Waamuzi 8
1 Watu wa Efraimu wakamwambia Gideoni, “Ni nini hiki umetutenda? Haukuita wakati ulipokwenda kupigana na Midiani.” Wakamwambia kwa nguvu.
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 Akawaambia, “Nimefanya nini sasa kulinganisha na mlichofanya ninyi? Je! Mavuno ya zabibu za Efraimu si bora zaidi kuliko mavuno 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 amewapa ushindi juu ya wakuu wa Midiani-Orebu na Zeeb! Mimi nimefanya nini ukilinganisha na ninyi?” Hasira yao ikashuka chini aliposema hili.
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 alikuja Yordani na akavuka juu yake, yeye na watu mia tatu waliokuwa pamoja naye. Walikuwa wamechoka, lakini bado waliendelea kufuatilia.
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 wape mikate kwa watu wanaonifuata, kwa kuwa wamechoka, nami niwafuatilia 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 Na wakuu wakasema, “Je, mikono ya Zeba na Salmuna sasa ipo mikononi mwako? Kwa nini tulipe 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 akasema, “Bwana akitupa ushindi juu ya Zeba na Salmunna, nitainyunyiza ngozi yenu kwa miiba ya jangwani na 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 Akatoka huko, akaenda Penieli, akawaambia watu maneno hayo hayo; lakini watu wa Penieli wakamjibu kama watu wa Sukothi walivyojibu.
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 Akawaambia pia watu wa Penieli, akasema, “Nitakapokuja kwa amani, nitauangusha mnara huu.”
And he also speaks to the men of Penuel, saying, “In my turning back in peace, I break down 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.
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 Gideoni akapanda barabara iliyochukuliwa na wakaazi wa hema, Noba na Yogbena. Akalishinda jeshi la adui, kwa sababu hawakuwa wanatarajia shambulio.
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 walikimbia, na Gideoni alipowafuata, akawatwaa wafalme wawili wa Midiani-Zeba na Salmunna- na kulifanya jeshi lote kuwa na hofu.
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, alirudi kutoka kwenye vita kwenda kupitia Heresi.
And Gideon son of Joash turns back from the battle, at the going up of the sun,
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.
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 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.”
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 Gideoni akawachukua wazee wa mji, naye akawaadhibu watu wa Sukothi pamoja na miiba ya jangwa na michongoma.
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 Akaangusha mnara wa Penieli na kuwaua watu wa mji huo.
and he has broken down the Tower of Penuel, and slays the men of the city.
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.”
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 akasema, 'Wao walikuwa ndugu zangu, wana wa mama yangu. Kama Bwana anaishivyo, kama mngewaacha hai, nisingewauwa.”
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 Akamwambia Yetheri (mzaliwa wake wa kwanza), “Simama uwaue!” Lakini kijana huyo hakutoa upanga wake kwa kuwa aliogopa, kwa sababu alikuwa bado kijana mdogo.
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 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.
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 Ndipo wana wa Israeli wakamwambia Gideoni, “Ututawale, wewe, mtoto wako, na mjukuu wako; kwa sababu umetuokoa mikononi mwa Midiani.”
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 Gideoni akawaambia, “Mimi sitatawala juu yenu, wala mtoto wangu hatatawala juu yenu. Bwana atatawala juu yenu.”
And Gideon says to them, “I do not rule over you, nor does my son rule over you; YHWH rules over you.”
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.)
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 Wakamjibu, “Tunafurahi kukupa.” Wakatandika vazi na kila mtu akatupa pete kutoka kwenye nyara zake.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 Yerubaali, mwana wa Yoashi, akaenda akakaa nyumbani kwake.
And Jerubba‘al son of Joash goes and dwells in his own house,
30 Gideoni alikuwa na wana sabini, waliokuwa uzao wake, 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 Mwanamke wake, aliyekuwa Shekemu, akamzaa pia mwana, na Gideoni akampa jina lake 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 katika uzee mzuri, akazikwa huko Ofra katika kaburi la baba yake Joashi, wa jamaa ya Abiyezeri.
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 Ikawa, Gideoni alipokufa, watu wa Israeli wakageuka tena na kujifanyia ukahaba wenyewe kwa kuabudu Mabaali. Wamlifanya Baali Berith kuwa mungu wao.
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 Watu wa Israeli hawakukumbuka kumtukuza Bwana, Mungu wao, aliyewaokoa kutoka kwa mikono ya adui zao 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 Hawakuweka ahadi zao kwa nyumba ya Yerubaali (yaani Gidioni), kwa ajili ya mema yote aliyoyafanya katika Israeli.
neither have they done kindness with the house of Jerubba‘al—Gideon—according to all the good which he did with Israel.
