Ndị Ikpe 8
1 Ndị Ifrem jụrụ Gidiọn ajụjụ sị ya, “Gịnị mere i ji meso anyị mmeso dị otu a? Ọ bụ gịnị mere i zighị ozi kpọ anyị mgbe ị gara ibuso ndị Midia agha?” Ha tara ya ụta nke ukwuu.
Then the men of Ephraim asked Gideon, “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn't you call us when you went to attack the Midianite?” They argued furiously with him.
2 Ma Gidiọn zaghachiri ha sị, “Gịnị ka m rụpụtara e ji atụnyere nke unu. Ọ bụ na ntụtụkọta ihe ubi Ifrem adịghị mma karịa owuwe ihe ubi nke Abieza?
“Now what have I achieved in comparison to you?” Gideon replied. “Even Ephraim's left-over grapes are better than Abiezer's whole grape harvest!
3 Chineke nyefere unu Oreb na Zeeb, ndị ndu Midia, nʼaka. Gịnị ka m rụpụtara a ga-eji tụnyere nke unu?” Okwu a mere ka ọnụma ha nʼebe ọ nọ dajụọ.
God handed over to you Oreb and Zeeb, the two Midianite commanders. What have I managed to achieve in comparison to you?” When he told them this their animosity towards him died down.
4 Nʼoge a, Gidiọn gabigara, gafee osimiri Jọdan, ya na narị ndị agha atọ so ya. Ike gwụrụ ha nke ukwuu ma ha nọgidere na-achụsi ndị iro ha ọsọ ike.
Then Gideon crossed the Jordan with his three hundred men. Even though they were exhausted they continued the chase.
5 Ọ sịrị ndị ikom Sukọt, “Nyetụnụ ndị agha m achịcha nʼihi na ike gwụrụ ha. Ana m na-achụso Zeba na Zalmuna, ndị eze Midia ọsọ.”
When they got to Succoth, Gideon asked the people there, “Please provide some bread to the men with me because they're worn out—I'm pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the Midianite kings.”
6 Ma ndịisi Sukọt sịrị, “Anyị ga-esi aṅaa nye ndị agha gị achịcha? Ijidela Zeba na Zalmuna nʼaka gị?”
But the Succoth town leaders replied, “Why should we give your army bread when you haven't even captured Zebah and Zalmunna yet?”
7 Mgbe ahụ, Gidiọn zaghachiri, “Nʼihi nke a, mgbe Onyenwe anyị nyefere m Zeba na Zalmuna nʼaka, aga m eji ogwu na ụga na-epu nʼọzara dọkasịa unu ahụ.”
“In that case, once the Lord has handed Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I'll return and thrash you with thorns and briers from the desert!” Gideon replied.
8 O sitere nʼebe ahụ gaa Peniel rịọkwaa ndị obodo ahụ otu arịrịọ ahụ. Ma otu ụdị ọsịsa ahụ ndị Sukọt nyere ka ndị Peniel nyekwara.
He left and went to Penuel and asked them the same thing, but the people of Penuel answered the same way as the people of Succoth.
9 Ya mere, ọ gwara ndị ikom Peniel sị, “Mgbe m nwere mmeri lọta, aga m akwatu ụlọ elu a.”
So he told them, “When I return victorious, I'll demolish this tower!”
10 Nʼoge a, Zeba na Zalmuna na puku ndị agha iri na ise fọdụụrụ ha nọ na Kako. Ndị a bụ naanị ndị agha fọdụrụ nʼime usuu ndị agha ndị Midia niile. Nʼihi na ọnụọgụgụ ndị agha e gburu egbu dị narị puku na iri puku abụọ.
Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies of around fifteen thousand men. These were all who remained of the armies of the people of the East—one hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had already been killed.
11 Gidiọn rigoro site ụzọ ndị na-achị anụ ụlọ nke dị nʼọwụwa anyanwụ obodo Nọba na Jogbeha, bịakwasị ndị agha ahụ na mberede nʼihi na ha nọ nʼatụghị egwu ihe ọbụla ime ha.
Gideon took the caravan route to the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked their army, catching them offguard.
12 Zeba na Zalmuna, eze abụọ ndị Midia, gbapụrụ ọsọ, ma Gidiọn na ndị agha ya chụgidere ha ọsọ, jide ha. Ha gweriri ndị agha ha niile.
Zebah and Zalmunna ran away, but he chased after the two Midianite kings and captured them, defeating the whole of their terrified army.
13 Emesịa, Gidiọn nwa Joash, sitere nʼokporoụzọ Heres lọta agha ahụ.
Then Gideon, son of Joash, returned from the battle through the Heres Pass.
14 Nʼebe ahụ ka Gidiọn nọ jide otu nwokorobịa onye Sukọt. O jụrụ ya ajụjụ, nwokorobịa ahụ depụtakwaara ya aha ndịisi obodo Sukọt. Ha dị iri asaa na asaa, ndị okenye obodo ahụ.
There he captured a young man from Succoth and questioned him. The man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven leaders and elders of Succoth.
15 Mgbe Gidiọn bịaruru obodo Sukọt, ọ gwara ha okwu sị, “Ngwa leenụ Zeba na Zalmuna ndị unu kparịrị m maka ha, kwuo sị, ‘Ijidela Zeba na Zalmuna nʼaka gị ugbu a nke mere na anyị ga-enye ndị ikom gị ike gwụrụ achịcha?’”
Gideon went and said to the Sukkoth town leaders, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, the ones you taunted me about when you said, ‘Why should we give your exhausted army bread when you haven't even captured Zebah and Zalmunna yet?’”
16 O jidere ndị okenye obodo ahụ, were ogwu na ụga taa ndị ikom Sukọt ahụhụ ime ka ha mara ihe.
So he took the town elders of Succoth and taught them a lesson using thorns and briers from the desert.
17 Ọ kwaturu ụlọ elu Peniel gbukwaa ndị ikom obodo ahụ niile.
He also demolished the tower of Peniel and killed the men of the town.
18 Mgbe ahụ, ọ jụrụ Zeba na Zalmuna, “Ndị ikom dị aṅaa ka unu gburu na Taboa?” Ha zara sị ya, “Ha nwere ụdịdị ka gị onwe gị, onye ọbụla nwere ụdịdị dịka nwa eze.”
Then Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What were they like, the men you killed at Tabor?” “They looked like you,” they answered. “Each of them had the stature of a prince.”
19 Gidiọn zaghachiri sị, “Ndị ahụ bụ ụmụnne m ndị ikom, ndị nke nne m mụrụ. Ugbu a, Onyenwe anyị nʼonwe ya maara na a sị na unu egbughị ha, agaraghị m egbu unu.”
“Those were my brothers, my mother's sons,” Gideon burst out. “As the Lord lives, if you had let them live, I wouldn't kill you!”
20 O chigharịrị gwa Jeta, ọkpara ya, sị ya, “Gbuo ha!” Ma Jeta amịpụtaghị mma, nʼihi na ọ bụ naanị nwokorobịa. Ọ tụrụ egwu igbu ha.
He told Jether, his oldest son, “Go on, kill them!” But the boy refused to draw his sword, because he was young and afraid.
21 Zeba na Zalmuna, gwara Gidiọn okwu sị, “Jiri aka gị gbuo anyị. ‘A hụ dimkpa, a hụ ike ya.’” Nʼihi nke a, Gidiọn were aka ya gbuo ha, chịkọrọkwa ihe olu niile ha nyakwasịrị ịnyịnya kamel ha nʼolu.
Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, “Come on, you do it! Show yourself a man and kill us!” So Gideon went over and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent-shaped ornaments from the necks of their camels.
22 Mgbe ahụ, ndị Izrel gwara Gidiọn sị ya, “Bịa ka ị bụrụ eze anyị! Gị na ụmụ gị ndị ikom, na ezinaụlọ gị niile, ga-abụ ndị ga-achị, nʼihi na ị gbapụtala anyị site nʼaka usuu ndị agha Midia.”
Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “You must become our ruler, you, your son, and your grandson; because you've saved us from the Midianites.”
23 Ma Gidiọn gwara ha okwu sị, “Mụ onwe m na ụmụ m agaghị abụ eze unu, nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị Chineke bụ eze unu.”
“I won't be your ruler, and my son won't either,” Gideon replied. “The Lord will be your ruler.”
24 Ọ sịrị, “Enwere m otu arịrịọ m ga-arịọ unu. Onye ọbụla nʼime unu nye m ọlantị site nʼoke unu nwetara site nʼihe nkwata nʼagha.” (Ọ bụ omenaala ndị Ishmel niile iyi ọlantị ọlaedo.)
Then Gideon said, “I have a request to ask of you: that each of you give me an earring from your plunder.” (Their enemies were Ishmaelites and wore gold earrings.)
25 Ha jiri obi ụtọ kwenye, gbasaa akwa nʼala, tinyechaa ọlantị ha nʼime ya. Onye ọbụla nʼime ha mere nke a.
“We'll happily give them to you,” they replied. They spread out a cloak, and each of them threw on it earrings from their plunder.
26 Ịdị arọ nke ọlantị ọlaedo ndị a bụ otu puku na narị shekel asaa, na-agụnyeghị ihe ịchọ mma ndị ọzọ, na ihe olu, na uwe odo odo ndị eze Midia na-eyi, na ihe olu dị nʼolu ịnyịnya kamel ha.
The weight of the earrings he'd asked for was 1,700 shekels, not including the ornaments, the pendants, and the purple garments worn by the Midianite kings or the chains that were round their camels' necks.
27 Gidiọn jiri ọlaedo ahụ niile kpụọ efọọd debe ya nʼOfra, nʼobodo nke aka ya. Ma mgbe na-adịghị anya, ụmụ Izrel niile malitere ịgbaso na ife ihe ahụ ofufe. Nʼụzọ dị otu a, ọ ghọọrọ Gidiọn na ezinaụlọ ya ihe ịma nʼọnya.
From the gold Gideon made an ephod, which he placed in his hometown of Ophrah. All Israel prostituted themselves there by worshiping it as an idol, and it became a trap to Gideon and his family.
28 Otu a ka Midia si ghọọ ndị Izrel meriri emeri. Midia eweliteghị isi ya ọzọ. Nʼihi nke a, Izrel biri nʼudo iri afọ anọ, nʼụbọchị niile Gidiọn dị ndụ.
This is how the Midianites was subjugated before the Israelites and did not gain power again. So the land was at peace for forty years during the lifetime of Gideon.
29 Jerub-Baal, nwa Joash laghachiri nʼụlọ nke aka ya, biri nʼebe ahụ.
Jerub-baal, son of Joash, went home, living his own house.
30 Ọ mụtakwara iri ụmụ ndị ikom asaa, nʼihi na ọ lụrụ ọtụtụ ndị inyom.
Gideon had seventy sons, all his own, because he had many wives.
31 O nwekwara iko nwanyị nʼobodo Shekem, onye mụtaara ya nwa nwoke aha ya bụ Abimelek.
His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also had a son. He named him Abimelech.
32 Mgbe ihe ndị a gasịrị, Gidiọn nwa Joash, nwụrụ, mgbe ọ kasịrị nka nke ukwu. E liri ya nʼili nna ya Joash nʼobodo Ofra, nʼala Abieza.
Gideon, son of Joash, died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 Ọ dịghị anya ka Gidiọn nwụsịrị, ụmụ Izrel laghachiri azụ bido ife chi Baal. Ha guzobere Baal-Berit ka ọ bụrụ chi ha.
But as soon as Gideon died, the Israelites went back to prostituting themselves, worshiping before the Baals. They made Baal-berith their god.
34 Ma ụmụ Izrel echetaghị Onyenwe anyị Chineke ha, onye napụtara ha site nʼaka ndị iro ha niile gbara ha gburugburu.
They forgot about the Lord their God, who had saved them from all their enemies that surrounded them.
35 Ha ekwesighịkwa ntụkwasị obi nye ezinaụlọ Jerub-Baal (ya bụ Gidiọn) dịka ezi ihe niile o mere ha si dị.
They did not show any respect to the family of Jerub-baal (Gideon) for all the good he had done for Israel.
