¹Zvino vana vaIsiraeri vakaita zvakaipa pamberi paJehovha, Jehovha akavaisa mumaoko aMidhiani makore manomwe.

¹And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of Jehovah; and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

²Midhiani akakunda Isiraeri; vana vaIsiraeri vakazviitira pokuvanda pamakomo, namapako, nenhare, nokuda kwaMidhiani.

²And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites the children of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.

³nekuti vaIsiraeri vakati kana vakusha, vaMidhiani navaAmareki navana vamabvazuva ndokukwira kuzorwa navo.

³And it came to pass when Israel sowed, that Midian came up, and Amalek, and the children of the east, and came up against them.

⁴Vakadzika matende avo pakatarisana navo, ndokuparadza zvibereko zveminda kusvikira paGaza; havana kusiira vaIsiraeri zvokudya kana makwai kana mombe, kana mbongoro.

⁴And they encamped against them, and destroyed the produce of the land, until thou come to Gazah, and they left no sustenance in Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.

⁵Nekuti vaikwira nezvipfuwo zvavo, namatende avo; vaiuya vakawanda semhashu, vasingagoni kuverengwa, ivo namakamera avo; vaipinda munyika kuti vaiparadze.

⁵For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as locusts for multitude; both they and their camels were without number; and they entered into the land to destroy it.

⁶VaIsiraeri vakava varombo kwazvo nokuda kwaMidhiani; zvino vana vaIsiraeri vakachema kuna Jehovha.

⁶And Israel was greatly impoverished because of Midian. And the children of Israel cried to Jehovah.

⁷Zvino vana vaIsiraeri vakati vachichema kuna Jehovha nokuda kwaMidhiani,

⁷And it came to pass when the children of Israel cried to Jehovah because of Midian,

⁸Jehovha akatuma muporofita kuvana vaIsiraeri; iye akati kwavari, Zvanzi naJehovha Mwari walsiraeri, Ndakakukwidzai, ndichikubudisai paEgipita, nokukubudisai paimba youranda;

⁸that Jehovah sent a prophet to the children of Israel, who said to them, Thus saith Jehovah the God of Israel: I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;

⁹ndikakurwirai mumaoko avaEgipita, nomumaoko avose vaikumanikidzai, ndikavadzinga pamberi penyu, ndikakupai nyika yavo;

⁹and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land,

¹⁰ndikati kwamuri, Ndini Jehovha Mwari wenyu; hamufaniri kutya vamwari vavaAmori, vamugere munyika yavo; asi hamuna kuteerera inzwi rangu.

¹⁰and I said to you, I am Jehovah your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell. But ye have not hearkened to my voice.

¹¹Zvino mutumwa waJehovha wakasvika, akagara pasi pomuouki wakange uri paOfura, waiva waJoashi, muAbhiezeri; Gidheoni mwanakomana wake, wakange achipura gorosi pachisviniro chewaini, kuti azvivanze nokuda kwavaMidhiani.

¹¹And an angel of Jehovah came and sat under the terebinth that was in Ophrah, that [belonged] to Joash the Abi-ezrite. And his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, to secure [it] from the Midianites.

¹²Ipapo mutumwa waJehovha akazviratidza kwaari, akati kwaari, Jehovha anewe, iwe murume ane simba noumhare.

¹²And the Angel of Jehovah appeared to him, and said to him, Jehovah is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

¹³Gidheoni akati kwaari, Haiwa, Ishe wangu, kana Jehovha anesu, ko izvi zvose zvakagotiwirireiko? Zviripiko zvishamiso zvake zvose, zvataiudzwa namadzibaba edu, achiti, Jehovha haana kutikwidza here, achitibudisa paEgipita? Asi zvino Jehovha wakatirasha, akatiisa mumaoko avaMidhiani.

¹³And Gideon said to him, Ah my Lord, if Jehovah be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where are all his miracles that our fathers told us of, saying, Did not Jehovah bring us up from Egypt? And now Jehovah hath cast us off, and given us into the hand of Midian.

¹⁴Ipapo Jehovha akatendeukita kwaari, akati, Enda nesimba rako iri, undoponesa Isiraeri pamaoko aMidhiani, handizini ndakakutuma here?

¹⁴And Jehovah looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have not I sent thee?

¹⁵Akati kwaari, Haiwa, Ishe, ndichagoponesa Isiraeri neiko? Tarirai rudzi rwangu ruduku kuna vose paManase, neni ndiri muduku kuna vose paimba yababa vangu.

¹⁵And he said to him, Ah Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my thousand is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

¹⁶Jehovha akati kwaari, Zvirokwazvo, ini ndichava newe, iwe uchakunda vaMidhiani somunhu mumwe.

¹⁶And Jehovah said to him, I will certainly be with thee; and thou shalt smite Midian as one man.

¹⁷Akati kwaari, Kana ndawana nyasha pamberi penyu zvino, ndiratidzei chiratidzo kuti ndimwi munotaura neni.

¹⁷And he said to him, If now I have found favour in thine eyes, shew me a sign that it is thou who talkest with me.

¹⁸Regai henyu kubva pano, kusvikira ndadzokera kwamuri, ndikuvigirei chipo changu, ndichiise pamberi penyu. Iye akati, Ndichagara pano kusvikira wadzokazve.

¹⁸Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.

¹⁹Ipapo Gidheoni akapinda, akandogadzira mbudzana nezvingwa zvisina kuviriswa zveefa imwe youpfu; akaisa nyama mudengu, nokudira muto muhari; akamuvigira izvozvo pasi pomuouki, ndokumupa izvozvo.

¹⁹And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid of the goats, and an ephah of flour in unleavened cakes: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out to him under the terebinth, and presented it.

²⁰Asi mutumwa waJehovha akati kwaari, Tora nyama nezvingwa zvisina kuviriswa, uzviise padombo iri, ugodururawo muto. Iye akaita saizvozvo.

²⁰And the Angel of God said to him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.

²¹Zvino mutumwa waJehovha ndokutambanudza muromo wetsvimbo, yakanga iri muruoko rwake, akagunzva nyama nezvingwa zvisina kuviriswa, moto ukabuda padombo, ukapedza nyama nezvingwa zvisina kuviriswa. Mutumwa waJehovha ndokunyangarika pamberi pake.

²¹And the Angel of Jehovah put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. And the Angel of Jehovah departed out of his sight.

²²Ipapo Gidheoni akaona kuti mutumwa waJehovha. Gidheoni akati, Haiwa, Jehovha Mwari! Nekuti ndaona mutumwa waJehovha zviso zvakatarisana.

²²And Gideon perceived that he was an angel of Jehovah; and Gideon said, Alas, Lord Jehovah! for because I have seen an angel of Jehovah face to face ...

²³Asi Jehovha wakati kwaari, Rugare ngaruve newe, usatya, haungafi.

²³And Jehovah said to him, Peace be unto thee: fear not; thou shalt not die.

²⁴Ipapo Gidheoni akavakirapo Jehovha atari, akaitumidza zita rinonzi Jehovha-sharomi; ichiripo paOfura ravaAbhiezeri kusvikira nhasi.

²⁴And Gideon built there an altar to Jehovah, and called it Jehovah-shalom. To this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.

²⁵Zvino nousiku ihwohwo Jehovha akati kwaari, Tora nzombe yababa vako, iya yechipiri ina makore manomwe, uputse atari yaBhaari yababa vako, utemewo danda rokunamata naro riripo.

²⁵And it came to pass the same night, that Jehovah said to him, Take the young bullock, which thy father hath, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the Asherah that is by it;

²⁶Uvakire Jehovha Mwari wako atari pamusoro penhare iyi, nomutowo wakafanira, ugotora nzombe iyo yechipiri, ubayire chipiriso chinopiswa nehuni dzedanda rokunamata naro raunofanira kutema.

²⁶and build an altar to Jehovah thy God upon the top of this strong place in the ordered manner, and take the second bullock, and offer up a burnt-offering with the wood of the Asherah that thou shalt cut down.

²⁷Ipapo Gidheoni akatora varume vane gumi kuvaranda vake, akaita sezvaakaudzwa naJehovha; asi haana kuita izvozvo masikati, asi wakazviita usiku, nekuti wakatya veimba yababa vake navarume veguta.

²⁷And Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as Jehovah had said to him. And it came to pass, because he feared his father's house, and the men of the city, if he did it by day, that he did it by night.

²⁸Zvino varume veguta vakati vachimuka mangwanani, vakaona atari yaBhaari yaputswa, nedanda rokunamata naro raivapo ratemwa, nenzombe yechipiri yabayirwa paatari yakanga yavakwapo.

²⁸And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered up upon the altar that was built.

²⁹Vakataurirana, vakati, Ndianika wakaita chinhu ichi? Vakati vachinzvera nokubvunzisisa, zvikanzi, Gidheoni mwanakomana waJoashi, ndiye wakaita chinhu ichi.

²⁹And they said one to another, Who has done this thing? And when they inquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.

³⁰Zvino varume veguta vakati kuna Joashi, Budisa mwanakomana wako, afe, nekuti waputsa atari yaBhaari, uye watema danda rokunamata naro raivapo pairi.

³⁰And the men of the city said to Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die, because he has broken down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the Asherah that was by it.

³¹Asi Joashi wakati kuna vose vakanga vachimupopotera, Moda kurwira Bhaari kanhi? Moda kumuponesa? Unomurwira uchaurawa mangwanani ano; kana ari mwari, ngaazvirwire amene, zvaakaputsirwa atari yake nomunhu.

³¹And Joash said to all that stood near him, Will *ye* contend for Baal? or will *ye* save him? he that contends for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning. If he be a god, let him plead for himself, because they have broken down his altar.

³²Saka nomusi iwoyo akamutumidza zita rinonzi Jerubhaari, achiti, Bhaari ngaarwe naye, zvaakaputsa atari yake.

³²And on that day they called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead with him, because he has broken down his altar.

³³Zvino vaMidhiani vose navaAmareki navana vamabvazuva vakaungana, vakayambuka, vakadzika matende avo pamupata weJezereeri.

³³And all Midian and Amalek and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel.

³⁴Asi Mweya waJehovha wakasvika pamusoro paGidheoni, akaridza hwamanda, vaAbhiezeri vakaungana vakamutevera.

³⁴And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon Gideon, and he blew the trumpet, and the Abi-ezrites were gathered after him.

³⁵Akatuma nhume pakati pavaManase vose, naivo vakaungana vakamutevera; akatumawo nhume kuna Asheri, naZebhuruni, naNafutari, naivo vakakwira kuzosangana navo.

³⁵And he sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they also were gathered after him; and he sent messengers to Asher, and to Zebulun, and to Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.

³⁶Ipapo Gidheoni akati kuna Mwari, Kana muchida kuponesa Isiraeri noruoko rwangu, sezvamakataura,

³⁶And Gideon said to God, If thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast said,

³⁷tarirai, ndichaisa debwe rine mvere paburiro; kana kukava nedova padebwe chete, pasi pose pakaoma, ndichaziva kuti munoda kuponesa Isiraeri noruoko rwangu, sezvamakataura.

³⁷behold, I put a fleece of wool on the threshing-floor; if dew shall be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the ground, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast said.

³⁸Zvikava saizvozvo; nekuti wakamuka mangwanani, akambundanidza debwe, akasvina mvura padebwe, ikazadza mbiya.

³⁸And it was so. And when he rose up early on the morrow, he pressed the fleece together, and wrung dew out of the fleece, a bowl-full of water.

³⁹Zvino Gidheoni akati kuna Mwari, Regai henyu kunditsamwira, kana ndikataurazve kamwe chete; nditenderei ndiidzezve kamwe chete nedebwe; zvino padebwechetepave pakaoma, asi pasi pose pave nedova.

³⁹And Gideon said to God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once! Let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it, I pray thee, be dry upon the fleece only, and upon all the ground let there be dew.

⁴⁰Mwari akaita saizvozvo usiku uhwo; nekuti padebwechetepakanga pakaoma, asi dova rakanga riri pasi pose.

⁴⁰And God did so that night, and it was dry upon the fleece only, but on all the ground there was dew.