Israel Cry Out Under Midian
Midian raiders strip di crops until Israel dey hide for cave and cry out. Our Papa messenger find Gideon dey thresh wheat inside winepress and call am mighty warrior. Gideon argue, scatter im papa Baal altar for night, and test our Papa two times wit fleece.
6 1Israel do evil for our Papa im eye, and our Papa put dem for Midian hand for seven years. 2Midian hand press Israel well well, so di Israel people go make hiding place for demsef inside di mountains, di caves, and di strong-strong places. 3Anytime Israel plant crops, Midian, Amalek, and di people from di east go come up rise against dem. 4Dem go camp against dem, spoil di crops for di land reach Gaza, and dem no go leave any food for Israel—no sheep, no cow, no donkey. 5Dem go come up with dia animals and dia tents, plenty like locust; dem and dia camels no get number, and dem go enter di land come spoil am. 6So Israel bring low well well because of Midian, and di Israel people cry out to our Papa.
7Wen di people of Israel cry out to our Papa because of Midian,
8our Papa send one prophet to Israel, say, “Na wetin our Papa, di God of Israel, talk be dis: I bring una comot from Egypt, comot from di house of slavery. 9I save una from Egypt hand and from all di people wey dey oppress una; I drive dem comot for una front and give una dia land. 10I tell una say: I be una Papa; make una no fear di gods of di Amorite people wey una dey live for dia land. But una no obey my voice.”
11Di messenger of our Papa come sidon under di oak tree for Ophrah wey belong to Joash di Abiezrite, wen im pikin Gideon dey thresh wheat inside di winepress to hide am from Midian.
12Di messenger of our Papa appear to am and say, “Our Papa dey with you, you mighty soja.”
13Gideon tell am, “Abeg, my oga, if our Papa dey with us, why all dis one take happen? Wia all im wonders wey our grandpapa people tell us about, wen dem say, ‘No be im bring us up comot from Egypt?’ But now our Papa don leave us, put us for Midian hand.”
14Our Papa turn to am: “Go with dis your strength come save Israel from Midian hand. No be me send you?”
15Im say, “Abeg, my Oga Papa, how I go take save Israel? My family na di weakest for Manasseh, and na me be di smallest for my papa house.”
16Our Papa tell am, “But I go dey with you, and you go beat Midian down like say na one man.”
17Gideon say, “If I don find favour with you, give me one sign say na really you dey talk with me.
18Abeg no go until I come back come bring my offering come put am for your front.” Im say, “I go stay until you come back.”
19Gideon go inside, prepare one young goat and bread wey no get yeast from about twenty quarts of flour, put di meat inside basket and di soup inside pot, bring dem come give am under di oak tree, and offer dem.
20Di messenger of our Papa tell am, “Take di meat and di bread wey no get yeast, put dem for dis rock, and pour di soup comot.” Im do am.
21Di messenger of our Papa stretch di tip of di staff wey dey im hand come touch di meat and di bread wey no get yeast. Fire rise comot from di rock come chop di meat and di bread wey no get yeast, and di messenger of our Papa disappear comot for im eye.
22Wen Gideon realize say na di messenger of our Papa, im say, “Chai, O Oga Papa! Because now I don see your messenger face to face!”
23But our Papa say, “Peace to you. No fear; you no go die.”
24Gideon build one altar for dia to our Papa, and im name am “Our Papa Na Peace.” E still dey stand for Ophrah of di Abiezrite people till today. a a v24 Gideon name dis altar “Our Papa Na Peace” — one memorial for di peace wey our Papa talk over am wen im dey fear well well say im go die because im don see am.
25Dat night our Papa tell am, “Take your papa bull, di second one wey don reach seven years, break down your papa altar wey im build for Baal, and cut down di Asherah pole wey dey beside am. 26Den build one proper altar to me, your Papa, for on top dis strong place. Take di second bull come offer am as burnt offering with di wood of di Asherah pole wey you cut down.”
27Gideon take ten servants come do as our Papa tell am. Because im dey fear im family and di town people too much to do am for daytime, im do am for night.
28Wen di town people wake early, Baal altar don scatter for ground, di Asherah pole wey dey beside am don cut down, and dem don offer di second bull for di new altar wey dem build. 29Dem ask one anoda, “Who do dis one?” After dem search and ask, dem tell dem, “Na Gideon, di pikin of Joash, do am.”
30Di town people tell Joash, “Bring your pikin comot make im die; im break down Baal altar and cut di Asherah pole wey dey beside am.” 31Joash tell di crowd wey stand against am, “Na una wan fight Baal case? Una wan save am? Anybody wey fight for am go die before morning. If im na god, make im defend imsef, since person don break down im altar.” 32Dat day dem call Gideon Jerubbaal—“Make Baal fight against am”—because im break down Baal altar.
33All Midian, Amalek, and di people from di east join demsef together, cross over, and camp for di Valley of Jezreel. 34Den di Spirit of our Papa cover Gideon like cloth, and im blow di trumpet, and dem call di Abiezrite people to follow am. 35Im send messengers go all Manasseh, and dem too rally behind am, and go Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and dem come up to meet dem.
36Gideon tell our Papa, “If you go save Israel by my hand, as you promise. 37See, I dey put one wool fleece for di threshing floor. If dew dey only for di fleece wen all di ground stay dry, I go know say you go save Israel by my hand, as you talk.”
38Na so e be. Early di next morning im squeeze di fleece come wring dew comot from am—one bowl full of water.
39Den Gideon tell our Papa, “No vex; make I talk just one more time. Make I test with di fleece again: make di fleece stay dry, and make dew dey for all di ground.”
40Dat night our Papa do so. Na only di fleece dry; dew cover all di ground.
