< 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 Jerubba‘al (he [is] Gideon) rises early, and all the people who [are] with him, and they encamp by the well of Harod, and the camp of Midian has been on the south of him, on the height 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 YHWH says to Gideon, “The people who [are] with you [are] too many for My giving Midian into their hand, lest Israel beautify itself against Me, saying, My hand has given salvation to 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, please call in the ears of the people, saying, Whoever [is] afraid and trembling, let him turn back and go early from Mount Gilead”; and there return twenty-two thousand of the people, and ten thousand have been left.
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 YHWH says to Gideon, “The people [are] yet too many; bring them down to the water, and I refine him for you there; and it has been, he of whom I say to you, This goes with you—he goes with you; and any of whom I say to you, This does not go with you—he does 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 brings the people down to the water, and YHWH says to Gideon, “Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue as the dog laps—you set him apart; also everyone who bows 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 those lapping with their hand to their mouth is three hundred men, and all the rest of the people have 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 YHWH says to Gideon, “I save you by the three hundred men who are lapping, and have given Midian into your hand, and all the people go, each 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 the people take the provision in their hand, and their horns, and he has sent every man of Israel away, each to his tents; and he has kept hold on the three hundred men, and the camp of Midian has been by him at the lower part of the valley.
9 Usiku ule ule Bwana akamwambia Gideoni, “Ondoka, ushuke kambini, kwa kuwa nimeitia mkononi mwako.
And it comes to pass, on that night, that YHWH says to him, “Rise, go down into the camp, for I have given it into your hand;
10 Lakini kama unaogopa kushambulia, shuka kambini pamoja na mtumishi wako Pura,
and if you are afraid to go down—go down, you and your young man Phurah, 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 you have heard what they speak, and afterward your hands are strengthened, and you have gone down against the camp.” And he goes down, he and his young man Phurah, to the extremity of the fifties who [are] 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 sons of the east are lying in the valley, as the locust for multitude, and of their camels there is no number, as sand which [is] on the seashore 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 comes in, and behold, a man is recounting a dream to his companion, and says, “Behold, I have dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley-bread is turning itself over into the camp of Midian, and it comes to the tent, and strikes it, and it falls, and turns it upwards, and the tent has fallen.”
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 companion answers and says, “This is nothing except the sword of Gideon son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and all the camp into his hand.”
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 comes to pass, when Gideon hears the narration of the dream and its interpretation, that he bows himself, and turns back to the camp of Israel, and says, “Rise, for YHWH has given the camp of Midian into your hand.”
16 Akawagawa wale watu 300 katika makundi matatu, akawakabidhi tarumbeta mikononi mwao wote na mitungi isiyokuwa na maji yenye mienge ndani yake.
And he divides the three hundred men [into] three detachments, and puts horns into the hand of all of them, and empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.
17 Akawaambia, “Nitazameni, fanyeni kama nitakavyofanya, nitakapofika mwisho wa kambi mfanye kama nitakavyofanya.
And he says to them, “Look at me, and thus do; and behold, I am coming into the extremity of the camp—and it has been—as I do so you 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 I have blown with a horn—I and all who [are] with me, and you have blown with horns, even you, around all the camp, and have said, For YHWH 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 comes—and the hundred men who [are] with him—into the extremity of the camp, [at] the beginning of the middle watch (they had just posted watchmen), and they blow with horns—also dashing in pieces the pitchers which [are] in their hand;
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 detachments blow with horns, and break the pitchers, and keep hold with their left hand on the lamps, and with their right hand on the horns to blow, and they cry, “The sword of YHWH and of Gideon!”
21 Wakasimama kila mtu mahali pake kuizunguka kambi pande zote, Wamidiani wote wakakimbia, huku wakipiga kelele.
And they each stand in his place, around the camp, and all the camp runs, and they shout, and flee;
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 blow the horns, and YHWH sets the sword of each against his companion, even through all the camp; and the camp flees to Beth-Shittah, at Zererath, 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 are called from Naphtali, and from Asher, and from all Manasseh, and pursue 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 has sent messengers into all the hill-country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down to meet Midian, and capture the waters from them as far as Beth-Barah, and the Jordan”; and every man of Ephraim is called, and they capture the waters as far as 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 capture two of the heads of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and slay Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they have slain Zeeb at the wine-vat of Zeeb, and they pursue into Midian; and they have brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.

< Waamuzi 7 >