Abahluleli 6 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Ukubizwa kukaGidiyoni

¹ AbakoIsrayeli benza okubi phambi kweNkosi; iNkosi yabanikela ezandleni zamaMidiyani iminyaka eyisikhombisa.

² AmaMidiyani ayelamandla kulabakoIsrayeli; abakoIsrayeli bacatsha ezimbalwini zezintaba, emihomeni lezinqabeni ngenxa yamaMidiyani.

³ Kwakuthi lapho abakoIsrayeli sebelima, amaMidiyani lamaAmaleki labantu basempumalanga babahlasele,

⁴ babemisa phakathi kwelizwe, bachithe izithelo zelizwe, baze bayefika phansi kweGaza bengatshiyi ukudla koIsrayeli lezimvu lenkomo labobabhemi.

⁵ Ngoba babefika lenkomo zabo lamathente abo, befika njengentethe ngobunengi; bona lamakamela abo babengelakubalwa; ngakho beza elizweni ukulichitha.

⁶ AbakoIsrayeli baphela amandla ngenxa yamaMidiyani, bakhala eNkosini ukuba ibasize.

⁷ Lapho abakoIsrayeli bekhala eNkosini ngenxa yamaMidiyani,

⁸ iNkosi yabathumela umprofethi owathi kibo: INkosi, uNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli, ithi: Ngalikhupha eGibithe lasendaweni yobugqili,

⁹ ngalikhulula ezandleni zamaGibithe, lezandleni zabo bonke abalicindezelayo, ngabaxotsha phambi kwenu, ngalinika ilizwe labo,

¹⁰ ngathi kini: NgiyiNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu, kaliyikukhonza onkulunkulu bamaAmori elihlala elizweni lawo. Kodwa kalililalelanga ilizwi lami.

¹¹ Kwasekufika isithunywa seNkosi, sahlala ngaphansi kwesihlahla esikhulu eOfira, esasingesikaJowashi umAbiyezeri, indodana yakhe uGidiyoni yayibhula amabele esikhamelweni sewayini, iwafihlele amaMidiyani.

¹² Isithunywa seNkosi sabonakala kuye, sathi kuye: INkosi ilawe, wena qhawe elilamandla.

¹³ UGidiyoni wathi kuso: E nkosi, uba iNkosi ilathi, konke lokhu kusehlele ngani na? Zingaphi zonke izenzo zayo ezimangalisayo abasitshela ngazo obaba besithi: INkosi kayisikhuphanga eGibithe na? Kodwa khathesi iNkosi isisilahlile, yasinikela ezandleni zamaMidiyani.

¹⁴ INkosi yasiphendukela kuye isithi: Hamba ngalamandla akho, ukhulule uIsrayeli ezandleni zamaMidiyani; yimi engikuthumayo.

¹⁵ Yena wathi kuyo: E nkosi, ngingamkhulula kanjani uIsrayeli? Khangela, usendo lwakwethu luncinyane koManase, mina ngingomncinyane endlini yakwethu.

¹⁶ INkosi yathi kuye: Mina ngizakuba lawe, uzawabulala amaMidiyani kungathi angumuntu munye.

¹⁷ Yena wasesithi kuyo: Uba ngifumene umusa kuwe, akunginike isibonakaliso sokuthi nguwe okhuluma lami.

¹⁸ Ungasuki lapha, ngiyakuncenga, ngize ngibuye kuwe ngilethe isipho sami, ngisibeke phambi kwakho. Yona yathi: Ngizahlala uze ubuye.

¹⁹ UGidiyoni wasehamba, wahlaba izinyane, wenza izinkwa ezingelamvubelo ngehefa lempuphu, wafaka inyama esitsheni, wathela umhluzi embizeni, wakuletha kuyo ngaphansi kwesihlahla esikhulu, wayinika.

²⁰ Isithunywa sikaNkulunkulu sathi kuye: Thatha inyama lezinkwa ezingelamvubelo, ukubeke phezu kwalelidwala, ubusuthela umhluzi phezu kwakho. Wenza njalo.

²¹ Isithunywa seNkosi sakhomba ngobhulo esasiluphethe, sathinta ngesihloko salo inyama lezinkwa ezingelamvubelo; kwasekuvutha umlilo edwaleni, watshisa inyama lezinkwa ezingelamvubelo. Isithunywa seNkosi sasesinyamalala phambi kwakhe.

²² UGidiyoni wasebona ukuthi bekuyisithunywa seNkosi, wathi: Maye mina, Nkosi Nkulunkulu! Ngoba ngikhangelene lesithunywa seNkosi ubuso ngobuso.

²³ Kodwa iNkosi yathi kuye: Ukuthula kakube kuwe, ungesabi, kawuyikufa.

²⁴ UGidiyoni waseyakhela iNkosi ialtare lapho, walibiza ngokuthi iNkosi ilokuthula. Lisekhona lalamhla eOfira lamaAbiyezeri.

²⁵ Ngalobobusuku iNkosi yathi kuye: Thatha inkunzi kayihlo esijoqile, udilize ialtare likaBali elingelikayihlo, ugamulele phansi insika kankulunkulukazi uAshera ephansi kwalo;

²⁶ uyakhele ialtare iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho phezu kwenqwaba, wakhe kuhle ngamatshe; ubusuthatha inkunzi, unikele ngayo ibe ngumnikelo wokutshiswa ngezigodo zensika ozayigamula.

²⁷ UGidiyoni wasethatha inceku zakhe ezilitshumi, wenza njengokutsho kweNkosi kuye; kodwa ngenxa yokuthi wayesesaba abendlu yakwabo labantu bomuzi kakwenzanga emini, wakwenza ebusuku.

²⁸ Kwathi lapho abantu bomuzi bevuka ekuseni kakhulu babona ialtare likaBali selidiliziwe, lensika eyayiphansi kwalo isiganyulwe, kunikelwe inkunzi phezu kwealtare elaselakhiwe.

²⁹ Bakhulumisana besithi: Ngubani owenze lokhu na? Nxa sebedingile bebuza batshelwa ukuthi nguGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi owenze lokhu.

³⁰ Ngakho abantu bomuzi basebesithi kuJowashi: Khupha indodana yakho ukuba siyibulale, ngoba idilizile ialtare likaBali, yagamula lensika ebiphansi kwalo.

³¹ Kodwa uJowashi wathi kubo bonke ababembuthanele: Lizamlwela uBali yini, kumbe limvikele na? Lowo omlwelayo uzabulawa ekuseni. Uba yena engunkulunkulu, kazilwele yena, ngoba ialtare lakhe lidiliziwe.

³² Ngakho ngalolosuku wambiza uGidiyoni ngokuthi nguJerubali, wathi: UBali kalwe laye, ngoba ulidilizile ialtare lakhe.

³³ AmaMidiyani lamaAmaleki labantu basempumalanga babuthana, bachapha iJordani, bamisa esigodini saseJezereli.

³⁴ Umoya weNkosi wehlela kuGidiyoni; wakhalisa uphondo, amaAbiyezeri abizwa ukumlandela.

³⁵ Ngakho wathuma izithunywa kulo lonke elakoManase, labo babizwa ukumlandela. Wasezithuma koAsheri lakoZebuluni lakoNafitali, beza ukuhlangabeza abanye.

³⁶ UGidiyoni wasesithi kuNkulunkulu: Uba uzakhulula uIsrayeli ngesandla sami njengokutsho kwakho,

³⁷ khangela, ngiyabeka uboya esizeni; uba kukhona amazolo phezu koboya kuphela, komile phansi, ngizakwazike ukuba uzamkhulula uIsrayeli ngesandla sami, njengokutsho kwakho.

³⁸ Kwaba njalo. Lapho evuka ekuseni kusasa, wakhama uboya, kwaphuma amazolo eboyeni, agcwalisa umganu ngamanzi.

³⁹ UGidiyoni wasesithi kuNkulunkulu: Ungangithukutheleli, ngivumela ukuba ngikhulume kanye nje; ke ngihlole kanye kuphela ngalobuboya, akome oboyeni kuphela, kube manzi phansi.

⁴⁰ UNkulunkulu wenza njalo ngalobobusuku; kwakomile oboyeni kuphela, kodwa phansi kwakugcwele amazolo.