Waamuzi 8
1 Basi Waefraimu wakamuuliza Gideoni, “Mbona mmetutenda hivi? Kwa nini hukutuita ulipokwenda kupigana na Wamidiani?” Wakawalaumu kwa ukali sana.
And the men of Ephraim say to him, “What [is] this thing you have done to us—not to call for us when you went to fight with Midian?” And they strive with him severely;
2 Gideoni akawajibu, “Nilichofanya mimi ni nini kulinganisha na kile ninyi mlichofanya? Je, kuokoa masazo ya zabibu za Efraimu si bora kuliko mavuno kamili ya zabibu ya Abiezeri?
and he says to them, “What have I now done like you? Are the gleanings of Ephraim not better than the harvest of Abi-Ezer?
3 Mungu amewatia Orebu na Zeebu, hao viongozi wa Wamidiani, mikononi mwenu. Je, mimi niliweza kufanya nini kulinganisha na mlichofanya ninyi?” Aliposema hili, hasira yao dhidi yake ikatulia.
God has given the heads of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, into your hand; and what have I been able to do like you?” Then their temper desisted from off him in his speaking this thing.
4 Gideoni akiwa pamoja na wale watu 300 waliofuatana naye, wakiwa wamechoka na wenye njaa lakini bado wakiwafuatia, wakafika Yordani na kuuvuka.
And Gideon comes to the Jordan, passing over, he and the three hundred men who [are] with him—wearied, yet pursuing—
5 Akawaambia watu wa Sukothi, “Tafadhali lipatieni jeshi langu mikate, kwa maana wamechoka, nami ningali ninawafuatia Zeba na Salmuna, wafalme wa Midiani.”
and he says to the men of Succoth, “Please give cakes of bread to the people who [are] at my feet, for they [are] wearied, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.”
6 Lakini maafisa wa Sukothi wakasema, “Je, mikono ya Zeba na Salmuna tayari mnayo sasa ili tuweze kulipatia jeshi lako mikate?”
And the heads of Succoth say, “Is the hand of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we give bread to your host?”
7 Gideoni akajibu, “Kwa ajili ya hilo tu, Bwana atakapowatia Zeba na Salmuna mkononi mwangu, nitaichana nyama ya miili yenu kwenye miiba ya nyikani na kwenye michongoma.”
And Gideon says, “Therefore—in YHWH’s giving Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand—I have threshed your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness, and with the threshing instruments.”
8 Kutoka hapo alikwea mpaka Penieli na kutoa ombi lile lile, lakini nao watu wa Penieli wakamjibu kama watu wa Sukothi walivyokuwa wamemjibu.
And he goes up there [to] Penuel, and speaks to them thus; and the men of Penuel answer him as the men of Succoth answered.
9 Hivyo akawaambia watu wa Penieli, “Nitakaporudi baada ya kushinda, nitaubomoa mnara huu.”
And he also speaks to the men of Penuel, saying, “In my turning back in peace, I break down this tower.”
10 Wakati huu Zeba na Salmuna walikuwa Karkori wakiwa na jeshi lenye watu wapatao 15,000 wale wote waliokuwa wamesalia wa mataifa ya mashariki, kwa kuwa watu wapatao 120,000 wenye panga walikuwa wameuawa.
And Zebah and Zalmunna [are] in Karkor, and their camps with them, about fifteen thousand, all who are left of all the camp of the sons of the east; and those falling [are] one hundred and twenty thousand men, drawing sword.
11 Basi Gideoni akakwea kwa njia ya wasafiri mashariki ya Noba na Yogbeha na kulishambulia jeshi ambalo halikushuku lolote.
And Gideon goes up the way of those who dwell in tents, on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and strikes the camp, and the camp was confident;
12 Zeba na Salmuna, hao wafalme wawili wa Midiani, wakakimbia lakini yeye Gideoni akawafuata na kuwakamata, akalishinda hilo jeshi lao lote.
and Zebab and Zalmunna flee, and he pursues after them, and captures the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and he has caused all the camp to tremble.
13 Gideoni mwana wa Yoashi akarudi kutoka vitani kwa kupitia Mwinuko wa Heresi.
And Gideon son of Joash turns back from the battle, at the going up of the sun,
14 Akamkamata kijana mmoja wa Sukothi na kumuuliza maswali, naye yule kijana akamwandikia majina ya maafisa sabini wa Sukothi, ambao ni viongozi wa mji.
and captures a young man of the men of Succoth, and asks him, and he describes to him the heads of Succoth, and its elderly—seventy-seven men.
15 Ndipo Gideoni akaja na kuwaambia watu wa Sukothi, “Tazama, hapa wapo Zeba na Salmuna mlionisimanga kwa ajili yao mkisema, ‘Je, mikono ya Zeba na Salmuna tayari mnayo sasa ili tuweze kulipatia jeshi lako mikate?’”
And he comes to the men of Succoth and says, “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom you reproached me, saying, Is the hand of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand that we give bread to your men who [are] wearied?”
16 Akawachukua hao viongozi wa mji na kuwafundisha watu wa Sukothi somo kwa kuwaadhibu kwa miiba na michongoma ya nyikani.
And he takes the elderly of the city, and [the] thorns of the wilderness, and the threshing instruments, and teaches the men of Succoth by them,
17 Pia akaubomoa mnara wa Penieli na kuwaua watu wa mji.
and he has broken down the Tower of Penuel, and slays the men of the city.
18 Kisha akawauliza Zeba na Salmuna, “Ni watu wa aina gani mliowaua huko Tabori?” Wakajibu, “Ni watu kama wewe, kila mmoja wao akiwa na nafasi ya uana wa mfalme.”
And he says to Zebah and to Zalmunna, “What manner of men [were they] whom you slew in Tabor?” And they say, “As you—so they, [each] one as the form of the king’s sons.”
19 Gideoni akajibu, “Hao walikuwa ndugu zangu, wana wa mama yangu hasa. Hakika kama aishivyo Bwana, kama mngekuwa mmewaacha hai, mimi nisingewaua ninyi.”
And he says, “They [were] my brothers—sons of my mother; YHWH lives, if you had kept them alive—I would not kill you.”
20 Akamgeukia Yetheri, mwanawe mzaliwa wa kwanza, akasema, “Waue hawa!” Lakini Yetheri hakuufuta upanga wake, kwa sababu aliogopa, kwa kuwa alikuwa bado kijana mdogo tu.
And he says to his firstborn Jether, “Rise, slay them”; and the young man has not drawn his sword, for he has been afraid, for he [is] yet a youth.
21 Zeba na Salmuna wakasema, “Njoo ufanye hivyo wewe mwenyewe. ‘Alivyo mtu, ndivyo zilivyo nguvu zake.’” Hivyo Gideoni akatoka mbele na kuwaua, naye akayaondoa mapambo kwenye shingo za ngamia zao.
And Zebah and Zalmunna say, “Rise and fall on us; for as the man—his might”; and Gideon rises, and slays Zebah and Zalmunna, and takes the crescents which [are] on the necks of their camels.
22 Waisraeli wakamwambia Gideoni, “Ututawale, wewe, wanao na wana wa wana wako, kwa kuwa umetuokoa kutoka mikononi mwa Wamidiani.”
And the men of Israel say to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you, and your son, and your son’s son, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”
23 Lakini Gideoni akawaambia, “Mimi sitatawala juu yenu, wala wanangu hawatatawala juu yenu. Bwana ndiye atakayetawala juu yenu ninyi.”
And Gideon says to them, “I do not rule over you, nor does my son rule over you; YHWH rules over you.”
24 Naye akasema, “Ninalo ombi moja, kwamba kila mmoja wenu anipatie kipuli kutoka kwenye fungu lake la nyara.” (Ilikuwa desturi ya Waishmaeli kuvaa vipuli vya dhahabu.)
And Gideon says to them, “Let me ask a petition of you, and each give to me the ring of his prey, for they have rings of gold, for they [are] Ishmaelites.”
25 Wakajibu, “Tutafurahi kuvitoa.” Hivyo wakatanda vazi chini na kila mwanaume akatupia juu yake pete kutoka kwenye fungu lake la nyara.
And they say, “We certainly give”; and they spread out the garment, and each casts the ring of his prey there;
26 Uzito wa pete za dhahabu alizoomba zilifikia shekeli 1,700, bila kuhesabu mapambo mengine, pete za masikio na mavazi ya zambarau yaliyovaliwa na wafalme wa Midiani, au mikufu iliyokuwa kwenye shingo za ngamia zao.
and the weight of the rings of gold which he asked for is one thousand and seven hundred [shekels] of gold, apart from the crescents, and the pendants, and the purple garments, which [are] on the kings of Midian, and apart from the chains which [are] on the necks of their camels,
27 Gideoni akatengeneza kisibau kwa kutumia ile dhahabu, ambacho alikiweka katika mji wake, yaani, Ofra. Waisraeli wote wakafanya uasherati kwa kukiabudu huko, nacho kikawa mtego kwa Gideoni na jamaa yake.
and Gideon makes it into an ephod, and sets it up in his city, in Ophrah, and all Israel go whoring after it there, and it is for a snare to Gideon and to his house.
28 Hivyo Midiani ikashindwa mbele ya Israeli nayo haikuinua kichwa chake tena. Wakati wa siku za uhai wa Gideoni, nchi ikafurahia amani miaka arobaini.
And Midian is humbled before the sons of Israel, and have not added to lift up their head; and the land rests [for] forty years in the days of Gideon.
29 Yerub-Baali mwana wa Yoashi akarudi kwenda kuishi katika nyumba yake.
And Jerubba‘al son of Joash goes and dwells in his own house,
30 Alikuwa na wana sabini wa kwake mwenyewe, kwa kuwa alikuwa na wake wengi.
and there have been seventy sons of Gideon, coming out of his loin, for he had many wives;
31 Suria wake, aliyekuwa anaishi huko Shekemu, pia alimzalia mwana, ambaye alimwita Abimeleki.
and his concubine, who [is] in Shechem, has borne to him—even she—a son, and he appoints his name Abimelech.
32 Gideoni mwana wa Yoashi akafa akiwa na umri mzuri wa uzee, na akazikwa katika kaburi la Yoashi baba yake huko Ofra ya Waabiezeri.
And Gideon son of Joash dies, in a good old age, and is buried in the burying-place of his father Joash, in Ophrah of the Abi-Ezrite.
33 Mara tu alipofariki Gideoni, Waisraeli wakarudia hali ya uovu na kufanya uasherati kwa kuabudu Mabaali. Wakamsimamisha Baal-Berithi kuwa mungu wao na
And it comes to pass, when Gideon [is] dead, that the sons of Israel turn back and go whoring after the Ba‘alim, and set Ba‘al-Berith over them for a god;
34 wala hawakumkumbuka Bwana Mungu wao, aliyewaokoa kutoka mikononi mwa adui zao wote kutoka kila upande.
and the sons of Israel have not remembered their God YHWH, who is delivering them out of the hand of all their surrounding enemies,
35 Pia wakashindwa kuitendea mema jamaa ya Yerub-Baali (yaani Gideoni) kwa ajili ya mambo yote mema aliyokuwa amefanya kwa ajili yao.
neither have they done kindness with the house of Jerubba‘al—Gideon—according to all the good which he did with Israel.
