Atemmufoɔ 6

1 Israelfoɔ no yɛɛ deɛ ɛyɛ Awurade ani so bɔne bio. Ɛno enti, Awurade de wɔn hyɛɛ Midianfoɔ nsa mfeɛ nson.

And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord: and he delivered them into the hand of Madian seven years.

2 Esiane sɛ na Midianfoɔ no yɛ atirimuɔdenfoɔ enti, Israelfoɔ no dwane kɔɔ mmepɔ so kɔpɛɛ ahintaeɛ wɔ abodan ne atu mu.

And they were grievously oppressed by them. And they made themselves dens and eaves in the mountains, and strong holds to resist.

3 Ɛberɛ biara a Israelfoɔ duaa wɔn nnɔbaeɛ no, Midianfoɔ, Amalekfoɔ ne nnipa a wɔte apueeɛ fam no kɔto hyɛ wɔn so.

And when Israel had sown, Madian and Amalec, and the rest of the eastern nations came up:

4 Wɔbɛyɛ atenaeɛ wɔ wɔn asase no so sɛe mfudeɛ no firi Gasa a wɔnnya Israelfoɔ aduane biribiara. Wɔfa nnwan, anantwie ne mfunumu.

And pitching their tents among them, wasted all things as they were in the blade even to the entrance of Gaza: and they left nothing at all in Israel for sustenance of life, nor sheep, nor oxen, nor asses.

5 Saa atamfoɔ dɔm yi de wɔn nyɛmmoa ne wɔn ntomadan foro ba te sɛ ntutummɛ. Wɔtete nyoma a wɔntumi nkane wɔn dodoɔ so na wɔba. Na wɔtena asase no so kɔsi ɛso nneɛma nyinaa bɛsa.

For they and all their flocks came with their tents, and like locusts filled all places, an innumerable multitude of men, and of camels, wasting whatsoever they touched.

6 Enti Midianfoɔ no maa ɛkɔm baa Israel. Afei Israelfoɔ no su frɛɛ Awurade pɛɛ mmoa.

And Israel was humbled exceedingly in the sight of Madian.

7 Ɛberɛ a Midianfoɔ enti, Israelfoɔ su frɛɛ Awurade no,

And he cried to the Lord desiring help against the Madianites.

8 Awurade somaa odiyifoɔ kɔɔ wɔn nkyɛn. Ɔkaa sɛ, “Asɛm a Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, ka nie: Meyii mo firii Misraim nkoasom mu

And he sent unto them a prophet, and he spoke: Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: I made you to come up out of Egypt, and brought you out of the house of bondage,

9 Meyii mo firii Misraim tumi ne wɔn a wɔhyɛ mo so nyinaa ase. Mepamoo mo atamfoɔ de wɔn asase maa mo.

And delivered you out of the hands of the Egyptians, and of all the enemies that afflicted you: and I cast them out at your coming in, and gave you their land.

10 Meka kyerɛɛ mo sɛ, ‘Mene Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn. Monnsom Amorifoɔ a mote wɔn asase so no anyame.’ Nanso moantie me.”

And I said: I am the Lord your God, fear not the gods of the Amorrhites, in whose land you dwell. And you would not hear my voice.

11 Na Awurade ɔbɔfoɔ bɛtenaa odupɔn a ɛsi Ofra a ɛyɛ Yoas a ɔfiri Abieser abusua mu dea no ase. Na Yoas babarima Gideon reporo ayuo wɔ nsakyiamena ase sɛ ɔde resie Midianfoɔ no.

And an angel of the Lord came, and sat under an oak, that was in Ephra, and belonged to Joas the father of the family of Ezri. And when Gedeon his son was threshing and cleansing wheat by the winepress, to flee from Madian,

12 Awurade ɔbɔfoɔ yii ne ho adi kyerɛɛ Gideon, kaa sɛ, “Dɔmmarima, Awurade ka wo ho.”

The angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said: The Lord is with thee, O most valiant of men.

13 Gideon buaa sɛ, “Owura, sɛ Awurade ka yɛn ho a, adɛn enti na saa nsɛm yi nyinaa aba yɛn so? Na anwanwadeɛ a yɛn agyanom kaa ho asɛm kyerɛɛ yɛn no nso wɔ he? Wɔanka sɛ, ‘Awurade yii yɛn firii Misraim anaa?’ Nanso, seesei deɛ, Awurade agyaa yɛn de yɛn ahyɛ Midianfoɔ nsam.”

And Gedeon said to him: I beseech thee, my lord, if the Lord be with us, why have these evils fallen upon us? Where are his miracles, which our fathers have told us of, saying: The Lord brought us Out of Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the bands of Madian.

14 Na Awurade danee ne ho ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Fa ahoɔden a wowɔ no kɔ na kɔgye Israelfoɔ firi Midianfoɔ no nsam. Me na meresoma wo.”

And the Lord looked upon him, and said: Go in this thy strength, and then shalt deliver Israel out of the hand of Madian: know that I have sent thee.

15 Gideon buaa sɛ, “Na Awurade, mɛyɛ dɛn magye Israelfoɔ? Mʼabusua na ɛyɛ mmerɛ koraa wɔ Manase abusuakuo mu na me na mesua koraa wɔ me fiefoɔ nyinaa mu.”

He answered and said: I beseech thee, my lord, wherewith shall I deliver Israel? Behold my family is the meanest in Manasses, and I am the least in my father’s house.

16 Awurade ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Mɛka wo ho. Wobɛsɛe Midianfoɔ no sɛdeɛ woresɛe onipa fua.”

And the Lord said to him: I will be with thee: and thou shalt cut off Madian as one man.

17 Gideon buaa sɛ, “Sɛ wobɛboa me ampa ara deɛ a, yɛ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ bi ma menhunu sɛ, nokorɛm, ɛyɛ wo Awurade na worekasa kyerɛ me yi.

And he said: If I have found grace before thee, give me a sign that it is thou that speakest to me,

18 Nkɔ, kɔsi sɛ mɛsane mʼakyi aba de mʼafɔrebɔdeɛ abrɛ wo.” Awurade buaa sɛ, “Mɛtena ha atwɛn kɔsi sɛ wobɛba.”

And depart not hence, till I return to thee, and bring a sacrifice, and offer it to thee. And he answered: I will wait thy coming.

19 Gideon yɛɛ ntɛm kɔɔ efie. Ɔkɔsiesie abirekyie ba, too burodo asikyiresiam lita aduonu mmienu a mmɔreka nni mu. Afei, ɔsoaa ɛnam no wɔ kɛntɛn mu a nkwan no nso wɔ ɛsɛn bi mu de baeɛ. Ɔde brɛɛ ɔbɔfoɔ no wɔ odupɔn no ase.

So Gedeon went in, and boiled a kid, and made unleavened loaves of a measure of flour: and putting the flesh in a basket, and the broth of the flesh into a pot, he carried all under the oak, and presented to him.

20 Awurade ɔbɔfoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Fa ɛnam no ne burodo a ɛnkaeɛ no gu ɔbotan yi so na hwie nkwan no gu so.” Na Gideon yɛɛ deɛ ɔbɔfoɔ no kyerɛɛ no sɛ ɔnyɛ no.

And the angel of the Lord said to him: Take the flesh and the unleavened loaves, and lay them upon that rock, and pour out the broth thereon. And when he had done so,

21 Afei, Awurade ɔbɔfoɔ no de poma a ɛkura no no kaa ɛnam ne burodo no, na ogya pue firii ɔbotan no mu hyee deɛ ɔde baeɛ no nyinaa. Na ɔbɔfoɔ no yeraeɛ.

The angel of the Lord put forth the tip of the rod, which he held in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened loaves: and there arose a fire from the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened loaves: and the angel of the Lord vanished out of his sight.

22 Ɛberɛ a Gideon hunuu sɛ ɛyɛ Awurade ɔbɔfoɔ no, ɔteaam sɛ, “Asafo Awurade, mahunu Awurade ɔbɔfoɔ animu ne animu.”

And Gedeon seeing that it was the angel of the Lord, said: Alas, my Lord God: for I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.

23 Awurade buaa sɛ, “Nsuro na worenwu.”

And the Lord said to him: Peace be with thee: fear not, thou shalt not die.

24 Na Gideon sii afɔrebukyia wɔ hɔ maa Awurade na ɔtoo no edin “Awurade Yɛ Asomdwoeɛ.” Afɔrebukyia no da so wɔ Ofra a ɛyɛ Abieserfoɔ abusua asase so de bɛsi ɛnnɛ.

And Gedeon built there an altar to the Lord, and called it the Lord’s peace, until this present day. And when he was yet in Ephra, which is of the family of Ezri,

25 Anadwo no, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Gideon sɛ, “Kyere nantwinini ɔdi mu, ɔtɔ so mmienu na wadi mfeɛ nson firi wʼagya anantwie mu. Dwiri wʼagya afɔrebukyia a ɔsi maa Baal no, na twa Asera dua a ɛsi nkyɛn no.

That night the Lord said to him: Take a bullock of thy father’s, and another bullock of seven years, and thou shalt destroy the altar of Baal, which is thy father’s: and cut down the grove that is about the altar:

26 Afei, si afɔrebukyia wɔ bepɔ yi so ma Awurade, wo Onyankopɔn. Hyehyɛ afɔrebukyia aboɔ no yie. Fa nantwinini bɔ ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ wɔ afɔrebukyia no so. Fa Asera dua a wotwaeɛ no yensin yɛ egya.”

And thou shalt build an altar to the Lord thy God in the top of this rock, whereupon thou didst lay the sacrifice before: and thou shalt take the second bullock, and shalt offer a holocaust upon a pile of the wood, which thou shalt cut down out of the grove.

27 Enti, Gideon faa nʼasomfoɔ edu de wɔn yɛɛ sɛdeɛ Awurade hyɛɛ noɔ no. Nanso, ɔyɛɛ no anadwo, ɛfiri sɛ, na ɔsuro nʼagya fiefoɔ ne kuro mma no. Na ɔnim deɛ ɛbɛsie, sɛ wɔhunu onipa a ɔyɛɛ saa adeɛ no a.

Then Gedeon taking ten men of his servants, did as the Lord had commanded him. But fearing his father’s house, and the men of that city, he would not do it by day, but did all by night.

28 Adeɛ kyee anɔpahema a kuro no mu nnipa hyɛɛ aseɛ nyanenyaneeɛ no, obi hunuu sɛ wɔadwiri Baal afɔrebukyia no agu, na Asera dua a ɛsi ho no nso, wɔatwa atwene na wɔasi afɔrebukyia foforɔ asi ananmu. Na wɔhunuu afɔrebɔdeɛ bi nkaeɛ wɔ so.

And when the men of that town were risen in the morning, they saw the altar of Baal destroyed, and the grove cut down, and the second bullock laid upon the altar, which then was built.

29 Ɔmanfoɔ no bisabisaa wɔn ho wɔn ho sɛ, “Hwan na ɔyɛɛ yei?” Wɔbisabisa, too wɔn bo ase feefee mu no, wɔhunuu sɛ Yoas babarima Gideon na ɔyɛɛ saa.

And they said one to another: Who hath done this? And when they inquired for the author of the fact, it was said: Gedeon the son of Joas did all this.

30 Ɔmanfoɔ no teaam guu Yoas so sɛ, “Fa wo babarima no bra. Sɛe a ɔsɛee Baal afɔrebukyia ne twa a ɔtwaa Asera dua no enti, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔwuo.”

And they said to Joas: Bring out thy son hither, that he may die: because he hath destroyed the altar of Baal, and hath cut down his grove.

31 Nanso, Yoas teaam guu nnipakuo no so sɛ, “Adɛn enti na mogye Baal ti? Mobɛtumi aka nʼasɛm ama no anaa? Obiara a ɔbɛgye ne ti no, wɔbɛkum no ansa na adeɛ akye. Sɛ Baal yɛ onyame bi ampa ara a ɔno ara nni mma ne ho na ɔnkum deɛ ɔdwirii nʼafɔrebukyia no!”

He answered them: Are you the avengers of Baal, that you fight for him? he that is his adversary, let him die before tomorrow light appear: if he be a god, let him revenge himself on him that hath cast down his altar.

32 Ɛfiri saa ɛberɛ no rekɔ no, wɔfrɛɛ Gideon Yerubaal a asekyerɛ ne “Baal nni mma ne ne ho,” ɛfiri sɛ, ɔno ara na ɔdwirii Baal afɔrebukyia no guiɛ.

From that day Gedeon was called Jerobaal, because Joss had said: Let Baal revenge himself on him that hath cast down his altar.

33 Afei, Midianfoɔ nyinaa, Amalekfoɔ nyinaa ne nnipa a wɔfifiri apueeɛ fam no kaa wɔn ho bɔɔ mu tia Israel. Wɔtwaa Yordan, kɔbɔɔ atenaeɛ wɔ Yesreel bɔnhwa mu.

Now all Madian, and Amalec, and the eastern people were gathered together, and passing over the Jordan, camped in the valley of Jezrael.

34 Awurade honhom baa Gideon so na ɔbɔɔ totorobɛnto de frɛɛ dɔm. Mmarima a wɔfiri Abieser abusua mu no baa ne nkyɛn.

But the spirit of the Lord came upon Gedeon, and be sounded the trumpet and called together the house of Abiezer, to follow him.

35 Ɔsomaa abɔfoɔ kɔɔ Manase, Aser, Sebulon ne Naftali nyinaa mu kɔfrɛɛ wɔn akodɔm, na wɔn nyinaa penee so.

And he sent messengers into all Manasses, and they also followed him: and other messengers into Aser and Zabulon and Nephtali, and they came to meet him.

36 Gideon ka kyerɛɛ Onyankopɔn sɛ, “Sɛ wonam me nsa so bɛgye Israel sɛdeɛ woahyɛ bɔ no a,

And Gedeon said to God: If thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast said,

37 fa saa ɛkwan yi so kyerɛ me, mede odwannwi bɛkata ayuporobea hɔ anadwo yi. Sɛ obosuo fɔ odwannwi no, na sɛ ɛhɔ amfɔ a, na mahunu sɛ ampa ara, wonam me nsa so bɛgye Israel sɛdeɛ woahyɛ ho bɔ no.”

I will put this fleece of wool on the floor: if there be dew on the fleece only, and it be dry on all the ground beside, I, shall know that by my hand, as thou hast said, thou wilt deliver Israel.

38 Na saa na ɛbaeɛ. Gideon sɔree adekyeeɛ kyii odwannwi no mu nyaa nsuo adeɛ ma.

And it was so. And rising before day wringing the fleece, he filled a vessel with the dew.

39 Afei, Gideon ka kyerɛɛ Onyankopɔn sɛ, “Mma wo bo mfu me. Ma memmisa adeɛ baako. Ma memfa odwannwi no nsɔ biribi nhwɛ. Saa ɛberɛ yi deɛ, ma odwannwi no nyɛ wesee na baabi a ɛda hɔ no nyinaa mfɔ.”

And he said again to God: let not thy wrath be kindled against me if I try once more, seeking a sign in the fleece. I pray that the fleece only may be dry, and all the ground wet with dew.

40 Anadwo no, Onyankopɔn yɛɛ sɛdeɛ Gideon bisaeɛ no. Anɔpa no odwannwi yɛɛ wesee a na obosuo afɔ fam hɔ nyinaa.

And God did that night as he had requested: and it was dry on the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.