Abehluleli 6

6 ¹U-Israyeli wenza okubi emehlweni kaBaba wethu, uBaba wethu wabanikela esandleni sikaMidiyani iminyaka eyisikhombisa. ²Isandla sikaMidiyani sanqoba u-Israyeli, ngakho ama-Israyeli azenzela izikhoxe ezintabeni, nemihume, nezinqaba. ³Njalo lapho u-Israyeli etshala izilimo, uMidiyani, no-Amaleki, nabantu basempumalanga babekhuphuka bemhlasela. ⁴Babemisa amakamu bemelene nabo, bachithe izithelo zomhlaba kuze kube seGaza, bengamshiyeli u-Israyeli ukudla—nemvu, nenkomo, nembongolo. ⁵Babekhuphuka nemfuyo namatende abo, begcwele njengezinkumbi; bona namakamela abo babengenakubalwa, bahlasela izwe ukuze balibhubhise. ⁶Ngakho u-Israyeli wehliswa kakhulu ngenxa kaMidiyani, ama-Israyeli akhala kuBaba wethu.

⁷Kwathi lapho abantu bakwa-Israyeli bekhala kuBaba wethu ngenxa kaMidiyani,

⁸uBaba wethu wathumela umprofethi ku-Israyeli, wathi: “Usho kanje uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli: Nginikhuphule eGibhithe, nginikhipha endlini yobugqila. ⁹Nginophule eGibhithe nakubo bonke abanicindezeli; ngabaxosha phambi kwenu, nganinika izwe labo. ¹⁰Nganitshela ngathi: NginguBaba wenu; ningabesabi onkulunkulu bama-Amori enihlala ezweni labo. Kodwa anililalelanga izwi lami.”

¹¹Isithunywa sikaBaba wethu safika sahlala phansi kwesihlahla som-oki e-Ofira esasingesikaJowashi umʼAbhiyezeri, kuyilapho indodana yakhe uGideyoni ibhula ukolweni esikhamelweni sewayini ukuze awufihle kuMidiyani.

¹²Isithunywa sikaBaba wethu sabonakala kuye, sathi: “UBaba wethu unawe, qhawe elinamandla.”

¹³UGideyoni wathi kuso: “Ngiyacela, nkosi yami, uma uBaba wethu enathi, kungani konke lokhu kwenzekile na? Iphi yonke imimangaliso yakhe okhokho bethu abasixoxela ngayo, bethi: ‘Akasikhuphulanga yini eGibhithe?’ Kodwa manje uBaba wethu ususilahlile, wasinikela esandleni sikaMidiyani.”

¹⁴UBaba wethu waphendukela kuye: “Hamba ngala mandla akho, usindise u-Israyeli esandleni sikaMidiyani. Angikuthumanga yini?”

¹⁵Wathi: “Ngiyacela, Baba oBusayo, ngingamsindisa kanjani u-Israyeli? Isizukulwane sami yiso esibuthakathaka kunazo zonke kwaManase, mina ngimncinyane kunabo bonke endlini kababa.”

¹⁶UBaba wethu wathi kuye: “Kodwa ngiyakuba nawe, uyakumshaya uMidiyani njengomuntu oyedwa.”

¹⁷UGideyoni wathi: “Uma ngithole umusa kuwe, nginike isibonakaliso sokuthi impela nguwe okhuluma nami.

¹⁸Ngiyacela ungamuki ngize ngibuye ngilethe umnikelo wami, ngiwubeke phambi kwakho.” Wathi: “Ngiyakuhlala ngize ubuye.”

¹⁹UGideyoni wangena, walungisa izinyane lembuzi nesinkwa esingenamvubelo ngempuphu engaba amalitha angamashumi amabili, wafaka inyama obhasikidini, nomhluzi ebhodweni, wakuletha kuye phansi kwesihlahla som-oki, wakunikela.

²⁰Isithunywa sikaBaba wethu sathi kuye: “Thatha inyama nesinkwa esingenamvubelo, ukubeke kuleli dwala, uthele umhluzi phezu kwakho.” Wenza njalo.

²¹Isithunywa sikaBaba wethu selula isihloko sodondolo esasisesandleni saso, sathinta inyama nesinkwa esingenamvubelo. Umlilo wavela edwaleni, waqeda inyama nesinkwa esingenamvubelo, isithunywa sikaBaba wethu sanyamalala emehlweni akhe.

²²Ebona ukuthi kwakuyisithunywa sikaBaba wethu, uGideyoni wathi: “Maye, Baba oBusayo! Ngokuba manje ngibone isithunywa sakho ubuso nobuso!”

²³Kodwa uBaba wethu wathi: “Ukuthula makube kuwe. Ungesabi; ngeke ufe.”

²⁴UGideyoni wakhela khona i-altare kuBaba wethu, waliqamba ngokuthi “UBaba Wethu Ukuthula.” Lisemi e-Ofira yama-Abhiyezeri kuze kube namuhla. ^a a v24 UGideyoni waliqamba leli altare ngokuthi “UBaba Wethu Ukuthula” — isikhumbuzo sokuthula uBaba wethu akusho phezu kwakhe ngesikhathi esethukile ukuthi uzokufa ngenxa yokuthi umbonile.

²⁵Ngalobo busuku uBaba wethu wathi kuye: “Thatha inkunzi kayihlo, leyo yesibili eneminyaka eyisikhombisa, udilize i-altare likayihlo likaBhali, ugawule nesigxobo sika-Ashera esiseceleni kwalo. ²⁶Bese ungakhela i-altare elifanele mina, uBaba wakho, phezu kwale nqaba. Thatha inkunzi yesibili, uyinikele njengomnikelo oshiswayo ngezinkuni zesigxobo sika-Ashera osigawulile.”

²⁷UGideyoni wathatha izinceku eziyishumi, wenza njengoba uBaba wethu amtshelile. Ngenxa yokwesaba umndeni wakhe namadoda omuzi ukukwenza emini, wakwenza ebusuku.

²⁸Kwathi amadoda omuzi evuka ekuseni, i-altare likaBhali lase lidiliziwe, nesigxobo sika-Ashera esiseceleni kwalo sigawuliwe, nenkunzi yesibili inikelwe phezu kwe-altare elalisanda kwakhiwa. ²⁹Babuzana bodwa: “Ngubani owenze lokhu?” Emva kokuphenya nokubuza, batshelwa kwathiwa: “UGideyoni indodana kaJowashi nguye owakwenzayo.”

³⁰Amadoda omuzi athi kuJowashi: “Khipha indodana yakho ukuze ife; idilizile i-altare likaBhali yagawula nesigxobo sika-Ashera esiseceleni kwalo.” ³¹UJowashi wathi kulesi sixuku esasimelene naye: “Nimela icala likaBhali na? Niyamsindisa na? Lowo ommelayo uyakufa kuze kube sekuseni. Uma engunkulunkulu, makazivikele yena, njengoba othile edilize i-altare lakhe.” ³²Ngalolo suku uGideyoni waqanjwa ngokuthi uJerubhali—okungukuthi “UBhali makaphikisane naye”—ngenxa yokuthi wayedilize i-altare likaBhali.

³³Wonke uMidiyani, no-Amaleki, nabantu basempumalanga bahlangana ndawonye, bawela, bamisa amakamu eSigodini saseJizreyeli. ³⁴Khona-ke uMoya kaBaba wethu wembesa uGideyoni, wabetha icilongo, ama-Abhiyezeri abizelwa ukuba amlandele. ³⁵Wathumela izithunywa kulo lonke elakwaManase, nalo elabuthana laba ngemva kwakhe, waphinde wathumela ku-Asheri, nakuZebuloni, nakuNafetali, abakhuphuka beza ukubahlangabeza.

³⁶UGideyoni wathi kuBaba wethu: “Uma uzosindisa u-Israyeli ngesandla sami, njengoba uthembisile. ³⁷Ngibeka uboya bemvu esibuyeni sokubhulela. Uma amazolo eba phezu koboya kuphela kuyilapho umhlabathi wonke uhlala womile, ngiyakwazi ukuthi uzosindisa u-Israyeli ngesandla sami, njengoba usho.”

³⁸Kwaba njalo. Ekuseni kakhulu ngakusasa wakhama uboya, wakhamela amazolo kubo—isitsha esigcwele amanzi.

³⁹Khona-ke uGideyoni wathi kuBaba wethu: “Ungathukutheli; ake ngikhulume kanye nje futhi. Ake ngivivinye ngoboya futhi: uboya mabuhlale bomile, amazolo abe semhlabathini wonke.”

⁴⁰Ngalobo busuku uBaba wethu wenza njalo. Uboya kuphela obabomile; amazolo amboza umhlabathi wonke.