Waamuzi 8
1 Watu wa Efraimu wakamwambia Gideoni, “Ni nini hiki umetutenda? Haukuita wakati ulipokwenda kupigana na Midiani.” Wakamwambia kwa nguvu.
Then the men of Ephraim asked Gideon, “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn't you call us when you went to attack the Midianite?” They argued furiously with him.
2 Akawaambia, “Nimefanya nini sasa kulinganisha na mlichofanya ninyi? Je! Mavuno ya zabibu za Efraimu si bora zaidi kuliko mavuno ya zabibu ya Abiezeri?
“Now what have I achieved in comparison to you?” Gideon replied. “Even Ephraim's left-over grapes are better than Abiezer's whole grape harvest!
3 Mungu amewapa ushindi juu ya wakuu wa Midiani-Orebu na Zeeb! Mimi nimefanya nini ukilinganisha na ninyi?” Hasira yao ikashuka chini aliposema hili.
God handed over to you Oreb and Zeeb, the two Midianite commanders. What have I managed to achieve in comparison to you?” When he told them this their animosity towards him died down.
4 Gideoni alikuja Yordani na akavuka juu yake, yeye na watu mia tatu waliokuwa pamoja naye. Walikuwa wamechoka, lakini bado waliendelea kufuatilia.
Then Gideon crossed the Jordan with his three hundred men. Even though they were exhausted they continued the chase.
5 Akawaambia watu wa Sukothi, “Tafadhali wape mikate kwa watu wanaonifuata, kwa kuwa wamechoka, nami niwafuatilia Zeba na Salmuna, wafalme wa Midiani.
When they got to Succoth, Gideon asked the people there, “Please provide some bread to the men with me because they're worn out—I'm pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the Midianite kings.”
6 Na wakuu wakasema, “Je, mikono ya Zeba na Salmuna sasa ipo mikononi mwako? Kwa nini tulipe jeshi lako mikate?”
But the Succoth town leaders replied, “Why should we give your army bread when you haven't even captured Zebah and Zalmunna yet?”
7 Gideoni akasema, “Bwana akitupa ushindi juu ya Zeba na Salmunna, nitainyunyiza ngozi yenu kwa miiba ya jangwani na michongoma.
“In that case, once the Lord has handed Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I'll return and thrash you with thorns and briers from the desert!” Gideon replied.
8 Akatoka huko, akaenda Penieli, akawaambia watu maneno hayo hayo; lakini watu wa Penieli wakamjibu kama watu wa Sukothi walivyojibu.
He left and went to Penuel and asked them the same thing, but the people of Penuel answered the same way as the people of Succoth.
9 Akawaambia pia watu wa Penieli, akasema, “Nitakapokuja kwa amani, nitauangusha mnara huu.”
So he told them, “When I return victorious, I'll demolish this tower!”
10 Sasa Zeba na Salmuna walikuwa huko Karkori pamoja na jeshi lao, karibu na watu elfu kumi na tano, wote waliosalia nje ya jeshi lote la watu wa Mashariki, kwa kuwa walianguka watu 120, 000 waliofundishwa kupigana na upanga.
Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies of around fifteen thousand men. These were all who remained of the armies of the people of the East—one hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had already been killed.
11 Gideoni akapanda barabara iliyochukuliwa na wakaazi wa hema, Noba na Yogbena. Akalishinda jeshi la adui, kwa sababu hawakuwa wanatarajia shambulio.
Gideon took the caravan route to the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked their army, catching them offguard.
12 Zeba na Salmuna walikimbia, na Gideoni alipowafuata, akawatwaa wafalme wawili wa Midiani-Zeba na Salmunna- na kulifanya jeshi lote kuwa na hofu.
Zebah and Zalmunna ran away, but he chased after the two Midianite kings and captured them, defeating the whole of their terrified army.
13 Gideoni, mwana wa Yoashi, alirudi kutoka kwenye vita kwenda kupitia Heresi.
Then Gideon, son of Joash, returned from the battle through the Heres Pass.
14 Akamkimbilia kijana mmoja wa watu wa Sukothi na kutafuta ushauri kutoka kwake. Kijana huyo alimwelezea viongozi wa Sukothi na wazee wake, watu sabini na saba.
There he captured a young man from Succoth and questioned him. The man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven leaders and elders of Succoth.
15 Gideoni akaja kwa watu wa Sukothi, akasema, “Tazameni Zeba na Salmuna, ambao mlinidhihaki kwa ajili yao, nikasema, 'Je! mmemshinda Zeba na Salmuna? Hatujui kwamba tunapaswa kulipa jeshi lako mkate.”
Gideon went and said to the Sukkoth town leaders, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, the ones you taunted me about when you said, ‘Why should we give your exhausted army bread when you haven't even captured Zebah and Zalmunna yet?’”
16 Gideoni akawachukua wazee wa mji, naye akawaadhibu watu wa Sukothi pamoja na miiba ya jangwa na michongoma.
So he took the town elders of Succoth and taught them a lesson using thorns and briers from the desert.
17 Akaangusha mnara wa Penieli na kuwaua watu wa mji huo.
He also demolished the tower of Peniel and killed the men of the town.
18 Gideoni akamwambia Zeba na Salmuna, “Ni watu wa aina gani mliwauawa Tabori?” Wakajibu, “Kama wewe ulivyo, ndivyo walivyokuwa. Kila mmoja wao alionekana kama mwana wa mfalme.”
Then Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What were they like, the men you killed at Tabor?” “They looked like you,” they answered. “Each of them had the stature of a prince.”
19 Gideoni akasema, 'Wao walikuwa ndugu zangu, wana wa mama yangu. Kama Bwana anaishivyo, kama mngewaacha hai, nisingewauwa.”
“Those were my brothers, my mother's sons,” Gideon burst out. “As the Lord lives, if you had let them live, I wouldn't kill you!”
20 Akamwambia Yetheri (mzaliwa wake wa kwanza), “Simama uwaue!” Lakini kijana huyo hakutoa upanga wake kwa kuwa aliogopa, kwa sababu alikuwa bado kijana mdogo.
He told Jether, his oldest son, “Go on, kill them!” But the boy refused to draw his sword, because he was young and afraid.
21 Ndipo Zeba na Salmuna wakasema, simama mwenyewe, utuue! Kwa maana kama mtu alivyo, ndivyo zilivyo nguvu zake. Gideoni akasimama na kumwua Zeba na Salmuna. Pia aliondoa mapambo yaliyokuwa juu ya shingo za ngamia zao.
Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, “Come on, you do it! Show yourself a man and kill us!” So Gideon went over and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent-shaped ornaments from the necks of their camels.
22 Ndipo wana wa Israeli wakamwambia Gideoni, “Ututawale, wewe, mtoto wako, na mjukuu wako; kwa sababu umetuokoa mikononi mwa Midiani.”
Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “You must become our ruler, you, your son, and your grandson; because you've saved us from the Midianites.”
23 Gideoni akawaambia, “Mimi sitatawala juu yenu, wala mtoto wangu hatatawala juu yenu. Bwana atatawala juu yenu.”
“I won't be your ruler, and my son won't either,” Gideon replied. “The Lord will be your ruler.”
24 Gideoni akawaambia, “Nina haja yangu niitakayo kwenu kwamba kila mmoja wenu atanipe pete kutoka kwenye nyara zake.” (Wamidiani walikuwa na pete za dhahabu kwa sababu walikuwa Waishmaeli.)
Then Gideon said, “I have a request to ask of you: that each of you give me an earring from your plunder.” (Their enemies were Ishmaelites and wore gold earrings.)
25 Wakamjibu, “Tunafurahi kukupa.” Wakatandika vazi na kila mtu akatupa pete kutoka kwenye nyara zake.
“We'll happily give them to you,” they replied. They spread out a cloak, and each of them threw on it earrings from their plunder.
26 Uzito wa pete za dhahabu alizoomba zilikuwa shekeli 1, 700 za dhahabu. Nyara hizi zilikuwa ni pamoja na mapambo ya makoja, vidani, nguo ya rangi ya zambarau waliyovaa na wafalme wa Midiani, na zaidi ya minyororo iliyokuwa karibu na shingo za ngamia zao.
The weight of the earrings he'd asked for was 1,700 shekels, not including the ornaments, the pendants, and the purple garments worn by the Midianite kings or the chains that were round their camels' necks.
27 Gideoni akafanya efodi kutoka katika pete na kuiweka katika mji wake, huko Ofra, na Israeli wote wakaiandama kwa ukahaba na kuabudu. Ilikuwa mtego kwa Gideoni na kwa wale walio nyumbani kwake.
From the gold Gideon made an ephod, which he placed in his hometown of Ophrah. All Israel prostituted themselves there by worshiping it as an idol, and it became a trap to Gideon and his family.
28 Kwa hiyo Midiani ilishindwa mbele ya watu wa Israeli na hawakuinua vichwa vyao tena. Na nchi ikawa na amani kwa miaka arobaini siku za Gideoni.
This is how the Midianites was subjugated before the Israelites and did not gain power again. So the land was at peace for forty years during the lifetime of Gideon.
29 Yerubaali, mwana wa Yoashi, akaenda akakaa nyumbani kwake.
Jerub-baal, son of Joash, went home, living his own house.
30 Gideoni alikuwa na wana sabini, waliokuwa uzao wake, kwa kuwa alikuwa na wake wengi.
Gideon had seventy sons, all his own, because he had many wives.
31 Mwanamke wake, aliyekuwa Shekemu, akamzaa pia mwana, na Gideoni akampa jina lake Abimeleki.
His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also had a son. He named him Abimelech.
32 Gideoni, mwana wa Yoashi, akafa katika uzee mzuri, akazikwa huko Ofra katika kaburi la baba yake Joashi, wa jamaa ya Abiyezeri.
Gideon, son of Joash, died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 Ikawa, Gideoni alipokufa, watu wa Israeli wakageuka tena na kujifanyia ukahaba wenyewe kwa kuabudu Mabaali. Wamlifanya Baali Berith kuwa mungu wao.
But as soon as Gideon died, the Israelites went back to prostituting themselves, worshiping before the Baals. They made Baal-berith their god.
34 Watu wa Israeli hawakukumbuka kumtukuza Bwana, Mungu wao, aliyewaokoa kutoka kwa mikono ya adui zao kila upande.
They forgot about the Lord their God, who had saved them from all their enemies that surrounded them.
35 Hawakuweka ahadi zao kwa nyumba ya Yerubaali (yaani Gidioni), kwa ajili ya mema yote aliyoyafanya katika Israeli.
They did not show any respect to the family of Jerub-baal (Gideon) for all the good he had done for Israel.
