Balam 8
Endagaano Enkadde nʼEndagaano Empya
8 (A)Awo abasajja ba Efulayimu ne babuuza Gidyoni nti, “Lwaki watuyisa bw’otyo, n’ototuyita bwe wagenda okulwana ne Midiyaani?” Ne bamunenya nnyo. 2 Naye n’abaddamu nti, “Kiki kye nkoze okugeraageranya nammwe kye mukoze? Amakungula ga Efulayimu tegasinga ezabbibu Abiyezeeri z’akungudde? 3 (B)Katonda yagabula Olebu ne Zeebu abakulembeze ba Midiyaani mu mukono gwammwe. Kiki kye nandiyinzizza okukola okugeraageranya nammwe?” Awo bwe yabagamba ebigambo ebyo ne bakkakkana.
4 (C)Awo Gidyoni n’abasajja be ebikumi bisatu, nga bakooye, naye nga bakyabawondera, ne batuuka ku Yoludaani ne basomoka. 5 (D)N’agamba abasajja ab’omu Sukkosi nti, “Muwe ku basajja bange, ekyokulya, bakooye. Mpondera Zeba ne Zalumunna bakabaka ba Midiyaani.”
6 (E)Naye abakungu ab’omu Sukkosi ne bamuddamu nti, “Eggye lyo limaze okuwamba Zeba ne Zalumunna tulyoke tubawe emmere?” 7 (F)Awo Gidyoni n’abaddamu nti, “Kale olw’ekyo kye muŋŋambye, Mukama Katonda bw’aligabula Zeba ne Zalumunna mu mukono gwange, ndiyuza emibiri gyammwe n’amaggwa ag’omu ddungu n’emyeramannyo.” 8 (G)Bwe yava eyo, n’ayambuka n’alaga e Penieri[a], n’abasaba ekintu kye kimu. Naye abantu b’e Penieri ne bamuddamu ng’abasajja ab’omu Sukkosi bwe bamuddamu. 9 (H)Kyeyava agamba abantu b’e Penieri nti, “Bwe ndikomawo emirembe, ndimenyaamenya omunaala guno.”
10 (I)Zeba ne Zalumunna baali mu Kalukoli n’eggye lyabwe ery’abasajja ng’omutwalo gumu n’ekitundu, nga be bantu abaasigalawo ku ggye lyonna ery’abantu ab’obuvanjuba. Abasajja ng’emitwalo kkumi n’ebiri abaasowolanga ebitala be baali bafudde. 11 (J)Awo Gidyoni n’ayambukira mu kkubo ly’abo ababeera mu weema ku luuyi olw’ebuvanjuba olw’e Noba n’e Yogubeka n’alumba eggye nga teritegedde. 12 Zeba ne Zalumunna ne badduka, naye n’abawondera, era n’awamba bakabaka bombi aba Midiyaani, n’awangulira ddala eggye lyabwe lyonna.
13 Awo Gidyoni mutabani wa Yowaasi n’akomawo okuva mu lutalo ng’ayitira mu Lukuubo lwa Keresi. 14 N’asangiriza omuvubuka ow’oku bantu ab’omu Sukkosi, n’abaako by’amubuuza. Omuvubuka n’amuwandiikira amannya g’abakungu ab’omu Sukkosi, abakadde nsanvu mu musanvu. 15 (K)Gidyoni n’alyoka ajja eri abasajja ab’omu Sukkosi n’abagamba nti, “Zeba ne Zalumunna baabo be mwasinzirako okundulira nga muŋŋamba nti, temuyinza kuwa basajja bange abaali bakooye mmere, nga sirina Zeba ne Zalumunna mu mukono gwange.” 16 (L)N’akwata abakadde b’ekibuga n’addira amaggwa ag’omu ddungu n’emyeramannyo n’abonereza abasajja ab’omu Sukkosi. 17 (M)N’agenda n’e Penieri n’amenyaamenya omunaala gwa Penieri, n’atta n’abasajja b’omu kibuga.
18 (N)N’alyoka abuuza Zeba ne Zalumunna nti, “Abasajja be mwattira e Taboli baali bafaanana batya?” Ne bamuddamu nti, “ggwe nga bw’oli nabo bwe baali. Buli omu yali afaanana abalangira.” 19 N’abaddamu nti, “Abo baali baganda bange, abaana ba mmange. Mukama Katonda nga bw’ali omulamu, singa mwabalekawo, sandi basse mmwe.” 20 Awo n’agamba Yeseri mutabani we omubereberye nti, “Golokoka obatte.” Naye omuvubuka oyo n’atasowolayo kitala kye okubatta. Yatya kubanga yali akyali mulenzi bulenzi. 21 (O)Zeba ne Zalumunna ne boogera nti, “Ggwe jjangu otutte, kubanga ng’omusajja bw’ali, n’amaanyi ge bwe genkana. Gidyoni n’agolokoka n’atta Zeba ne Zalumunna, n’atwala n’ebyali bitimbiddwa mu bulago bw’eŋŋamira zaabwe.”
22 Awo abantu ba Isirayiri ne bagamba Gidyoni nti, “Tufugire ddala ggwe ne mutabani wo, kubanga otulokodde okuva mu mukono gwa Midiyaani.” 23 (P)Naye Gidyoni n’abaddamu nti, “Nze sijja kubafuga, so ne mutabani wange tajja kubafuga, wabula Mukama y’anaabafuganga.” 24 (Q)Gidyoni n’abagamba nti, “Mbasaba ekintu kimu; buli omu ku mmwe ampe empeta ze yanyaga ku Bayisimayiri.”
25 Ne bamuddamu nti, “Okuzikuwa tujja kuzikuwa.” Ne bayalirira olugoye wansi, buli omu n’ateekako empeta ze yanyaga. 26 Obuzito bw’empeta eza zaabu ne buba sekeri lukumi mu lusanvu (nga kilo kkumi na mwenda n’ekitundu), obutabalirako bya kwewoomya, ebirengejja, n’ebyambalo ebya ffulungu, ebyayambalwanga bakabaka ba Midiyaani, n’emikuufu egyateekebwanga mu bulago bw’eŋŋamira zaabwe. 27 (R)Awo Gidyoni n’addira zaabu n’amusaanuusa n’amukolamu ekifaananyi eky’ekkanzu (efodi), n’akiteeka mu kibuga kye Ofula. Abayisirayiri bonna ne bakivuunamiranga ne bakisinzanga, era ne kifuukira Gidyoni n’enju ye yonna omutego.
28 (S)Awo Midiyaani n’ewangulwa abaana ba Isirayiri, era n’etaddayo kubalumba. Ensi n’eba n’emirembe okumala emyaka amakumi ana, Gidyoni gye yabalamula. 29 (T)Yerubbaali ye Gidyoni mutabani wa Yowaasi, n’addayo ewaabwe. 30 (U)Gidyoni yazaala abaana aboobulenzi nsanvu mu bakazi abangi be yalina. 31 (V)N’omuzaana we ow’omu Sekemu yamuzaalira omwana wabulenzi, era n’amutuuma Abimereki. 32 (W)Awo Gidyoni mutabani wa Yowaasi n’afa, ng’akaddiye bulungi, n’aziikibwa mu ntaana ya kitaawe Yowaasi mu Ofula eky’Ababiezeri.
33 (X)Gidyoni nga y’akafa, abaana ba Isirayiri ne bakyuka okusinza babaali ne bafuula Baaluberisi[b] katonda waabwe. 34 (Y)Abaana ba Isirayiri ne batajjukira Mukama Katonda waabwe eyabalokola okuva mu mukono gw’abalabe baabwe bonna ku njuyi zonna. 35 (Z)Ne batalaga kusiima eri ab’enju ya Yerubbaali, ye Gidyoni, olw’ebirungi byonna bye yakolera Isirayiri.
Judges 8
Amplified Bible
Zebah and Zalmunna Routed
8 And the men of [the tribe of] Ephraim said to Gideon, “What is this thing that you have done to us, not calling us when you went to fight with Midian?” And they quarreled with him vehemently. 2 But he said to them, “What have I done now [that is so significant] in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning (leftovers) of the grapes of [your tribe of] Ephraim better than the vintage (entire harvest) of [my clan of] Abiezer? 3 God has given the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb into your hands; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger toward him subsided when he made this statement.
4 So Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over [the river], he and the three hundred men who were with him—exhausted, yet [still] pursuing [the enemy]. 5 He said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who are following me since they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.” 6 But the leaders of Succoth said, “Are Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands, that we should give bread to your army?” 7 Gideon said, “For that [response], when the Lord has handed over Zebah and Zalmunna to me, I will thrash your bodies with the thorns and briars of the wilderness.” 8 He went from there up to Penuel and spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered. 9 So Gideon said also to the men of Penuel, “When I come again in peace, I will tear down this tower.”
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies, about fifteen thousand [fighting] men, all who were left of the entire army of the sons of the east; for a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen. 11 Gideon went up by the route of those who lived in tents to the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked their camp when the camp was unsuspecting. 12 When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and terrified the entire army.
13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres. 14 He captured a young man of Succoth and questioned him. And the youth wrote down for him [the names of] the leaders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. 15 He came to the men of Succoth and said, “Look here, Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are exhausted?’” 16 He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briars, and with them he [a]punished the men of Succoth. 17 He tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
18 Then Gideon said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?” And they replied, “They were like you, each one of them resembled the son of a king.” 19 He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if only you had let them live, I would not kill you.” 20 So [to humiliate them] Gideon said to Jether his firstborn, “Stand up, and kill them!” But the youth did not draw his sword, because he was afraid, for he was still [just] a boy. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise up yourself and strike us; for as the man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent amulets that were on their camels’ necks.
22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule [as king] over us, both you and your son, also your son’s son, for you have rescued us from the hand of Midian.” 23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you.” 24 And Gideon said to them, “I would make a request of you, that each one of you give me an earring from his spoil.” For the Midianites had gold earrings, because they were [b]Ishmaelites [who customarily wore them]. 25 They answered, “We will certainly give them to you.” And they spread out a garment, and every one of them threw an earring there from his spoil. 26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was [c]seventeen hundred shekels of gold, apart from the crescent amulets and pendants and the purple garments which were worn by the kings of Midian, and apart from the chains that were on their camels’ necks. 27 Gideon made [all the golden earrings into] an ephod [a sacred, high priest’s garment], and put it in his city of Ophrah, and all Israel [d]worshiped it as an idol there, and [e]it became a trap for Gideon and his household.
Forty Years of Peace
28 So Midian was subdued and humbled before the sons of Israel, and they no longer lifted up their heads [in pride]. And the land was at rest for forty years in the days of Gideon.
29 Jerubbaal (Gideon) the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. 30 Now Gideon had seventy sons born to him, because he had many wives. 31 And his [f]concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelech. 32 Gideon the son of Joash died at a good advanced age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the Israelites again played the prostitute with the Baals, and made Baal-berith their god. 34 And the Israelites did not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hand of all their enemies on every side; 35 nor did they show kindness to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done for Israel.
Footnotes
- Judges 8:16 Or taught them humility. The Hebrew is uncertain.
- Judges 8:24 A general term for the descendants of Keturah, the woman Abraham married after Sarah’s death (Gen 25:1); synonymous with Midianite.
- Judges 8:26 I.e. about 40 lbs. of gold.
- Judges 8:27 Lit played the prostitute with.
- Judges 8:27 The reason Gideon chose to make the golden ephod is unclear, but the fact that he did so, and that it became an object of worship for Israel, casts a shadow over his otherwise remarkable accomplishments.
- Judges 8:31 Perhaps originally one of Gideon’s slaves, this woman became a type of secondary wife who lived at home with her family and was visited on occasion by her husband.
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