6
Kinte‑oo
1Cov Yixayee ua tej kws Yawmsaub pum tas phem, mas Yawmsaub muab puab cob rua huv cov Mintee txhais teg tau xyaa xyoo.
2Cov Mintee txhais teg tsuj yuam cov Yixayee. Vem tim cov Mintee mas cov Yixayee txhad npaaj chaw nraim cev rua peg tej roob hab huv tej qhov tsua hab tej chaw kws ruaj khov.
3Cov Yixayee cog qoob thaus twg mas cov Mintee hab cov Amalej hab cov tuabneeg kws nyob saab nub tuaj txawm tuaj ua rog rua puab,
4hab tuaj tsuam chaw nyob rua huv lub tebchaws hab muab puab tej qoob loos ua puam tsuaj taag thoob plawg moog txug lub moos Kaxa tsw tseg ib yaam daabtsw ca tau noj le tsw has yaaj nyuj neeg luav huvsw.
5Luas coj hlo tsaj txhu hab lub tsev ntaub tuaj coob yaam nkaus le tej paab kooj ntaas. Tuabneeg hab tej ntxhuav kuj coob suav tsw txheeb. Thaus luas tuaj luas ua rua lub tebchaws pam taag.
6Cov Yixayee txhad poob qeg kawg le vem yog tim cov Mintee. Cov Yixayee txhad quaj thov Yawmsaub paab.
7Thaus cov Yixayee quaj thov Yawmsaub vem yog tim cov Mintee,
8Yawmsaub kuj khaiv ib tug xwbfwb cev Vaajtswv lug tuaj rua huv cov Yixayee. Tug hov has rua puab tas, “Yawmsaub kws yog cov Yixayee tug Vaajtswv has le nuav tas, Kuv coj mej tawm huv Iyi tebchaws lug hab coj mej tawm huv txujkev ua qhev.
9Kuv cawm mej dim huv cov Iyi txhais teg hab dim huv txhua tug kws tswm txom mej txhais teg hab ntab puab tswv ntawm mej hauv ntej moog hab muab puab lub tebchaws rua mej.
10Hab kuv tub has rua mej tas, ‘Kuv yog Yawmsaub yog mej tug Vaajtswv, mej tsw xob pe hawm cov Amaulai tej daab huv lub tebchaws kws mej moog nyob hov.’ Tassws mej tsw quav ntsej kuv tej lug.”
11Yawmsaub tug tubkhai ntuj tuaj nyob tsawg huv qaab Yau‑as le tug ntoo qheb ntawm Aufa, Yau‑as yog Anpiyexaw cum. Yau‑as tug tub Kinte‑oo saamswm ntaus mog huv lub qhov tsuam kua txwv maab sub cov Mintee txhad tsw pum.
12Yawmsaub tug tubkhai ntuj lug tshwm rua Kinte‑oo hab has rua nwg tas, “Koj yog tug kws sab luj sab tuab, Yawmsaub nrug nraim koj.”
13Kinte‑oo txawm has rua nwg tas, “Yawm hlub, thov nug koj, yog Yawmsaub nrug nraim peb lawm ua caag tej xwm txheej nuav tseed tshwm lug raug peb hab? Yawmsaub tej txujci phemfwj kws peb tej laug txeev pav rua peb noog dua twg lawm? Puab pav has tas ‘Yawmsaub coj peb tawm huv Iyi tebchaws lug los tsw yog?’ Tassws nwgnuav Yawmsaub tso peb tseg lawm hab muab peb cob rua huv cov Mintee txhais teg.”
14Yawmsaub tig lug has rua nwg tas, “Ca le swv koj tug zug luj nuav moog cawm cov Yixayee dim huv cov Mintee txhais teg. Yeej yog kuv khaiv koj moog.”
15Kinte‑oo txawm has tas, “Yawm hlub, kuv yuav cawm tau cov Yixayee dim le caag? Swm saib kuv cum yog cum kws qeg kawg huv xeem Manaxe hab kuv tsev tuabneeg kuv yog tug kws miv dhau.”
16Yawmsaub has rua nwg tas, “Kuv yeej yuav nrug nraim koj mas koj yuav ntaus yeej hlo cov Mintee yaam nkaus le ntaus ib tug xwb.”
17Kinte‑oo has rua Yawmsaub tas, “Yog nwgnuav koj txaus sab rua kuv, thov koj ua ib yaam txujci tshwm qha kuv paub tas tug kws nrug kuv has lug nuav yog koj ntaag.
18Thov koj tsw xob tawm ntawm nuav moog, tog txug thaus kuv rov tuaj cuag koj hab coj tej kws muab xyeem tuaj tso rua ntawm koj xubndag.” Mas nwg has tas, “Kuv yuav tog txug thaus koj rov tuaj.”
19Kinte‑oo txawm nkaag rua huv tsev npaaj ib tug mivnyuas tshws hab ib efa⚓ moov mog ua ncuav tsw xyaw keeb. Nwg muab cov nqaj tso rua huv lub choo hab muab cov kua nqaj tso rua huv lub laujkaub coj tuaj xyeem rua nwg huv qaab tsob ntoo qheb.
20Vaajtswv tug tubkhai ntuj has rua Kinte‑oo tas, “Ca le muab cov nqaj hab cov ncuav tsw xyaw keeb tso rua sau lub pob zeb nuav hab laub cov kua nqaj ywg rua sau.” Kinte‑oo kuj ua lawv le ntawd.
21Tes Yawmsaub tug tubkhai txawm muab tug hauv paas nreg huv nwg txhais teg cev moog twb rua cov nqaj hab cov ncuav tsw xyaw keeb. Tes suavtawg txawm cig plawg ntawm lub pob zeb kub tej nqaj hab tej ncuav tsw xyaw keeb taag huvsw. Tes Yawmsaub tug tubkhai txawm pluj plag ntawm nwg qhov muag moog lawm.
22Kinte‑oo txhad paub tas yog Yawmsaub tug tubkhai ntuj tag tag le hab Kinte‑oo has tas, “Au Vaajtswv Yawmsaub nwgnuav kuv tau pum koj tug tubkhai ntuj tim ntsej tim muag, yuav ua le caag lauj?”
23Tassws Yawmsaub has rua Kinte‑oo tas, “Koj tsuas muaj kws nyob kaaj sab quas lug xwb. Koj tsw xob ntshai, koj yuav tsw tuag.”
24Tes Kinte‑oo txawm ua ib lub thaaj rua Yawmsaub rua hov ntawd hab hu lub thaaj hov tas Yawmsaub yog txujkev kaaj sab lug. Naj nub nwgnuav lub thaaj hov tseed nyob ntawm Aufa kws yog Anpiyexaw cum le moos.
25Mas mo ntawd Yawmsaub has rua Kinte‑oo tas, “Ca le muab koj txwv tug txwv nyuj kws ob noob nyoog muaj xyaa xyoo lug, es moog rhuav koj txwv lub thaaj teev daab Npa‑aa pov tseg hab ntuv tug ncej daab Asela kws nyob ntawm lub thaaj ib saab pov tseg.
26Hab ua ib lub thaaj xyeem rua Yawmsaub kws yog koj tug Vaajtswv rua sau lub chaw ruaj khov nuav, swv tej pob zeb lug tib lawv le kevcai, mas muab tug txwv nyuj kws ob hov tua ua kevcai hlawv xyeem, hab muab tug ncej daab Asela kws koj ntuv hov ua tawg rauv hlawv ntaag.”
27Kinte‑oo txawm coj nwg cov tub qhe kaum leej nrug nwg moog ua lawv le Yawmsaub has rua nwg, kuas vem Kinte‑oo ntshai nwg tsev tuabneeg hab ntshai cov tuabneeg huv lub moos hov nwg txhad tsw kaav ua nruab nub nwg txhad ua mo ntuj.
28Nub tom qaab thaus cov tuabneeg huv lub moos sawv ntxuv mas pum lub thaaj teev daab Npa‑aa pob taag hab pum tas tug ncej daab Asela kws nyob ib saab raug muab ntuv lawm hab pum tas muab tug txwv nyuj kws ob xyeem rua sau lub thaaj kws ua tshab hov.
29Puab txawm sws has tas, “Leejtwg ua le nuav nej?” Thaus puab tshuaj tau lawd puab txawm has tas, “Yog Yau‑as tug tub Kinte‑oo ua tej nuav.”
30Tes cov tuabneeg huv lub moos txawm has rua Yau‑as tas, “Ca le muab koj tug tub tuaj rua peb tua pov tseg, tsua qhov nwg rhuav lub thaaj teev tug daab Npa‑aa hab ntuv tug ncej daab Asela kws nyob ntawm ib saab lawm.”
31Tassws Yau‑as has rua txhua tug kws tuaj tawm tsaam nwg has tas, “Mej yuav nyob daab Npa‑aa chaw tuaj tawm tsaam lov? Mej yuav paab daab Npa‑aa has plaub lov? Leejtwg ua txwv lug paab daab Npa‑aa has, tug hov yuav raug muab tua thaus tsw tau kaaj ntug. Yog daab Npa‑aa yog ib tug vaajtswv tag kuj ca nwg has nwg tshaaj plaub, vem yog nwg lub thaaj raug luas rhuav pov tseg lawm.”
32Vem le nuav nub ntawd puab txhad tis npe rua Kinte‑oo has tas Yelunpa‑aa, lub ntsab has tas, “Ca Npa‑aa nwg has nwg le plaub,” vem yog Kinte‑oo rhuav nwg lub thaaj.
33Mas cov Mintee suavdawg hab cov Amalej suavdawg hab cov kws nyob saab nub tuaj sau zog ua ke hlaa tug dej Yalatee tuaj tsuam chaw nyob ntawm lub haav Yile‑ee.
34Tassws Yawmsaub tug Ntsuj Plig lug kaav hlo Kinte‑oo, nwg txawm tshuab raaj kub yaaj hu Anpiyexaw cum nrug nwg moog.
35Nwg tso tuabneeg moog hu thoob plawg Manaxe tebchaws kuas tuaj nrug nwg moog. Hab nwg tso tuabneeg moog hu xeem Asaw xeem Xenpuloo hab xeem Nathali, mas cov tuabneeg nuav kuj tuaj nrug nwg moog ua rog.
36Kinte‑oo has rua Vaajtswv tas, “Yog koj yuav swv kuv txhais teg cawm cov Yixayee lawv le koj has ntawd,
37kuv muab cov plaub yaaj tso rua ntawm tshaav ntaus mog, mas yog lwg ntub cov plaub yaaj xwb es cov aav thoob plawg qhuav qhawv, mas kuv txhad paub tas koj yuav swv kuv txhais teg cawm cov Yixayee lawv le koj tau has.”
38Kuj muaj le ntawd. Nub tom qaab thaus Kinte‑oo sawv ntxuv tseeg hab nwg muab cov plaub yaaj tsu tau ib phaaj dej lwg puv nkaus.
39Mas Kinte‑oo has rua Vaajtswv tas, “Thov koj tsw xob chim rua kuv, thov kuv has dua ib zag xwb. Thov ca kuv swm cov plaub yaaj nuav dua ib zag. Thov ca cov plaub yaaj qhuav qhawv xwb, ca cov aav ntub lwg thoob plawg.”
40Mo hov Yawmsaub kuj ua lawv le ntawd. Cov plaub yaaj mas qhuav qhawv, huas tej aav mas lwg ntub thoob plawg.
6
Gideon
1The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.
2Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds.
3Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country.
4They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys.
5They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count them or their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it.
6Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help.
7When the Israelites cried out to the Lord because of Midian,
8he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
9I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them out before you and gave you their land.
10I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”
11The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites.
12When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”
13“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
14The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
15“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
16The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”
17Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me.
18Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.”
And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return.”
19Gideon went inside, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah⚓ of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak.
20The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so.
21Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of the staff that was in his hand. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared.
22When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”
23But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.”
24So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25That same night the Lord said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old.⚓ Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole⚓ beside it.
26Then build a proper kind of⚓ altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second⚓ bull as a burnt offering.”
27So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.
28In the morning when the people of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar!
29They asked each other, “Who did this?”
When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”
30The people of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”
31But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.”
32So because Gideon broke down Baal’s altar, they gave him the name Jerub-Baal⚓ that day, saying, “Let Baal contend with him.”
33Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
34Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him.
35He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them.
36Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised—
37look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.”
38And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.
39Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.”
40That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.