AbaHluleli

6 Kodwa ama-Israyeli aphinde enza okubi emehlweni kaJehova, + ngakho uJehova wawanikela esandleni sabakwaMidiyani iminyaka eyisikhombisa. + 2 AbakwaMidiyani bawacindezela ama-Israyeli. + Ngenxa yabakwaMidiyani ama-Israyeli azenzela izindawo zokucasha* ezintabeni, emihumeni nasezindaweni okunzima ukufika kuzo. + 3 Kwakuthi lapho ama-Israyeli ehlwanyela imbewu, abakwaMidiyani nama-Amaleki + nabaseMpumalanga + bawahlasele. 4 Babewahlasela bacekele phansi isivuno sawo yonke indawo kuze kuyofika eGaza, babengawashiyeli lutho azoludla ama-Israyeli, babengashiyi mvu nankomo nambongolo. + 5 Ngoba babekhuphuka nemfuyo yabo namatende abo bebaningi njengesikhonyane, + bengenakubalwa bona namakamela abo, + babefika ezweni ukuze baliqothule. 6 Ngakho ama-Israyeli aba mpofu kakhulu ngenxa yabakwaMidiyani; ama-Israyeli acela usizo kuJehova. +

7 Lapho ama-Israyeli ecela usizo kuJehova ngenxa yabakwaMidiyani, + 8 uJehova wathumela umprofethi kuma-Israyeli owathi kuwo: “Yilokhu uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli akushoyo, ‘Nganikhuphula eGibhithe, ngaleyo ndlela nganikhipha endlini yobugqila. + 9 Nganikhulula esandleni saseGibhithe nakubo bonke ababenicindezela, ngabaxosha phambi kwenu nganinika izwe labo. + 10 Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngathi kini: “NginguJehova uNkulunkulu wenu. + Ningabakhonzi onkulunkulu bama-Amori enihlala ezweni lawo.” + Kodwa anizange ningilalele.’ ” *+

11 Kamuva ingelosi kaJehova yafika + yahlala ngaphansi kwesihlahla esikhulu esasise-Ofira, esasingesikaJowashi umAbhi-ezeri. + UGideyoni + indodana yakhe wayebhula ukolweni esikhamweni sewayini ukuze awufihle kwabakwaMidiyani. 12 Ingelosi kaJehova yabonakala kuye yathi: “UJehova unawe, + wena qhawe elinamandla.” 13 UGideyoni wathi kuyo: “Uxolo, nkosi yami, uma uJehova enathi, pho kungani sehlelwe yikho konke lokhu? + Ziphi zonke izenzo zakhe ezimangalisayo obaba abasixoxela ngazo, + bethi, ‘UJehova wasikhuphula eGibhithe?’ + Manje uJehova usesilahlile, + wasinikela esandleni sabakwaMidiyani.” 14 UJehova wambheka wathi kuye: “Ngala mandla onawo, hamba, uzomsindisa u-Israyeli esandleni sabakwaMidiyani, + ngoba ngiyakuthuma.” 15 UGideyoni wathi: “Uxolo, Jehova. Ngingamsindisa kanjani u-Israyeli? Umndeni wakithi* mncane kunayo yonke kwaManase, futhi mina angilutho endlini kababa.” 16 Kodwa uJehova wathi kuye: “Ngenxa yokuthi ngizoba nawe, + uzobulala abakwaMidiyani njengokungathi bangumuntu oyedwa.”

17 UGideyoni wathi: “Uma ngempela ngithole umusa emehlweni akho, nginike isibonakaliso sokuthi nguwe okhuluma nami. 18 Ngicela ungasuki lapha ngize ngibuye nesipho sami, ngisibeke phambi kwakho.” + Ngakho wathi: “Ngizokulinda lapha uze ubuye.” 19 UGideyoni wahamba wahlaba imbuzi esencane wenza nesinkwa esingenamvubelo nge-efa* likafulawa. + Wafaka inyama kubhasikidi nomhluzi ebhodweni lokupheka; ngemva kwalokho wakuletha kuye wakuphaka ngaphansi kwesihlahla esikhulu.

20 Ingelosi kaNkulunkulu weqiniso manje yathi kuye: “Thatha inyama nesinkwa esingenamvubelo ukubeke kuleliya dwala, uthulule umhluzi.” Wenza kanjalo. 21 Ingelosi kaJehova yelula isihloko senduku eyayiyiphethe yathinta inyama nesinkwa esingenamvubelo, kwagqamuka umlilo edwaleni wadla inyama nesinkwa esingenamvubelo. + Ngemva kwalokho ingelosi kaJehova yanyamalala akazange esayibona. 22 UGideyoni wabona ukuthi bekuyingelosi kaJehova. +

Ngaso leso sikhathi uGideyoni wathi: “Maye, Nkosi EnguMbusi Jehova, ngoba ngibone ingelosi yakho Jehova ubuso nobuso!” + 23 Kodwa uJehova wathi kuye: “Yiba nokuthula. Ungesabi; + ngeke ufe.” 24 Ngakho uGideyoni wakhela uJehova i-altare lapho, libizwa ngokuthi iJehova-shalomu *+ kuze kube namuhla. Namanje lisekhona e-Ofira lama-Abhi-ezeri.

25 Ngalobo busuku uJehova wathi kuye: “Thatha inkunzi esencane kayihlo, okungukuthi, inkunzi yesibili eneminyaka eyisikhombisa, udilize i-altare likaBhali okungelikayihlo, ugawule nesigxobo esingcwele* esiseduze kwalo. + 26 Ngemva kokwakhela uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho i-altare phezu kwalesi siphephelo ngamatshe abekwe ngokulandelana, thatha leyo nkunzi esencane yesibili uyinikele ibe umnikelo oshiswayo phezu kwezinkuni zesigxobo esingcwele* ozobe usigawulile.” 27 Ngakho uGideyoni wathatha amadoda ayishumi ezincekwini zakhe, wenza njengoba nje uJehova ayeshilo. Kodwa wayeyisaba kakhulu indlu kayise namadoda edolobha ukuba akwenze emini, ngakho wakwenza ebusuku.

28 Lapho amadoda edolobha evuka ekuseni ngosuku olulandelayo, abona ukuthi i-altare likaBhali lalidiliziwe nesigxobo esingcwele* esasiseduze kwalo sasigawuliwe, nokuthi kwakunikelwe ngenkunzi esencane e-altare elalakhiwe. 29 Babuzana bethi: “Ngubani owenze le nto?” Ngemva kokwenza uphenyo, bathi: “UGideyoni indodana kaJowashi nguye owenze le nto.” 30 Ngakho amadoda edolobha athi kuJowashi: “Khipha indodana yakho ukuze ife, ngoba idilize i-altare likaBhali, yagawula nesigxobo esingcwele* ebesiseduze kwalo.” 31 UJowashi + wathi kubo bonke labo ababeze kuye: “Ingabe kufanele nilwele uBhali? Ingabe kufanele nimsindise? Noma ngubani omlwelayo kufanele abulawe khona manje ekuseni. + Uma engunkulunkulu makazilwele + ngoba kukhona odilize i-altare lakhe.” 32 Ngalolo suku wabiza uGideyoni ngokuthi uJerubhali,* ethi: “UBhali makazilwele, ngoba kukhona odilize i-altare lakhe.”

33 Bonke abakwaMidiyani + nama-Amaleki + nabaseMpumalanga bakha umfelandawonye; + bawelela* eSigodini* SaseJizreyeli bafike bamisa amatende. 34 Umoya kaJehova wehlela* kuGideyoni, + washaya uphondo, + ama-Abhi-ezeri + amlandela. 35 Wathumela izithunywa kulo lonke elakwaManase, nabo bamlandela. Waphinde wathumela izithunywa kwa-Asheri, kwaZebhuloni nakwaNafetali, bakhuphuka baya kuye.

36 UGideyoni wayesethi kuNkulunkulu weqiniso: “Uma uzomsindisa ngami u-Israyeli, njengoba nje uthembisile, + 37 ngizobeka uboya bemvu esibuyeni. Uma kuba namazolo oboyeni kuphela kodwa umhlabathi ube womile, ngizokwazi ukuthi uzomsindisa ngami u-Israyeli, njengoba nje uthembisile.” 38 Kwenzeka kanjalo. Lapho evuka ekuseni ngosuku olulandelayo ekhama uboya, kwaphuma amazolo angagcwala isitsha esikhulu samanzi. 39 Nokho, uGideyoni wathi kuNkulunkulu weqiniso: “Intukuthelo yakho mayingangivutheli, kodwa ngivumele ngiphinde ngicele kanye nje. Ngicela ungivumele ukuba ngiphinde ngenze isivivinyo esisodwa nje kuphela ngoboya. Ngicela kome uboya kuphela, kuyilapho wonke umhlabathi unamazolo.” 40 Ngakho yilokho uNkulunkulu akwenza ngalobo busuku; koma uboya kuphela, kwathi emhlabathini kwaba namazolo.