IiNkokheli 6 FHB Father's Heart Bible™

6 ¹AmaSirayeli enza okubi emehlweni kaBawo wethu, waza uBawo wethu wawanikela esandleni samaMidiyan iminyaka esixhenxe. ²Isandla samaMidiyan sawoyisa amaSirayeli; ngoko ke oonyana bakaSirayeli bazenzela imingxuma ezintabeni, nemiqolomba, nezimboniselo. ³Kwakusithi ke, xa amaSirayeli ehlwayele imbewu, enyuke amaMidiyan, nama-Amaleki, nabantu basempumalanga, beze kuwo. ⁴Amisa iintente ngakuwo, atshabalalisa iziqhamo zelizwe, esa eGaza, engashiyeli maSirayeli kudla, nagusha, nankomo, naesile. ⁵Benyuka beze nemfuyo yabo neentente, benjengeenkumbi ngenxa yobuninzi; kananjalo iinkamela zabo zazingenakubalwa, bangena ezweni ukuze balonakalise. ⁶Athotywa kakhulu ke amaSirayeli ngenxa yamaMidiyan; aza oonyana bakaSirayeli bakhala kuBawo wethu.

⁷Kwathi xa oonyana bakaSirayeli bekhala kuBawo wethu ngenxa yamaMidiyan,

⁸uBawo wethu wathuma umprofeti kumaSirayeli, wathi: “Utsho uBawo wethu, uThixo wakwaSirayeli, ukuthi: Ndaninyusa eYiputa, ndanikhupha endlwini yobukhoboka. ⁹Ndanihlangula eYiputa, nasesandleni sabo bonke abanibandezelayo; ndabagxotha phambi kwenu, ndaninika ilizwe labo. ¹⁰Ndathi kuni: Ndim uBawo wenu; ningaboyiki oothixo bama-Amori enihleli ezweni labo. Kodwa anililphulaphulanga ilizwi lam.”

¹¹Weza umthunywa kaBawo wethu, wahlala phantsi kom-oki owaseOfra, owawungokaYowashe um-Abhihezere; ke unyana wakhe uGidiyon wayebhula ingqolowa esixovulelweni, ukuze ayifihle kumaMidiyan.

¹²Wabonakala kuye umthunywa kaBawo wethu, wathi kuye: “UBawo wethu unawe, gorha elinobukroti.”

¹³Wathi uGidiyon kuye: “Khawubone, nkosi yam, ukuba uBawo wethu unathi, kutheni na le nto yonke isehlele? Aphi na zonke izimanga zakhe, oobawo bethu abasibalisela ngazo, besithi, ‘Akasinyusanga na eYiputa?’ Kodwa ngoku uBawo wethu usilahlile, wasinikela esandleni samaMidiyan.”

¹⁴Waza uBawo wethu wamkhangela, wathi: “Yiya ngala mandla onawo, uhlangule amaSirayeli kumaMidiyan. Andikuthumanga na?”

¹⁵Wathi yena: “Khawubone, Nkosi yam, Bawo, ndingawasindisa njani na amaSirayeli? Umzi wakowethu mncinane kakhulu kwaManase, nam ndingomncinane endlwini kabawo.”

¹⁶Wathi kuye uBawo wethu: “Kodwa ndoba nawe, uze uwabulale amaMidiyan ngathi ngumntu omnye.”

¹⁷Wathi yena: “Ukuba ndibabalwe nguwe, khawundenzele umqondiso wokuba nguwe inene othetha nam.

¹⁸Khawungemki de ndibuye, ndize nomnikelo wam, ndiwubeke phambi kwakho.” Wathi yena: “Ndiya kuhlala de ubuye.”

¹⁹Wangena uGidiyon, walungisa itakane lebhokhwe, nezonka ezingenagwele nge-efa yomgubo; inyama wayifaka engobozini, umhluzi wawugalela emphandeni, wazizisa kuye phantsi kom-oki, wazisondeza.

²⁰Wathi kuye umthunywa kaBawo wethu: “Yithabathe inyama nazo izonka ezingenagwele, uzimise phezu kweli litye, uthulule umhluzi.” Wenjenjalo ke.

²¹Umthunywa kaBawo wethu wesa incam yentonga ebisesandleni sakhe, wachukumisa inyama nezonka ezingenagwele; kwaphuma umlilo elityeni, wayidla inyama nezonka ezingenagwele; umthunywa kaBawo wethu wathi shwaka emehlweni akhe.

²²Waqonda uGidiyon ukuba ngumthunywa kaBawo wethu, wathi: “Owu, Nkosi, Bawo! Kaloku ndimbonile umthunywa wakho ubuso ngobuso!”

²³Wathi ke uBawo wethu kuye: “Uxolo malube nawe. Musa ukoyika; akuyi kufa.”

²⁴UGidiyon wakha khona isibingelelo kuBawo wethu, walibiza igama laso ngokuthi “UBawo wethu uLuxolo.” Sisekhona nangoku eOfra yama-Abhihezere. ^a a v24 UGidiyon wasithiya esi sibingelelo ngokuthi “UBawo wethu uLuxolo” — sisikhumbuzo soxolo awaluthethayo uBawo wethu phezu kwakhe, ngexa wayenkwantya esoyika ukuba uya kufa ngenxa yokuba embonile.

²⁵Kwathi ngobo busuku uBawo wethu wathi kuye: “Thabatha inkunzi yenkomo kayihlo, inkunzi yesibini engominyaka esixhenxe, usidilize isibingelelo sikaBhahali esikayihlo, uwugawule uAshera osecaleni laso. ²⁶Wandule ke ukumakhela isibingelelo esifaneleyo kum, uBawo wenu, phezu kwayo le mboniselo. Uthabathe inkunzi yesibini, uyinikele ibe lidini elitshiswayo ngeenkuni zikaAshera lo uwugawulileyo.”

²⁷UGidiyon wathabatha abakhonzi abalishumi, wenza njengoko uBawo wethu watshoyo kuye. Kodwa ngenxa yokoyika indlu kayise nabantu baloo mzi, akaba nako ukukwenza emini, wakwenza ebusuku.

²⁸Bathi abantu baloo mzi bevuka kusasa, nanko isibingelelo sikaBhahali sidiliziwe, noAshera obusecaleni laso ugawuliwe, nenkunzi yesibini inikelwe phezu kwesibingelelo esasakhiwe. ²⁹Babuzana bodwa, besithi: “Ngubani na owenze le nto?” Bakuba begocagoca bebuza, kwathiwa: “NguGidiyon unyana kaYowashe owayenzileyo le nto.”

³⁰Bathi abantu baloo mzi kuYowashe: “Khupha unyana wakho ukuze afe; kuba usidilizile isibingelelo sikaBhahali, waza wawugawula noAshera obusecaleni laso.” ³¹Wathi uYowashe kwinkitha eyayimngqongile: “Ngaba nimthethelela uBhahali na? Nimsindisa na? Lowo umthethelelayo makabulawe kuse. Ukuba unguthixo, makazithethelele yena, ekubeni kukho osidilizileyo isibingelelo sakhe.” ³²Ngaloo mini wathiywa uGidiyon igama elinguYerubhahali—ngokuthi, “UBhahali makabambane naye”—ngenxa yokuba wasidilizayo isibingelelo sikaBhahali.

³³Onke amaMidiyan, nama-Amaleki, nabantu basempumalanga, baqukana, bawela, bamisa iintente entilini yaseYizereli. ³⁴Waza uMoya kaBawo wethu wamambesa uGidiyon, wavuthela isigodlo, ama-Abhihezere ahlatyelwa umkhosi, amlandela. ³⁵Wathuma abathunywa kuManase wonke, nawo ahlanganisana emva kwakhe; wathuma nakwa-Ashere, nakwaZebhulon, nakwaNafetali, nawo enyuka eza kubahlangabeza.

³⁶Wathi uGidiyon kuBawo wethu: “Ukuba uya kuwasindisa amaSirayeli ngesandla sam, njengoko uthembisileyo. ³⁷Nanku ndibeka uboya begusha esandeni. Ukuba umbethe uthe wabakho eboyeni bodwa, kanti umhlaba wonke womile, ndiya kuqonda ukuba amaSirayeli uya kuwahlangula ngesandla sam, kanye njengoko utshilo.”

³⁸Kwaba njalo ke. Wavuka kwakusasa ngengomso, wabufaxa uboya, wawukhupha umbethe kubo—isitya sizele ngamanzi.

³⁹Wathi uGidiyon kuBawo wethu: “Mawungaqumbi; makhe ndithethe nje kube kanye. Makhe ndilinge ngoboya kwakhona: uboya mabome bodwa, umbethe ube semhlabeni wonke.”

⁴⁰UBawo wethu wenjenjalo ngobo busuku. Boma bodwa uboya; umbethe wawugubungele umhlaba wonke.