Vatongi 6
1 VaIsraeri vakaitazve zvakaipa pamberi paJehovha, uye akavaisa mumaoko avaMidhiani kwamakore manomwe.
Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; so He delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years,
2 Nokuda kwokuti ruoko rwavaMidhiani rwakavadzvinyirira kwazvo, vaIsraeri vakazvigadzirira nzvimbo dzokuvanda mumakomo, mumapako uye nenhare.
and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.
3 VaIsraeri vaingoti vakadyara mbeu dzavo, vaMidhiani, vaAmareki navamwe vanhu vokumabvazuva, vaiuya kuzorwisa nyika yavo.
Whenever the Israelites would plant their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east would come up and invade them,
4 Vakadzika misasa yavo munyika uye vakaparadza zvirimwa kubva kuGaza yose, uye havana kusiyira vaIsraeri chinhu, makwai, mombe kana mbongoro.
encamping against them as far as Gaza and destroying the produce of the land. They left Israel with no sustenance, neither sheep nor oxen nor donkeys.
5 Vakauya nezvipfuwo zvavo namatende avo vakawanda sechimokoto chemhashu. Zvakanga zvisingagoneki kuti uverenge vanhu nengamera dzavo; vakapinda munyika kuti vaiparadze.
For the Midianites came with their livestock and their tents like a great swarm of locusts. They and their camels were innumerable, and they entered the land to ravage it.
6 VaMidhiani vakaita kuti vaIsraeri vave varombo zvokuti vakachema kuna Jehovha kuti avabatsire.
Israel was greatly impoverished by Midian, and the Israelites cried out to the LORD.
7 VaIsraeri vakati vachema kuna Jehovha nokuda kwavaMidhiani,
Now when the Israelites cried out to the LORD because of Midian,
8 Akatuma muprofita, akati kwavari, “Zvanzi naJehovha: Mwari waIsraeri: Ndakakubudisai kubva muIjipiti, munyika youtapwa.
He sent them a prophet, who told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
9 Ndakakubvutai kubva musimba reIjipiti, nokubva muruoko rwavadzvinyiriri venyu vose. Ndakavadzinga pamberi penyu ndikakupai nyika yavo.
I delivered you out of the hands of Egypt and all your oppressors. I drove them out before you and gave you their land.
10 Ndakati kwamuri, ‘Ndini Jehovha Mwari wenyu, musanamata vamwari vavaAmori, vamugere munyika yavo.’ Asi hamuna kunditeerera.”
And I said to you: ‘I am the LORD your God. You must not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.’ But you did not obey Me.”
11 Mutumwa waJehovha akauya akagara pasi pomuouki muOfira raJoashi muAbhiezeri, paipurwa gorosi naGidheoni mwanakomana wake muchisviniro chewaini, kuti aivanze kubva kuvaMidhiani.
Then the angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.
12 Mutumwa waJehovha akati azviratidza kuna Gidheoni, akati kwaari, “Jehovha anewe, iwe murume wesimba noumhare.”
And the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.”
13 Gidheoni akapindura akati, “Asika, ishe wangu, kana Jehovha anesu, seiko izvi zvose zvakaitika kwatiri? Zvishamiso zvake zvose zviripiko zvatakaudzwa namadzibaba edu pavakati, ‘Jehovha haana kutibudisa muIjipiti here?’ Asi zvino Jehovha akatisiya uye akatiisa muruoko rwavaMidhiani.”
“Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonders of which our fathers told us, saying, ‘Has not the LORD brought us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”
14 Jehovha akatendeukira kwaari akati, “Enda nesimba raunaro uponese Israeri muruoko rwavaMidhiani. Handizini ndakutuma here?”
The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Am I not sending you?”
15 Gidheoni akabvunza akati, “Asika Ishe, ndingaponesa Israeri seiko? Imba yangu ndiyo dukusa maManase, uye ini ndiri mudukusa mumhuri yangu.”
“Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”
16 Jehovha akapindura akati, “Ndichava newe, uye iwe uchauraya vaMidhiani vose pamwe chete.”
“Surely I will be with you,” the LORD replied, “and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man.”
17 Gidheoni akapindura akati, “Zvino kana ndawana nyasha pamberi penyu, ndipei chiratidzo kuti ndizive kuti ndimi munotaura neni.
Gideon answered, “If I have found favor in Your sight, give me a sign that it is You speaking with me.
18 Ndapota hangu, musabva pano kusvikira ndadzoka uye ndauya nechipiriso changu ndigochiisa pamberi penyu.” Uye Jehovha akati, “Ndichamira pano kusvikira wadzoka.”
Please do not depart from this place until I return to You. Let me bring my offering and set it before You.” And the LORD said, “I will stay until you return.”
19 Gidheoni akapinda, akandogadzira mbudzana, uye akaita chingwa chisina kuviriswa cheefa youpfu hwakatsetseka. Akaisa nyama mudengu uye muto wayo akauisa muhari, akabuda nazvo akazvipa kwaari pasi pomuouki.
So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread and an ephah of flour. He placed the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and brought them out to present to Him under the oak.
20 Mutumwa waMwari akati kwaari, “Tora nyama nechingwa chisina mbiriso, uzviise paruware urwu, uye ugodirapo muto wacho.” Uye Gidheoni akaita saizvozvo.
And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so.
21 Mutumwa waJehovha akagunzva nyama nechingwa chisina mbiriso nomuromo wetsvimbo yaiva muruoko rwake. Moto wakabuda paruware, ukapisa nyama nechingwa. Ipapo mutumwa waJehovha akanyangarika.
Then the angel of the LORD extended the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. And fire flared from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight.
22 Gidheoni akati aziva kuti akanga ari mutumwa waJehovha, akadanidzira akati, “Maiwe, Ishe Jehovha! Ndaona mutumwa waJehovha chiso nechiso!”
When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he said, “Oh no, Lord GOD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!”
23 Asi Jehovha akati kwaari, “Rugare! Usatya. Hausi kuzofa.”
But the LORD said to him, “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid, for you will not die.”
24 Saka Gidheoni akavakira Jehovha aritari ipapo akaitumidza kuti Jehovha Ndiye Rugare. Nanhasi ichakamirapo muOfira ravaAbhiezeri.
So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25 Usiku hwacho ihwohwo Jehovha akati kwaari, “Tora hando yechipiri kubva pamombe dzababa vako iyo ina makore manomwe. Uputsire pasi aritari yababa vako yaBhaari uye ugotema danda raAshera riri pairi.
On that very night the LORD said to Gideon, “Take your father’s young bull and a second bull seven years old, tear down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.
26 Ipapo ugovakira Jehovha Mwari wako aritari kwayo pamusoro penhare iyi. Utore hando yechipiri ugoibayira sechipiriso chinopiswa uchishandisa huni dzedanda raAshera rawakatema.”
Then build a proper altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold. And with the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down, take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering.”
27 Saka Gidheoni akatora varanda vake gumi akaita sezvaakaudzwa naJehovha. Asi nokuda kwokuti akanga achitya vemhuri yake uye navanhu vomuguta, akaita izvi usiku pano kuzviita masikati.
So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city, he did it by night rather than in the daytime.
28 Vanhu vomuguta vakati vachimuka mangwanani, vakaona heyo aritari yaBhaari yakaputswa, nedanda raAshera parutivi rwayo rakatemwa, uye hando yechipiri yakabayirwa paaritari itsva yakanga yavakwa!
When the men of the city got up in the morning, there was Baal’s altar torn down, with the Asherah pole cut down beside it and the second bull offered up on the newly built altar.
29 Vakabvunzana vakati, “Ndianiko aita izvi?” Vakati vanyatsoferefeta, vakaudzwa kuti, “Gidheoni mwanakomana waJoashi ndiye aita izvi.”
“Who did this?” they said to one another. And after they had investigated thoroughly, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”
30 Vanhu vomuguta vakati kuna Joashi, “Budisa mwanakomana wako. Anofanira kufa, nokuti akaputsa aritari dzaBhaari uye akatema danda raAshera parutivi payo.”
Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has torn down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”
31 Asi Joashi akapindura ungano yakanga ine hasha kwazvo yakamukomberedza akati, “Ko, imi munoda kurwira Bhaari here? Muri kuda kuedza kumuponesa here? Ani naani achamurwira achaurayiwa mangwanani ano! Kana Bhaari ari mwari chaiye, anogona kuzvidzivirira kana mumwe munhu achiputsa aritari yake.”
But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Are you contending for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself with the one who has torn down his altar.”
32 Saka pazuva iroro vakatumidza Gidheoni zita rokuti, “Jerubhi-Bhaari,” vachiti, “Bhaari ngaarwe naye, nokuti akaputsa aritari yaBhaari.”
So on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend with him,” because he had torn down Baal’s altar.
33 Zvino vaMidhiani, vaAmareki navamwe vanhu vokumabvazuva vakabatana vakayambuka Jorodhani vakandodzika matende avo muMupata weJezireeri.
Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east gathered together, crossed over the Jordan, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
34 Ipapo mweya waJehovha wakauya pamusoro paGidheoni, uye akaridza hwamanda, achidana vaAbhiezeri kuti vamutevere.
So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, who blew the ram’s horn and rallied the Abiezrites behind him.
35 Akatuma nhume munyika yose yaManase, achivakoka kuhondo, uyewo muAsheri, Zebhuruni neNafutari, kuti naivowo vakwidze kundosangana navo.
Calling them to arms, Gideon sent messengers throughout Manasseh, as well as Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, so that they came up to meet him.
36 Gidheoni akati kuna Mwari, “Kana muchizoponesa Israeri noruoko rwangu sezvamakavimbisa,
Then Gideon said to God, “If You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said,
37 tarirai, ndichaisa chisumbu chewuru paburiro. Kana dova rikava pachisumbu chewuru chete uye pasi pose pakaoma, ipapo ndichaziva kuti muchaponesa Israeri noruoko rwangu, sezvamakareva.”
then behold, I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said.”
38 Uye izvi ndizvo zvakaitika. Gidheoni akamuka mangwanani ezuva rakatevera; akasvina chisumbu chewuru akabudisa dova, akazadza mbiya nemvura.
And that is what happened. When Gideon arose the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.
39 Ipapo Gidheoni akati kuna Mwari, “Musanditsamwira henyu. Regai ndiite hangu chimwezve chikumbiro. Nditenderei ndiedzezve nechisumbu chewuru. Panguva ino itai kuti chisumbu chewuru chiome asi pasi pose pafukidzwe nedova.”
Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me; let me speak one more time. Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time let it be dry, and the ground covered with dew.”
40 Usiku ihwohwo Mwari akaita izvozvo. Wuru yakanga yakaoma; pasi pose pakanga pakafukidzwa nedova.
And that night God did so. Only the fleece was dry, and dew covered the ground.
