma ndị agha Midia mara ụlọ ikwu nke ha nʼakụkụ ugwu ebe ndị Izrel nọ, nʼime ndagwurugwu nke dị nso nʼugwu nta More.
The next morning, Gideon and his men got up early and went as far as Harod Spring. The army of Midian was camped north of them, in the valley near Moreh Hill.
2 Mgbe ahụ, Onyenwe anyị gwara Gidiọn okwu sị ya, “Lee, ndị ikom gị dị ọtụtụ. Agaghị m enyefe ndị Midia nʼaka ha, ma ọ bụghị otu a, Izrel ga-anya isi megide m, sị, ‘Ike aka m azọpụtala m.’
Yahweh said to Gideon, “You have too many soldiers with you. If I allow all of you to fight the army of Midian, [if your army defeats them], they will boast to me that they defeated their enemies by themselves, [without my help].
3 Ugbu a, maa ọkwa nye ndị agha sị ha, ‘Onye ọbụla ụjọ na-atụ, ya hapụ ugwu Gilead laghachi azụ.’” Nʼihi nke a, iri puku ndị agha abụọ na abụọ laghachiri azụ nʼụlọ nke aka ha. Ma ndị agha dị puku iri nʼọnụọgụgụ fọdụrụ.
So tell the men, ‘Whoever among you is timid or afraid may leave us and go home.’” So [after Gideon told that to them], 22,000 of them went home. Only 10,000 men were left there.
4 Ma Onyenwe anyị gwara Gidiọn, sị ya, “Lee, ndị agha gị ka dị ọtụtụ. Duru ha gbada na mmiri ala, m ga-anwale ha ma webilatara gị ọnụọgụgụ ha nʼebe ahụ. Ọ bụrụ na m sị, ‘Onye nke a ga-eso gị jee,’ ọ ga-eje, ma ọ bụrụ na m sị, ‘Onye nke a agaghị eso gị jee,’ ọ gaghị eso jee.”
But Yahweh told Gideon, “There are still too many men! Take them down to the spring, and there I will choose from among them, which ones will go with you and which ones will not go.”.
5 Ya mere, Gidiọn duuru ha bịa na mmiri ala ahụ. Nʼebe ahụ, Onyenwe anyị gwara ya okwu sị ya, “Kewapụ ndị ji ire ha rachara mmiri dịka nkịta, site na ndị ahụ gburu ikpere nʼala ịṅụ mmiri.”
When Gideon took the men down to the spring, Yahweh told him, “When they drink, put into one group the ones who scoop the water into their hands, and then lap it up like dogs do. Put into another group the ones who kneel down [and bend over] and drink with their mouths in the water.”
6 Ọ bụ naanị narị ndị agha atọ ji ọbụ aka ha kwọlịte mmiri ha ṅụrụ. Ma ndị agha fọdụrụ gburu ikpere ha abụọ nʼala tinye ọnụ ha na mmiri, ṅụọ mmiri.
So when they drank, only 300 men drank from their hands. All the others drank with their mouths down in the water.
7 Onyenwe anyị sịrị Gidiọn, “Ọ bụ narị ndị ikom atọ ndị a raara mmiri ka m ga-eji zọpụta gị, ma rarakwa ndị Midia nye gị nʼaka. Zilaga ndị fọdụrụ ka ha laa nʼụlọ nke aka ha.”
Then Yahweh told Gideon, “The 300 men who lapped the water from their hands will be your army! I will enable them to defeat the Midian army. Let all the others go home!”
8 Gidiọn zilagara ndị Izrel ndị a nʼụlọ ikwu ha ma hapụ naanị narị mmadụ atọ ndị napụtara ndị ahụ na-ala ala ngwongwo niile ha ji ebu agha, na opi ike. Ndị Midia mara ụlọ ikwu ha na ndagwurugwu, nʼebe na-adịghị anya site nʼebe Gidiọn nọ.
So Gideon’s 300 men collected the food and rams’ horns from all the other men, and then he sent them home. The men of Midian were camping in the valley below Gideon.
9 Nʼabalị ahụ, Onyenwe anyị gwara Gidiọn okwu sị ya, “Bilie, gaa lụso ọmụma ụlọ ikwu ahụ agha, nʼihi na ana m aga inyefe ha nʼaka gị.
That night, Yahweh said to Gideon, “Get up and go down to their camp, [and you will hear something that will convince you that] I will enable your men to defeat them.
10 Ma ọ bụrụ na ụjọ na-atụ gị ibuso ha agha, duru Pura onyeozi gị gaa nso nʼọmụma ụlọ ikwu ahụ,
But if you are afraid to attack them by yourself, take your servant Purah with you.
11 ṅaa ntị, nụrụ ihe ha na-ekwu. Emesịa, ị ga-abụ onye a gbara ume ibu agha megide ọmụma ụlọ ikwu ahụ.” Ya mere, ya na Pura onyeozi ya gara nʼebe dị nso, nʼebe ndị nche ọmụma ụlọ ikwu ahụ nọ.
Go down and listen to what some of the Midian soldiers are saying. Then you will be very encouraged, and you will be ready to attack their camp.” So Gideon took Purah with him, and they went down to the edge of the enemy camp.
12 Ma lee, usuu ndị agha Midia, na ndị Amalek, na ndị obodo ndị ọzọ ahụ si nʼọwụwa anyanwụ bịa jupụtara na ndagwurugwu ahụ dị ka igurube. Nʼezie, ịnyịnya kamel ha dị ọtụtụ, dịka aja dị nʼakụkụ oke osimiri.
The armies of the people of Midian and Amalek and from the east had set up their tents and looked like a swarm of locusts. It seemed that their camels were as impossible to count as the grains of sand on the seashore.
13 Gidiọn rutere mgbe otu onye nọ na-akọrọ enyi ya banyere nrọ ọ rọrọ. Ọ na-asị, “Arọrọ m nrọ, ebe otu ogbe achịcha dị gburugburu, e ji ọka balị mee dabatara nʼime ụlọ ikwu ndị Midia. O ji ike dị egwu tie ụlọ ikwu a, nke mere na ụlọ ikwu a dajiri, kpuo ihu nʼala.”
Gideon crept closer and heard one man telling a friend about a dream. He said, “I just had a dream, and in the dream I saw a round loaf of barley bread tumble down into our Midian camp. It struck a tent so hard that the tent turned upside down and collapsed!”
14 Onye ibe ya zara sị, “Nke a abụghị ihe ọzọ karịa mma agha Gidiọn nwa Joash, onye Izrel na-aga ịbịakwute anyị nʼebe a. Chineke enyefeela ndị Midia na ụlọ ikwu ya niile nʼaka ya.”
His friend said, “Your dream can mean only one thing. It means that God will enable Gideon, the man of Israel, to defeat all of the armies that are here with us men from Midian.”
15 Mgbe Gidiọn nụrụ nrọ ahụ, na nkọwa ya, ọ kpọrọ isiala kelee Chineke. Ọ laghachiri na ọmụma ụlọ ikwu ndị Izrel sị ha, “Bilienụ ọtọ! Nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị enyefeela unu ọmụma ụlọ ikwu ndị Midia nʼaka.”
When Gideon heard the [man tell about his] dream and the meaning of that dream, he thanked God. Then he [and Purah] returned to the Israeli camp, and he shouted to the men, “Get up! Because God is enabling you to defeat the men from Midian!”
16 O kewara ndị agha ya ụzọ atọ, nyekwa onye ọbụla nʼime ha opi ike, na ite aja nke iheọkụ dị nʼime ya.
He divided his men into three groups. He gave each man a ram’s horn and an empty clay jar. He also gave each of them a torch [that they lit].
17 Ọ sịrị ha, “Unu na-ele m anya, meekwa ihe m na-eme. Mgbe anyị bịaruru nso na mpụta ebe ụlọ ikwu ahụ dị, meenụ ihe ọbụla unu hụrụ m mere.
Then he said to them, “Watch me. When we come close to the enemy camp, [spread out to surround the camp]. Then do exactly what I do.
18 Mgbe ọbụla mụ na ndị so m nʼazụ fụrụ opi ike anyị, unu niile ga-afụkwa opi ike unu nʼakụkụ ọbụla unu nọ, tie mkpu, sị, ‘Anyị dịnyere Onyenwe anyị, dịnyekwara Gidiọn.’”
As soon as I and the men with me blow our ram’s horns, you men in the other two groups surrounding the camp blow your horns and shout, ‘[We are doing this] for Yahweh and for Gideon!’”
19 Nʼabalị ahụ, mgbe etiti abalị ahụ gabigasịrị, Gidiọn na narị ndị agha ya gbeere egbere ruo na mpụta ebe ndị agha Midia mara ụlọ ikwu ha. Nʼoge a, ha ka gbanwere ndị agha na-eche nche.
A while before midnight, just after a new group of Israeli guards took the places of the previous group, Gideon and the 100 men with him arrived at the edge of the Midian camp. Suddenly they all blew their horns, and broke their jars.
20 Ụzọ ndị agha Gidiọn atọ ahụ fụrụ opi ike ha, tiwakwaa ite aja ha. Ha ji ọwaọkụ ndị ahụ nʼaka ekpe ha na opi ike ha gaje igbu nʼaka nri ha, ha tiri mkpu sị, “Mma agha Onyenwe anyị, na mma agha Gidiọn!”
Then the men in all three groups blew their horns and smashed their jars. They held the torches high with their left hands, and held up the horns with their right hands and alternatively blew them and shouted, “[We have] swords [to fight] for Yahweh and for Gideon!”
21 Onye ọbụla nʼime ha guzoro nʼebe o kwesiri ịnọ gburugburu ọmụma ụlọ ikwu ahụ. Ndị Midia niile malitere ịgba ọsọ, na-etikwa mkpu akwa mgbe ha na-agbalaga.
Each of Gideon’s men stood in his position around the enemy camp. As they watched, all the Midian men started running around and shouting in a panic.
22 Mgbe ha fụrụ narị opi ike atọ ndị ahụ, Onyenwe anyị mere ka ndị ikom niile nọ nʼakụkụ niile nke ọmụma ụlọ ikwu ahụ tụgharịa were mma agha gburịta onwe ha. Ndị agha ahụ gbapụrụ ọsọ gbara gaa Bet-Shita nʼụzọ Zerera, gbarukwaa nke oke ala Ebel-Mehola, nke dị nso Tabat.
While the 300 Israeli men kept blowing their horns, Yahweh caused their enemies to start fighting each other with their swords/daggers. Some of them killed each other. The rest fled. Some fled south to Beth-Shittah. Some fled to Zerarah [village], near Tabbath.
23 A kpọpụtara ndị Izrel si Naftalị, na Asha na Manase niile ka ha pụta chụso ndị Midia ọsọ.
Then Gideon sent messages to the soldiers in the areas where the descendants of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh lived, to tell them to come and pursue the army of Midian.
24 Gidiọn ziri ozi nʼala ugwu ugwu Ifrem sị ha, “Pụtanụ gbochie ụzọ niile ndị Midia si agbafe. Cheenụ ọnụ mmiri Jọdan niile nche ruo na Bet-Bara.” Ya mere, a kpọpụtara ndị ikom niile nọ na Ifrem, bụ ndị gbochiri mmiri Jọdan ruo na Bet-Bara.
He also sent messengers throughout the hilly area where the descendants of Ephraim lived, saying, “Come down to attack the army of Midian. Come down to the Jordan River, to the place where people can wade across, to prevent enemy troops from crossing it! Station men as far south as Beth-Barah.” So the men of Ephraim did what Gideon told them to do.
25 Ha jidekwara ọchịagha ndị Midia abụọ, ndị aha ha bụ Oreb na Zeeb. Ha gburu Oreb nʼelu nkume nke na-aza aha ya ruo taa. E gbukwara Zeeb nʼebe a na-azọcha vaịnị. Ebe ahụ na-azakwa aha Zeeb ruo taa. Ha bipụrụ Oreb na Zeeb isi buru ha jekwuru Gidiọn nʼakụkụ osimiri Jọdan.
They also captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two generals of the Midian army. They killed Oreb at [the big rock which is now called] the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at [the place where people crush grapes that is now called] the winepress of Zeeb. Afterwards, the Israelis cut off the heads of Oreb and Zeeb and brought them to Gideon, while he was near the Jordan River.
