Gidiyoni
1 Ngono bathu be Iziraela bakathama mbipo kakale mu mesho a Yahwe, ngono Yahwe bakabalonga mu maboko e Bamidiyani kwe makole ali kutendeka. 2 Ngoti simba le Bamidiyani lakatshambilidza Baiziraela, Baiziraela bakazwibakila mishasha mu matombo nemu makuwu ne matizhilo. 3 Kwakabe kuti apa Baiziraela badzwala, Bamidiyani ne Baamaleki ne bathu be kubhezhuba bakabezha bebanginilila, 4 bakakomba shango bekolomodza zwidzwalo kunoti tjose ku Gaza ngono kusina zojiwa zwabanosiyila Baiziraela, kene iyo pkhwizi kene ng'ombe kene donki. 5 Bakabe bebuya ne ng'ombe dzabo ne mishasha yabo bali nlunda se phashu nge bunji, ibo kose ne kamela dzabo bakabe basingabalike. Bakanginilila shango bakaithukudza. 6 Bamidiyani bakapedza Baiziraela simba kwabakadzina bakalilila bhatsho kuna Yahwe. 7 Kwakati Baiziraela balilila kuna Yahwe ngekwe Bamidiyani, 8 Yahwe bakatumila nlebesambeli ku bathu be Iziraela, ngono kabadwa kati, “Tjinoleba Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela ndiyetji, ndakamudusa mu Egipiti, ndimudusa mu busungwa, 9 ndakamusunungula mu luboko gwe Baegipiti ne mu luboko gwa bose bakamutshambilidza, ngono ndikabatata mbeli kwenyu ndikamupa shango yabo, 10 ngono ndakamudwa nditi, ‘Ndimi Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu, musitongo thigamila midzimu ye Baamoni, ibo be shango yamunogala.’ Koga amuzonditeedza.”
11 Ntumwa wa Yahwe kazha kagala kusi kwe nti we N'oko ku Ofira nzi wa Joashi we Abiyezeri, pakabe Gidiyoni e pulila mathunde kunuswinigwa nkumbi we zhambi, ku asumbikila Bamidiyani. 12 Ngono Ntumwa wa Yahwe kazwilakidza kuna Gidiyoni ngono ukandwa uti, “Yahwe banawe, iwe mbhayani wakasima.” 13 Gidiyoni kashandula eti, “Au, Apa Yahwe banaswi, nekutini ngono tashingikaligwa nge tjakajali kene? Matjenamiso abo wose angayi atakabudziwa ndi bobatategulu bedu beti, ‘Apa Yahwe abazotidusa ku Egipiti kene?’ Koga ngwenu Yahwe batilasha, ngono batilonga mu maboko e Bamidiyani.” 14 Ngono Yahwe bakatendebukila kunli bakati, “Yenda mu simba launalo ngono usunungule Baiziraela mu luboko gwe Bamidiyani, Apa anditokutuma kene?” 15 Ngono Gidiyoni kati, “Apa ndowosunungula Baiziraela tjini kene? Bonani, Ludzi gwangu gutukununu pana gwa Manase, kakale ndimi ntjetjana mu bana batate.” 16 Yahwe bakandwa beti, “Koga ndowobenawe, unowokunda Bamidiyani kukanga ungati nthu ung'ompela.” 17 Gidiyoni kashandula eti, “Ha ndawana mahwilongoni mu mesho enyu, mundipe tjilakidzo tjekuti ndimwi munolebeleka nami. 18 Ndokumbila musiyende kuswikila ndibuya ndizhisa tjibhayilo nditjibiga mbeli kwenyu.” Yahwe bakashandula beti, “Ndowolinda kuswikila ushanduka.” 19 Ndizo Gidiyoni kangina mu ng'umba kalulwamisa tjibudzana ne tjiwunga tjisina mbidzo tje bgwisa gwe efa. Kalonga nyama mu itundu, kadila sopo mu hali, kazwiyisa ku nli kusi kwe N'oko, kazwibiga panli. 20 Ngono ntumwa we Ndzimu kandwa kati, “Tola nyama ne tjiwunga tjisina mbidzo uzwibige mu shongwe iyeyi, ngono utebulile sopo muzwili.” Ngono kathama eyijalo. 21 Ipapo ntumwa wa Yahwe katola ludozo gwaakabe akabhata, kashwaya nyama ne tjiwunga tjisina mbidzo nge theswi yago, ngono kukathuta moto mu shongwe ukaja nyama ne tjiwunga tjisina mbidzo, ngono ntumwa wa Yahwe kanyelela mu mesho awe. 22 Kwakati Gidiyoni atjibona kuti kwabe kuli ntumwa wa Yahwe kati, “Yee mme wee! She Yahwe bangu! Ndabona ntumwa wa Yahwe takalingisanya njiso.” 23 Koga Yahwe bakandwa beti, “Kunyalala kube nawe, usitje autowofa.” 24 Ndizo Gidiyoni kabakila Yahwe tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo ikoko ngono katjidana eti Yahwe ndibo kunyalala. Nanasi tjitji ku Ofira ye Baabiyezeri.
25 Busiku igogo Yahwe bakandwa beti, “Tola nkono wa tate babo we bubili una makole ali kutendeka, ngono ulige tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo tja Bhaale itjo tate babo tjabanatjo, utemele pasi ndzimukadzi Ashera u hwunde natjo, 26 ngono ubakile Yahwe Ndzimu uwo tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo pakatuthumala, u walile nge mabgwe, kudwapo utole nkono we bubili kube tjibhayilo tjinopisiwa nge hwuni dze ndzimukadzi Ashera dzaunowotemela pasi.” 27 Ndizo Gidiyoni katola balume bali gumi be balanda babe ngono kathama sekwa abudziwa ndi Yahwe, ngoti wakabe etja be nsha uwe kwazo ne balume be nzi nkulu kuthama masikati, wakathama busiku. 28 Kwakati balume be nzi nkulu bemuka kuli mangwanana, bonani, tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo tja Bhaale tjikabe tjakaligwa, ngono ne ndzimukadzi Ashera hwunde yatjo akaligiwa, ndizo nkono we bubili ukadusiwa se tjibhayilo pezhugwi kwe tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo tjakabakiwa. 29 Ngono bakabhuzwana beti, “Ndiyani wathama ikoko?” Ngono kwakati bashakisisa nge kwako, bakati, “Gidiyoni nkololo wa Joashi wathama ikoko.” 30 Ngono balume be nzi nkulu bakadwa Joashi bakati, “Zhisa nkololo uwo, timbulaye, ngoti wakaliga tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo tja Bhaale katema ndzimukadzi Ashera hwunde natjo.” 31 Koga Joashi kadwa bose bakabebakampoteleka kati, “Apa molebelekela Bhaale kene? Apa mombakilila kene? Iye unonlebelekela unowobulawa kuli mangwanana. Apa ali ndzimwana, ngaazwilebelekele ngoti tjibeso tjitje tje zwibhayilo tjaligiwa.” 32 Ndizo zhuba ilelo Gidiyoni wakadang'wa Jerubhaale, ndiko kuyi, “Bhaale ngaagwe naye,” ngoti wakaliga tjibeso tjitje tje zwibhayilo.
33 Ipapo bathu bose be Midiyani ne Amaleki ne bathu be kubhezhuba bakashangana, ngono bakatjuluka gwizi gwe Jorodani bakakotokela pa nkuku wa Jezirele. 34 Ngono Meya ya Yahwe ikazha muna Gidiyoni, kalidza lunyanga, ngono kadana Baabiyezeri kunsala shule. 35 Ngono katuma batumwa mu Manase yose, ngono naibobo bakadang'wa kunsala shule. Katuma batumwa ku ludzi gwa Ashera ne gwa Zebuluni ne gwa Nafutali, ngono bakatathila kubashanganidza.
36 Gidiyoni kadwa Ndzimu kati, “Apa munga sunungula Iziraela nge luboko gwangu sekwa makagadzabgwe, 37 Bonani, ndobiga debgwe mu lubuwa. Ha kungabe ne khawa koga mu debgwe ngono pasi kwakawoma, ipapo ndowoziba kuti mowosunungula Iziraela nge luboko gwangu, sekwa makaleba.” 38 Ngono kukashingikala kuyijalo. Kwakati emuka tjimuka mangwanana kaswina debgwe, kukabhuda vula inozhala ndilo. 39 Ipapo Gidiyoni kadwa Ndzimu kati, “Musindigwadzilemoyo. Ndina kumbilo yandinoshaka thama, mundidumile ndilike kakale nge debgwe, ndokumbila muthame kuti debgwe liwome, ngono pasi kube ne khawa.” 40 Ngono Ndzimu bakathama beyijalo busiku igogo, debgwe lakabe lakawoma, ngono pasi kuna khawa.
1 Then once again the Israelites started disobeying the Lord, so he let the nation of Midian control Israel for seven years. 2 The Midianites were so cruel that many Israelites ran to the mountains and hid in caves.
3 Every time the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites invaded Israel together with the Amalekites and other eastern nations. 4-5 They rode in on their camels, set up their tents, and then let their livestock eat the crops as far as the town of Gaza. The Midianites stole food, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. Like a swarm of locusts, they could not be counted, and they ruined the land wherever they went.
6-7 The Midianites took almost everything that belonged to the Israelites, and the Israelites begged the Lord for help. 8-9 Then the Lord sent a prophet to them with this message:
I am the Lord God of Israel, so listen to what I say. You were slaves in Egypt, but I set you free and led you out of Egypt into this land. And when nations here made life miserable for you, I rescued you and helped you get rid of them and take their land. 10 I am your God, and I told you not to worship Amorite gods, even though you are living in the land of the Amorites. But you refused to listen.
The Lord Chooses Gideon
11 One day an angel from the Lord went to the town of Ophrah and sat down under the big tree that belonged to Joash, a member of the Abiezer clan. Joash's son Gideon was nearby, threshing grain in a shallow pit, where he could not be seen by the Midianites.
12 The angel appeared and spoke to Gideon, “The Lord is helping you, and you are a strong warrior.”
13 Gideon answered, “Please don't take this wrong, but if the Lord is helping us, then why have all of these awful things happened? We've heard how the Lord performed miracles and rescued our ancestors from Egypt. But those things happened long ago. Now the Lord has abandoned us to the Midianites.”
14 Then the Lord himself said, “Gideon, you will be strong, because I am giving you the power to rescue Israel from the Midianites.”
15 Gideon replied, “But how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest one in Manasseh, and everyone else in my family is more important than I am.”
16 “Gideon,” the Lord answered, “you can rescue Israel because I am going to help you! Defeating the Midianites will be as easy as beating up one man.”
17 Gideon said, “It's hard to believe that I'm actually talking to the Lord. Please do something so I'll know that you really are the Lord. 18 And wait here until I bring you an offering.”
“All right, I'll wait,” the Lord answered.
19 Gideon went home and killed a young goat, then started boiling the meat. Next, he opened a big sack of flour and made it into thin bread. When the meat was done, he put it in a basket and poured the broth into a clay cooking pot. He took the meat, the broth, and the bread and placed them under the big tree.
20 God's angel said, “Gideon, put the meat and the bread on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” Gideon did as he was told. 21 The angel was holding a walking stick, and he touched the meat and the bread with the end of the stick. Flames jumped from the rock and burned up the meat and the bread.
When Gideon looked, the angel was gone. 22 Gideon realized that he had seen one of the Lord's angels. “Oh!” he moaned. “Now I'm going to die.”
23 “Calm down!” the Lord told Gideon. “There's nothing to be afraid of. You're not going to die.”
24 Gideon built an altar for worshiping the Lord and called it “The Lord Calms Our Fears.” It still stands there in Ophrah, a town in the territory of the Abiezer clan.
Gideon Tears Down Baal's Altar
25 That night the Lord spoke to Gideon again:
Get your father's second-best bull, the one that's seven years old. Use it to pull down the altar where your father worships Baal and cut down the sacred pole next to the altar. 26 Then build an altar for worshiping me on the highest part of the hill where your town is built. Use layers of stones for my altar, not just a pile of rocks. Cut up the wood from the pole, make a fire, kill the bull, and burn it as a sacrifice to me.
27 Gideon chose ten of his servants to help him, and they did everything God had said. But since Gideon was afraid of his family and the other people in Ophrah, he did it all at night.
28 When the people of the town got up the next morning, they saw that Baal's altar had been knocked over, and the sacred pole next to it had been cut down. Then they noticed the new altar covered with the remains of the sacrificed bull.
29 “Who could have done such a thing?” they asked. And they kept on asking, until finally someone told them, “Gideon the son of Joash did it.”
30 The men of the town went to Joash and said, “Your son Gideon knocked over Baal's altar and cut down the sacred pole next to it. Hand him over, so we can kill him!”
31 The crowd pushed closer and closer, but Joash replied, “Are you trying to take revenge for Baal? Are you trying to rescue Baal? If you are, you will be the ones who are put to death, and it will happen before another day dawns. If Baal really is a god, let him take his own revenge on someone who tears down his altar.”
32 That same day, Joash changed Gideon's name to Jerubbaal, explaining, “He tore down Baal's altar, so let Baal take revenge himself.”
Gideon Defeats the Midianites
33 All the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern nations got together and crossed the Jordan River. Then they invaded the land of Israel and set up camp in Jezreel Valley.
34 The Lord's Spirit took control of Gideon, and Gideon blew a trumpet as a signal for the men in the Abiezer clan to follow him. 35 He also sent messengers to the tribes of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, telling the men of these tribes to come and join his army. Then they set out toward the enemy camp.
36-37 Gideon prayed to God, “I know that you promised to help me rescue Israel, but I need proof. Tonight I'll spread a sheep skin on the stone floor of that threshing-place over there. If you really will help me rescue Israel, then tomorrow morning let there be dew on the skin, but let the stone floor be dry.”
38 And that's just what happened. Early the next morning, Gideon got up and checked the sheep skin. He squeezed out enough water to fill a bowl. 39 But Gideon prayed to God again. “Don't be angry with me,” Gideon said. “Let me try this just one more time, so I'll really be sure you'll help me. Only this time, let the skin be dry and the stone floor be wet.”
40 That night, God made the stone floor wet with dew, but he kept the sheep skin dry.