AbaHlulelii

6 Ama-Israyeli athoma godu ukwenza okumbi emehlweni kaJehova,+ yeke uJehova wawanikela esandleni samaMidiyani iminyaka elikhomba.+ 2 Isandla samaMidiyani saba namandla phezu kwama-Israyeli.+ Ngebanga lamaMidiyani, ama-Israyeli azenzela iindawo zokubhaca* eentabeni, emarholweni neendaweni ekubudisi ukufika kizo.+ 3 Ama-Israyeli nawatjale imbewu, amaMidiyani, ama-Amalekhi+ nabantu bePumalanga+ bebawasahlela. 4 Bebahloma ikampa bona bawasahlele, bebatjhabalalisa isivuno senarha bekuyokufika eGaza, bebangawatjhiyeli litho lokudla ama-Israyeli, ngitjho nemvu namkha ikunzi namkha udumbana.+ 5 Bebakhuphuka nefuywabo namatende babanengi njengesikhonyani+ begodu bona namakamelabo bebanganasibalo,+ bebeza enarheni bona bayitjhabalalise. 6 Yeke ama-Israyeli atlhaga khulu ngebanga lamaMidiyani; ama-Israyeli abawa isizo kuJehova.+

7 Kwathi ama-Israyeli nakabawa isizo kuJehova ngebanga lamaMidiyani,+ 8 uJehova wathumela umphorofidi kwa-Israyeli, wathi kiwo: “Nakhu uJehova uZimu ka-Israyeli akutjhoko, ‘Nganikhupha eGibhide ngokunjalo nganikhupha endlini yobukhoboka.+ 9 Yeke nganisindisa esandleni seGibhide nebantwini boke ebebanigandelela, ngabaqotha phambi kwenu benganipha inarhabo.+ 10 Ngathi kini: “NginguJehova uZimenu.+ Akukafuzi nisabe abozimu bama-Amori enihlala enarhenawo.”+ Kodwana akhenge ningilalele.’”*+

11 Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi ingilozi kaJehova yeza,+ yahlala ngaphasi komuthi omkhulu ebewuse-Ofira, ebekungewakaJowatjhi umAbiyezeri.+ Indodanakhe uGidiyoni+ beyibhula ikoroyi emgodini wokutlhodlhela iwayini ukwenzela bona iyifihlele bakwaMidiyani. 12 Ingilozi kaJehova yabonakala kiyo, yathi: “UJehova unawe,+ wena ngorho enamandla.” 13 UGidiyoni wathi kiyo: “Ncancabe kosami, kodwana nange uJehova anathi, kubayini koke lokhu kwenzeke kithi?+ Ziphi zoke izenzo zakhe ezibabazekako abokhokho bethu abasitjela ngazo,+ bathi, ‘Kghani uJehova akakasikhuphi eGibhide?’+ Njenganje uJehova usilahlile+ begodu usinikele esandleni samaMidiyani.” 14 UJehova wamqala wathi kuye: “Khamba ngamandla onawo, uzokusindisa ama-Israyeli esandleni samaMidiyani.+ Kghani akusingimi na okuthumako?” 15 UGidiyoni wamphendula wathi: “Ncancabe Jehova. Ngingawasindisa njani ama-Israyeli? Qala! Ikorwami* ngencani kwaManase begodu mina ngingongakaqakatheki kunabo boke endlini kababa.” 16 Kodwana uJehova wathi kuye: “Ngebanga lokuthi ngizokuba nawe,+ uzokurhayila amaMidiyani kwanga mumuntu munye.”

17 Ngalokho wathi kuye: “Nje-ke nange ngifumene umusa emehlwenakho, ngitjengisa itshwayo lokuthi nguwe okhuluma nami. 18 Ngibawa ungasuki lapha bekube kulapho ngibuya nesipho sami ngisibeka phambi kwakho.”+ Yeke wathi: “Ngizokuhlala la bewubuye.” 19 UGidiyoni wakhamba wayokulungisa imbuzana wenza noburotho obunganasibiliso nge-efa* yeflowuru.+ Wafaka inyama ngemantjini begodu umhluzi wawuthela ngepotweni; ngemva kwalokho weza nakho kuye, wakubeka phambi kwakhe ngaphasi komuthi omkhulu.

20 Ingilozi kaZimu weqiniso yathi kuye: “Thatha inyama noburotho obunganasibiliso uzibeke phezu kwedwala elikhulu, ngemva kwalokho uthele umhluzi.” Wenza njalo. 21 Yeke ingilozi kaJehova yalula ipente yentonga ebeyisesandleni sayo, yathinta inyama noburotho obunganasibiliso kwavutha umlilo edwalenapho bewadla inyama noburotho obunganasibiliso.+ Ingilozi kaJehova yanyamalala phambi kwakhe. 22 UGidiyoni walemuka bona bekuyingilozi kaJehova.+

Khonokho uGidiyoni wathi: “Maye! Kosi ePhakemeko Jehova, ngibone ingilozi kaJehova ubuso nobuso!”+ 23 Kodwana uJehova wathi kuye: “Yiba nokuthula. Ungasabi;+ angeze uhlongakale.” 24 Yeke uGidiyoni wakhela uJehova i-aldara lapho, libizwa ngokuthi yiJehova-shalom*+ bekube kunamhlanjesi. Lisesese-Ofira yama-Abiyezeri.

25 UJehova wathi kuye ngobusukobo: “Thatha ikunzi encani kayihlo, ikunzi yesibili encani eneminyaka elikhomba, ubhuruze i-aldara lakaBhali ekungelakayihlo bewuqunte nesigodo esicwengileko* eqadi kwalo.+ 26 Ngemva kokuthi wakhele uJehova uZimakho i-aldara ngamatje arhemisiweko phezu kwendawo evikelekileko, thatha ikunzi yesibili encani wenze ngayo umnikelo otjhiswako phezu kweenkuni zesigodo esicwengileko* osiquntileko.” 27 UGidiyoni wathatha amadoda alitjhumi weensebenzi zakhe, wenza njengombana uJehova amyalile. Kodwana bekasaba indlu kayise namadoda wedorobho khulu bona angenza lokho emini, yeke wakwenza ebusuku.

28 Kwathi amadoda wedorobho nakavukako ekuseni ngelanga elilandelako, abona ukuthi i-aldara lakaBhali libhuruziwe nokuthi isigodo esicwengileko* eqadi kwalo siquntiwe begodu ikunzi yesibili encani kwenziwe ngayo umnikelo e-aldareni elakhiweko. 29 Abuzana wodwa athi: “Ngubani owenze lokhu?” Ngemva kokuphenyisisa, athi: “NguGidiyoni indodana kaJowatjhi owenze lokhu.” 30 Yeke amadoda wedorobho athi kuJowatjhi: “Khupha indodanakho bona izokufa, ngombana ngiyo ebhuruze i-aldara lakaBhali beyaqunta nesigodo esicwengileko* eqadi kwalo.” 31 UJowatjhi+ wathi kibo boke ebebajamelene naye: “Kghani kufuze nilwele uBhali na? Kghani kufuze nimsindise? Nanyana ngubani omlwelako kufuze abulawe ekuseni nje.+ Nange anguzimu, akazilwele yena,+ njengombana othileko abhuruze i-aldarakhe.” 32 Wabiza uGidiyoni ngokuthi nguJerubhali* ngelangelo, wathi: “UBhali akazilwele yena, ngombana othileko ubhuruze i-aldarakhe.”

33 Woke amaMidiyani,+ ama-Amalekhi+ nabantu bePumalanga bahlangana;+ bayamela* emRhobeni weJizriyela bahloma ikampa lapho. 34 Ummoya kaJehova wehlela kuGidiyoni*+ begodu wavuthela iphondo,+ ama-Abiyezeri+ eza kuye bona amsekele. 35 Wathumela iinthunywa kibo boke bakwaManase, beza kuye bona bamsekele. Wathumela iinthunywa nakwa-Atjheri, kwaZebuloni nakwaNafitali, bakhuphuka bazomhlangabeza.

36 Nje-ke uGidiyoni wathi kuZimu weqiniso: “Nange usindisa ama-Israyeli ngami, njengombana uthembisile,+ 37 nakhu ngindlala uboya bemvu eselelweni. Nange kunombethe eboyeni bemvu kwaphela kodwana eqadi komile, ngizokwazi ukuthi uzokusindisa ama-Israyeli ngami, njengombana uthembisile.” 38 Ngilokho okwenzekako. Kwathi nakavuka ngamasa ngelanga elilandelako begodu aminya uboya bemvu, kwaphuma amanzi wombethe amanengi eboyeni bemvu angazalisa isitja esikhulu. 39 Nanyana kunjalo, uGidiyoni wathi kuZimu weqiniso: “Ungangivutheli ngelaka lakho kodwana ngivumela ngibawe kwamaswaphela. Ngibawa ukuthi ngilinge godu ngoboya bemvu. Ngibawa kube buboya bemvu bodwa obomileko khisibe koke phasi kunombethe.” 40 Ngilokho uZimu akwenza ngobusukobo; buboya bemvu kwaphela egade bomile begodu bekunombethe koke phasi.