Vatongi 6
1 VaIsraeri vakaitazve zvakaipa pamberi paJehovha, uye akavaisa mumaoko avaMidhiani kwamakore manomwe.
The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight. So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years.
2 Nokuda kwokuti ruoko rwavaMidhiani rwakavadzvinyirira kwazvo, vaIsraeri vakazvigadzirira nzvimbo dzokuvanda mumakomo, mumapako uye nenhare.
The Midianite oppression was so great that because of them the Israelites made themselves hiding places in mountains, caves, and fortifications.
3 VaIsraeri vaingoti vakadyara mbeu dzavo, vaMidhiani, vaAmareki navamwe vanhu vokumabvazuva, vaiuya kuzorwisa nyika yavo.
Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other peoples from the east would come and attack them.
4 Vakadzika misasa yavo munyika uye vakaparadza zvirimwa kubva kuGaza yose, uye havana kusiyira vaIsraeri chinhu, makwai, mombe kana mbongoro.
They would set up their camps and destroy the country's crops as far away as Gaza. They didn't leave anything to eat in the whole of Israel, and they took for themselves all the sheep, cattle, and donkeys.
5 Vakauya nezvipfuwo zvavo namatende avo vakawanda sechimokoto chemhashu. Zvakanga zvisingagoneki kuti uverenge vanhu nengamera dzavo; vakapinda munyika kuti vaiparadze.
They arrived in huge numbers with their livestock and tents like swarms of locusts, with so many camels they couldn't be counted. They invaded the land to completely devastate it.
6 VaMidhiani vakaita kuti vaIsraeri vave varombo zvokuti vakachema kuna Jehovha kuti avabatsire.
The Israelites were made desperately poor by the Midianites and they called out to the Lord for help.
7 VaIsraeri vakati vachema kuna Jehovha nokuda kwavaMidhiani,
When the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help because of the Midianites,
8 Akatuma muprofita, akati kwavari, “Zvanzi naJehovha: Mwari waIsraeri: Ndakakubudisai kubva muIjipiti, munyika youtapwa.
the Lord sent the Israelites a prophet. He told them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought you out of Egypt; I led you out from the place where you were slaves.
9 Ndakakubvutai kubva musimba reIjipiti, nokubva muruoko rwavadzvinyiriri venyu vose. Ndakavadzinga pamberi penyu ndikakupai nyika yavo.
I saved you from the power of the Egyptians and from everyone who oppressed you. I expelled them before you and gave their land to you.
10 Ndakati kwamuri, ‘Ndini Jehovha Mwari wenyu, musanamata vamwari vavaAmori, vamugere munyika yavo.’ Asi hamuna kunditeerera.”
I warned you: I am the Lord your God. You must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you're now living.’ But you didn't listen to me.”
11 Mutumwa waJehovha akauya akagara pasi pomuouki muOfira raJoashi muAbhiezeri, paipurwa gorosi naGidheoni mwanakomana wake muchisviniro chewaini, kuti aivanze kubva kuvaMidhiani.
The angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak tree in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress there to hide it from the Midianites.
12 Mutumwa waJehovha akati azviratidza kuna Gidheoni, akati kwaari, “Jehovha anewe, iwe murume wesimba noumhare.”
The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “The Lord is with you, great man of courage!”
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.”
“Excuse me, my lord, but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” Gideon replied. “Where are all his wonderful miracles that our forefathers reminded us about when they said, ‘Wasn't it the Lord who led us out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has given up on us and has handed us over to the Midianites.”
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 that you have and save Israel from the Midianites. Aren't I the one sending you?”
15 Gidheoni akabvunza akati, “Asika Ishe, ndingaponesa Israeri seiko? Imba yangu ndiyo dukusa maManase, uye ini ndiri mudukusa mumhuri yangu.”
“Excuse me, my lord, but how can I save Israel?” Gideon replied. “My family is the least important of the tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least important person of that family!”
16 Jehovha akapindura akati, “Ndichava newe, uye iwe uchauraya vaMidhiani vose pamwe chete.”
“I will be with you,” the Lord told him. “You will defeat the Midianites as if they were just one man.”
17 Gidheoni akapindura akati, “Zvino kana ndawana nyasha pamberi penyu, ndipei chiratidzo kuti ndizive kuti ndimi munotaura neni.
“Please, Lord, if you think well of me, give me a sign that it's really you telling me this,” Gideon asked.
18 Ndapota hangu, musabva pano kusvikira ndadzoka uye ndauya nechipiriso changu ndigochiisa pamberi penyu.” Uye Jehovha akati, “Ndichamira pano kusvikira wadzoka.”
“Don't leave until I come back and present my offering to you.” “I will remain here until you return,” he replied.
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.
Gideon went and cooked a young goat, and baked some unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot. He carried them out and presented them to the angel under the oak tree.
20 Mutumwa waMwari akati kwaari, “Tora nyama nechingwa chisina mbiriso, uzviise paruware urwu, uye ugodirapo muto wacho.” Uye Gidheoni akaita saizvozvo.
The angel of God told him, “Place the meat and the unleavened bread on this rock and pour the broth over them.” So Gideon did.
21 Mutumwa waJehovha akagunzva nyama nechingwa chisina mbiriso nomuromo wetsvimbo yaiva muruoko rwake. Moto wakabuda paruware, ukapisa nyama nechingwa. Ipapo mutumwa waJehovha akanyangarika.
The angel of the Lord held out the staff he was holding and touched the meat and unleavened bread with the tip. Fire flamed from the rock and burned up the meat and unleavened bread. Then the angel vanished.
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 cried out, “Oh no, Lord God! I've seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”
23 Asi Jehovha akati kwaari, “Rugare! Usatya. Hausi kuzofa.”
But the Lord told him, “Peace! Don't worry, you're not going to 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.” It's still there today, 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.
That night the Lord told Gideon, “Take your father's bull and a second bull seven years old, and tear down your father's altar of 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 an altar to the Lord your God in the proper way on hilltop. Using the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down as firewood, take the second bull and present 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.
Gideon accompanied by ten of his servants did what the Lord had told him. However, because he was afraid of his family and the people of the town, he did it during the night rather than in the day.
28 Vanhu vomuguta vakati vachimuka mangwanani, vakaona heyo aritari yaBhaari yakaputswa, nedanda raAshera parutivi rwayo rakatemwa, uye hando yechipiri yakabayirwa paaritari itsva yakanga yavakwa!
Early in the morning when the people of the town got up, they saw that the altar of Baal had been torn down and the Asherah pole beside it had been cut down, with the second bull sacrificed on the altar that had just been built.
29 Vakabvunzana vakati, “Ndianiko aita izvi?” Vakati vanyatsoferefeta, vakaudzwa kuti, “Gidheoni mwanakomana waJoashi ndiye aita izvi.”
They asked one another, “Who did this?” They made inquiries and 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.”
“Hand over your son,” the people of the town ordered Joash. “He must die, because he has torn down the altar of Baal 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.”
Joash replied to all those confronting him, “Are you arguing on Baal's behalf? Do you have to save him? Anyone who argues for him will be put to death by morning! If he is a god let him fight for himself against those who tore down his altar.”
32 Saka pazuva iroro vakatumidza Gidheoni zita rokuti, “Jerubhi-Bhaari,” vachiti, “Bhaari ngaarwe naye, nokuti akaputsa aritari yaBhaari.”
That day Gideon was called Jerub-baal, which means “Let Baal fight with him,” because he had torn down his altar.
33 Zvino vaMidhiani, vaAmareki navamwe vanhu vokumabvazuva vakabatana vakayambuka Jorodhani vakandodzika matende avo muMupata weJezireeri.
All the Midianites, Amalekites, and other peoples of the East gathered together and crossed over the Jordan. They camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
34 Ipapo mweya waJehovha wakauya pamusoro paGidheoni, uye akaridza hwamanda, achidana vaAbhiezeri kuti vamutevere.
The Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew the trumpet, calling Abiezrites to join him.
35 Akatuma nhume munyika yose yaManase, achivakoka kuhondo, uyewo muAsheri, Zebhuruni neNafutari, kuti naivowo vakwidze kundosangana navo.
He sent messengers through the whole territory of Manasseh, calling them to join him, and also to Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so they also came and joined the others.
36 Gidheoni akati kuna Mwari, “Kana muchizoponesa Israeri noruoko rwangu sezvamakavimbisa,
Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel through me as you promised,
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 look—I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If the fleece is wet with dew but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to save Israel through me as you promised.”
38 Uye izvi ndizvo zvakaitika. Gidheoni akamuka mangwanani ezuva rakatevera; akasvina chisumbu chewuru akabudisa dova, akazadza mbiya nemvura.
That's what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he pressed on the fleece and squeezed out the dew, enough water to fill a bowl.
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, “Please don't get cross with me. Just let me make one more request. Let me do one more test with the fleece. This time let the fleece be dry and the whole ground covered with dew.”
40 Usiku ihwohwo Mwari akaita izvozvo. Wuru yakanga yakaoma; pasi pose pakanga pakafukidzwa nedova.
That night God did exactly that. The fleece alone was dry and the whole ground was covered with dew.
