Kaiwhakariterite 6
1 Na ka mahi kino nga tamariki a Iharaira i te tirohanga a Ihowa, a tukua ana ratou e Ihowa ki te ringa o Miriana e whitu nga tau.
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 A nui atu te kaha o te ringa o Miriana i to Iharaira: a na Miriana i hanga ai e nga tamariki a Iharaira nga rua i nga maunga mo ratou, me nga ana, me nga pa taiepa.
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 Na ka oti te mahi whakato a Iharaira, ka haere ake nga Miriani ratou ko nga Amareki, me nga tangata o te rawhiti; ka haere ake ki te whakaeke i a ratou.
Whenever the Israelis planted things in their fields, the people of Midian and Amalek and other groups from the east invaded Israel.
4 Whakapaea iho e ratou, a moti ake i a ratou nga hua o te whenua, a tae noa koe ki Kaha, kihai hoki i mahue tetahi oranga mo Iharaira, kahore he hipi, he kau, he kaihe ranei.
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 I whakaeke mai hoki ratou me a ratou kararehe, i haere mai me o ratou teneti; koia ano kei nga mawhitiwhiti te maha; e kore hoki e taea te tatau ratou me a ratou kamera: na haere mai ana ratou ki te whenua whakangaro ai.
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 Na kua rawakore noa iho a Iharaira i a Miriana; a ka tangi nga tamariki a Iharaira ki a Ihowa.
The people of Midian took almost everything the Israelis owned. So finally the Israelis pleaded for Yahweh to help them.
7 A, no te tangihanga o nga tamariki a Iharaira ki a Ihowa i te mahi a Miriana,
When the Israelis pleaded with Yahweh to help them because of [what] the people from Midian [were doing to them],
8 Ka tono tangata a Ihowa ki nga tamariki a Iharaira, he poropiti, hei mea ki a ratou, Ko te kupu tenei a Ihowa, a te Atua o Iharaira, Naku koutou i kawe mai ki runga nei i Ihipa; naku hoki koutou i whakaputa mai i te whare pononga;
he sent to them a prophet, who said, “Yahweh, the God we Israelis worship, says this: ‘Your ancestors were slaves in Egypt.
9 Naku koutou i whakaora i te ringa o nga Ihipiana, i te ringa hoki o o koutou kaitukino katoa; a peia atu ana ratou e ahau i to koutou aroaro, hoatu ana hoki e ahau to ratou whenua ki a koutou.
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 I mea ano ahau ki a koutou, Ko Ihowa ahau, ko to koutou Atua; kaua e wehingia nga atua o nga Amori no ratou nei te whenua e noho na koutou: heoi kahore koutou i rongo ki toku reo.
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 Na ka haere mai te anahera a Ihowa, a noho ana i raro i tetahi oki i Opora, he rakau na Ioaha Apieteri: i te patu witi hoki tana tama, a Kiriona ki te poka waina, he mea kia toe ai i nga Miriani.
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 Na ka puta te anahera a Ihowa ki a ia, ka mea ki a ia, Kei a koe a Ihowa, e te tangata marohirohi.
Yahweh [went over] to Gideon and said to him, “You mighty warrior, Yahweh is helping you!”
13 Na ka mea a Kiriona ki a ia, Aue, e toku Ariki, me i a matou a Ihowa, na te aha i pono mai ai ki a matou enei mea katoa? kei hea hoki ana merekara i korero mai ai o matou matua ki a matou, i mea ai, Kahore ianei a Ihowa i kawe mai i a tatou i Ih ipa? na kua whakarere nei a Ihowa i a matou, kua tukua ano matou ki te ringa o Miriana.
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 Na ka tahuri atu a Ihowa ki a ia, ka mea, Haere i runga i tenei kaha ou, whakaorangia hoki a Iharaira i te ringa o Miriana: kahore ianei ahau i tono i a koe?
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 Na ka mea tera ki a ia, Aue, e toku Ariki, ma te aha ahau e whakaora ai i a Iharaira? titiro, noku te hapu rawakore i roto i a Manahi, ko te iti rawa hoki ahau i roto i te whare o toku papa.
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 Na ka mea a Ihowa ki a ia, Ko ahau ra hei hoa mou; a ka patua e koe nga Miriani, me te mea he tangata kotahi.
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 Ano ra ko ia ki a ia, Na ki te mea kua manakohia ahau e koe, tena ra, whakaaturia mai he tohu ki ahau ko koe tenei e korero mai nei ki ahau.
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 Kaua ra e haere atu i konei, kia tae mai ra ano ahau ki a koe ki te kawe mai i taku whakahere, kia whakatakotoria ra ano e ahau ki tou aroaro. Na ko tana meatanga, Ka noho ahau, kia hoki mai ra ano koe.
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 Katahi ka haere a Kiriona ki roto, a taka ana e ia tetahi kuao koati, me tetahi epa paraoa hei keke rewenakore: ko te kikokiko i whaowhina e ia ki te kete, ko te hupa i ringihia ki te pata, na kawea ana ki waho, ki a ia ki raro i te oki; a tapae a atu ana ki a ia.
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 Na ka mea te anahera a te Atua ki a ia, Tangohia te kikokiko me nga keke rewenakore, ka whakatakoto ai ki runga ki tenei kamaka, ka riringi ai hoki i te hupa. Na pera ana ia.
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 Katahi ka whatorona atu e te anahera a Ihowa te pito o te tokotoko i tona ringa, a pa ana ki te kikokiko, ki nga keke rewenakore; na ko te putanga ake o te ahi i roto i te kamaka, pau ake te kikokiko me nga keke rewenakore. Na kua riro atu te an ahera a Ihowa i tana tirohanga.
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 A, no te kitenga o Kiriona ko te anahera ia a Ihowa, ka mea a Kiriona, Aue, e te Ariki, e Ihowa! moku hoki i kite i te anahera a Ihowa, he kanohi, he kanohi.
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 Na ka mea a Ihowa ki a ia, Kia tau te rangimarie ki a koe; kaua e wehi: e kore koe e mate.
But Yahweh called to him and said, “Do not be afraid! You will not die [because of seeing me]!”
24 Na ka hanga e Kiriona tetahi aata ma Ihowa ki reira, a huaina iho e ia ko Ihowaharomo: kei Opora o nga Apieteri na ano taua mea a taea noatia tenei ra.
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 A i taua po ano ka mea a Ihowa ki a ia, Tikina te puru a tou papa, ara te rua o nga puru, e whitu nei ona tau, ka wawahi ai i te aata a Paara, i tera a tou papa: me tua hoki te motu nehenehe i tona taha.
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 Me hanga hoki ki tona tikanga ano he aata ma Ihowa ma tou Atua ki runga ki tenei kamaka, ka mau ai ki te tuarua o nga puru, ka whakaeke hei tahunga tinana ki runga ki nga rakau o te nehenehe e tuaina e koe.
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 Na ka tango a Kiriona i etahi tangata kotahi tekau no ana pononga, a rite tonu tana i mea ai ki ta Ihowa i korero ai ki a ia: na i wehi ia i te whare o tona papa, i nga tangata ano hoki o te pa, i kore ai e meatia e ia i te awatea; koia i meatia ai e ia i te po.
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 Na, i te marangatanga ake o nga tangata o te pa i te ata, rere! kua wahia iho te aata a Paara, kua oti te motu nehenehe i tona taha te tua, kua oti hoki te tuarua o nga puru te whakaeke ki te aata i hanga ra.
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 Na ka mea tetahi ki tetahi, Na wai tenei mahi? A ka rapu ratou, ka ui, na ka korerotia, I meatia tenei e Kiriona tama a Ioaha.
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 Na ka mea nga tangata o te pa ki a Ioaha, Whakaputaina mai tau tama ki waho, kia whakamatea; mona i wahi i te aata a Paara, i tua hoki i te nehenehe i tona taha.
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 Na ka mea a Ioaha ki te hunga katoa e tu mai ana ki a ia, Ko koutou ranei hei tohe i ta Paara? Ko koutou ranei hei whakaora i a ia? Ki te tohe tetahi mona, me whakamate ia i te ata nei ano. Ki te mea he atua ia, mana ano ia e tohe mo tana aata k ua wahia nei.
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 Na huaina iho ia e ia taua ra, Ko Ierupaara; i mea hoki, Ma Paara ano e tohe ki a ia mo tana aata kua wahia nei.
From that time, people called Gideon Jerub-Baal, which means ‘Baal should defend himself’, because he tore down Baal’s altar.
33 Na ka huihui tahi nga Miriani katoa ratou ko nga Amareki, ko nga tangata o te rawhiti, a ka whiti, ka noho hoki ki te raorao o Ietereere.
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 Na kua tau te wairua o Ihowa ki runga ki a Kiriona, a whakatangihia ana e ia te tetere; a huihuia ana a Apietere ki te aru i a ia.
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 I tono karere ano ia puta noa i a Manahi, a ka huihuia ano ratou ki a ia: i tono karere ano ia ki a Ahera, ki a Hepurona, ki a Napatari; a ka haere ake ratou ki te whakatau i a ratou.
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 Na ka mea a Kiriona ki te Atua, Ki te mea noku te ringa e whakaorangia ai e koe a Iharaira, pera me tau i korero mai ra,
Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to enable me to rescue the Israeli people as you promised,
37 Na ka waiho e ahau te huruhuru hipi ki runga ki te patunga witi; a ki te mea kei te huruhuru anake te tomairangi, a he maroke a runga katoa o te whenua, katahi ahau ka mohio noku te ringa e whakaorangia ai e koe a Iharaira, ka rite ano ki tau i korero ra.
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 A pera tonu: i maranga wawe hoki ia i te ata, a ka romia e ia te huruhuru, a tauia ana te tomairangi i roto i te huruhuru, ki tonu te peihana i te wai.
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 I mea ano a Kiriona ki te Atua, Kei mura tou riri ki ahau, a heoi ano he korero maku ko tenei: tena, kia kotahi ake whakamatau maku i te huruhuru, a ka kati. Kia maroke ko te huruhuru anake, a kia whai tomairangi a runga i te whenua katoa.
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 A i peratia e te Atua i taua po: ko te huruhuru anake i maroke, a he tomairangi i te whenua katoa.
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.
