Tikhulu
6 Ema-Israyeli aphindze enta lokubi emehlweni aJehova+ ngako Jehova wawanikela esandleni sebakaMidiyani iminyaka lengu-7.+ 2 Sandla sebakaMidiyani sawacindzetela ema-Israyeli.+ Ngenca yaloko, ema-Israyeli atakhela tindzawo tekubhaca* etintsabeni, emigedzeni kanye nasetindzaweni lokungasimelula kufika kuto.+ 3 Nakwenteka ema-Israyeli ahlanyela, sive sakaMidiyani, saka-Amaleki+ kanye nebantfu baseMphumalanga+ bebafika bawahlasele. 4 Bebawahlasela baphindze babhubhise umkhicito wemasimu awo kuze kuyofika eGaza futsi kute kudla lebebakushiyela ema-Israyeli, netimvu tawo, netinkhomo nobe timbongolo tawo.+ 5 Bebafika nemfuyo yabo kanye nemathende abo lamanyenti ngangesikhonyane,+ futsi bona kanye nemakamela abo bebabanyenti kakhulu.+ Bebavame kufika kulelive batolibhubhisa. 6 Ngako ema-Israyeli aphuya kakhulu ngenca yebakaMidiyani futsi acela lusito kuJehova.+
7 Ngesikhatsi ema-Israyeli akhala kuJehova acela lusito ngenca yebakaMidiyani,+ 8 Jehova wawatfumelela umphrofethi lowatsi kuwo: “Naku lokushiwo nguJehova Nkulunkulu wema-Israyeli: ‘Nganikhipha eGibhithe futsi nganikhulula ekubeni tigcili.+ 9 Ngako nganisindzisa esandleni sebantfu baseGibhithe kanye nakubo bonkhe lebebanicindzetela. Ngabacosha embikwenu ngase ngininika live labo.+ 10 Ngatsi kini: “NginguJehova Nkulunkulu wenu.+ Akukafaneli nesabe bonkulunkulu bema-Amori lenihlala eveni lawo.”+ Kodvwa aningilalelanga.’”*+
11 Ngemuva kwesikhatsi ingilosi yaJehova yefika+ yahlala ngephansi kwesihlahla lesikhulu lebesisendzaweni yase-Ofra, futsi besisaJowashi wesive saka-Abiyezeri.+ Gideyoni+ indvodzana yakhe bekabhula kolo etjeni lekuhlutela liwayini kuze awufihlele bakaMidiyani. 12 Ingilosi yaJehova yabonakala kuye yase itsi: “Jehova unawe+ wena chawe lelinemandla.” 13 Gideyoni wayiphendvula watsi: “Ncesi nkhosi yami, kodvwa nangabe Jehova anatsi, yini leyenta kutsi sehlelwe ngito tonkhe letintfo?+ Setishonephi tonkhe timangaliso takhe bobabe labasitjela ngato+ batsi: ‘Jehova akasikhululanga yini eGibhithe?’+ Nyalo Jehova sewusishiyile+ futsi usinikele esandleni sebakaMidiyani.” 14 Jehova wambuka watsi: “Hamba ngalamandla lonawo futsi utawakhulula ema-Israyeli esandleni sebakaMidiyani.+ Akusimi yini lokutfumako?” 15 Gideyoni waphendvula watsi: “Ngicolele Jehova, ngingawasindzisa njani ema-Israyeli? Indlu yami ngulencane esiveni* saManase futsi angisilutfo endlini yababe.” 16 Kodvwa Jehova watsi kuye: “Utasincoba sive sakaMidiyani kube shengatsi ulwa nemuntfu munye, ngobe mine ngitawube nginawe.”+
17 Gideyoni wase utsi: “Nangabe ngemukeleka kuwe, ngicela ungikhombise luphawu lwekutsi nguwe lokhuluma nami. 18 Ngicela ungahambi lapha kuze kube ngulapho ngibuya nesipho futsi ngisibeke embikwakho.”+ Lengilosi yaphendvula yatsi: “Ngitawuhlala lapha uze ubuye.” 19 Ngako Gideyoni wangena ngekhatsi wayilungisela imbuti lencane kanye nesinkhwa lesite imvubelo asebentisa fulaha+ logcwele entfweni lengemalitha langaba ngu-22.* Wafaka inyama ebhasikidini kanye nesishibo ebhodweni wase ubuya nako, wayinika ngephansi kwesihlahla lesikhulu.
20 Lengilosi yaNkulunkulu weliciniso yatsi kuye: “Tsatsa lenyama nalesinkhwa lesingenamvubelo ukubeke kulelitje lelikhulu bese utfulula lesishibo.” Gideyoni wenta njalo. 21 Ngemuva kwaloko ingilosi yaJehova yelula sandla sayo lebesinendvuku futsi sihloko sayo satsintsa lenyama nalesinkhwa lesingenamvubelo, umlilo wokhela kulelitje wabese ushisa lenyama kanye nalesinkhwa lesingenamvubelo.+ Lengilosi yaJehova yase iyanyamalala emehlweni akhe. 22 Ngaleso sikhatsi Gideyoni wabona kutsi bekuyingilosi yaJehova.+
Wabese utsi: “Awu Nkhosi Lephakeme Jehova, ngibone ingilosi yaJehova buso nebuso!”+ 23 Kodvwa Jehova watsi kuye: “Kuthula akube nawe. Ungesabi,+ ngobe ngeke ufe.” 24 Ngako Gideyoni wakhela Jehova li-al’thare lapho, futsi libitwa ngekutsi yiJehova-shalomu*+ kuze kube ngulamuhla. Solo lise-Ofra yesive saka-Abiyezeri.
25 Ngalobo busuku Jehova watsi kuye: “Tsatsa inkunzana yababe wakho, lokuyinkunzana yesibili leneminyaka lengu-7, futsi ubobhidlita li-al’thare laBhali lelilababe wakho uphindze ujube insika lengcwele* leseceleni kwalo.+ 26 Ngemuva kwekwakhela Jehova Nkulunkulu wakho li-al’thare endzaweni lephephile lesetulu usebentisa ematje, ubotsatsa lenkunzana yesibili uyente umnikelo wekushiswa, uyibeke etikwetinkhuni lotatitsatsa kulensika lengcwele* loyijubile.” 27 Ngako Gideyoni watsatsa emadvodza langu-10 etincekwini takhe wenta njengobe Jehova abemtjelile. Kodvwa bekabesaba kakhulu laba bendlu yababe wakhe kanye nemadvodza elidolobha kangangekutsi lomsebenti akawentanga emini, ngako wawenta ebusuku.
28 Ngesikhatsi emadvodza akulelidolobha avuka ngelilanga lelilandzelako ekuseni, abona kutsi li-al’thare laBhali libhidlitiwe futsi insika lengcwele* leseceleni kwalo nayo ijutjiwe, nekutsi bekwentiwe umnikelo kusetjentiswa lenkunzana yesibili kuleli-al’thare lebelakhiwe. 29 Lamadvodza elidolobha abebutana atsi: “Ngubani lolowente loku?” Ngemuva kwekuphenya lendzaba, abese atsi: “NguGideyoni indvodzana yaJowashi lowente lentfo.” 30 Ngako atsi kuJowashi: “Siletsele indvodzana yakho kuze ibulawe, ngobe ibhidlite li-al’thare laBhali yaphindze yajuba insika lengcwele* leseceleni kwalo.” 31 Jowashi+ wabese uphendvula onkhe lamadvodza leta kuye watsi: “Kufanele yini vele nivikele Bhali? Kufanele yini nimsindzise? Nobe ngubani lovikela Bhali kufanele abulawe lamuhla ekuseni.+ Nangabe Bhali angunkulunkulu akativikele+ yena njengobe kukhona lobhidlite li-al’thare lakhe.” 32 Ngalelolanga Jowashi wetsa Gideyoni watsi nguJerubhali ngobe atsi: “Bhali akativikele ngobe ukhona lobhidlite li-al’thare lakhe.”
33 Sonkhe sive sakaMidiyani,+ saka-Amaleki+ nebantfu baseMphumalanga bahlangana+ baba libutfo futsi bewelela* eSihosheni* saseJezreyeli bafike bemisa khona emathende. 34 Ngemuva kwaloko, umoya waJehova wehlela* kuGideyoni+ futsi washaya luphondvo,+ ngako sive saka-Abiyezeri+ samlandzela. 35 Watfumela titfunywa kulo lonkhe lakaManase, nabo babambisana naye. Waphindze watfumela titfunywa ka-Asheri, kaZebuloni nakaNaftali futsi bakhuphuka kutohlangana naye.
36 Ngemuva kwaloko, Gideyoni watsi kuNkulunkulu weliciniso: “Nangabe usindzisa ema-Israyeli usebentisa mine njengobe wetsembisa,+ 37 nyalo ngibeka nabu boya bemvu lapha ebaleni lekubhulela kolo. Nangabe ematolo atawumatsisa loboya kuphela kodvwa libala lonkhe libe lomile, ngitawubese ngiyati kutsi utawusindzisa ema-Israyeli usebentisa mine njengobe wetsembisa.” 38 Kwavele kwenteka njalo. Nakavuka ekuseni ngelilanga lelilandzelako, futsi ahluta loboya kwaphuma emanti labengagcwala indishi lenkhulu. 39 Nanobe kunjalo, Gideyoni watsi kuNkulunkulu weliciniso: “Ungayivumeli intfukutselo yakho ingivutsele kodvwa ngicela kwenta lesinye sicelo. Ngicela kuphindze ngente lolunye luhlolo ngaloboya bemvu. Ngicela kutsi loboya kube ngibo lobomile bese lonkhe lelibala lekubhulela ligcwale ematolo.” 40 Nguloko kanye lokwentiwa nguNkulunkulu ngalobo busuku; loboya ngibo kuphela lebebomile, futsi bekugcwele ematolo kulo lonkhe lelibala.