Ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo 6
1 Israelviwo gawɔ nu si nye vɔ̃ le Yehowa ŋkume eye ƒe adre sɔŋ wòtsɔ wo de asi na Midiantɔwo.
Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, who delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years.
2 Midiantɔwo ƒe asi sẽ ɖe Israelviwo dzi ale gbegbe be Israelviwo wɔ bebeƒewo na wo ɖokuiwo ɖe towo tome, agadowo me kple sitsoƒewo.
And they were greatly oppressed by them. And they made for themselves hollows and caves in the mountains, and very fortified places for defense.
3 Ne Israelviwo ƒã nukuwo la, Midiantɔwo, Amalekitɔwo kple ɣedzeƒetɔ bubuwo vana dzea Israelviwo dzi.
And when Israel had planted, Midian and Amalek, and the rest of the eastern nations ascended,
4 Woƒua asaɖa anyi ɖe anyigba la dzi, gblẽa nukuawo yi keke Gaza ke eye womegblẽa nu gbagbe aɖeke ɖi na Israelviwo o, alẽwo loo, nyiwo loo alo tedziwo o.
and pitching their tents among them, they laid waste to all that was planted, as far as the entrance to Gaza. And they left behind nothing at all to sustain life in Israel, neither sheep, nor oxen, nor donkeys.
5 Wovana kple woƒe lãhawo kple woƒe agbadɔwo abe ʋetsuviwo ene. Mele bɔbɔe be woaxlẽ ŋutsuawo kple woƒe kposɔwo o. Wovana dzea anyigba la dzi be woagblẽe keŋkeŋ.
For they and all their flocks arrived with their tents, and they filled all places like locusts, an innumerable multitude of men and camels, devastating whatever they touched.
6 Midiantɔwo na Israelviwo da ahe ale gbegbe be wodo ɣli na Yehowa be wòaxɔ na yewo.
And Israel was humbled greatly in the sight of Midian.
7 Esi Israelviwo do ɣli na Yehowa le Midiantɔwo ta la,
And he cried out to the Lord, requesting assistance against the Midianites.
8 edɔ Nyagblɔɖila aɖe ɖa, ame si gblɔ be, “Ale Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu la gblɔe nye si, ‘Mekplɔ mi do goe tso Egipte le kluvinyenyenyigba dzi.
And he sent to them a man who was a prophet, and he said: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘I caused you to ascend from Egypt, and I led you away from the house of servitude.
9 Meɖe mi le Egipte ƒe ŋusẽ te kple ame siwo katã te mi ɖe anyi la ƒe asi me. Menya wo ɖa le mia ŋgɔ eye metsɔ woƒe anyigba na mi.
And I freed you from the hand of the Egyptians and from all of the enemies who were afflicting you. And I cast them out at your arrival, and I delivered their land to you.
10 Megblɔ na mi be nyee nye Yehowa, miaƒe Mawu, migasubɔ Amoritɔwo ƒe mawuwo, ame siwo ƒe anyigba dzi miele la o, gake mieɖo tom o.’”
And I said: I am the Lord your God. You shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live. But you were not willing to listen to my voice.’”
11 Gbe ɖeka la, Yehowa ƒe dɔla aɖe va nɔ anyi ɖe oɖumti la te le Ofra, le Yoas, Abiezritɔ la ƒe agble me. Yoaz ƒe vi, Gideon, ɣla eɖokui ɖe wainfiaƒe aɖe le vɔvɔ̃ na Midiantɔwo ta eye wònɔ lu klẽm kple asi.
Then an Angel of the Lord arrived, and he sat under an oak tree, which was at Ophrah, and which belonged to Joash, the father of the family of Ezri. And while his son Gideon was threshing and cleaning the grain at the winepress, so that he might flee from Midian,
12 Yehowa ƒe dɔla la ɖe eɖokui fiae eye wògblɔ nɛ be, “Yehowa li kpli wò, wò ŋutsu kalẽtɔ!”
the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and he said: “The Lord is with you, most valiant of men.”
13 Gideon ɖo eŋu be, “Nye aƒetɔ, ne Yehowa la li kplim la, ekema nu ka ta nu siawo katã dzɔ ɖe mía dzi? Gawu la, afi ka eƒe nukunu siwo katã ŋu mía fofowo ƒo nu na mí tsoe esi wogblɔ be, ‘Ɖe Yehowa mekplɔ mí do goe tso Egipte oa?’ la le? Ke azɔ la Yehowa gblẽ mí ɖi.”
And Gideon said to him: “I beg you, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why have these things happened to us? Where are his miracles, which our fathers described when they said, ‘The Lord led us away from Egypt.’ But now the Lord has forsaken us, and he has delivered us into the hand of Midian.”
14 Yehowa trɔ ɖe eŋu gblɔ nɛ be, “Yi le wò ŋusẽ me eye nàɖe Israel tso Midiantɔwo ƒe asi me. Ɖe nyemele dɔwòm oa?”
And the Lord looked down upon him, and he said: “Go forth with this, your strength, and you shall free Israel from the hand of Midian. Know that I have sent you.”
15 Ke Gideon ɖo eŋu be, “Aƒetɔ, aleke nye ame gblɔe sia mate ŋu aɖe Israel? Nye hlɔ̃e nye hlɔ̃ gblɔetɔ le Manase ƒe to blibo la me eye nyee nye ame gblɔetɔ kekeake le nye ƒome blibo la me!”
And responding, he said: “I beg you, my lord, with what shall I free Israel? Behold, my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in the house of my father.”
16 Yehowa ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Manɔ kpli wò eye nàtsrɔ̃ Midiantɔwo katã abe ame ɖekae wonye ene!”
And the Lord said to him: “I will be with you. And so, you shall cut down Midian as if one man.”
17 Gideon ɖo eŋu be, “Ke azɔ la, ne mekpɔ amenuveve le wò ŋkume la, na dzesim ne manyae be wòe le nu ƒom nam vavã.
And he said: “If I have found grace before you, give me a sign that it is you who is speaking to me.
18 Taflatse, mègadzo o va se ɖe esime maɖatsɔ nye nuɖuɖu ava ɖo wò ŋkume.” Eye Yehowa ɖo eŋu be, “Malala wò va se ɖe esime nàtrɔ agbɔ.”
And may you not withdraw from here, until I return to you, carrying a sacrifice and offering it to you.” And he responded, “I will wait for your return.”
19 Gideon ɖe abla yi aƒe me, wu gbɔ̃vi aɖe, mee eye wòtsɔ wɔ lita blaeve-vɔ-eve ƒo abolo maʋamaʋãe; etsɔ lã la ɖe kusi me eye wòtsɔ detsia ɖe ze me heyi na Mawudɔla la le oɖumti la te.
And so Gideon entered, and he boiled a goat, and he made unleavened bread from a measure of flour. And setting the flesh in a basket, and putting the broth of the flesh in a pot, he took it all under the oak tree, and he offered it to him.
20 Mawudɔla la gblɔ nɛ be, “Tsɔ lã la kple abolo maʋamaʋã la da ɖe agakpe ma dzi eye nàtrɔ detsi la kɔ ɖe edzi.” Esi Gideon wɔ alea la,
And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Take the flesh and the unleavened bread, and place them on that rock, and pour out the broth upon it.” And when he had done so,
21 Mawudɔla la tsɔ eƒe atikplɔ ƒe nugbɔ ka lã la kple abolo maʋamaʋã la ŋu. Kasia dzo bi tso agakpe la me eye wòfia lã la kple abolo la! Tete Yehowa ƒe dɔla la bu vĩi.
the Angel of the Lord extended the end of a staff, which he was holding in his hand, and he touched the flesh and the unleavened loaves. And a fire ascended from the rock, and it consumed the flesh and the unleavened loaves. Then the Angel of the Lord vanished from his sight.
22 Esi Gideon dze sii be Yehowa ƒe dɔlae yekpɔ la, edo ɣli be, “Oo, Aƒetɔ Yehowa! Mekpɔ Yehowa ƒe dɔla ŋkume kple ŋkume!”
And Gideon, realizing that it had been the Angel of the Lord, said: “Alas, my Lord God! For I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face.”
23 Ke Yehowa gblɔ nɛ be, “Ŋutifafa na wò! Mègavɔ̃ o. Mèle kuku ge o.”
And the Lord said to him: “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid; you shall not die.”
24 Ale Gideon ɖi vɔsamlekpui aɖe na Yehowa ɖe afi ma eye wòna ŋkɔe be, “Yehowae nye Ŋutifafa” Vɔsamlekpui sia gale afi ma, le Ofra, le Abiezritɔwo ƒe anyigba dzi.
Therefore, Gideon built an altar to the Lord there, and he called it, the Peace of the Lord, even to the present day. And while he was still at Ophrah, which is of the family of Ezri,
25 Le gbe ma gbe ƒe zã me la, Yehowa gblɔ na Gideon be, “Lé fofowò ƒe nyitsu gã ɖeka kple nyitsu bubu si xɔ ƒe adre. Gbã fofowò ƒe vɔsamlekpui si wòɖi na Baal eye nàho aƒeli si le exa la ƒu anyi
that night, the Lord said to him: “Take a bull of your father’s, and another bull of seven years, and you shall destroy the altar of Baal, which is your father’s. And you shall cut down the sacred grove which is around the altar.
26 Azɔ la ɖi vɔsamlekpui bubu na Yehowa, wò Mawu la ɖe togbɛ sia dzi. Tsɔ nyitsu evelia wɔ numevɔsae eye nàtsɔ aƒeli si nèho la wɔ nakee na vɔsa la.”
And you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, at the summit of this rock, on which you placed the sacrifice before. And you shall take the second bull, and you shall offer a holocaust upon a pile of the wood, which you shall cut down from the grove.”
27 Gideon kplɔ eƒe subɔla ewo ɖe asi eye wòwɔ nu si Yehowa ɖo nɛ. Ewɔ nu siawo le zã me elabena enɔ fofoa ƒe aƒemetɔwo kple dua me tɔwo siaa vɔ̃m elabena enya nu si woawɔ ne wonya ame si wɔ nu siawo.
Therefore, Gideon, taking ten men from his servants, did just as the Lord had instructed him. But fearing his father’s household, and the men of that city, he was not willing to do it by day. Instead, he completed everything by night.
28 Le ŋdi esime dua me ŋutsuwo fɔ la, wokpɔ be wogbã Baal ƒe vɔsamlekpui, heho aƒeli si le exa la ƒu anyi eye wokpɔ be wotsɔ nyitsu bubu sa vɔe le vɔsamlekpui yeye la dzi!
And when the men of that town had risen up in the morning, they saw the altar of Baal destroyed, and the sacred grove cut down, and the second bull set upon the altar, which then had been built.
29 Amewo de asi biabia me be, “Ame kae wɔ nu sia?” Esi woku nya la gɔme nyuie la, wogblɔ na wo be, “Yoas ƒe viŋutsu, Gideon ye wɔe.”
And they said one to another, “Who has done this?” And when they inquired everywhere as to the author of the deed, it was said, “Gideon, the son of Joash, did all these things.”
30 Dua me ŋutsuwo bia tso Yoas si be, “Kplɔ viwò ŋutsu la do goe; edze na ku elabena egbã Baal ƒe vɔsamlekpui eye wòho aƒeli si le exa la ƒu anyi.”
And they said to Joash: “Bring forward your son here, so that he may die. For he has destroyed the altar of Baal, and he has cut down the sacred grove.”
31 Yoas ɖo eŋu na ameha si ƒo xlãe le adã fiam la be, “Miawoe awɔ aʋa ɖe Baal nua? Ɖe miele agbagba dzem be miaxɔ nɛa? Woawu ame si awɔ avu ɖe enu le ŋdi! Ne Baal nye mawu tututu la, aʋli eɖokui ta ne ame aɖe gbã eƒe vɔsamlekpui.”
But he responded to them: “Could you be the avengers of Baal, so that you fight on his behalf? Whoever is his adversary, let him die before the light arrives tomorrow; if he is a god, let him vindicate himself against him who has overturned his altar.”
32 Tso gbe ma gbe dzi la, wona ŋkɔ Gideon be, “Yerubaal” si gɔmee nye “Baal newɔ avu kplii.” Elabena egbã Baal ƒe vɔsamlekpui.
From that day, Gideon was called Jerubbaal, because Joash had said, “Let Baal avenge himself against him who has overturned his altar.”
33 Azɔ la, Midiantɔwo katã, Amalekitɔwo kple ɣedzeƒe dukɔ bubuwo wɔ ɖeka eye wotso Yɔdan tɔsisi la va ƒu asaɖa anyi ɖe Yezreel balime.
And so, all of Midian, and Amalek, and the eastern peoples were gathered together. And crossing the Jordan, they encamped in the valley of Jezreel.
34 Tete Yehowa ƒe Gbɔgbɔ ɖiɖi ɖe Gideon dzi. Eku kpẽ yɔ Abiezeritɔwo be woadze ye yome.
But the Spirit of the Lord entered Gideon, who, sounding the trumpet, summoned the house of Abiezer so that he might follow him.
35 Edɔ dɔlawo wotsa le Manase, yɔ ameawo be woabla akpa eye wòɖe Aser, Zebulon kple Naftali hã be woawo hã nayi aɖado go wo.
And he sent messengers into all of Manasseh, who also followed him, and other messengers into Asher, and Zebulun, and Naphtali, who went to meet him.
36 Gideon gblɔ na Mawu be, “Ne àto nye asi dzi aɖe Israel abe ale si nèdo ŋugbe ene la
And Gideon said to God: “If you will save Israel by my hand, just as you have said:
37 kpɔ ɖa, matsɔ alẽgbalẽ sia ada ɖe lugbɔƒe la; nenye be zãmu dza ɖe alẽgbalẽ la ko dzi le esime anyigba la le ƒuƒui la, ekema manyae be àɖe Israel to nye asi dzi abe ale si nègblɔ ene.”
I will set this wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there will be dew only on the fleece, and all the ground is dry, I will know that by my hand, as you have said, you will free Israel.”
38 Eva eme nenema tututu! Esi Gideon fɔ ŋdi la, etsɔ alẽgbalẽ la, fiae eye zãmu si dza ɖe edzi la yɔ gagbɛ ɖeka.
And so it was done. And rising in the night, wringing out the fleece, he filled a vessel with the dew.
39 Gideon gagblɔ na Mawu be, “Mègado dɔmedzoe ɖe ŋunye o, ke boŋ ɖe mɔ nam magabia nu bubu ɖeka ko. Ɖe mɔ nam be magatsɔ alẽgbalẽ la awɔ dodokpɔ ɖekae. Fifia la, na alẽgbalẽ la nanɔ ƒuƒuie eye zãmu nadza ɖe anyigba dzi aƒo xlãe.”
And again he said to God: “Let not your fury be enkindled against me, if I test once more, seeking a sign in the fleece. I pray that only the fleece may be dry, and all the ground may be wet with dew.”
40 Le zã ma me la, Mawu wɔ nenema tututu. Alẽgbalẽ la ɖeɖe nɔ ƒuƒuie, ke zãmu dza ɖe anyigba si ƒo xlãe la ya dzi.
And that night, God did as he had requested. And it was dry only on the fleece, and there was dew on all the ground.
