Fakamaau 6
1 Pea naʻe fai kovi ʻae fānau ʻa ʻIsileli ʻi he ʻao ʻo Sihova: pea naʻe tukuange ʻakinautolu ʻe Sihova ki he nima ʻo Mitiane:
Again the Israelis did things that Yahweh said were very evil. So he allowed the people of Midian to conquer them and rule them for seven years.
2 Pea naʻe mālohi ʻae nima ʻo Mitiane ki ʻIsileli: pea ko e meʻa ʻi he kakai Mitiane naʻe ngaohi ʻe he kakai ʻIsileli moʻonautolu ʻae ngaahi toitoiʻanga ʻi he ngaahi ʻana, mo e ngaahi potu mālohi, ʻi he ngaahi moʻunga.
The people of Midian treated the Israelis so cruelly that the Israelis fled to the mountains. There they made places to live in caves and animal dens.
3 Pea naʻe pehē, feʻunga mo e tō ʻae taʻu ʻe ʻIsileli, naʻe ʻalu hake ʻae kakai Mitiane, mo e kakai ʻAmaleki, mo e fānau mei he potu hopoʻangalaʻā, ʻio, naʻe haʻu ʻakinautolu ketau kiate kinautolu;
Whenever the Israelis planted things in their fields, the people of Midian and Amalek and other groups from the east invaded Israel.
4 Pea naʻa nau fakanofo ʻae tau kiate kinautolu, pea naʻa nau maumau ʻae fua ʻoe fonua, ʻo fai atu ki Kesa, pea naʻe ʻikai tuku ha meʻakai ki ʻIsileli, pe ha sipi, pe ha pulu, pe ha ʻasi.
They set up tents in the area, and then destroyed the crops as far south as Gaza. They did not leave anything for the Israelis’ sheep or cattle or donkeys to eat.
5 He naʻa nau ʻalu hake mo ʻenau fanga manu mo honau ngaahi tuʻu fale, pea nau haʻu ʻo hangē ko e fanga heʻe honau toko lahi; he ko kinautolu mo ʻenau ngaahi kāmeli naʻe taʻefaʻalaua: pea naʻa nau haʻu ki he fonua ko hono fakaʻauha.
They came into Israel with their tents and their livestock like a swarm of locusts. There were [so many of them that] arrived riding on their camels that no one could count them. They stayed and ruined the Israelis’ crops.
6 Pea naʻe fakamasiva lahi ʻa ʻIsileli ko e meʻa ʻi he kakai Mitiane; pea naʻe tangi ʻae fānau ʻa ʻIsileli kia Sihova.
The people of Midian took almost everything the Israelis owned. So finally the Israelis pleaded for Yahweh to help them.
7 Pea naʻe hoko ʻo pehē, ʻi he tangi ʻae fānau ʻa ʻIsileli kia Sihova ko e meʻa ʻi he kakai Mitiane,
When the Israelis pleaded with Yahweh to help them because of [what] the people from Midian [were doing to them],
8 Naʻe fekau ʻe Sihova ʻae palōfita ki he fānau ʻa ʻIsileli, ʻaia naʻa ne pehē kiate kinautolu, ʻoku pehē mai ʻa Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, “Naʻaku ʻomi ʻakimoutolu mei ʻIsipite, pea ʻomi ʻakimoutolu kituʻa mei he fale ʻoe fakapōpula;
he sent to them a prophet, who said, “Yahweh, the God we Israelis worship, says this: ‘Your ancestors were slaves in Egypt.
9 Pea naʻaku fakamoʻui ʻakimoutolu mei he nima ʻoe kakai ʻIsipite, pea mei he nima ʻokinautolu, kotoa pē naʻe fakamamahiʻi ʻakimoutolu, pea u kapusi atu ʻakinautolu mei homou ʻao, pea u foaki kiate kimoutolu honau fonua;
But I rescued them from the leaders of Egypt and from all the others who oppressed them. I expelled their enemies from this land, and gave it to your ancestors.
10 Pea ne u pehē kiate kimoutolu, Ko au ko Sihova ko homou ʻOtua; ʻoua naʻa mou manavahē ki he ngaahi ʻotua ʻoe kau ʻAmoli, ko e fonua ʻonautolu ʻoku mou nofo ai: ka kuo ʻikai te mou fai talangofua ki hoku leʻo.”
I told you all, “I am Yahweh, your God. You are now in the land where the descendants of Amor live, but you must not worship the gods whom they worship.” But you did not pay attention to me.’”
11 Pea naʻe haʻu ai ʻae ʻāngelo ʻa Sihova, pea nofo ʻi he lolo oke ʻaia naʻe ʻi Ofila, pea naʻe ʻo Soasi ʻoe fānau ʻa ʻApiesa: pea naʻe haha uite ʻe hono foha ko Kitione ʻo ofi ki he tataʻoʻanga uaine, ke fufū ia mei he kakai Mitiane.
One day Yahweh appeared [in the form of] an angel and sat underneath a big oak tree at Ophrah [town]. That tree belonged to Joash, who was from the clan of Abiezer. Joash’s son Gideon was threshing wheat in the pit where they pressed [grapes to make] wine. He was threshing the grain there in order to hide it from the people of Midian.
12 Pea naʻe fakahāhā ʻae ʻāngelo ʻa Sihova kiate ia, ʻo ne pehē kiate ia, “ʻOku ʻiate koe ʻa Sihova, ʻa koe ko e tangata mālohi mo toʻa.”
Yahweh [went over] to Gideon and said to him, “You mighty warrior, Yahweh is helping you!”
13 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Kitione kiate ia, “ʻE hoku ʻEiki, kapau ʻoku ʻiate kimautolu ʻa Sihova, ko e hā kuo tō ai ʻae ngaahi meʻa ni kiate kimautolu? Pea kuo ʻi fē ʻae ngaahi meʻa mana ʻaia naʻe tala ʻe heʻemau ngaahi tamai kiate kimautolu, ʻo pehē, ‘ʻIkai naʻe ʻomi ʻakimautolu ʻe Sihova mei ʻIsipite?’ Ka ko eni kuo liʻaki ʻakimautolu ʻe Sihova, pea kuo tukuange ʻakimautolu ki he nima ʻoe kakai Mitiane.”
Gideon replied, “Sir, if Yahweh is helping us, why have all these [bad things] happened to us? We heard about [RHQ] all the miracles that Yahweh performed for our ancestors. We heard people tell us about how he rescued them from [being slaves in] Egypt. But now Yahweh has abandoned us, and we are ruled by the people from Midian.”
14 Pea naʻe ʻafio ʻa Sihova kiate ia, ʻo ne pehē, “ʻAlu ʻi he mālohi ni ʻoʻou, pea te ke fakamoʻui ʻe koe ʻa ʻIsileli mei he nima ʻoe kakai Mitiane: ʻikai kuo u fekauʻi koe?”
Then Yahweh turned toward him and said, “I will give you strength to enable you to rescue the Israelis from the people of Midian. I am sending you [to do that]!”
15 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia kiate ia, “ʻE hoku ʻEiki, ʻe fakamoʻui fēfeeʻi ʻeau ʻa ʻIsileli? Vakai, ʻoku masiva hoku fale ʻi Manase, pea ko e siʻi hifo taha pe au ʻi he fale ʻo ʻeku tamai.”
Gideon replied, “But Yahweh, how can I rescue the Israelis? My clan is the least significant in the whole tribe descended from Manasseh, and I am the least significant person in my whole family!”
16 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Sihova kiate ia, Ko e moʻoni te u ʻiate koe, pea te ke taaʻi ʻae kakai Mitiane ʻo hangē ko e tangata pē taha.
Yahweh said to him, “I will help you. So you will defeat the army of Midian [as easily] as if you were fighting only one man!”
17 Pea pehē ʻe ia kiate ia, “Ko eni kapau kuo u maʻu ʻae ʻofa ʻi ho ʻao, pea ke fakahā kiate au ha fakaʻilonga ʻoku ta alea mo koe.
Gideon replied, “If you are truly pleased with me, do something which will prove that you who are speaking to me are really Yahweh.
18 ʻOku ou kole kiate koe, ʻoua naʻa ke ʻalu ʻi heni, kaeʻoua ke u haʻu kiate koe mo ʻeku meʻaʻofa, pea u fokotuʻu ia ʻi ho ʻao.” Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia, “Te u tatali pē ke ʻoua ke ke toe haʻu.”
But do not go away until I go and bring back an offering to you.” Yahweh answered, “Okay, I will stay here until you return.”
19 Pea naʻe ʻalu ai ʻa Kitione, ʻo ne teu ʻae ʻuhikiʻi kosi, mo e mā taʻefakalēvani ʻi he efa ʻe taha ʻoe mahoaʻa: naʻa ne faʻo ʻae kakano ʻi ha kato, pea ne ʻai ʻae vaihū ki ha kulo, ʻo ne ʻomi ia ki he lolo oke, ʻo ne ʻatu ia.
Gideon hurried to his home. He [killed] a young goat [and] cooked [it]. Then he took (a half a bushel/18 liters) of flour and baked some bread without yeast. Then he put the cooked meat in a basket, and put the broth [from the meat] in a pot, and took it to Yahweh, who was sitting under the tree.
20 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he ʻāngelo ʻae ʻOtua kiate ia, “Toʻo ʻae kakano mo e ngaahi mā taʻefakalēvani, pea ʻai ia ki he maka ni, pea lilingi ʻae vaihū.” Pea naʻa ne fai ia.
Then Yahweh said to him, “Put the meat and the bread on this rock. Then pour the broth on top of it.” So Gideon did that.
21 Pea naʻe toki mafao atu ʻe he ʻāngelo ʻa Sihova ʻae muʻa tokotoko naʻe ʻi hono nima, ke lave ki he kakano mo e ngaahi mā taʻemeʻafakatupu; pea naʻe ʻalu hake ʻae afi mei he maka, pea naʻe ʻosiʻosi ai ʻae kakano mo e ngaahi mā taʻefakalēvani. Pea naʻe ʻalu ai ʻae ʻāngelo ʻa Sihova mei hono ʻao.
Then Yahweh touched the meat and bread with the walking stick that was in his hand. A fire flamed up from the rock and burned up everything that Gideon had brought! And then Yahweh disappeared.
22 Pea ʻi he ʻilo ʻe Kitione ko e ʻāngelo ia ʻa Sihova, naʻe pehē ʻe Kitione, “ʻOiauē, ʻE Sihova ko e ʻOtua! He kuo u mamata ki he ʻāngelo ʻa Sihova ko e mata ki he mata.”
When Gideon realized that it was really Yahweh [who had appeared in the form of an angel and talked with him], he exclaimed, “O, Yahweh, I have seen you face-to-face [when you had the form of] an angel! [So I will surely die]!”
23 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Sihova kiate ia, “Ke fiemālie pe koe; ʻoua naʻa ke manavahē: ʻe ʻikai te ke mate.”
But Yahweh called to him and said, “Do not be afraid! You will not die [because of seeing me]!”
24 Pea naʻe fokotuʻu ʻi ai ʻe Kitione ʻae feilaulauʻanga kia Sihova, ʻo ne ui ia, ko Sihova-Salomi: ʻoku ʻi Ofila ia ʻoe kau ʻApiesa ʻo aʻu ki he ʻaho ni.
Then Gideon built an altar to [worship] Yahweh there. He named it ‘Yahweh gives us peace’. That altar is still there in Ophrah [town], in the land that belongs to the descendants of Abiezer.
25 Pea naʻe hoko ʻo pehē ʻi he pō pe ko ia, naʻe pehē ʻe Sihova kiate ia, “Toʻo ʻae pulu mui ʻa hoʻo tamai, ʻio, hono ua ʻoe pulu ʻoku fitu taʻu ʻene motuʻa, pea tulaki hifo ʻae feilaulauʻanga ʻo Peali ʻaia naʻe langa ʻe hoʻo tamai, pea tā hifo ʻae vao tapu ʻoku ofi ki ai:
That night Yahweh said to Gideon, “Take the second-best/oldest bull from your father’s herd, the bull that is seven years old. [Kill it]. Then tear down the altar that your father built to [worship] the god Baal. Also cut down the pole for worshipping [the goddess] Astarte that is there beside it.
26 Pea ke langa ʻae feilaulauʻanga kia Sihova ko ho ʻOtua ʻi he funga ʻoe maka ni, ʻi he potu mālohi, pea ke ʻomi hono ua ʻoe pulu, pea ʻatu ia ko e feilaulau tutu ia, mo fefie ʻaki ʻae ʻakau ʻoe vao tapu ʻaia ke ke tā hifo.”
Then build a [stone] altar to worship me, your God Yahweh, here on this hill. Take the wood from the pole you cut down and make a fire [to cook the meat of the bull] as a burnt offering to me.”
27 Pea naʻe toʻo ʻe Kitione ʻae kau tangata ko ʻene kau tamaioʻeiki ʻe toko hongofulu, ʻo ne fai ʻo hangē ko e fekau ʻa Sihova kiate ia: pea ko e meʻa ʻi heʻene manavahē ki he kakai ʻoe fale ʻo ʻene tamai, mo e kau tangata ʻoe kolo, naʻe ʻikai te ne mafai ia ʻi he ʻaho, pea naʻe fai ʻe ia ia ʻi he poʻuli.
So Gideon and his servants did what Yahweh commanded. But they did it at night, because he was afraid what the other members of his family and the other men in town would do to him if they found out that he had done that.
28 Pea ʻi he tuʻu hengihengi hake ʻi he pongipongi ʻae kau tangata ʻoe kolo, vakai, ko e feilaulauʻanga ʻo Peali kuo tulaki ki lalo, pea kuo tā hifo mo e vao tapu naʻe ofi ki ai, pea ko hono ua ʻoe pulu kuo ʻosi hono ʻatu ʻo feilaulau ʻaki ki he feilaulauʻanga ʻaia naʻe langa.
Early the next morning, as soon as the men got up, they saw that the altar to Baal had been torn down, and the pole for worshiping Astarte was gone. They saw that there was a new altar there, and on it was what remained from the bull they had sacrificed.
29 Pea naʻa nau fepehēʻaki ʻiate kimautolu, “Ko hai kuo ne fai ʻae meʻa ni?” Pea ʻi heʻenau ʻeke mo fehuʻi, naʻa nau pehē, Kuo fai ʻae meʻa ni ʻe Kitione ko e foha ʻo Soasi.
The people asked each other, “Who did this?” After they investigated, someone told them that it was Gideon, the son of Joash, [who had done it].
30 Pea pehē ai ʻe he kau tangata ʻoe kolo kia Soasi, “ʻOmi ho foha kituʻa ke tāmate ia: ko e meʻa ʻi heʻene tulaki hifo ʻae feilaulauʻanga ʻo Peali, pea ko e meʻa ʻi heʻene tā hifo ʻae vao tapu naʻe ofi ki ai.”
They went to Joash and said to him, “Bring your son out here! (He must be executed/We must kill him), because he destroyed our god Baal’s altar and cut down the pole for our goddess Astarte!”
31 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Soasi kiate kinautolu naʻe angatuʻu kiate ia, “Te mou langomakiʻi ʻa Peali? He te ne fakamoʻui ʻakimoutolu? Ko ia ʻoku langomakiʻi ʻa Peali ke tāmateʻi ia ʻi he kei pongipongi: kapau ko e ʻotua ia, ke langomakiʻi ia ʻe ia pe, koeʻuhi kuo tulaki hifo ʻe ha tokotaha ʻa hono feilaulauʻanga.”
But Joash replied, “Are you trying to defend Baal? Are you trying to argue his case? Anyone who tries to defend Baal should be executed by tomorrow morning! If Baal is truly a god, he ought to be able to defend himself, and to get rid of the person who tore down his altar!”
32 Ko ia naʻa ne ui ia ʻi he ʻaho ko ia ko Selupeali, ʻo pehē, “Tuku ke langomakiʻi ia ʻe Peali, he kuo ne tulaki hifo hono feilaulauʻanga.”
From that time, people called Gideon Jerub-Baal, which means ‘Baal should defend himself’, because he tore down Baal’s altar.
33 Pea naʻe toki fakataha ai ʻae kakai Mitiane kotoa pē mo e kakai ʻAmaleki mo e fānau kotoa pē ʻoe potu hahake, ʻonau ʻalu atu, ʻo ʻapitanga ʻi he teleʻa ʻo Sesilili.
Soon after that, the armies of the people of Midian and of Amalek and the people from the east gathered together. They crossed the Jordan River [to attack the Israelis]. They set up their tents in Jezreel Valley.
34 Ka naʻe hoko kia Kitione ʻae Laumālie ʻo Sihova, pea ne ifi ʻe ia ʻae meʻalea: pea naʻe fakataha ʻo muimui ʻiate ia ʻae kakai ʻApiesa.
Then Yahweh’s Spirit took control of Gideon. He blew a ram’s horn to summon the men to prepare to fight. So the men of the clan of Abiezer came to him.
35 Pea naʻe fekau ʻe ia ki Manase kotoa pē, pea naʻa nau tānaki ʻo muimui ʻiate ia foki: pea naʻe fekau ʻe ia ki ʻAseli, pea ki Sepuloni, mo Nafitalai; pea naʻa nau haʻu ke fakafetaulaki kiate kinautolu.
He also sent messengers throughout the tribes descended from [the four tribes of] Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali [to tell their soldiers to come], and all of them came.
36 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Kitione ki he ʻOtua, Kapau te ke fakamoʻui ʻa ʻIsileli ʻaki hoku nima ʻo hangē ko hoʻo folofola,
Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to enable me to rescue the Israeli people as you promised,
37 Vakai, te u ʻai ʻae fulufuluʻi sipi kotoa ki he kelekele: pea kapau ʻoku ʻi he fulufuluʻi sipi pe ʻae hahau, pea mōmoa ʻae kelekele kotoa pē, te u ʻilo ai te ke fakamoʻui ʻa ʻIsileli ʻi hoku nima, ʻo hangē ko hoʻo folofola.
confirm it by doing this: Tonight I will put a dry wool fleece on the ground where I thresh the grain. Tomorrow morning, if the fleece is wet with dew but the ground is dry, then I will know that I am the one you will enable to rescue the people of Israel as you promised.”
38 Pea naʻe pehē: he naʻe tuʻu pongipongi hake ia ʻi he pongipongi, ʻo tatau ʻae hahau mei he fulufuluʻi sipi, pea naʻe fonu ha ipu ʻi he vai.
And that is what happened. When Gideon got up the next morning, he picked up the fleece, and squeezed out a whole bowlful of water!
39 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Kitione ki he ʻOtua, ʻoua naʻa tupu ʻo lahi hoʻo houhau kiate au, pea te u lea ke tuʻo taha ni: ʻoku ou kole kiate koe tuku au ke u ʻahiʻahiʻi koe ke tuʻo taha ni ʻaki ʻae fulufuluʻi sipi: tuku ke mōmoa pe ʻae fulufuluʻi sipi, kae ʻi he kelekele kotoa pē ʻae hahau.
Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me, but let me ask you to do one more thing. Tonight I will put the fleece out again. This time, let the fleece remain dry, while the ground is wet with the dew.”
40 Pea naʻe fai ia ʻe he ʻOtua ʻi he pō ko ia: he naʻe mōmoa ʻae fulufuluʻi sipi pe, ka naʻe hahauʻia ʻae kelekele kotoa pē.
So that night, God did what Gideon asked him to do. The next morning the fleece was dry, but the ground was covered with dew.
