< Balam 7 >

1 Awo Gidyoni gwe baakazaako erya Yerubbaali, ne be yali nabo bonna, ne bakeera mu makya, ne basiisira ku luzzi Kalodi; Olusiisira lwa Bamidiyaani lwali mu bukiika obwa kkono mu kiwonvu, kumpi n’olusozi Mole.
Then Jerubbaal, the same, is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and encamped by the fountain of Harod, —and, the camp of Midian, was on the north of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the vale.
2 Mukama Katonda n’agamba Gidyoni nti, “Abalwanyi bo basusse obungi; nze sibaganye kuwangula Abamidiyaani, Abayisirayiri baleme okwennyumiriza nti amaanyi gaabwe ge gabawanguzza.
And Yahweh said unto Gideon, Too many, are the people that are with thee, for me to deliver the Midianites into their hand, —lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand, hath saved me.
3 Noolwekyo kaakano genda olangirire eri abalwanyi bo nti, ‘Buli mutiitiizi yenna n’oyo akankana, ave ku lusozi luno Gireyaadi addeyo ewuwe.’” Abalwanyi emitwalo ebiri mu enkumi bbiri ne baddayo ewaabwe, ne wasigalawo omutwalo gumu.
Now, therefore, proclaim, I pray thee, in the ears of the people, saying, Whoso feareth and trembleth—let him turn and go back from Mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty-two thousand, and, ten thousand, remained.
4 Mukama Katonda n’agamba Gidyoni nti, “Era abalwanyi bo bakyasusse obungi, baserengese ku mugga, eyo gye naabayunguliramu abasaanidde okugenda naawe n’abatasaanidde.”
Then said Yahweh unto Gideon—Yet, are the people too many, take them down unto the waters, that I may prove them for thee, there, —and it shall be, that, he of whom I say unto thee, This one, shall go with thee, the same, shall go with thee, and, every one of whom I say unto thee, This one, shall not go with thee, the same, shall not go.
5 Awo Gidyoni n’aserengesa abalwanyi ku mugga, Mukama Katonda n’amugamba nti, “Buli mulwanyi anaasena amazzi n’engalo ze era n’aganywa ng’embwa mwawule okuva mu abo abanaafukamira ku mugga ne bakubamu emimwa ne banywa.
So he took down the people unto the waters, —and Yahweh said unto Gideon—Every one that lappeth with his tongue of the water, as a dog lappeth, thou shalt set him by himself, likewise, every one that boweth down upon his knees, to drink.
6 Abo bonna abaasena amazzi n’engalo zaabwe ne baganywa ng’embwa baali ebikumi bisatu, naye abalala bonna baafukamira ku mugga ne bakubamu emimwa okunywa.”
And so it was, that, the number of them that lapped with their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men, —but, all the rest of the people, bowed down on their knees, to drink water.
7 Mukama Katonda n’agamba Gidyoni nti, “Nzija kubanunula era mbawe n’obuwanguzi ku ba Midiyaani nga nkozesa abalwanyi ebikumi ebisatu abaanywedde amazzi ng’embwa, naye abo bonna abasigaddewo bagambe beddireyo ewaabwe.”
Then said Yahweh unto Gideon—By the three hundred men that lapped, will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thy hand; and let, all [the rest of] the people, go every man to his own place.
8 Awo Gidyoni n’asigaza abalwanyi be ebikumi ebisatu, bali abalala n’abakuŋŋaanyaako emmere n’amakondeere gaabwe, n’abalagira ne beddirayo ewaabwe. Olusiisira lw’Abamidiyaani lwamuli kyemmanga mu kiwonvu.
So the people took provisions in their hand, and their horns, but, every man of Israel besides, sent he away every man to his home, whereas, the three hundred men, he retained. Now, the camp of Midian, was beneath him in the vale.
9 Ekiro ekyo Mukama Katonda n’amulagira nti, “Situkiramu olumbe eggye ly’Abamidiyaani mu lusiisira kubanga mbawaddeyo mu mikono gyo.
And it came to pass, on that night, that Yahweh said unto him, Arise! go down against the camp, —for I have delivered it into thy hand.
10 Naye obanga otya okubalumba genda ne Pula omuweerezaawo:
Or, if, thou, art afraid to go down, go down—thou and Purah thy young man, unto the camp;
11 era bw’onoowulira bye boogera onoofuna obuvumu okubalumba. Gidyoni n’omuweereza we Pula ne basemberera olusiisira lw’Abamidiyaani.”
so shalt thou hear what they shall say, —and, afterward, shall thy hands grow strong, and thou shalt go down against the camp. Then went he down, he and Purah his young man, unto the outmost part of the armed men that were in the camp.
12 Abamidiyaani, Abamaleki n’Abamawanga amalala ag’ebuvanjuba abaali mu kiwonvu, mu bungi baali ng’enzige; era n’eŋŋamira zaabwe mu bungi, nga ziri ng’empeke z’omusenyu oguli ku lubalama lw’ennyanja.
Now, the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east, were lying along in the vale, like locusts for multitude, —their camels also, were without number, as the sand that is by the sea side, for multitude.
13 Gidyoni aba atuuka bw’ati ku lusiisira n’awulira omukuumi ng’ategeeza munne ekirooto nti, “Naloota nga omugaati gwa sayiri guyiringise, gutomedde eweema ne yevuunika.”
And Gideon came in, and lo! a man relating to his neighbour a dream, —and he said—Lo! a dream, have I dreamt, and lo! a round cake of barley bread tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came as far as the tent—and smote it that it fell, and turned it upside down, and the tent lay along.
14 Munne n’amuddamu nti, “Ekyo si kirala wabula kitala ky’omusajja Omuyisirayiri Gidyoni mutabani wa Yowaasi. Era oyo Katonda amuwadde obuwanguzi ku ba Midiyaani n’eggye lyaffe lyonna.”
Then responded his neighbour and said: —Nothing else, is this, than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, a man of Israel, —God hath delivered into his hand, both Midian and all the host.
15 Gidyoni bwe yamala okuwulira ekirooto ekyo n’amakulu gaakyo, n’avuunama n’asinza Mukama Katonda; era n’addayo mu lusiisira lw’Abayisirayiri n’abalagira nti, “Musitukiremu; kubanga Mukama abawadde obuwanguzi ku ggye ly’Abamidiyaani.”
And it was so, when Gideon heard the story of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he bowed himself down, —and returned unto the camp of Israel, and said—Arise! for Yahweh hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.
16 Awo Abasajja bali ebikumi ebisatu n’abawulamu ebibinja bisatu, buli omu ku bo n’amukwasa ekkondeere n’ensuwa ng’erimu ekitawuliro.
And he divided the three hundred men, into three companies, —and put horns into the hands of them all, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers.
17 N’abagamba nti, “Munnekalirize, bwe tunaaba tunaatera okutuuka ku lusiisira buli kye nnaakola nammwe nga mukikola.
Then he said unto them, On me, shall ye look, and, in like manner, shall ye do, —and lo! when I am coming unto the outermost part of the camp, then shall it be, that, as I do, so, shall ye do.
18 Nze n’abo benaabeera nabo, bwe tunaafuuwa amakondeere gaffe, nammwe ne mufuuwa agammwe, ne muleekaanira waggulu nti, ‘Ku lwa Mukama Katonda ne ku lwa Gidyoni.’”
When I shall blow with the horn, I and all who are with me, then shall, ye also, round about all the camp, blow with your horns, and shall say, For Yahweh and for Gideon!
19 Eyo mu ttumbi nga Abamidiyaani baakajja bakyuse ekibinja ky’abakuumi, Gidyoni n’abalwanyi ekikumi be yali nabo, ne basemberera olusiisira, ne bafuuwa amakondeere, ne baasa n’ensuwa ze baali bakutte.
So Gideon came, and the hundred men that were with him, unto the outermost part of the camp, at the beginning of the middle watch, they had but, newly set, the watchers, —and they blew with the horns, and brake in pieces the pitchers, that were in their hand.
20 Ebibinja ebirala nabo ne bafuuwa amakondeere, ne baasa ensuwa zaabwe, ne bakwata ebitawuliro mu mikono gyabwe egya kkono, n’amakondeere mu mikono gyabwe egya ddyo, ne bafuuwa nga bwe baleekaanira waggulu nti, “Ekitala kya Mukama Katonda era n’ekya Gidyoni.”
Yea the three companies blew with the horns, and shivered the pitchers, and caught hold—with their left hands—of the torches, while, in their right hands, were the horns, to blow with, —and they cried, A sword for Yahweh, and for Gideon!
21 Buli mulwanyi n’ayimirira mu kifo kye okwetooloola olusiisira: eggye lyonna ery’Abamidiyaani ne bafubutuka nga bwe baleekaanira waggulu.
And they stood still, every man in his place, round about the camp, —and all the host ran and shouted, and fled.
22 Awo amakondeere ebikumi ebisatu bwe gaafuuyibwa, Mukama Katonda n’atabulatabula Abamidiyaani ne battiŋŋana bokka na bokka n’ebitala byabwe era n’eggye lyabwe lyonna ne lifubutulwa okutuukira ddala e Besusitta okwolekera e Zerera, era n’okutuukira ddala Aberumekola okumpi ne Tabbasi.
When the three hundred blew the horns, Yahweh set the sword of every man, against his neighbour, and against all the host, —and the host fled, as far as the Place of Acacias, towards Zererath, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.
23 Abalwanyi ba Isirayiri bonna okuva mu kika ekya Nafutaali n’ekya Aseri n’ekya Manase, ne bakoowoolebwa okuwondera Abamidiyaani.
And the men of Israel were called together, out of Naphtali and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, —and pursued Midian.
24 Gidyoni n’asindika ababaka okubuna ekitundu kyonna ekya Efulayimu eky’ensozi: babalagire nti, “Muserengete era muwondere Abamidiyaani, mubasooke okwekwata omugga Yoludaani era n’enzizi okutuukira ddala e Besubata.” Awo abalwanyi bonna ab’omu kika kya Efulayimu ne bakoowoolwa, ne bawamba omugga Yoludaani n’enzizi zonna okutuukira ddala e Besubata.
And, messengers, did Gideon send through all the hill country of Ephraim, saying—Go down to meet Midian, and capture, before them, the waters, as far as Beth-barah, and the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and captured the waters, as far as Beth-barah, and the Jordan.
25 Ne bawamba Olebu ne Zeebu bombi abalangira ba Midiyaani; Olebu ne bamuttira ku lwazi olumanyiddwa nga “Olwazi lwa Olebu” ne Zeebu ne bamuttira ku ssogolero erimanyiddwa nga “essogolero lya Zeebu”, ne bongera okuwondera Abamidiyaani. Omutwe gwa Olebu n’ogwa Zeebu, Gidyoni ne bagimusanza emitala wa Yoludaani.
And they captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and slew Oreb at Oreb’s Rock, and, Zeeb, they slew at Zeeb’s Winepress, and pursued Midian, —and, the heads of Oreb and Zeeb, brought they in unto Gideon at the ford of the Jordan.

< Balam 7 >