ABAHLULELI 6

₁Kepha abantwana bakwaIsrayeli benza okubi emehlweni kaJehova; uJehova wabanikela esandleni sakwaMidiyani iminyaka eyisikhombisa.

₂Isandla sakwaMidiyani samahlula uIsrayeli; ngenxa yakwaMidiyani abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bazenzela imihume yasezintabeni, nemigede, nezinqaba.

₃Kwathi nxa abakwaIsrayeli sebelimile, abakwaMidiyani benyuka nama-Amaleki nabasempumalanga, bakhuphukela kubo,

₄bamisa mayelana nabo, bachitha izithelo zomhlaba kwaze kwaba-seGaza, abashiyanga-kudla kwaIsrayeli, nazimvu, nazinkomo, nazimbongolo.

₅Ngokuba benyuka nezinkomo zabo namatende abo, bafika njengesikhonyane ngobuningi; babengenakubalwa bona namakamela abo; bafika ezweni ukuba baliqede.

₆AbakwaIsrayeli baphela amandla ngenxa yakwaMidiyani; base bekhala abantwana bakwaIsrayeli kuJehova.

₇Kwathi lapho abantwana bakwaIsrayeli besakhala kuJehova ngenxa yakwaMidiyani,

₈uJehova wathuma umprofethi kubantwana bakwaIsrayeli, wathi kubo: Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, uthi: Ngakukhuphula eGibithe, ngakukhipha endlini yobugqila,

₉nganophula esandleni sabaseGibithe nasesandleni sabo bonke abanicindezelayo, ngabaxosha phambi kwenu, nganinika izwe labo,

₁₀ngathi kini: NginguJehova uNkulunkulu wenu; aniyikwesaba onkulunkulu bama-Amori enihlala ezweni lawo; kepha kanilalelanga izwi lami.

₁₁Kwafika ingelosi kaJehova, yahlala phansi kweoki* laseOfira likaJowashi umAbiyezeri; indodana yakhe uGideyoni yayibhula ukolweni esikhamweni sewayini ukuba amthukusele abakwaMidiyani.

₁₂Ingelosi kaJehova yabonakala kuye, yathi kuye: UJehova unawe wena-qhawe elinamandla.

₁₃UGideyoni 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.

₁₄UJehova wambheka, wathi: Hamba ngalawamandla akho, umsindise uIsrayeli esandleni sakwaMidiyani; angikuthumanga na?

₁₅Wathi kuye: O Nkosi, ngiyakumsindisa uIsrayeli ngantoni na? Bheka, umndeni wami umpofu kwaManase, mina ngingomncinyane endlini kababa.

₁₆UJehova wathi kuye: Impela ngiyakuba-nawe; uyakubabulala abakwaMidiyani kungathi bangumuntu munye.

₁₇Wathi kuye: Uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, unginike isibonakaliso ukuthi nguwe okhuluma nami.

₁₈Ake ungamuki lapha, ngize ngibuyele kuwe, ngilethe isipho sami, ngisibeke phambi kwakho. Wayesethi: Ngiyakuhlala uze ubuye.

₁₉UGideyoni wangena, walungisa izinyane lembuzi namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo e-efa* lempuphu; wayibeka inyama eqomeni, wawuthela umhluzi ekhanzini, wakukhiphela kuye phansi kweoki*, wakunikela.

₂₀Ingelosi kaNkulunkulu yathi kuye: Thatha inyama namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo, ukubeke edwaleni leli, uwuthulule umhluzi. Wenze njalo.

₂₁Ingelosi kaJehova yayiselula isihloko sentonga esesandleni sayo, yathinta inyama namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo; kwenyuka umlilo edwaleni, wadla waqeda inyama namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo; ingelosi kaJehova yayisimuka emehlweni akhe.

₂₂Wayesebona uGideyoni ukuthi iyingelosi kaJehova; uGideyoni wathi: Maye, Nkosi Nkulunkulu! Ngokuba ngibonile ingelosi kaJehova ubuso nobuso.

₂₃UJehova wathi kuye: Ukuthula makube-kuwe; ungesabi, awuyikufa.

₂₄UGideyoni wamakhela uJehova ialtare khona, waliqamba igama lokuthi iJehova-Shalomi; kuze kube-namuhla lisekhona eOfira lama-Abiyezeri.

₂₅Kwathi ngalobobusuku uJehova wathi kuye: Thatha iduna likayihlo nenye inkunzi eneminyaka eyisikhombisa, ubhidlize ialtare likaBali uyihlo analo, ugawule uAshera* ongakulo,

₂₆umakhele uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho ialtare esiqongweni salenqaba ngokuhlelekileyo, uyithathe inkunzi yesibili, unikele ngomnikelo wokushiswa ngezinkuni zika-Ashera* ozakumgawula.

₂₇UGideyoni wayesethatha amadoda ayishumi ezincekweni zakhe, wenza njengalokho uJehova ekhulumile kuye; kwathi lokhu ebesaba abendlu kayise nabantu bomuzi ukuba angakwenzi emini, wakwenza ebusuku.

₂₈Lapho abantu bomuzi bevuka ekuseni kakhulu, bheka, ialtare likaBali lase libhidliziwe, noAshera* owayengakulo wayegawuliwe, nenkunzi yesibili yayinikelwe phezu kwealtare elalakhiwe.

₂₉Bakhuluma omunye komunye, bathi: Kwenziwe ngubani lokhu na? Lapho becinga bebuza, bathi: NguGideyoni indodana kaJowashi owenzé lokhu.

₃₀Base bethi abantu bomuzi kuJowashi: Khipha indodana yakho ukuba ife, ngokuba ilibhidlizile ialtare likaBali nangokuba imgawulile uAshera* owayengakulo.

₃₁UJowashi wathi kubo bonke ababemi ngakuye: Niyakumlwela uBali, nimsindise yena, na? Oyakumlwela uBali, makabulawe kusasa ekuseni; uma engunkulunkulu, makazilwele yena, lokhu kukhona olibhidlizile ialtare lakhe.

₃₂Ngalokho ngalolosuku wambiza ngokuthi uJerubali*, ethi: UBali makalwe naye ngokuba elibhidlizile ialtare lakhe.

₃₃Kwabuthana bonke abakwaMidiyani, nama-Amaleki, nabasempumalanga, bawela, bamisa esiGodini saseJizreyeli.

₃₄Kepha uMoya kaJehova wammboza uGideyoni, wabetha icilongo, kwabuthana ama-Abiyezeri, amlandela.

₃₅Wathuma izithunywa kulo lonke lakwaManase, nabo babuthana, bamlandela; wathuma izithunywa kuAsheri, nakuZebuloni, nakuNafetali, bakhuphuka ukuba babahlangabeze.

₃₆UGideyoni wathi kuNkulunkulu: Uma uzakusindisa uIsrayeli ngesandla sami, njengalokho ukhulumile,

₃₇bheka, ngiyakubeka uboya obugundiweyo esibuyeni; uma kukhona amazolo eboyeni bodwa komile emhlabathini wonke, ngiyakwazi ukuthi uzakusindisa uIsrayeli ngesandla sami, njengalokho ukhulumile.

₃₈Kwaba-njalo, ngokuba wavuka ekuseni ngangomuso, wabucindezela uboya, wakhama amazolo eboyeni, kwagcwala isitsha amanzi.

₃₉UGideyoni wathi kuNkulunkulu: Intukuthelo yakho mayingangivutheli, ngizakukhuluma kanye kuphela: Ake ngilinge kanye kuphela ngoboya; makube komile eboyeni bodwa, kube-khona amazolo emhlabathini wonke.

₄₀Wenze njalo uNkulunkulu ngalobobusuku, ngokuba kwakomile eboyeni bodwa, kepha emhlabathini wonke kwakukhona amazolo.