1KEKALOKU usapo luka‐Sirayeli lwenza okukohlakeleyo emehlweni kayehova; waza uyehova walunikela esandleni sama‐Midiyane iminyaka yasixe̔nxe. 2Sati isandla sama‐Midiyane sanamandla pezu kwo‐Sirayeli: bekungenxa yama‐Midiyane usapo luka‐Sirayeli lwazenzela amaṙoba asezintabeni, nemiqolomba, nenqaba. 3Kwaye kute, nxa bahlwayeleyo o‐Sirayeli, andula enyuka ama‐Midiyane, nama‐Amaleki, namadoda asempumalanga enyuka nawo ngakubo; 4aza abaṙaula, akwonakalisa ukuhluma kwomhlaba, kude kwaziwa e‐Gaza; akasalisa ke impiliso kwa‐Sirayeli, negusha, nenkabi, neqwaṙashe. 5Ngokuba ebenyuka nenkomo zawo nentente zawo, eza njengenkumbi ngobuninzi, kwada akwabi nakubalwa wona nenkamela zawo; eza elizweni ukulonakalisa. 6Kwa njalo o‐Sirayeli bahlwentshuziswa kakulu ngenxa yama‐Midiyane. Lwaza usapo luka‐Sirayeli lwakala kuyehova.
7Kwaye kute, xeshekweni usapo luka‐Sirayeli lwakala kuyehova ngenxa yama‐Midiyane, 8wandula uyehova watuma umprofite kulo usapo luka‐Sirayeli, owati kulo: Utsho uyehova, utixo wo‐Sirayeli, ukuti: Mna ndininyusile e‐Jipete, ndinikupile endlwini yobukoboka; 9ndanihlangula esandleni sama‐Jipete, nasesandleni sabo bonke ababandezeli benu, ndabagxota ebusweni benu, ndaninika ilizwe labo: 10ndaza ndati kuni: Mna ndi nguyehova, utixo wenu; ningoyiki otixo baba‐Amori, enihleli elizweni labo. Kodwa anipulapulanga ilizwi lam.
11Kwaye kusiza ingelosi kayehova, yahlala ngapantsi kwomkoba ose‐Hofera, oka‐Yohashe, um‐Abihezere; waye u‐Gideyone unyana wake ebula inqolowa ngasesincinezelweni seveyine, ukuba ayizimeze kuma‐Midiyane. 12Yaza ingelosi kayehova yabonakala kuye, yati kuye: Uyehova unawe, wena goṙa elinobuṙoti! 13Waza u‐Gideyone wati kuyo: Ke, nkosi yam! ukuba uyehova unati, kunganina ukuba konke oku kusihlile? kanjako ipina yonke imimangaliso yake esiyibaliselwe ngobawo betu, besiti: Uyehova akesinyusanga na e‐Jipete? kodwa ngoku uyehova usilahlile, usinikele esandleni sama‐Midiyane. 14Wandula uyehova wabeka kuye, wati: Hamba ngalamandla ako, wauya kusindisa o‐Sirayeli esandleni sama‐Midiyane: andikutumanga na? 15Waza wati kuye: Ke, Nkosi! ndiya kusindisa o‐Sirayeli nganto nina? bona ke, iwaka lam lelibuhlwempu kwa‐Manase, nam ndingomncinane endlwini kabawo. 16Wayesiti uyehova kuye: Ngenyaniso ndoba nawe; wauya kubeta ama‐Midiyane njengomntu mnye. 17Waza wati kuye: Ukuba kaloku ndifumene ufefe emehlweni ako, uz’ undenzele umqondiso wokuba unguwe oteta nam. 18Ungemki ke apa, ndide ndize kuwe, ndikupe umnikelo wam, ndiwubeke pantsi pambi kwako. Wayesiti: Ndiya kuhlala ude ubuye.
19Wasuka u‐Gideyone wangena, walungisa itakane lebokwe, nezonkana ezingenagwele zeyefa yomgubo: inyama wayibeka esityeni, nomhluzi wawubeka embizeni, wakupela kuye ngapantsi kwomkoba, wasondeza. 20Yaza ingelosi kayehova yati kuye: Tabata lenyama nezonkana ezingenagwele, uzibeke pantsi elulwalweni olu, nomhluzi uwutulule. Wenje njalo ke. 21Yandula ingelosi kayehova yolula incam yentonga ebisesandleni sayo, yacukumisa inyama nezonkana ezingenagwele; kwaza kwenyuka umlilo elulwalweni, owadla inyama nezonkana ezingenagwele. Yandula ingelosi kayehova yemka emehlweni ake.
22Kekaloku nxa u‐Gideyone abebona ukuba iyingelosi kayehova, waza u‐Gideyone wati: Au, Nkosi, Yehova! ngokokuba ndibonile ingelosi kayehova ubuso ngakubo ubuso. 23Koko uyehova wati kuye: Uxolo malube kuwe; ungoyiki; akuyi kufa.
24Wandula u‐Gideyone wakela kona isibingelo kuyehova, wasibiza ngokuti yi‐Yehova‐shalome: siseko nanamhla e‐Hofera yama‐Abihezere.
25Kwabekute kwa ngobobusuku, waye uyehova esiti kuye: Tabata inkatyana, eyekayihlo, kwa inkatyana yesibini, eminyaka isixe̔nxe, usicite isibingelo sika‐Bali, eso uyihlo anaso, uyigaule i‐Ashera engakuso: 26uze usake isibingelo kuyehova, utixo wako, pezu kwengcopo yalenqaba, ngokucwangcisa; uze utabate inkatyana yesibini, unikele idini lokutshiswa ngenkuni ze‐Ashera oya kuyigaula. 27Wandula u‐Gideyone watabata amadoda alishumi ezicakeni zake, wenza njengokuba uyehova ebetshilo kuye: kodwa bekute, ngokokuba ebesoyika indlu yoyise namadoda esosixeko, ukuba wakohlwa ukwenza oku emini, ngako wakwenza ebusuku.
28Kekaloku akuvuka amadoda esosixeko kusasa, nasi ke isibingelo sika‐Bali sicitiwe, ne‐Ashera ebingakuso igauliwe, nenkatyana yesibini inikelwe pezu kwesibingelo esibe sakiwe. 29Aza ati enye kwenye: Ngubanina owenze lento? Naxeshekweni abuza afuna nokufuna, kwatiwa: Ngu‐Gideyone, unyana ka‐Yohashe, owenze lento. 30Asuka amadoda esosixeko ati ku‐Yohashe: Kupa unyana wako, ukuba afe; ngokuba ewisile isibingelo sika‐Bali, nangokuba egaulile i‐Ashera ebingakuso. 31Waza u‐Yohashe wati kubo bonke ababemi ngakuye: Niya kupikela u‐Bali na? niya kusindisa yena na? Lowa oya kumpikela, makafiswe engekasi: ukuba unguye utixo, makazipikele ngokwake, ngenxa yokuba kuwisiwe isibingelo sake. 32Ngako wabizwa ngalomini ngo‐Yerubebali, kusitwa: u‐Bali makapike naye, ngenxa yokuba ewisile isibingelo sake.
33Kekaloku onke ama‐Midiyane, nama‐Amaleki, namadoda asempumalanga, abebutelwe ndawonye, awela, aya ati waca emhlanjeni we‐Yezerele. 34Wandula umoya kayehova wangena ku‐Gideyone, owavutela ngexilongo; aza ama‐Abihezere ahlanganisana emva kwake. 35Kanjalo watuma izigidimi pakati kwawo onke ama‐Manase; aza nawo ahlanganisana emva kwake: watuma nezigidimi pakati kwama‐Ashere, napakati kwama‐Zebulone, napakati kwama‐Nefatali; abenyuka ukuya kuhlangana nawo.
36Waza u‐Gideyone wati kutixo: Ukuba uya kusindisa o‐Sirayeli ngesandla sam, njengokuba utshilo, 37bona ke, ndiya kubeka uboya obucetyiweyo esibayeni sokubula: ukuba kuya kubako umbete pezu kwoboya bodwa, nokwoma pezu kwomhlaba wonke, sendiya kukwazi ukuba uya kusindisa o‐Sirayeli ngesandla sam, njengokuba utshilo. 38Kwaye kunjalo ke: ngokuba wavuka kusasa ngomnye umhla, wakamanga uboya, wafoca umbete eboyeni, indebe izele ngamanzi. 39Waza u‐Gideyone wati kutixo: Makungavuti ingqumbo yako ngakum, ndandiya kuteta kube kaloku kodwa: mandilinge ke ngoboya kube kaloku kupela; makubeko ukwoma eboyeni bodwa ke, napezu kwomhlaba wonke makubeko umbete. 40Waye utixo wenje njalo ngobobusuku: ngokuba bekuko ukwoma eboyeni bodwa, napezu kwomhlaba wonke bekuko umbete.
