Judges 6
1 Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; so He delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years,
Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi; iNkosi yasibanikela esandleni sikaMidiyani iminyaka eyisikhombisa.
2 and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.
Lesandla sikaMidiyani saba lamandla phezu kukaIsrayeli. Ngenxa kaMidiyani abantwana bakoIsrayeli bazenzela imihume esezintabeni, lembalu, lezinqaba.
3 Whenever the Israelites would plant their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east would come up and invade them,
Kwasekusithi uIsrayeli esehlanyele, enyuka amaMidiyani lamaAmaleki labantwana bempumalanga, benyuka bamelana labo,
4 encamping against them as far as Gaza and destroying the produce of the land. They left Israel with no sustenance, neither sheep nor oxen nor donkeys.
bamisa inkamba maqondana labo, bachitha izithelo zelizwe, uze ufike eGaza, njalo kabatshiyanga okondlayo koIsrayeli loba imvu loba inkabi loba ubabhemi.
5 For the Midianites came with their livestock and their tents like a great swarm of locusts. They and their camels were innumerable, and they entered the land to ravage it.
Ngoba bona benyuka lezifuyo zabo lamathente abo, bafika njengokugcwala kwentethe ngobunengi, okokuthi bona lamakamela abo babengelanani; basebengena elizweni ukulichitha.
6 Israel was greatly impoverished by Midian, and the Israelites cried out to the LORD.
UIsrayeli wasesiba ngumyanga kakhulu ngenxa yamaMidiyani, labantwana bakoIsrayeli bakhala eNkosini.
7 Now when the Israelites cried out to the LORD because of Midian,
Kwasekusithi lapho abantwana bakoIsrayeli bekhala eNkosini ngenxa yamaMidiyani,
8 He sent them a prophet, who told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
iNkosi yathuma umprofethi kubantwana bakoIsrayeli, owathi kibo: Itsho njalo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli: Mina ngalenyusa lisuka eGibhithe ngalikhupha endlini yobugqili,
9 I delivered you out of the hands of Egypt and all your oppressors. I drove them out before you and gave you their land.
ngalihluthuna esandleni samaGibhithe, lesandleni sabo bonke abalicindezelayo, ngabaxotsha phambi kwenu, ngalinika ilizwe labo,
10 And I said to you: ‘I am the LORD your God. You must not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.’ But you did not obey Me.”
ngathi kini: NgiyiNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu; lingesabi onkulunkulu bamaAmori elihlala elizweni lawo. Kodwa kalililalelanga ilizwi lami.
11 Then the angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.
Kwasekufika ingilosi yeNkosi, yahlala ngaphansi kwesihlahla se-okhi esiseOfira, esasingesikaJowashi umAbiyezeri, lendodana yakhe uGidiyoni yayibhula ingqoloyi esikhamelweni sewayini, ukuze iyifihlele amaMidiyani.
12 And the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.”
Ingilosi yeNkosi yasibonakala kuye, yathi kuye: INkosi ilawe, qhawe elilamandla.
13 “Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonders of which our fathers told us, saying, ‘Has not the LORD brought us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”
UGidiyoni wasesithi kuyo: Hawu Nkosi yami, uba iNkosi ilathi, kungani konke lokhu kusehlele? Kanti zingaphi zonke izimangaliso zayo abasitshela zona obaba besithi: INkosi kayisenyusanga siphuma eGibhithe yini? Kodwa khathesi iNkosi isidelile, yasinikela esandleni samaMidiyani.
14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Am I not sending you?”
INkosi yasiphendukela kuye yathi: Hamba ngalamandla akho, ukhulule uIsrayeli esandleni samaMidiyani. Kangikuthumanga yini?
15 “Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”
Wasesithi kuyo: Hawu Nkosi yami, ngizamkhulula ngani uIsrayeli? Khangela, usendo lwami lungumyanga koManase, njalo ngingomncinyane endlini kababa.
16 “Surely I will be with you,” the LORD replied, “and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man.”
INkosi yasisithi kuye: Ngoba ngizakuba lawe, uzawatshaya-ke amaMidiyani njengendodanye.
17 Gideon answered, “If I have found favor in Your sight, give me a sign that it is You speaking with me.
Wasesithi kuyo: Uba khathesi ngithole umusa emehlweni akho, ngenzela isibonakaliso sokuthi nguwe okhuluma lami.
18 Please do not depart from this place until I return to You. Let me bring my offering and set it before You.” And the LORD said, “I will stay until you return.”
Ake ungasuki lapha, ngize ngibuye kuwe, ngikhuphe isipho sami, ngisibeke phambi kwakho. Yasisithi: Mina ngizahlala uze uphenduke.
19 So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread and an ephah of flour. He placed the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and brought them out to present to Him under the oak.
UGidiyoni wasengena, walungisa izinyane lembuzi, lezinkwa ezingelamvubelo nge-efa lempuphu, inyama wayifaka esitsheni, lomhluzi wawufaka embizeni, wakukhuphela kuyo ngaphansi kwesihlahla se-okhi, wakusondeza.
20 And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so.
Ingilosi kaNkulunkulu yasisithi kuye: Thatha inyama lezinkwa ezingelamvubelo, ukubeke phezu kwalelidwala, ubusuthela umhluzi. Wasesenza njalo.
21 Then the angel of the LORD extended the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. And fire flared from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight.
Ingilosi yeNkosi yasiselula isihloko somqwayi owawusesandleni sayo, yathinta inyama lezinkwa ezingelamvubelo; kwasekusenyuka umlilo uphuma edwaleni, wadla inyama lezinkwa ezingelamvubelo. Lengilosi yeNkosi yasuka emehlweni akhe.
22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he said, “Oh no, Lord GOD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!”
UGidiyoni wasebona ukuthi yayiyingilosi yeNkosi. UGidiyoni wathi: Maye, Nkosi Jehova! Ngenxa yokuthi ngibone ingilosi yeNkosi ubuso ngobuso.
23 But the LORD said to him, “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid, for you will not die.”
Kodwa iNkosi yathi kuye: Ukuthula kakube kuwe, ungesabi, kawuyikufa.
24 So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
UGidiyoni waseyakhela iNkosi ilathi lapho, walibiza ngokuthi uJehova-shalomi. Kuze kube lamuhla lisesekhona eOfira lamaAbiyezeri.
25 On that very night the LORD said to Gideon, “Take your father’s young bull and a second bull seven years old, tear down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.
Kwasekusithi ngalobobusuku iNkosi yathi kuye: Thatha ijongosi lenkunzi engekayihlo, ngitsho ijongosi lesibili elileminyaka eyisikhombisa, udilize ilathi likaBhali elingelikayihlo, lesixuku esiphansi kwalo usigamule;
26 Then build a proper altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold. And with the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down, take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering.”
wakhele iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ilathi phezu kwengqonga yalinqaba, njengokwejwayelekileyo; ubusuthatha ijongosi lesibili, unikele umnikelo wokutshiswa ngenkuni zesixuku ozasigamula.
27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city, he did it by night rather than in the daytime.
UGidiyoni wasethatha amadoda alitshumi ezincekwini zakhe, wenza njengokutsho kweNkosi kuye; kodwa kwathi ngenxa yokuthi wayesesaba indlu kayise lamadoda omuzi ukukwenza emini, wakwenza ebusuku.
28 When the men of the city got up in the morning, there was Baal’s altar torn down, with the Asherah pole cut down beside it and the second bull offered up on the newly built altar.
Lapho amadoda omuzi evuka ekuseni kakhulu, khangela, ilathi likaBhali lalidiliziwe, lesixuku esasiphansi kwalo sesiganyuliwe, lejongosi lesibili lanikelwa phezu kwelathi elaselakhiwe.
29 “Who did this?” they said to one another. And after they had investigated thoroughly, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”
Basebesithi omunye komunye: Ngubani owenze loludaba? Nxa sebedingile bebuza bathi: UGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi wenze loludaba.
30 Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has torn down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”
Amadoda omuzi asesithi kuJowashi: Khupha indodana yakho ukuze ife, ngoba idilizile ilathi likaBhali, langoba igamule isixuku esasiphansi kwalo.
31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Are you contending for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself with the one who has torn down his altar.”
Kodwa uJowashi wathi kubo bonke ababemi ngakuye: Lina lizamlwela uBhali yini, kumbe lina limsindise? Omlwelayo uzabulawa kusesekuseni. Uba engunkulunkulu, kazilwele, ngoba ilathi lakhe lidiliziwe.
32 So on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend with him,” because he had torn down Baal’s altar.
Ngakho ngalolosuku wambiza ngokuthi nguJerubali, esithi: UBhali kalwe laye, ngoba ulidilizile ilathi lakhe.
33 Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east gathered together, crossed over the Jordan, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
Lawo wonke amaMidiyani lamaAmaleki labantwana bempumalanga babuthana ndawonye, bachapha, bamisa inkamba esigodini seJizereyeli.
34 So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, who blew the ram’s horn and rallied the Abiezrites behind him.
LoMoya weNkosi wembesa uGidiyoni; wavuthela uphondo, lamaAbiyezeri abizwa emva kwakhe.
35 Calling them to arms, Gideon sent messengers throughout Manasseh, as well as Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, so that they came up to meet him.
Wasethuma izithunywa kuye wonke uManase, labo futhi babizwa emva kwakhe. Wasethuma izithunywa koAsheri lakoZebuluni lakoNafithali; basebesiza ukubahlangabeza.
36 Then Gideon said to God, “If You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said,
UGidiyoni wasesithi kuNkulunkulu: Uba uzasindisa uIsrayeli ngesandla sami njengokutsho kwakho,
37 then behold, I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said.”
khangela, ngizabeka uboya bezimvu obugundiweyo ebaleni lokubhulela; uba amazolo ezakuba phezu koboya obugundiweyo kuphela, lokoma emhlabathini wonke, ngizakwazi-ke ukuthi uzamsindisa uIsrayeli ngesandla sami, njengokutsho kwakho.
38 And that is what happened. When Gideon arose the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.
Kwasekusiba njalo. Lapho evuka ngovivi kusisa, wacindezela uboya obugundiweyo, wakhama amazolo eboyeni obugundiweyo, umganu ogcwele amanzi.
39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me; let me speak one more time. Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time let it be dry, and the ground covered with dew.”
UGidiyoni wasesithi kuNkulunkulu: Ulaka lwakho lungangivutheli, ngizakhuluma khathesi kuphela; ake ngihlole khathesi kuphela ngoboya obugundiweyo; ake kube lokoma eboyeni obugundiweyo kuphela, lemhlabathini wonke kakube lamazolo.
40 And that night God did so. Only the fleece was dry, and dew covered the ground.
UNkulunkulu wasesenza njalo ngalobobusuku; ngoba kwaba lokoma eboyeni obugundiweyo kuphela, kodwa emhlabathini wonke kwaba lamazolo.
