< Waamuzi 7 >

1 Ndipo Yerub-Baali (yaani Gideoni) na lile jeshi lililokuwa pamoja naye, wakaondoka asubuhi na mapema na kupiga kambi kando ya chemchemi ya Harodi. Kambi ya Wamidiani ilikuwa kaskazini yao katika bonde karibu na kilima cha More.
And Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, arose early, and all the people that were with him, and they encamped beside the spring Harod; and he had the camp of Midian on the north by the hill of Moreh in the valley.
2 Bwana akamwambia Gideoni, “Jeshi lililo pamoja nawe ni kubwa sana kwa mimi kuwatia Wamidiani mikononi mwao. Ili kwamba Israeli asije akajisifu juu yangu akisema, ‘Mkono wangu ndio ulioniokoa,
And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give Midian into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
3 kwa hiyo sasa tangaza jeshi lote likiwa linasikia, kwamba: Yeyote anayeogopa na kutetemeka, yeye na arudi nyumbani, aondoke katika Mlima Gileadi.’” Hivyo watu 22,000 walirudi, wakabaki 10,000.
And now proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whoever is timid and afraid, let him go back and turn from mount Gilead. And there went back of the people twenty-two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
4 Lakini Bwana akamwambia Gideoni, “Idadi ya jeshi bado ni kubwa. Wapeleke chini katika maji nami nitawajaribu huko kwa ajili yako. Kama nikikuambia, ‘Huyu atakwenda pamoja nawe,’ yeye atakwenda; lakini kama nikisema, ‘Huyu hatakwenda pamoja nawe,’ yeye hatakwenda.”
And Jehovah said to Gideon, Still the people are many; bring them down to the water, and I will try them for thee there, and it shall be, that of whom I shall say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I shall say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
5 Hivyo Gideoni akalileta lile jeshi chini kwenye maji naye Bwana akamwambia Gideoni, “Watenge upande mmoja wale wote wanywao maji kwa ulimi, kama vile mbwa anywavyo, wale wote wapigao magoti ili kunywa wakipeleka mikono yao vinywani mwao, waweke upande mwingine.”
And he brought down the people to the water; and Jehovah said to Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down on his knees to drink.
6 Idadi ya wale waliokunywa kwa kuramba ramba walikuwa 300, lakini wengine wote katika jeshi walipiga magoti ili kunywa.
And the number of them that lapped, with their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men; and all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water.
7 Bwana akamwambia Gideoni, “Kwa hao watu 300 walioramba maji nitawaokoa ninyi, nami nitawatia Wamidiani mkononi mwako. Waache hao watu wengine wote warudi kila mmoja nyumbani mwake.”
And Jehovah said to Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and give Midian into thy hand; and let all the people go every man to his place.
8 Hivyo Gideoni akawaacha wale Waisraeli wengine kila mmoja aende kwenye hema yake. Akabakia na wale 300, ambao walichukua vyakula na tarumbeta za wale wenzao. Basi kambi ya Wamidiani ilikuwa chini yake bondeni.
And they took the victuals of the people in their hand, and their trumpets; and all the men of Israel he sent away, every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men. Now the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
9 Usiku ule ule Bwana akamwambia Gideoni, “Ondoka, ushuke kambini, kwa kuwa nimeitia mkononi mwako.
And it came to pass in that night, that Jehovah said to him, Arise, go down to the camp; for I have given it into thy hand.
10 Lakini kama unaogopa kushambulia, shuka kambini pamoja na mtumishi wako Pura,
And if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the camp;
11 nawe sikiliza wanayosema. Hatimaye, utatiwa moyo kushambulia kambi.” Basi yeye na Pura mtumishi wake wakashuka na kufikia walinzi wa mbele wenye silaha waliokuwa mle kambini.
and thou shalt hear what they say; and afterwards shall thy hand be strengthened, and thou shalt go down unto the camp. And he went down with Phurah his servant to the outside of the armed men that were in the camp.
12 Wamidiani, Waamaleki na mataifa mengine yote ya mashariki walikaa bondeni, nao walikuwa mfano wa nzige kwa wingi wao. Ngamia zao hazikuhesabika, wingi wao ulikuwa kama mchanga wa ufuoni mwa bahari.
And Midian and Amalek and all the children of the east lay along in the valley as locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand upon the sea-shore for multitude.
13 Gideoni alifika wakati huo huo kukiwa na mtu mmoja aliyekuwa anamweleza mwenzake ndoto yake, akisema, “Niliota ndoto: Tazama mkate wa shayiri ulioviringana ulianguka katika kambi moja ya Wamidiani, ukaipiga na ikaanguka nao ukaipindua juu chini na hema ikaporomoka chini.”
And Gideon came, and behold, a man was telling a dream to his fellow; and he said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and lo, a cake of barley-bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came to the tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it; and the tent lay along.
14 Rafiki yake akamjibu, “Habari hii si kitu kingine zaidi ya upanga wa Gideoni mwana wa Yoashi, Mwisraeli. Mungu amewatia Wamidiani na jeshi lote mkononi mwake.”
And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, the man of Israel: God hath given into his hand Midian and all the host.
15 Gideoni alipoisikia hiyo ndoto na tafsiri yake, akamwabudu Mungu. Akarudi kwenye kambi ya Israeli na kusema, “Inukeni! Bwana amelitia jeshi la Wamidiani mikononi mwenu.”
And it came to pass when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, that he worshipped. And he returned into the camp of Israel, and said, Arise; for Jehovah hath given into your hand the camp of Midian.
16 Akawagawa wale watu 300 katika makundi matatu, akawakabidhi tarumbeta mikononi mwao wote na mitungi isiyokuwa na maji yenye mienge ndani yake.
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, and empty pitchers, and torches within the pitchers.
17 Akawaambia, “Nitazameni, fanyeni kama nitakavyofanya, nitakapofika mwisho wa kambi mfanye kama nitakavyofanya.
And he said to them, Look on me, and do likewise; behold, when I come to the extremity of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.
18 Wakati mimi na wale walio pamoja nami wote, tutakapopiga tarumbeta zetu, ninyi nanyi pigeni tarumbeta pande zote za kambi na mpige kelele, mseme, ‘Upanga wa Bwana na wa Gideoni.’”
And when I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, ye also shall blow the trumpets around the whole camp, and shall say, For Jehovah and for Gideon!
19 Gideoni na wale watu 100 waliokuwa pamoja naye wakafika mwisho wa kambi usiku mwanzoni mwa zamu ya kati, mara tu walipokuwa wamebadili zamu. Wakapiga zile tarumbeta zao na kuvunja ile mitungi iliyokuwa mikononi mwao.
And Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came to the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch; and they blew the trumpets, and broke the pitchers that were in their hands.
20 Yale makundi matatu yakapiga tarumbeta na kuvunja mitungi. Wakashika mienge kwa mikono yao ya kushoto na katika mikono yao ya kuume tarumbeta ili kuzipiga, wakapaza sauti zao, “Upanga wa Bwana na wa Gideoni!”
And the three companies blew the trumpets, and broke in pieces the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hand, and the trumpets in their right hand for blowing, and cried, The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon!
21 Wakasimama kila mtu mahali pake kuizunguka kambi pande zote, Wamidiani wote wakakimbia, huku wakipiga kelele.
And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran, and cried out, and fled.
22 Walipozipiga zile tarumbeta 300, Bwana akafanya watu katika kambi yote kugeuziana upanga kila mmoja na mwenziwe. Jeshi likakimbia mpaka Beth-Shita kuelekea Serera hadi mpakani mwa Abel-Mehola karibu na Tabathi.
And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and Jehovah set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout the camp. And the host fled to Beth-shittah towards Zererah, to the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.
23 Watu wa Israeli wakaitwa kutoka Naftali, Asheri na Manase, wakawafuatia Wamidiani.
And the men of Israel were called together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after Midian.
24 Gideoni akatuma wajumbe katika nchi yote ya vilima vya Efraimu akisema, “Teremkeni dhidi ya Wamidiani na mkazuie vivuko vya maji mbele yao hadi Beth-Bara na pia Yordani.” Hivyo watu wote wa Efraimu wakakutanika pamoja na kuzingira mto wa Yordani hadi Beth-Bara.
And Gideon sent messengers throughout mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against Midian, and take before them the waters unto Beth-barah, and the Jordan. And all the men of Ephraim were called together, and took the waters unto Beth-barah, and the Jordan.
25 Wakawakamata wakuu wawili wa Midiani, Orebu na Zeebu. Wakamuulia Orebu pale penye mwamba wa Orebu, na Zeebu wakamuulia penye shinikizo la kukamulia divai la Zeebu. Wakawafuatia Wamidiani na kuleta vichwa vya Orebu na Zeebu kwa Gideoni, huko ngʼambo ya Yordani.
And they took two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb; and they pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.

< Waamuzi 7 >