< Waamuzi 7 >
1 Ndipo Yerubaali (yaani Gideoni) akainuka mapema, na watu wote waliokuwa pamoja naye, wakaweka kambi kando ya chemchemi ya Harodi. Kambi ya Midiani ilikuwa kaskazini mwao katika bonde karibu na kilima cha More.
Then Jerub Baal (that is, Gideon) rose up early, and all the people who were with him, and they encamped beside the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was to their north in the valley near the hill of Moreh.
2 Bwana akamwambia Gideoni, Kuna askari wengi sana kwa mimi kukupa ushindi juu ya Wamidiani, ili Waisraeli wasijisifu juu yangu, wakisema, 'Nguvu zetu zimetuokoa'.
Yahweh said to Gideon, “There are too many soldiers for me to give you victory over the Midianites, so that Israel may not boast over me, saying, 'Our own power has saved us.'
3 Basi, tangaza masikioni mwa watu, ukisema, Yeyote anayeogopa, anayetetemeka, arudi na atoke katika mlima Gileadi. 'Basi, watu elfu ishirini na mbili wakaondoka, na elfu kumi wakabaki.
Now therefore, proclaim in the ears of the people and say, 'Whoever is afraid, whoever trembles, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.'” So twenty-two thousand people went away, and ten thousand remained.
4 Bwana akamwambia Gideoni, 'Watu bado ni wengi sana. Wapeleke chini kwenye maji, na nitafanya idadi yao iwe ndogo kwa ajili yako. Kama nikisema, 'Huyu atakwenda pamoja nawe,' atakwenda pamoja nawe; lakini kama nikisema, 'Huyu hawezi kwenda pamoja nawe,' hatakwenda. '
Yahweh said to Gideon, “The people are still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will make their number smaller for you there. If I say to you, 'This one will go with you,' he will go with you; but if I say, 'This one will not go with you,' he will not go.”
5 Gideoni akawapeleka watu kwenye maji; Bwana akamwambia, “Ondoa kila mtu atakayelamba maji, kama mbwa alambavyo, kutoka kwa wale wanaopiga magoti na kunywa.”
So Gideon brought the people down to the water, and Yahweh said to him, “Separate everyone who laps up the water, as a dog laps, from those who kneel down to drink.”
6 Wanaume mia tatu walilamba. Wengine wote walipiga magoti kunywa maji.
Three hundred men lapped. The rest of the men kneeled down to drink water.
7 Bwana akamwambia Gideoni, “Kwa watu hawa mia tatu waliokwisha kulamba maji, nitakuokoa na kukupa ushindi juu ya Wamidiani. Acha kila mtu arudi mahali pake.”
Yahweh said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped, I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Let every other man go back to his own place.”
8 Kwa hiyo wale waliochaguliwa walichukua vifaa vyao na tarumbeta zao. Gideoni akawarudisha watu wote wa Israeli, kila mtu kwenda kwenye hema yake, lakini akawaweka watu mia tatu. Basi kambi ya Midiani ilikuwa chini yake katika bonde.
So those who were chosen took their supplies and their trumpets. Gideon sent away all the men of Israel, every man to his tent, but he kept the three hundred men. Now the Midian camp was down below him in the valley.
9 Usiku huo huo Bwana akamwambia, “Simama! Kavamie kambi, kwa maana nitakupa ushindi juu yake.
That same night Yahweh said to him, “Get up! Attack the camp, for I am going to give you victory over it.
10 Lakini ikiwa unaogopa kushuka, shka kwenye kambi pamoja na Purh mtumishi wako,
But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant,
11 na usikilize kile wanachosema, na ujasiri wako utaimarishwa kushambulia kambi.” Basi Gidioni akaenda pamoja na Pura mtumishi wake, mpaka chini kwa walinzi wa kambi.
and listen to what they are saying, and your courage will be strengthened to attack the camp.” So Gideon went with Purah his servant, down to the guard posts of the camp.
12 Wamidiani, Waamaleki, na watu wote wa mashariki walikaa karibu na bonde, wengi kama wingu la nzige. Ngamia zao walikuwa zaidi ya mawingu; walikuwa zaidi kuliko idadi ya mchanga katika bahari.
The Midianites, the Amalekites, and all the people of the east settled along in the valley, as thick as a cloud of locusts. Their camels were more than could be counted; they were more in number than the grains of the sand on the seashore.
13 Gideoni alipofika huko, mtu alikuwa akimwambia mwenzake ndoto. Mtu huyo akasema, “Angalia! Niliota ndoto, na nikaona mkate wa shayiri umeanguka ndani ya kambi ya Midiani. Ukaja hemani, na kuipiga kwa nguvu sana hata ikaanguka chini ikapinduka na kulala chini. '
When Gideon arrived there, a man was telling a dream to his companion. The man said, “Look! I had a dream, and I saw a round loaf of barley bread tumbling into the camp of Midian. It came to the tent, and hit it so hard that it fell down and turned it upside down, so that it lay flat.”
14 Mtu mwingine akasema, 'Hii si kitu kingine isipokuwa upanga wa Gideoni (mwana wa Yoashi), Mwisraeli. Mungu amempa ushindi juu ya Midiani na jeshi lake lote. '
The other man said, “This is nothing other than the sword of Gideon (the son of Joash), the Israelite. God has given him victory over Midian and all their army.”
15 Gideoni aliposikia habari ya ile ndoto na tafsiri yake, akainama chini na kuabudu. Alirudi kwenye kambi ya Israeli na kusema, “Simameni! Bwana ametupa ushindi juu ya jeshi la Midiani.”
When Gideon heard the retelling of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down in worship. He went back to the camp of Israel and said, “Get up! Yahweh has given you victory over the Midian army.”
16 Akawagawa watu mia tatu katika makundi matatu, na akawapa tarumbeta zote na mitungi tupu, na taa ndani ya kila mtungi.
He divided the three hundred men into three groups, and he gave them all trumpets and empty jars, with torches inside each jar.
17 Akawaambia, 'Niangalieni mimi na kufanya yale ninayoyafanya. Tazama! Ninapofika kwenye mwisho wa kambi, ni lazima mfanye kile ninachofanya.
He said to them, “Look at me and do what I do. Watch! When I come to the edge of the camp, you must do what I do.
18 Nitakapopiga tarumbeta, mimi na wote Mlio pamoja nami, basi mtapiga tarumbeta zenu katika kila upande wa kambi nzima na kupiga kelele, “Kwa Bwana na Gideoni!”
When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow your trumpets also on every side of the entire camp and shout, 'For Yahweh and for Gideon!'”
19 Basi Gideoni na watu mia moja waliokuwa pamoja naye walifika mwisho wa kambi, hapo mwanzoni mwa saa ya kati. Wakati Wamidiani walikuwa wakibadilisha walinzi, walipiga tarumbeta na kuvunja mitungi iliyokuwa mikononi mwao.
So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the edge of the camp, right at the beginning of the middle watch. Just as the Midianites were changing guard, they blew the trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands.
20 Vikosi vitatu vilipiga tarumbeta na kuvunja mitungi. Walikuwa na taa katika mikono yao ya kushoto na tarumbeta katika mikono yao ya kulia ili kuwapiga. Walipiga kelele, “Upanga wa Bwana na wa Gideoni.”
The three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands to blow them. They shouted out, “The sword of Yahweh and of Gideon.”
21 Kila mtu alisimama mahali pake kando ya kambi na jeshi la Midiani likakimbia. Walipiga kelele na kukimbia
Every man stood in his place around the camp and all the Midianite army ran. They shouted and ran away.
22 Walipopiga tarumbeta mia tatu, Bwana akaweka upanga wa kila mtu wa Midiani dhidi ya wenzake na dhidi ya jeshi lake lote. Jeshi likimbia mpaka Bethshita kuelekea Serera, mpaka mpaka wa Abel Mehola, karibu na Tabathi.
When they blew the three hundred trumpets, Yahweh set every Midianite man's sword against his comrades and against all their army. The army fled as far as Beth Shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, near Tabbath.
23 Watu wa Israeli kutoka Naftali, Asheri, na Manase wote waliitwa nje, nao wakawafuata Midiani.
The men of Israel from Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh were called out, and they went after Midian.
24 Gideoni akatuma wajumbe katika nchi zote za mlima wa Efraimu, akisema, “Nenda chini dhidi ya Midiani na umiliki Mto Yordani mpaka Bethbara, ukawazuie.” Basi wanaume wote wa Efraimu walikusanyika pamoja na kuimiliki maji, mpaka Bethbara na Mto Yordani.
Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Go down against Midian and take control of the Jordan River, as far as Beth Barah, to stop them.” So all the men of Ephraim gathered together and took control of the waters, as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan River.
25 Wakawatwaa wakuu wawili wa Midiani, Orebu na Zeebu. Wakamwua Orebu kwenye mwamba wa Orebu, nao wakamwua Zeebu katika shinikizo la divai la Zeebu. Wakawafuata Wamidiani, wakamletea Gideoni vichwa vya Orebu na Zeebu, ng'ambo ya pili ya Yordani.
They captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They went after the Midianites, and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was on the other side of the Jordan.