Isahluko 6
1
Kepha abantwana bakwa-Israyeli benza okubi emehlweni kaJehova; uJehova wabanikela esandleni sakwaMidiyani iminyaka eyisikhombisa.
2
Isandla sakwaMidiyani samahlula u-Israyeli; ngenxa yakwaMidiyani abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bazenzela imihume yasezintabeni, nemigede, nezinqaba.
3
Kwathi nxa abakwa-Israyeli sebelimile, abakwaMidiyani benyuka nama-Amaleki nabasempumalanga, bakhuphukela kubo,
4
bamisa mayelana nabo, bachitha izithelo zomhlaba kwaze kwaba seGaza, abashiyanga kudla kwa-Israyeli, nazimvu, nazinkomo, nazimbongolo.
5
Ngokuba benyuka nezinkomo zabo namatende abo, bafika njengesikhonyane ngobuningi; babengenakubalwa bona namakamela abo; bafika ezweni ukuba baliqede.
6
Abakwa-Israyeli baphela amandla ngenxa yakwaMidiyani; base bekhala abantwana bakwa-Israyeli kuJehova.
7
Kwathi lapho abantwana bakwa-Israyeli besakhala kuJehova ngenxa yakwaMidiyani,
8
uJehova wathuma umprofethi kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli, wathi kubo: “Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Ngakukhuphula eGibithe, ngakukhipha endlini yobugqila,
9
nganophula esandleni sabaseGibithe nasesandleni sabo bonke abanicindezelayo, ngabaxosha phambi kwenu, nganinika izwe labo,
10
ngathi kini: “NginguJehova uNkulunkulu wenu; aniyikwesaba onkulunkulu bama-Amori enihlala ezweni lawo,” kepha kanilalelanga izwi lami.’ ”
11
Kwafika ingelosi kaJehova, yahlala phansi kwe-oki lase-Ofira likaJowashi umAbiyezeri; indodana yakhe uGideyoni yayibhula ukolweni esikhamweni sewayini ukuba amthukusele abakwaMidiyani.
12
Ingelosi kaJehova yabonakala kuye, yathi kuye: “UJehova unawe wena qhawe elinamandla.”
13
UGideyoni wathi kuyo: “O nkosi yami, uma uJehova enathi, konke lokhu kusehlele ngani na? Ziphi izimangaliso zakhe abasitshela ngazo obaba, bathi: ‘UJehova akasikhuphulanga eGibithe na?’ Kepha manje uJehova usilahlile, wasinikela esandleni sakwaMidiyani.”
14
UJehova wambheka, wathi: “Hamba ngalawa mandla akho, umsindise u-Israyeli esandleni sakwaMidiyani; angikuthumanga na?”
15
Wathi kuye: “O Nkosi, ngiyakumsindisa u-Israyeli ngantoni na? Bheka, umndeni wami umpofu kwaManase, mina ngingomncinyane endlini kababa.”
16
UJehova wathi kuye: “Impela ngiyakuba nawe; uyakubabulala abakwaMidiyani kungathi bangumuntu munye.”
17
Wathi kuye: “Uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, unginike isibonakaliso ukuthi nguwe okhuluma nami.
18
Ake ungamuki lapha, ngize ngibuyele kuwe, ngilethe isipho sami, ngisibeke phambi kwakho.” Wayesethi: “Ngiyakuhlala uze ubuye.”
19
UGideyoni wangena, walungisa izinyane lembuzi namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo e-efa lempuphu; wayibeka inyama eqomeni, wawuthela umhluzi ekhanzini, wakukhiphela kuye phansi kwe-oki, wakunikela.
20
Ingelosi kaNkulunkulu yathi kuye: “Thatha inyama namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo, ukubeke edwaleni leli, uwuthulule umhluzi.” Wenze njalo.
21
Ingelosi kaJehova yase yelula isihloko sentonga esesandleni sayo, yathinta inyama namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo; kwenyuka umlilo edwaleni, wadla waqeda inyama namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo; ingelosi kaJehova yayisimuka emehlweni akhe.
22
Wayesebona uGideyoni ukuthi iyingelosi kaJehova; uGideyoni wathi: “Maye, Nkosi Nkulunkulu! Ngokuba ngibonile ingelosi kaJehova ubuso nobuso.”
23
UJehova wathi kuye: “Ukuthula makube kuwe; ungesabi, awuyikufa.”
24
UGideyoni wamakhela uJehova i-altare khona, waliqamba igama lokuthi iJehova Shalomi; kuze kube namuhla lisekhona e-Ofira lama-Abiyezeri.
25
Kwathi ngalobo busuku uJehova wathi kuye: “Thatha iduna likayihlo nenye inkunzi eneminyaka eyisikhombisa, ubhidlize i-altare likaBali uyihlo analo, ugawule u-Ashera ongakulo,
26
umakhele uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho i-altare esiqongweni sale nqaba ngokuhlelekileyo, uyithathe inkunzi yesibili, unikele ngomnikelo wokushiswa ngezinkuni zika-Ashera ozakumgawula.”
27
UGideyoni wayesethatha amadoda ayishumi ezincekwini zakhe, wenza njengalokho uJehova ekhulumile kuye; kwathi lokhu ebesaba abendlu kayise nabantu bomuzi ukuba angakwenzi emini, wakwenza ebusuku.
28
Lapho abantu bomuzi bevuka ekuseni kakhulu, bheka, i-altare likaBali lase libhidliziwe, no-Ashera owayengakulo wayegawuliwe, nenkunzi yesibili yayinikelwe phezu kwe-altare elalakhiwe.
29
Bakhuluma omunye komunye, bathi: “Kwenziwe ngubani lokhu na?” Lapho becinga bebuza, bathi: “NguGideyoni indodana kaJowashi owenze lokhu.”
30
Base bethi abantu bomuzi kuJowashi: “Khipha indodana yakho ukuba ife, ngokuba ilibhidlizile i-altare likaBali nangokuba imgawulile u-Ashera owayengakulo.”
31
UJowashi wathi kubo bonke ababemi ngakuye: “Niyakumlwela uBali, nimsindise yena, na? Oyakumlwela uBali, makabulawe kusasa ekuseni; uma engunkulunkulu, makazilwele yena, lokhu kukhona olibhidlizile i-altare lakhe.”
32
Ngalokho ngalolo suku wambiza ngokuthi uJerubali, ethi: “UBali makalwe naye ngokuba elibhidlizile i-altare lakhe.”
33
Kwabuthana bonke abakwaMidiyani, nama-Amaleki, nabasempumalanga, bawela, bamisa esiGodini saseJizreyeli.
34
Kepha uMoya kaJehova wammboza uGideyoni, wabetha icilongo, kwabuthana ama-Abiyezeri, amlandela.
35
Wathuma izithunywa kulo lonke lakwaManase, nabo babuthana, bamlandela; wathuma izithunywa ku-Asheri, nakuZebuloni, nakuNafetali, bakhuphuka ukuba babahlangabeze.
36
UGideyoni wathi kuNkulunkulu: “Uma uzakusindisa u-Israyeli ngesandla sami, njengalokho ukhulumile,
37
bheka, ngiyakubeka uboya obugundiweyo esibuyeni; uma kukhona amazolo eboyeni bodwa komile emhlabathini wonke, ngiyakwazi ukuthi uzakusindisa u-Israyeli ngesandla sami, njengalokho ukhulumile.”
38
Kwaba njalo, ngokuba wavuka ekuseni ngangomuso, wabucindezela uboya, wakhama amazolo eboyeni, kwagcwala isitsha amanzi.
39
UGideyoni wathi kuNkulunkulu: “Intukuthelo yakho mayingangivutheli, ngizakukhuluma kanye kuphela: Ake ngilinge kanye kuphela ngoboya; makube komile eboyeni bodwa, kube khona amazolo emhlabathini wonke.”
40
Wenze njalo uNkulunkulu ngalobo busuku, ngokuba kwakomile eboyeni bodwa, kepha emhlabathini wonke kwakukhona amazolo.