AbAhluleli 6

₁Kepha abantwana bakwa-Israyeli benza okubi emehlweni kaJehova; uJehova wabanikela esandleni sakwaMidiyani iminyaka eyisikhombisa. ₂Isandla sakwaMidiyani samahlula u-Israyeli; ngenxa yakwaMidiyani abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bazenzela imihume yasezintabeni, nemigede, nezinqaba. ₃Kwathi nxa abakwa-Israyeli sebelimile, abakwaMidiyani benyuka nama-Amaleki nabasempumalanga, bakhuphukela kubo, ₄bamisa mayelana nabo, bachitha izithelo zomhlaba kwaze kwaba seGaza, abashiyanga kudla kwa-Israyeli, nazimvu, nazinkomo, nazimbongolo. ₅Ngokuba benyuka nezinkomo zabo namatende abo, bafika njengesikhonyane ngobuningi; babengenakubalwa bona namakamela abo; bafika ezweni ukuba baliqede. ₆Abakwa-Israyeli baphela amandla ngenxa yakwaMidiyani; base bekhala abantwana bakwa-Israyeli kuJehova.

₇Kwathi lapho abantwana bakwa-Israyeli besakhala kuJehova ngenxa yakwaMidiyani, ₈uJehova wathuma umprofethi kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli, wathi kubo: “Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, 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 kwe-oki* lase-Ofira 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 ngalawa mandla akho, umsindise u-Israyeli esandleni sakwaMidiyani; angikuthumanga na?”

₁₅Wathi kuye: “O Nkosi, ngiyakumsindisa u-Israyeli 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 kwe-oki,* wakunikela.

₂₀Ingelosi kaNkulunkulu yathi kuye: “Thatha inyama namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo, ukubeke edwaleni leli, uwuthulule umhluzi.” Wenze njalo. ₂₁Ingelosi kaJehova yase yelula 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 i-altare khona, waliqamba igama lokuthi iJehova Shalomi; kuze kube namuhla lisekhona e-Ofira lama-Abiyezeri.

₂₅Kwathi ngalobo busuku uJehova wathi kuye: “Thatha iduna likayihlo nenye inkunzi eneminyaka eyisikhombisa, ubhidlize i-altare likaBali uyihlo analo, ugawule u-Ashera* ongakulo, ₂₆umakhele uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho i-altare esiqongweni sale nqaba ngokuhlelekileyo, uyithathe inkunzi yesibili, unikele ngomnikelo wokushiswa ngezinkuni zika-Ashera* ozakumgawula.”

₂₇UGideyoni wayesethatha amadoda ayishumi ezincekwini 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, i-altare likaBali lase libhidliziwe, no-Ashera* owayengakulo wayegawuliwe, nenkunzi yesibili yayinikelwe phezu kwe-altare elalakhiwe.

₂₉Bakhuluma omunye komunye, bathi: “Kwenziwe ngubani lokhu na?”

Lapho becinga bebuza, bathi: “NguGideyoni indodana kaJowashi owenze lokhu.”

₃₀Base bethi abantu bomuzi kuJowashi: “Khipha indodana yakho ukuba ife, ngokuba ilibhidlizile i-altare likaBali nangokuba imgawulile u-Ashera* owayengakulo.”

₃₁UJowashi 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.” ₃₂Ngalokho ngalolo suku wambiza ngokuthi uJerubali,* ethi: “UBali makalwe naye ngokuba elibhidlizile i-altare 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 ku-Asheri, nakuZebuloni, nakuNafetali, bakhuphuka ukuba babahlangabeze.

₃₆UGideyoni wathi kuNkulunkulu: “Uma uzakusindisa u-Israyeli ngesandla sami, njengalokho ukhulumile, ₃₇bheka, ngiyakubeka uboya obugundiweyo esibuyeni; uma kukhona amazolo eboyeni bodwa komile emhlabathini wonke, ngiyakwazi ukuthi uzakusindisa u-Israyeli 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 ngalobo busuku, ngokuba kwakomile eboyeni bodwa, kepha emhlabathini wonke kwakukhona amazolo.