IINKOKHELI 6
6
UGidiyon
1Kwakhona amaSirayeli aphinda akreqa *kuNdikhoyo, waza ke wawanikela ezandleni zamaMidiyan iminyaka esixhenxe. 2AmaMidiyan la ke ayewaphatha gadalala amaSirayeli. Ngoko ke amaSirayeli azenzela iindawo zokuzimela ezintabeni emiqolombeni nasemaweni ngenxa yokoyika amaMidiyan.
3AmaSirayeli ayesithi akulima, afike amaMidiyan nama-Amaleki neentlanga zasempumalanga awahlasele. 4Ezi ntlanga zazifika zimise kwimida yamaSirayeli, zizitshabalalise zonke izilimo, ziyokuma ezantsi ngaseGaza. Zazithimba konke okushukumayo: iigusha, iinkomo, needonki, zingawashiyeli nento le amaSirayeli. 5Zazisiza nemfuyo, neentente zazo, kutsho kunyakaze ngathi libubu leenkumbi. Lo mkhosi ke ukunye nezo nkamela wawusuka ube yinyambalala. Wawusuka ulitshabalalise ilizwe lonke, 6-7kangangokuba ahlwempuzeka amaSirayeli engenakwenza nto.
Ngenxa yale mpatho yamaMidiyan ke amaSirayeli azibika kuNdikhoyo. 8Ke yena wawathumela umshumayeli owathi: “Utsho uNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli ukuthi: ‘Ndanikhupha eJiputa, ilizwe enaningamakhoboka kulo. 9Ndanihlangula kumaJiputa nakwiintlanga ezanicinezelayo kweli lizwe. Ndazigxotha xa ningenayo, ndaza ndaninika umhlaba wazo. 10Ndaniyala ndathi: “Mna ndinguNdikhoyo uThixo wenu; ningaze niboyike oothixo bama-Amori enihlala emhlabeni wawo.” Kuloo nto yonke ke anindiphulaphulanga.’ ”
11Ke kaloku isithunywa sikaNdikhoyo saya kwilali yaseOfra, safika sahlala phantsi komthi wom-oki owawungokaJowashe, umfo womzi ka-Abhiyezere. Unyana wakhe uGidiyon wayebhula ingqolowa esixovulweni seediliya khon' ukuze angabonwa ngamaMidiyan. 12Isithunywa eso ke sabonakala kuye sathi: “UNdikhoyo unawe, gorhandini lomeleleyo!”
13UGidiyon wathi kuso: “Ngxe, Mhlekazi! Ukuba uNdikhoyo unathi, kungani ukuba sihlelwe zizinto ezinje? Zaya phi eza zigigaba zezinto ezimangalisayo sasihlala sibaliselwa ngazo ngoobawo, kusithiwa uNdikhoyo wayezenza – ezo wazenzayo nasekubakhululeni kwakhe eJiputa? Kungokunje uNdikhoyo usilahlile; usinikele ezandleni zamaMidiyan.”
14UNdikhoyo ke wabheka kuye, wathi: “Hamba ngala mandla unawo, uwasindise amaSirayeli ezandleni zamaMidiyan. Kaloku ndim okugunyazisayo.”
15UGidiyon wathi: “Camagu, Nkosi yam, ndingawahlangula njani na amaSirayeli? Umzi wakowethu ungento nje kwaManase, nam ndingongazelwe nto kowethu nje?”
16UNdikhoyo waphendula wathi: “Ndiya kuba nawe. AmaMidiyan uya kuwatshayela, abe ngathi kuwe angumntu omnye.”
17UGidiyon waphendula wathi: “Ukuba ungakum, nceda undenzele umqondiso wokuba nguwe Ndikhoyo lo uthetha nam. 18Nceda, sukumka de ndibuye nomnikelo, ndiwubeke phambi kwakho.”
Saphendula sathi: “Hayi ke, ndiza kuhlala apha ude ubuye.”
19UGidiyon ke waya kuxhela ibhokhwe esencinci, wayipheka. Wenza nesonka ngomgubo oziikhilogram ezilishumi. Intlama leyo zange ayidibanise nagwele. Inyama leyo wayifaka ebhaskitini, waza wawuphatha ngembiza umhluzi; waya nazo ezo zinto kwisithunywa sikaNdikhoyo esasiphantsi komthi wom-oki. 20Ke sona sathi kuye: “Inyama leyo nesonka zibeke phezu kweli litye, uzigalele umhluzi.” Wenjenjalo ke uGidiyon. 21Ke sona isithunywa eso sachukumisa inyama leyo nesonka ngentonga esasiyiphethe. Kwaqhambuka umlilo elityeni, wayilenya inyama leyo kunye nesonka eso. Emva koko isithunywa saphel' emehlweni.
22Waqonda ke uGidiyon ukuba sisithunywa sikaNdikhoyo esi asibonileyo. Wavakala esithi: “Yhuu, Ndikhoyo, Ngangalala! Isithunywa sikaNdikhoyo ndisibone ubuso ngobuso!”
23Waphendula ke uNdikhoyo wathi: “Xola, ungatatazeli; awuzukufa.” 24Ke uGidiyon wakhela uNdikhoyo iqonga lamadini kuloo ndawo, wathi igama lalo nguNdikhoyo-uluxolo. (Lisekhona ke nangoku eOfra, engumhlaba womzi ka-Abhiyezere.)
25Ngobo busuku ke uNdikhoyo wayalela uGidiyon wathi: “Thatha inkunzi yenkomo kwezikayihlo, nditsho le yesibini, le inesixhenxe seminyaka. Uzulidilize ke iqonga likayihlo elakhelwe uBhali, unqunqe nomfanekiso womthi wesithixokazi uAshera osecaleni kweqonga elo. 26Yakhela uNdikhoyo iqonga encotsheni yale nqaba, wenze idini elitshiswayo ngenkunzi yesibini leyo, ubase ngalaa mfanekiso ka-Ashera uwunqunqileyo.” 27UGidiyon wathatha amadoda alishumi kwizicaka zakhe, wenza ngokomlomo kaNdikhoyo. Lo msebenzi ke wawenza ngobusuku, kuba esoyika amawabo nabamelwana.
28Bavuka ngentsasa elandelayo abantu baloo lali: nâlo iqonga likaBhali lidiliziwe, nomfanekiso ka-Ashera unqunqiwe, kwaza kwenziwa idini ngenkunzi yenkomo yesibini kwelo qonga lakhiwe kuloo ndawo! 29Babuzana ke bathi: “Ngubani na owenze le nto?” Bawuphanda ke lo mcimbi, beva kusithiwa: “NguGidiyon unyana kaJowashe owenze le nto!”
30Bathetha noJowashe ke, bathi: “Mkhuphe unyana wakho, simbulale! Udilize iqonga likaBhali, wawunqunqa umfanekiso ka-Ashera obungakulo.”
31UJowashe wathi kuloo madoda ayemrharhamela: “Kanti ngoku seningakuBhali? Nini abamkhuselayo? Wonke umntu ongakuBhali uza kufa kungekasi. Ukuba uBhali nguthixo makazilwele; kaloku kudilizwe iqonga lakhe.” 32Ukusukela ngoko ke uGidiyon kwathiwa nguJerubhali, kuba uJowashe ethe: “UBhali makahlanganise, kuba liqonga lakhe elidiliziweyo.”
33Ahlanganisana ke amaMidiyan nama-Amaleki nezizwe zasempumalanga, baza bawela iJordan, baya kumisa kwintili yaseYizereli. 34UGidiyon wagutyungelwa nguMoya kaNdikhoyo, wakhalisa isigodlo ememeza amawabo omzi ka-Abhiyezere ukuba abophelele amlandele. 35Wathumela izigidimi ukuba abizwe eze kuye amadoda onke akwaManase. Wathumela nakwa-Ashere, kwaZebhulon, nakwaNafetali, zaza ke zeza nezo zindlu.
36UGidiyon wathi ke kuThixo: “Ukuba ngenene uza kuhlangula amaSirayeli ngesandla sam naku ke endiza kukwenza: 37Ndiza kubeka uboya begusha phaya esandeni sengqolowa. Ukuba ke kuse ibuboya obo bodwa obunombethe, ungekho kodwa emhlabeni, ndiya kuqonda ke ukuba ngenene uza kuwahlangula ngesandla sam amaSirayeli.” 38Kwaba njalo ke. Ngengomso wathi akubukhama obo boya kwaphuma ingqayi yonke yamanzi.
39Ngoku ke wathi uGidiyon kuThixo: “Ungakhathazeki; mandiphinde ndenze esinye isicelo. Nceda undiqinisekise kwakhona ngobu boya. Kwesi isihlandlo ndifuna uboya bome qoko, kodwa wona umhlaba ube manzi.” 40Ngobo busuku ke uThixo wayenza loo nto. Ngengomso kwasa uboya bomile, ke wona umhlaba wonke umanzi ngumbethe.
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IINKOKHELI 6: XHO96
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© Bible Society of South Africa 1996. Used with permission. All rights reserved.