AbaHluleli
6 Khona-ke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli benza okubi emehlweni kaJehova.+ Ngakho uJehova wabanikela esandleni sikaMidiyani+ iminyaka eyisikhombisa. 2 Isandla sikaMidiyani saba namandla phezu kuka-Israyeli.+ Ngenxa kaMidiyani abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bazimbela imigodi yopata eyayisezintabeni, bazenzela nemihume nezindawo okunzima ukuzifinyelela.+ 3 Kwakuthi lapho u-Israyeli ehlwanyela imbewu,+ uMidiyani no-Amaleki+ nabaseMpumalanga+ bakhuphuke, yebo, babekhuphuka bamelane nabo. 4 Babemisa maqondana nabo bachithe isivuno somhlaba yonke indawo kuze kufike eGaza, futhi babengavumeli ukuba kusale noma yini yokuzisekela noma imvu noma inkomo noma imbongolo kwa-Israyeli.+ 5 Ngoba bona nemfuyo yabo babekhuphuka namatende abo. Babefika bebaningi njengesikhonyane,+ futhi bona namakamela abo babengenasibalo;+ babefika ezweni ukuze balichithe.+ 6 U-Israyeli waba mpofu kakhulu ngenxa kaMidiyani; abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bacela usizo+ kuJehova.
7 Kwathi ngoba abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babecelé usizo kuJehova ngenxa kaMidiyani,+ 8 uJehova wathumela umuntu, umprofethi,+ kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli wathi kubo: “Yilokhu uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli akushilo, ‘Yimi enganikhuphula eGibhithe+ kanjalo nganikhipha endlini yezigqila.+ 9 Ngakho nganikhulula esandleni saseGibhithe nasesandleni sabo bonke abacindezeli benu futhi ngabaxosha phambi kwenu nganinika izwe labo.+ 10 Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngathi kini: “NginguJehova uNkulunkulu wenu.+ Ningabesabi onkulunkulu bama-Amori+ enihlala ezweni lawo.”+ Kodwa anizange nililalele izwi lami.’”+
11 Kamuva ingelosi kaJehova yafika+ yahlala ngaphansi komuthi omkhulu owawuse-Ofira, elalingelikaJowashi umAbhi-ezeri,+ ngesikhathi uGideyoni+ indodana yakhe ebhula ukolweni esikhamweni sewayini ukuze awususe ngokushesha phambi kwamehlo kaMidiyani. 12 Khona-ke ingelosi kaJehova yabonakala kuye yathi: “UJehova unawe,+ wena muntu oyiqhawe, onamandla.” 13 UGideyoni wathi kuyo: “Uxolo, nkosi yami, kodwa uma uJehova enathi, kungani-ke sehlelwé+ yikho konke lokhu, futhi ziphi zonke izenzo zakhe ezimangalisayo+ obaba abasilandisa zona,+ bethi, ‘Akazange yini uJehova asikhuphule+ eGibhithe?’ Manje uJehova usilahlile,+ futhi usinikela entendeni yesandla sikaMidiyani.” 14 UJehova wabhekana naye wathi, “Hamba ngala mandla akho,+ ngokuqinisekile uzomsindisa u-Israyeli entendeni yesandla+ sikaMidiyani. Angikuthumi yini?”+ 15 Yena wathi kuye: “Uxolo, Jehova. Ngizomsindisa ngani u-Israyeli?+ Bheka! Inkulungwane yami incane kunazo zonke kwaManase, futhi mina ngingomncane kunabo bonke endlini kababa.”+ 16 Kodwa uJehova wathi kuye: “Ngenxa yokuthi ngizoba nawe,+ ngokuqinisekile uzobulala uMidiyani+ njengokungathi umuntu oyedwa.”
17 Yena wathi kuye: “Uma manje ngitholé umusa emehlweni akho,+ kumelwe futhi ungenzele isibonakaliso sokuthi nguwe okhuluma nami.+ 18 Siza, ungasuki lapha ngize ngibuye+ futhi ngikhiphe isipho sami ngisibeke phambi kwakho.”+ Ngakho wathi: “Mina ngizohlala lapha uze ubuye.” 19 UGideyoni wangena walungisa izinyane lembuzi+ ne-efa likafulawa walenza laba amaqebelengwane angenamvubelo.+ Inyama wayifaka kubhasikidi, umhluzi wawuthela embizeni yokupheka, okwathi ngemva kwalokho wakuletha kuye ngaphansi komuthi omkhulu wakuphaka.
20 Ingelosi kaNkulunkulu weqiniso manje yathi kuye: “Thatha inyama namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo ukubeke kuleliya dwala elikhulu,+ uthulule umhluzi.” Wenza kanjalo. 21 Khona-ke ingelosi kaJehova yelula isihloko sodondolo olwalusesandleni sayo yathinta inyama namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo, kwenyuka umlilo uphuma edwaleni wayidla inyama namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo.+ Ingelosi kaJehova yona, yanyamalala emehlweni akhe. 22 Ngenxa yalokho uGideyoni waqaphela ukuthi bekuyingelosi kaJehova.+
Khona manjalo uGideyoni wathi: “Maye, Nkosi EnguMbusi Jehova, ngoba ngiboné ingelosi kaJehova ubuso nobuso!”+ 23 Kodwa uJehova wathi kuye: “Yiba nokuthula.+ Ungesabi.+ Ngeke ufe.”+ 24 Ngakho uGideyoni wakhela uJehova i-altare+ lapho, futhi liyaqhubeka libizwa+ ngokuthi Jehova-shalomu kuze kube yilolu suku. Lisese-Ofira+ lama-Abhi-ezeri.
25 Kwathi phakathi nalobo busuku uJehova wathi kuye: “Thatha ithole eliyiduna, ithole okungelikayihlo, okungukuthi, ithole lesibili elineminyaka eyisikhombisa, udilize i-altare likaBhali+ okungelikayihlo, ugawule+ nesigxobo esingcwele esiseduze kwalo. 26 Kumelwe wakhele uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho i-altare esiqongweni salesi siphephelo, ngohlu lwamatshe, uthathe ithole lesibili ulinikele njengomnikelo wokushiswa phezu kwezinkuni zesigxobo esingcwele ozosigawula.” 27 Ngakho uGideyoni wathatha amadoda ayishumi ezincekwini zakhe futhi wenza njengoba nje uJehova ayekhulumile kuye;+ kodwa kwathi, njengoba ayeyisaba kakhulu indlu kayise nabantu bomuzi ukuba akwenze emini, wakwenza ebusuku.+
28 Lapho abantu bomuzi bevuka ekuseni njengenhlalayenza, bheka! i-altare likaBhali lalidiliziwe nesigxobo esingcwele+ esasiseduze kwalo sasigawuliwe, futhi leli thole lesibili lalinikelwé e-altare elalakhiwe. 29 Bathi omunye komunye: “Ngubani owenzé le nto?” Bahamba bebuza befuna. Ekugcineni kwathiwa: “UGideyoni indodana kaJowashi nguye owenzé le nto.” 30 Ngakho abantu bomuzi bathi kuJowashi: “Khipha indodana yakho ukuba ife,+ ngoba idilize i-altare likaBhali, futhi igawulé isigxobo esingcwele ebesingakulo.” 31 Khona-ke uJowashi+ wathi kubo bonke labo ababemelene naye:+ “Ingabe yinina eniyommela uBhali ukuze nibone ukuthi nina ngokwenu ningemsindise yini? Noma ngubani ommelayo kufanele abulawe khona manje-nje ekuseni.+ Uma enguNkulunkulu,+ makazimele+ yena, ngoba kukhona odilize i-altare lakhe.” 32 Wambiza ngokuthi uJerubhali+ ngalolo suku, ethi: “UBhali makazimele yena, ngoba kukhona odilizé i-altare lakhe.”+
33 Wonke uMidiyani+ no-Amaleki+ nabaseMpumalanga+ babuthana ndawonye njengomuntu oyedwa+ bawelela nganeno bamisa amatende ethafeni eliphansi laseJizreyeli.+ 34 Umoya kaJehova+ wagubuzela uGideyoni kangangokuba washaya uphondo,+ futhi ama-Abhi-ezeri+ abizelwa ndawonye ukuba amlandele. 35 Wathumela izithunywa+ kulo lonke elakwaManase, nabo futhi babizelwa ndawonye ukuba bamlandele. Wathumela futhi izithunywa kwa-Asheri nakwaZebhuloni nakwaNafetali, bakhuphuka beyomhlangabeza.
36 Khona-ke uGideyoni wathi kuNkulunkulu weqiniso: “Uma umsindisa u-Israyeli ngami, njengoba nje uthembisile,+ 37 bheka ngishiya uboya buchayiwe esibuyeni. Uma kuba namazolo oboyeni bodwa kodwa kube komile emhlabathini wonke, khona-ke ngizokwazi ukuthi uzomsindisa u-Israyeli ngami, njengoba nje uthembisile.” 38 Kwaba njalo. Lapho evuka ekuseni ngosuku olulandelayo futhi ekhama uboya, wakhama amazolo anele oboyeni ukuba angagcwalisa isitsha esikhulu sedili ngamanzi. 39 Nokho, uGideyoni wathi kuNkulunkulu weqiniso: “Intukuthelo yakho mayingangivutheli, kodwa ngivumele ngiphinde ngikhulume kanye nje. Ngicela ungivumele ukuba ngiphinde ngivivinye kanye nje kuphela ngoboya. Ngicela kome uboya bodwa, kuthi phezu kwawo wonke umhlabathi kube khona amazolo.” 40 Ngakho uNkulunkulu wenza kanjalo ngalobo busuku; koma uboya kuphela, kwathi phezu kwawo wonke umhlabathi kwaba namazolo.