Ukona Kwabakwa-Israyeli
Ukubonakala Kwengelosi KuGideyoni
1Abantu bakwa-Israyeli benza okubi emehlweni kaSimakade, uSimakade wabanikela esandleni sabakwaMidiyani iminyaka eyisikhombisa. 2Isandla sabakwaMidiyani sabehlula abantu bakwa-Israyeli, ngenxa yabakwaMidiyani, abakwa-Israyeli bazakhela izindawo zokucasha ezintabeni, emigedeni, nasezinqabeni. 3Ngokuba njalo lapho abakwa-Israyeli sebelimile, abakwaMidiyani nama-Amaleki nezinye izizwe zasempumalanga babekhuphuka, babahlasele. 4Babekanisa eduzane nakwa-Israyeli baqothule isivuno sezwe kuze kuyofika komakhelwane eGaza, bangabashiyeli kudla kwa-Israyeli, wena zimvu, zinkabi, nazimbongolo. 5Ngokuba babekhuphuka nemfuyo yabo namathende abo, kube sengathi zinkumbi zesikhonyane; amadoda akhona, namakameli kwakukuningi kakhulu kungabaleki; babetheleka ezweni ukuba balibhubhise. 6Ngakho-ke abakwa-Israyeli babengenalutho ngenxa yabakwaMidiyani, base bekhala abantu bakwa-Israyeli kuSimakade, bacela usizo.
7Lapho abakwa-Israyeli bekhala kuSimakade ngenxa yabakwaMidiyani, 8uSimakade wathumela umphrofethi kwabakwa-Israyeli, wathi kubo: “Usho kanje uSimakade, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli: ‘Nganikhuphula eGibhithe, nganikhipha endlini yobugqila; 9nganikhulula esandleni sabaseGibhithe, nasesandleni sabo bonke ababenicindezela, ngabaxosha phambi kwenu, nganinika izwe labo; 10ngathi kini: “NginguSimakade uNkulunkulu wenu, aniyukukhonza onkulunkulu bama-Amori enihlala ezweni lawo,” kodwa anilalelanga izwi lami.’ ”
11Ingelosi kaSimakade yafika e-Ofira yahlala phansi komu-okhi, owawungokaJowashi umAbhiyezeri, ngesikhathi indodana yakhe, uGideyoni, ibhula ukolo esikhamweni sewayini, ukuze iwufihlele abakwaMidiyani. 12Ingelosi kaSimakade yabonakala kuye, yathi: “USimakade unawe, qhawe elinamandla.”
13UGideyoni wathi kuyo: “Kodwa mnumzane, uma uSimakade enathi, kungani kwenzeke konke lokhu kithi, na? Ziphi zonke izenzo zakhe ezimangalisayo, okhokho bethu abasixoxela ngazo, bethi: ‘Akazange yini uSimakade asikhuphule eGibhithe, na?’ Kepha manje uSimakade usilahlile, wasinikela esandleni sabakwaMidiyani.”
14USimakade waphendukela kuye, wathi: “Hamba ngalawa mandla akho, ukhulule u-Israyeli esandleni sabakwaMidiyani; angikuthumanga yini, na?”
15Waphendula wathi: “Kodwa Nkosi, ngingamkhulula kanjani u-Israyeli, na? Umndeni wakithi ungomncinyane kwaManase, nami ngingomncane endlini kababa.”
16USimakade wathi kuye: “Ngizokuba nawe, uyakubabulala abakwaMidiyani kungathi ubulala umuntu oyedwa.”
17Wayesethi kuye: “Uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, ngikhombise isibonakaliso sokuthi nguwena okhuluma nami. 18Ungasuki lapha ngize ngibuye kuwe, ngikulethele isipho sami, ngisibeke phambi kwakho.”
Wayesethi: “Ngizohlala uze ubuye.”
19UGideyoni wangena endlini yakhe, wahlaba izinyane lembuzi, wenza namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo nge-efa lempuphu; inyama wayifaka equthwini, umhluzi wawuthela ekhanzini, wakuletha kuye phansi kwesihlahla somu-okhi.
20Ingelosi kaNkulunkulu yathi kuye: “Thatha inyama namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo ukubeke kuleli dwala, uthulule umhluzi.”
Wenza kanjalo.
21Ingelosi kaSimakade yayisithinta inyama namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo ngesihloko senduku eyayisesandleni sayo; kwaphuma umlilo edwaleni, wadla inyama namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo; ingelosi kaSimakade yayisinyamalala emehlweni akhe. 22Kwamkhanyela uGideyoni ukuthi bekuyingelosi kaSimakade; wayesethi uGideyoni: “Maye, Nkosi Simakade! Ngokuba ngibonile ingelosi kaSimakade ubuso nobuso.”
23Kepha uSimakade wathi kuye: “Ukuthula makube kuwe; ungesabi, awuzukufa.”
24UGideyoni wamakhela uSimakade i-althare lapho, waliqamba wathi: uSimakade Ungukuthula. Kuze kube namuhla lisekhona lapho e-Ofira lama-Abhiyezeri.
25Ngalobo busuku uSimakade wathi kuye: “Thatha inkunzi kayihlo, eyesibili eneminyaka eyisikhombisa, ubhidlize i-althare likaBhali elingelikayihlo, ugawule nensika engcwele eseduze kwalo, 26bese wakha i-althare likaSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho phezu kwaleyo nqaba elapho ngokuhlelekileyo, uthathe inkunzi yesibili, uyinikele njengomnikelo wokushiswa phezu kwezinkuni zensika engcwele ozakuyigawula.”
27UGideyoni wathatha izinceku zakhe ezilishumi, wenza njengalokhu uSimakade emtshelile, kodwa ngenxa yokuba wayesaba abomndeni wakubo nabantu bomuzi, kakwenzanga lokhu emini, kodwa ebusuku.
28Lapho bevuka ngakusasa ekuseni abantu bomuzi, i-althare likaBhali libhidliziwe, nensika engcwele eseduze kwalo igawuliwe, nenkunzi yesibili inikelwe phezu kwe-althare elalakhiwe. 29Babuzana bodwa, bathi: “Ngubani owenze lokhu, na?”
Emveni kokufuna bebuzisisa, batshelwa ukuthi: “NguGideyoni, indodana kaJowashi, owenze lokhu.”
30Abantu balowo muzi bathi kuJowashi: “Ikhiphele phandle indodana yakho, ukuze ife, ngokuba ibhidlize i-althare likaBhali, yagawula nensika engcwele ebiseduze kwalo.”
31Kodwa uJowashi wathi kubo bonke ababemi bebhekene naye: “Niyakulwela uBhali, na? Nizama ukumsindisa, na? Oyakumlwela uBhali makabulawe ekuseni. Uma engunkulunkulu makazilwele yena, ngoba yi-althare lakhe elibhidliziwe.”
32Kusukela ngalolo lusuku uGideyoni wabizwa ngokuthi nguJerubhali, okungukuthi: “UBhali makalwe naye,” ngoba nguye owabhidliza i-althare lakhe.
UGideyoni Ulungiselela Ukukhulula U-Israyeli
33Kwase kubuthana bonke abakwaMidiyani, abase-Amaleki, nabantu basempumalanga, bawela iJordani, bakanisa esigodini iJizreyeli. 34UMoya kaSimakade wehlela kuGideyoni, washaya icilongo, ama-Abhiyezeri abuthana, amlandela. 35Wathuma izigijimi kulo lonke elakwaManase, nabo babuthana, bamlandela. Wabuye wathuma ezinye izigijimi kwa-Asheri, kwaZebuloni nakwaNafethali, bakhuphuka ukuyohlangana nabo.
36UGideyoni wayesethi kuNkulunkulu: “Ukuze ngibone ukuthi uyakumkhulula yini u-Israyeli ngesandla sami njengoba ushilo; 37ngizobeka uboya esibuyeni, uma kulale amazolo phezu kwabo kuphela, kodwa komile emhlabathini, ngizokwazi ukuthi uzomkhulula u-Israyeli ngesandla sami, njengoba ushilo.”
38Nebala kwaba njalo. Ngesikhathi evuka ekuseni ngakusasa, wabukhama uboya, kwaphuma oboyeni amazolo ayengagcwala umcengezi wamanzi. 39UGideyoni wayesethi kuNkulunkulu: “Ungaluvumeli ulaka lwakho lungivuthele, ake ngikhulume futhi; ngiyakucela, ake ngilinge futhi ngoboya kube kanye; makube nguboya kuphela obomileyo, emhlabathini wonke kube khona amazolo.”
40UNkulunkulu wenza kanjalo ngalobo busuku. Uboya babomile, kukhona amazolo emhlabathini wonke.
