1 Kepha abantwana bakwa-Israyeli benza okubi emehlweni kaJehova; uJehova wabanikela esandleni sakwaMidiyani iminyaka eyisikhombisa.
2 Isandla sakwaMidiyani samahlula u-Israyeli; ngenxa yakwaMidiyani abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bazenzela imihume yasezintabeni, nemigede, nezinqaba.
3 Kwathi nxa abakwa-Israyeli sebelimile, abakwaMidiyani benyuka nama-Amaleki nabasempumalanga, bakhuphukela kubo,
4 bamisa mayelana nabo, bachitha izithelo zomhlaba kwaze kwaba seGaza, abashiyanga kudla kwa-Israyeli, nazimvu, nazinkomo, nazimbongolo.
5 Ngokuba benyuka nezinkomo zabo namatende abo, bafika njengesikhonyane ngobuningi; babengenakubalwa bona namakamela abo; bafika ezweni ukuba baliqede.
6 Abakwa-Israyeli baphela amandla ngenxa yakwaMidiyani; base bekhala abantwana bakwa-Israyeli kuJehova.
7 Kwathi lapho abantwana bakwa-Israyeli besakhala kuJehova ngenxa yakwaMidiyani,
8 uJehova wathuma umprofethi kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli, wathi kubo: “Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Ngakukhuphula eGibithe, ngakukhipha endlini yobugqila,
9 nganophula esandleni sabaseGibithe nasesandleni sabo bonke abanicindezelayo, ngabaxosha phambi kwenu, nganinika izwe labo,
10 ngathi kini: “NginguJehova uNkulunkulu wenu; aniyikwesaba onkulunkulu bama-Amori enihlala ezweni lawo,” kepha kanilalelanga izwi lami.’ ”
11 Kwafika ingelosi kaJehova, yahlala phansi kwe-oki* lase-Ofira likaJowashi umAbiyezeri; indodana yakhe uGideyoni yayibhula ukolweni esikhamweni sewayini ukuba amthukusele abakwaMidiyani.
12 Ingelosi kaJehova yabonakala kuye, yathi kuye: “UJehova unawe wena qhawe elinamandla.”
13 UGideyoni 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.”
14 UJehova wambheka, wathi: “Hamba ngalawa mandla akho, umsindise u-Israyeli esandleni sakwaMidiyani; angikuthumanga na?”
15 Wathi kuye: “O Nkosi, ngiyakumsindisa u-Israyeli ngantoni na? Bheka, umndeni wami umpofu kwaManase, mina ngingomncinyane endlini kababa.”
16 UJehova wathi kuye: “Impela ngiyakuba nawe; uyakubabulala abakwaMidiyani kungathi bangumuntu munye.”
17 Wathi kuye: “Uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, unginike isibonakaliso ukuthi nguwe okhuluma nami.
18 Ake ungamuki lapha, ngize ngibuyele kuwe, ngilethe isipho sami, ngisibeke phambi kwakho.”Wayesethi: “Ngiyakuhlala uze ubuye.”
19 UGideyoni wangena, walungisa izinyane lembuzi namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo e-efa* lempuphu; wayibeka inyama eqomeni, wawuthela umhluzi ekhanzini, wakukhiphela kuye phansi kwe-oki,* wakunikela.
20 Ingelosi kaNkulunkulu yathi kuye: “Thatha inyama namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo, ukubeke edwaleni leli, uwuthulule umhluzi.” Wenze njalo.
21 Ingelosi kaJehova yase yelula isihloko sentonga esesandleni sayo, yathinta inyama namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo; kwenyuka umlilo edwaleni, wadla waqeda inyama namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo; ingelosi kaJehova yayisimuka emehlweni akhe.
22 Wayesebona uGideyoni ukuthi iyingelosi kaJehova; uGideyoni wathi: “Maye, Nkosi Nkulunkulu! Ngokuba ngibonile ingelosi kaJehova ubuso nobuso.”
23 UJehova wathi kuye: “Ukuthula makube kuwe; ungesabi, awuyikufa.”
24 UGideyoni wamakhela uJehova i-altare khona, waliqamba igama lokuthi iJehova Shalomi; kuze kube namuhla lisekhona e-Ofira lama-Abiyezeri.
25 Kwathi ngalobo busuku uJehova wathi kuye: “Thatha iduna likayihlo nenye inkunzi eneminyaka eyisikhombisa, ubhidlize i-altare likaBali uyihlo analo, ugawule u-Ashera* ongakulo,
26 umakhele uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho i-altare esiqongweni sale nqaba ngokuhlelekileyo, uyithathe inkunzi yesibili, unikele ngomnikelo wokushiswa ngezinkuni zika-Ashera* ozakumgawula.”
27 UGideyoni wayesethatha amadoda ayishumi ezincekwini zakhe, wenza njengalokho uJehova ekhulumile kuye; kwathi lokhu ebesaba abendlu kayise nabantu bomuzi ukuba angakwenzi emini, wakwenza ebusuku.
28 Lapho abantu bomuzi bevuka ekuseni kakhulu, bheka, i-altare likaBali lase libhidliziwe, no-Ashera* owayengakulo wayegawuliwe, nenkunzi yesibili yayinikelwe phezu kwe-altare elalakhiwe.
29 Bakhuluma omunye komunye, bathi: “Kwenziwe ngubani lokhu na?”Lapho becinga bebuza, bathi: “NguGideyoni indodana kaJowashi owenze lokhu.”
30 Base bethi abantu bomuzi kuJowashi: “Khipha indodana yakho ukuba ife, ngokuba ilibhidlizile i-altare likaBali nangokuba imgawulile u-Ashera* owayengakulo.”
31 UJowashi 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.”
32 Ngalokho ngalolo suku wambiza ngokuthi uJerubali,* ethi: “UBali makalwe naye ngokuba elibhidlizile i-altare lakhe.”
33 Kwabuthana bonke abakwaMidiyani, nama-Amaleki, nabasempumalanga, bawela, bamisa esiGodini saseJizreyeli.
34 Kepha uMoya kaJehova wammboza uGideyoni, wabetha icilongo, kwabuthana ama-Abiyezeri, amlandela.
35 Wathuma izithunywa kulo lonke lakwaManase, nabo babuthana, bamlandela; wathuma izithunywa ku-Asheri, nakuZebuloni, nakuNafetali, bakhuphuka ukuba babahlangabeze.
36 UGideyoni wathi kuNkulunkulu: “Uma uzakusindisa u-Israyeli ngesandla sami, njengalokho ukhulumile,
37 bheka, ngiyakubeka uboya obugundiweyo esibuyeni; uma kukhona amazolo eboyeni bodwa komile emhlabathini wonke, ngiyakwazi ukuthi uzakusindisa u-Israyeli ngesandla sami, njengalokho ukhulumile.”
38 Kwaba njalo, ngokuba wavuka ekuseni ngangomuso, wabucindezela uboya, wakhama amazolo eboyeni, kwagcwala isitsha amanzi.
39 UGideyoni wathi kuNkulunkulu: “Intukuthelo yakho mayingangivutheli, ngizakukhuluma kanye kuphela: Ake ngilinge kanye kuphela ngoboya; makube komile eboyeni bodwa, kube khona amazolo emhlabathini wonke.”
40 Wenze njalo uNkulunkulu ngalobo busuku, ngokuba kwakomile eboyeni bodwa, kepha emhlabathini wonke kwakukhona amazolo.