Judges 6
1 The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and he gave them into the hand of Midian for seven years.
Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi; iNkosi yasibanikela esandleni sikaMidiyani iminyaka eyisikhombisa.
2 The power of Midian oppressed Israel. Because of Midian, the people of Israel made shelters for themselves from the dens in the hills, the caves, and the strongholds.
Lesandla sikaMidiyani saba lamandla phezu kukaIsrayeli. Ngenxa kaMidiyani abantwana bakoIsrayeli bazenzela imihume esezintabeni, lembalu, lezinqaba.
3 It happened that any time the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people from the east would attack the Israelites.
Kwasekusithi uIsrayeli esehlanyele, enyuka amaMidiyani lamaAmaleki labantwana bempumalanga, benyuka bamelana labo,
4 They would set up their army on the land and destroy the crops, all the way to Gaza. They would leave no food in Israel, and no sheep, nor cattle or donkeys.
bamisa inkamba maqondana labo, bachitha izithelo zelizwe, uze ufike eGaza, njalo kabatshiyanga okondlayo koIsrayeli loba imvu loba inkabi loba ubabhemi.
5 Whenever they and their livestock and tents came up, they would come as a swarm of locusts, and it was impossible to count either the people or their camels. They invaded the land in order to destroy it.
Ngoba bona benyuka lezifuyo zabo lamathente abo, bafika njengokugcwala kwentethe ngobunengi, okokuthi bona lamakamela abo babengelanani; basebengena elizweni ukulichitha.
6 Midian weakened the Israelites so severely that the people of Israel called out to Yahweh.
UIsrayeli wasesiba ngumyanga kakhulu ngenxa yamaMidiyani, labantwana bakoIsrayeli bakhala eNkosini.
7 When the people of Israel called out to Yahweh because of Midian,
Kwasekusithi lapho abantwana bakoIsrayeli bekhala eNkosini ngenxa yamaMidiyani,
8 Yahweh sent a prophet to the people of Israel. The prophet said to them, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: 'I brought you up from Egypt; I brought you 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 rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of all who were oppressing you. I drove them out before you, and I gave you their land.
ngalihluthuna esandleni samaGibhithe, lesandleni sabo bonke abalicindezelayo, ngabaxotsha phambi kwenu, ngalinika ilizwe labo,
10 I said to you, “I am Yahweh your God; I commanded you not to worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.” But you have not obeyed my voice.'”
ngathi kini: NgiyiNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu; lingesabi onkulunkulu bamaAmori elihlala elizweni lawo. Kodwa kalililalelanga ilizwi lami.
11 Now the angel of Yahweh came and sat under the oak in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash (the Abiezrite), while Gideon, Joash's son, was separating out the wheat by beating it on the floor, in the 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 The angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said to him, “Yahweh is with you, you strong warrior!”
Ingilosi yeNkosi yasibonakala kuye, yathi kuye: INkosi ilawe, qhawe elilamandla.
13 Gideon said to him, “Oh, my master, if Yahweh is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers told us about, when they said, 'Did not Yahweh bring us up from Egypt?' But now Yahweh has abandoned us and gave 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 Yahweh looked at him and said, “Go in the strength you already have. Deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?”
INkosi yasiphendukela kuye yathi: Hamba ngalamandla akho, ukhulule uIsrayeli esandleni samaMidiyani. Kangikuthumanga yini?
15 Gideon said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? See, my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least important in my father's house.”
Wasesithi kuyo: Hawu Nkosi yami, ngizamkhulula ngani uIsrayeli? Khangela, usendo lwami lungumyanga koManase, njalo ngingomncinyane endlini kababa.
16 Yahweh said to him, “I will be with you, and you will defeat the entire Midianite army as one man.”
INkosi yasisithi kuye: Ngoba ngizakuba lawe, uzawatshaya-ke amaMidiyani njengendodanye.
17 Gideon said to him, “If you are pleased with me, then give me a sign that it is you who is speaking to me.
Wasesithi kuyo: Uba khathesi ngithole umusa emehlweni akho, ngenzela isibonakaliso sokuthi nguwe okhuluma lami.
18 Please, do not leave here, until I come to you and bring out my gift and set it before you.” Yahweh said, “I will wait until you return.”
Ake ungasuki lapha, ngize ngibuye kuwe, ngikhuphe isipho sami, ngisibeke phambi kwakho. Yasisithi: Mina ngizahlala uze uphenduke.
19 Gideon went and prepared a young goat and from an ephah of flour he made unleavened bread. He put the meat in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot and brought them to him under the oak tree, and presented them.
UGidiyoni wasengena, walungisa izinyane lembuzi, lezinkwa ezingelamvubelo nge-efa lempuphu, inyama wayifaka esitsheni, lomhluzi wawufaka embizeni, wakukhuphela kuyo ngaphansi kwesihlahla se-okhi, wakusondeza.
20 The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and put them on this rock, and pour out the broth over them.” That is what Gideon did.
Ingilosi kaNkulunkulu yasisithi kuye: Thatha inyama lezinkwa ezingelamvubelo, ukubeke phezu kwalelidwala, ubusuthela umhluzi. Wasesenza njalo.
21 Then the angel of Yahweh reached out with the end of the staff in his hand. With it he touched the flesh and the unleavened bread; a fire went up out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of Yahweh went away and Gideon could no longer see him.
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 Gideon understood that this was the angel of Yahweh. Gideon said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! For I have seen the angel of Yahweh face to face!”
UGidiyoni wasebona ukuthi yayiyingilosi yeNkosi. UGidiyoni wathi: Maye, Nkosi Jehova! Ngenxa yokuthi ngibone ingilosi yeNkosi ubuso ngobuso.
23 Yahweh said to him, “Peace to you! Do not be afraid, you will not die.”
Kodwa iNkosi yathi kuye: Ukuthula kakube kuwe, ungesabi, kawuyikufa.
24 So Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh. He called it, “Yahweh is Peace.” To this day it still stands at Ophrah of the clan of Abiezer.
UGidiyoni waseyakhela iNkosi ilathi lapho, walibiza ngokuthi uJehova-shalomi. Kuze kube lamuhla lisesekhona eOfira lamaAbiyezeri.
25 That night Yahweh said to him, “Take your father's bull, and a second bull that is seven years old, and pull apart the altar of Baal that belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is 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 Build an altar to Yahweh your God on the top of this place of refuge, and construct it the correct way. Offer the second bull as a burnt offering, using the wood from the Asherah that you cut down.”
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 Yahweh had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father's household and the men of the town to do it during the day, he did it at night.
UGidiyoni wasethatha amadoda alitshumi ezincekwini zakhe, wenza njengokutsho kweNkosi kuye; kodwa kwathi ngenxa yokuthi wayesesaba indlu kayise lamadoda omuzi ukukwenza emini, wakwenza ebusuku.
28 In the morning when the men of the town got up, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah that was beside it was cut down, and the second bull had been offered on the altar that had been built.
Lapho amadoda omuzi evuka ekuseni kakhulu, khangela, ilathi likaBhali lalidiliziwe, lesixuku esasiphansi kwalo sesiganyuliwe, lejongosi lesibili lanikelwa phezu kwelathi elaselakhiwe.
29 The men of the city said to one another, “Who has done this?” When they talked with others and searched for answers, they said, “Gideon son of Joash has done this thing.”
Basebesithi omunye komunye: Ngubani owenze loludaba? Nxa sebedingile bebuza bathi: UGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi wenze loludaba.
30 Then the men of the town said to Joash, “Bring out your son so that he may be put to death, because he pulled apart the altar of Baal, and because he cut down the Asherah beside it.”
Amadoda omuzi asesithi kuJowashi: Khupha indodana yakho ukuze ife, ngoba idilizile ilathi likaBhali, langoba igamule isixuku esasiphansi kwalo.
31 Joash said to all who opposed him, “Will you plead the case for Baal? Will you save him? Whoever pleads the case for him, let him be put to death while it is still morning. If Baal is a god, let him defend himself when someone pulls his altar apart.”
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 Therefore on that day they called Gideon “Jerub Baal,” because he said, “Let Baal defend himself against him,” because Gideon broke down Baal's altar.
Ngakho ngalolosuku wambiza ngokuthi nguJerubali, esithi: UBhali kalwe laye, ngoba ulidilizile ilathi lakhe.
33 Now all the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the people of the east gathered together. They 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 But the Spirit of Yahweh came over Gideon. Gideon blew a trumpet, calling out the clan of Abiezer, so they might follow him.
LoMoya weNkosi wembesa uGidiyoni; wavuthela uphondo, lamaAbiyezeri abizwa emva kwakhe.
35 He sent messengers all throughout Manasseh, and they too, were called out to follow him. He also sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they went up to meet him.
Wasethuma izithunywa kuye wonke uManase, labo futhi babizwa emva kwakhe. Wasethuma izithunywa koAsheri lakoZebuluni lakoNafithali; basebesiza ukubahlangabeza.
36 Gideon said to God, “If you intend to use me to save Israel, as you have said—
UGidiyoni wasesithi kuNkulunkulu: Uba uzasindisa uIsrayeli ngesandla sami njengokutsho kwakho,
37 Look, I am putting a woolen fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that you will use me to save Israel, as you 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 This is what happened—Gideon rose early the next morning, he pressed the fleece together, and wrung out the dew from the fleece, enough to fill a bowl with 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, I will speak one more time. Please allow me one more test using the fleece. This time make the fleece dry, and let there be dew on all the ground around it.”
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 God did what he asked for that night. The fleece was dry, and there was dew on all the ground around it.
UNkulunkulu wasesenza njalo ngalobobusuku; ngoba kwaba lokoma eboyeni obugundiweyo kuphela, kodwa emhlabathini wonke kwaba lamazolo.
