< Judges 6 >

1 Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, who delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years.
Pea naʻe fai kovi ʻae fānau ʻa ʻIsileli ʻi he ʻao ʻo Sihova: pea naʻe tukuange ʻakinautolu ʻe Sihova ki he nima ʻo Mitiane:
2 And they were greatly oppressed by them. And they made for themselves hollows and caves in the mountains, and very fortified places for defense.
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.
3 And when Israel had planted, Midian and Amalek, and the rest of the eastern nations ascended,
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;
4 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.
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.
5 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.
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.
6 And Israel was humbled greatly in the sight of Midian.
Pea naʻe fakamasiva lahi ʻa ʻIsileli ko e meʻa ʻi he kakai Mitiane; pea naʻe tangi ʻae fānau ʻa ʻIsileli kia Sihova.
7 And he cried out to the Lord, requesting assistance against the Midianites.
Pea naʻe hoko ʻo pehē, ʻi he tangi ʻae fānau ʻa ʻIsileli kia Sihova ko e meʻa ʻi he kakai Mitiane,
8 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.
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;
9 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.
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;
10 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.’”
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.”
11 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,
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.
12 the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and he said: “The Lord is with you, most valiant of men.”
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.”
13 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.”
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.”
14 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.”
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?”
15 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.”
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.”
16 And the Lord said to him: “I will be with you. And so, you shall cut down Midian as if one man.”
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.
17 And he said: “If I have found grace before you, give me a sign that it is you who is speaking to me.
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.
18 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.”
‌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.”
19 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.
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.
20 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,
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.
21 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.
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.
22 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.”
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.”
23 And the Lord said to him: “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid; you shall not die.”
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Sihova kiate ia, “Ke fiemālie pe koe; ʻoua naʻa ke manavahē: ʻe ʻikai te ke mate.”
24 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,
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.
25 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.
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:
26 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.”
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.”
27 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.
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.
28 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.
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.
29 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.”
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.
30 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.”
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.”
31 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.”
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.”
32 From that day, Gideon was called Jerubbaal, because Joash had said, “Let Baal avenge himself against him who has overturned his altar.”
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.”
33 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.
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.
34 But the Spirit of the Lord entered Gideon, who, sounding the trumpet, summoned the house of Abiezer so that he might follow him.
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.
35 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.
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.
36 And Gideon said to God: “If you will save Israel by my hand, just as you have said:
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Kitione ki he ʻOtua, Kapau te ke fakamoʻui ʻa ʻIsileli ʻaki hoku nima ʻo hangē ko hoʻo folofola,
37 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.”
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.
38 And so it was done. And rising in the night, wringing out the fleece, he filled a vessel with the dew.
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.
39 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.”
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.
40 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.
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.

< Judges 6 >