Gideon
1 Ndelenee ovana vaIsrael eshi va ninga osho shii momesho Omwene, Omwene e va yandja momake Ovamidian omido heyali. 2 Neke lOvamidian la fininika Israel. OmolwOvamidian ovana vaIsrael ove lihokela omakololo aa e li meemhunda nomakololo manene neehotengulu domeemhunda. 3 Osheshi alushe Ovaisraeli ngeenge va kuna, Ovamidian nOvaamaleki novanhu vokoushilo ve uya, ndele ve va homona, 4 va onga eenhanda oku va lwifa, ndele va hanauna po oilya yomomapya fiyo okuGasa, ndele inava fiya po nande eendja, needi neengobe ile eendongi muIsrael. 5 Osheshi ovo ve uya noimuna yavo neefaila davo ndele ve uya ngaashi oshipaxu meemhunga, osheshi vo neengamelo davo oda li di he shii okuvalwa. Osho ngaha hano ve uya moshilongo ve shi tokeke. 6 NOvaisraeli va ninga eehepele unene omolwOvamidian, ndelenee ovana vaIsrael va kuwa kOmwene. 7 Novana vaIsrael eshi va kuwa kOmwene omolwOvamidian, 8 Omwene okwa tumina ovana vaIsrael omuxunganeki, ndele ye okwa lombwela Ovaisraeli: “Omwene Kalunga kaIsrael ta ti ngaha: Ame mwene nde mu pitifa muEgipiti, ndele nde mu kufa mo meumbo loupika. 9 Ndele nde mu xupifa momake Ovaegipiti nomomake ovafininiki veni aveshe, ndele nde va taataa komesho yeni, ndele nde mu pa oshilongo shavo. 10 Naame onde mu lombwela: ‘Aame Omwene Kalunga keni. Inamu tila oikalunga yOvaamori mu li moshilongo shavo. Ndelenee nye inamu pwilikina ondaka yange.’ ”
11 Opo nee omweengeli wOmwene okwe uya nokwa kala omutumba momwandi u li muOfra, ou wa li waJoas, Omuabieser, fimbo omona waye omumati, Gideon, ta xu oilya moshikolelo sheeviinyu, opo ye e i holeke Ovamidian. 12 Nomweengeli wOmwene okwe mu holokela ndele ta ti kuye: “Omwene oku li pamwe naave, omukwanyati omuladi!” 13 Opo nee Gideon te mu pula: “Akutu, Omwene wange, Omwene ngeenge e li pamwe nafye, omolwashike hano oinima aishe ei ye tu wila? Noikumwifalonga yaye, oyo ootate ve tu hepaululila, oi li peni? Venya eshi va tile: Omwene haye e tu pitifa mo muEgipiti? Ndelenee paife Omwene e tu ekelashi ndele e tu yandja meke lOvamidian.” 14 Opo nee Omwene e mu pungulukila ndele ta ti: “Inda meenghono tuu edi doye ndele xupifa Israel meke lOvamidian. Ame ohandi ku tumu.” 15 Ndelenee ye okwe mu pula: “Akutu, Omwene, Israel ohandi ke shi xupifa nashike? Tala, oludi letu olongahoelela kuManasse, naame mwene omuxupielela movambuletu.” 16 Opo nee Omwene ta ti kuye: “Ame ondi li pamwe naave, onghee to ka taataa Ovamidian ngaashi omulumenhu umwe.” 17 Ndele ye okwe mu nyamukula ta ti: “Ame ngeenge nda filwa onghenda koshipala shoye, talife nge edidiliko, ndi shiive kutya ove to popi naame. 18 Ino dja po apa, fimbo inandi aluka kwoove ndele handi ku etele oshali ndele handi i tula pomesho yoye.” Ye ta ti: “Ame ohandi kala fiyo to aluka.” 19 Opo nee Gideon okwa ya mo nokwa longekida okakombwena noikuki ihe nonhafi youfila u fike peekilograma omulongo. Nombelela e i tula mokambale nomunghoka okwe u tila metiti. Ndele okwe i twala kuye pomwandi ndele te i tula puye. 20 Ndelenee omweengeli wOmwene okwe mu lombwela: “Kufa ombelela noikuki ihe nonhafi, u i tile kemanya eli ndele tila ko kombada yayo omunghoka.” Ndele osho a ninga. 21 Opo nee omweengeli wOmwene okwa ulika onhele yonhaili ei ya li meke laye nokwa kuma ombelela noikuki ihe nonhafi. Opo nee omundilo wa dja memanya ndele wa lungwinifa po ombelela noikuki ihe nonhafi. Ndele omweengeli wOmwene okwa kana po momesho aye. 22 Gideon eshi a dimbulukwa nokutya, ou okwa li omweengeli wOmwene, Gideon ta ti: “Akutu, Omwene Kalunga, osheshi ame nda mona omweengeli wOmwene koshipala noshipala!” 23 Ndelenee Omwene okwe mu lombwela: “Ombili nai kale naave! Ino tila! Ito fi!” 24 Opo nee Gideon okwa tungila ko Omwene oaltari ndele te i luku: “Omwene Oye ombili!” Oko shi li fiyo onena eli puOfra shOvaabieser.
25 Ndele oufiku tuu winya Omwene okwe mu lombwela ta ti: “Kufa ongobe yomhedi yaxo, nongobe imwe yomido heyali, ndele ngumauna po oaltari yaBaal, xo e i na, ka po olupwelele loshikalunga Asera olo li li pomunghulo washo; 26 ndele tungila Omwene Kalunga koye, oaltari koxulo yoshikulundu eshi nokulondekafana omamanya, ndele kufa ongobe yomhedi onhivali ndele i yamba omundiloyambo pamwe noikuni yokolupwelele tai di komuti waAsera, olo u noku li ka po.” 27 Opo nee Gideon okwa kufa ovalumenhu omulongo vomovapiya vaye nokwa ninga ngaashi Omwene e mu lombwela. Ndelenee ye eshi a tila eumbo laye novalumenhu vomoshilando, e shi ninge omutenya, ye okwe shi ninga oufiku. 28 Novalumenhu vomoshilando eshi va penduka ongula inene, oaltari yaBaal oya ngumaunwa po nolupwelele laAsera olo la li momunghulo wayo la kewa po nongobe onhivali ya yambwa koaltari, oyo ya tungwa ko. 29 Opo nee ova pulafana: “Olyelye e shi ninga?” Ndele fimbo tava konakona ndele tava pula, opa tiwa: Gideon yaJoas e shi ninga! 30 Opo nee ovalumenhu vomoshilongo tava ti kuJoas: “Omona woye omumati, mu yandja a fye, shaashi ye okwa ngumauna po oaltari yaBaal, naashi a ka po olupwelele laAsera la li momunghulo wayo.” 31 Ndelenee Joas okwa lombwela aveshe ava va kala puye: “Mwa hala okukondjela Baal? Ile mwa hala oku mu kwafa? Ou te mu kondjele ota ka fya mongula. Ye ngeenge oshikalunga, ne lipopile mwene, shaashi winya a ngumauna po oaltari yaye.” 32 Onghee hano ve mu luka efiku olo: “Jerubbaal, ndele tava ti: Baal ne mu kondjife, ye eshi a ngumauna po oaltari yaye.”
33 Opo nee Ovamidian aveshe nOvaamaleki novanhu vokoushilo va ongala kumwe ndele va tauluka omulonga waJordan ndele va onga onhanda mepumbu laJisreel. 34 NOmhepo yOmwene ya yada muGideon. Ndele ye okwa shika enghuma lodi yomhedi, nOvaabieser va ifanwa ve mu shikule. 35 Ye okwa tuma yo ovatumwa kuManasse ashishe, navo yo va ifanwa ve mu shikule. Nokwa tuma yo ovatumwa kuAsser nokuSebulon nokuNaftali, ndele vo ova fikama ve ke va lwife. 36 Opo nee Gideon okwa popya naKalunga ta ti: “Ove ngeenge wa hala shili okuxupifa Israel kekwafo leke lange, ngaashi wa tonga, 37 tala, ame ohandi tula olududi lodi moshipale: omume ngeenge tai wile kolududi, fimbo edu alishe la kukuta, opo nee ame ndi shi shii Ove oto ka xupifa Israel, kekwafo leke lange ngaashi wa tonga.” 38 Ndele osho sha ningwa: Ye eshi a penduka ongula inene, okwa fingonona olududi nokwa kama mo omume ndee tai yada okalwiyo. 39 Opo nee Gideon okwa popya naKalunga ta ti: “Ehandu loye liha xwamene nge, ndele itavelele nge ndi popye lumwe aluke. Nandi yelekele lumwe aluke nolududi: olududi nali kale la kukuta, fimbo edu alishe li nomume.” 40 NOmwene osho a ninga oufiku winya: olududi la li la kukuta, fimbo edu alishe li nomume.
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.
