Abahluleli 6

1 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi; iNkosi yasibanikela esandleni sikaMidiyani iminyaka eyisikhombisa.

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Madiam seven years.

2 Lesandla sikaMidiyani saba lamandla phezu kukaIsrayeli. Ngenxa kaMidiyani abantwana bakoIsrayeli bazenzela imihume esezintabeni, lembalu, lezinqaba.

And the hand of Madiam prevailed against Israel: and the children of Israel made for themselves because of Madiam the caves in the mountains, and the dens, and the holes in the rocks.

3 Kwasekusithi uIsrayeli esehlanyele, enyuka amaMidiyani lamaAmaleki labantwana bempumalanga, benyuka bamelana labo,

And it came to pass when the children of Israel sowed, that Madiam and Amalec went up, and the children of the east went up together with them.

4 bamisa inkamba maqondana labo, bachitha izithelo zelizwe, uze ufike eGaza, njalo kabatshiyanga okondlayo koIsrayeli loba imvu loba inkabi loba ubabhemi.

And they encamped against them, and destroyed their fruits until they came to Gaza; and they left not the support of life in the land of Israel, not even ox or ass amongst the herds.

5 Ngoba bona benyuka lezifuyo zabo lamathente abo, bafika njengokugcwala kwentethe ngobunengi, okokuthi bona lamakamela abo babengelanani; basebengena elizweni ukulichitha.

For they and their stock came up, and their tents were with them, as the locust in multitude, and there was no number to them and their camels; and they came to the land of Israel, and laid it waste.

6 UIsrayeli wasesiba ngumyanga kakhulu ngenxa yamaMidiyani, labantwana bakoIsrayeli bakhala eNkosini.

And Israel was greatly impoverished because of Madiam.

7 Kwasekusithi lapho abantwana bakoIsrayeli bekhala eNkosini ngenxa yamaMidiyani,

And the children of Israel cried to the Lord because of Madiam.

8 iNkosi yathuma umprofethi kubantwana bakoIsrayeli, owathi kibo: Itsho njalo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli: Mina ngalenyusa lisuka eGibhithe ngalikhupha endlini yobugqili,

And the Lord sent a prophet to the children of Israel; and he said to them, Thus says the Lord God of Israel, I am he that brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and I brought you up out of the house of your bondage.

9 ngalihluthuna esandleni samaGibhithe, lesandleni sabo bonke abalicindezelayo, ngabaxotsha phambi kwenu, ngalinika ilizwe labo,

And I delivered you out of the hand of Egypt, and out of the hand of all that afflicted you, and I cast them out before you; and I gave you their land.

10 ngathi kini: NgiyiNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu; lingesabi onkulunkulu bamaAmori elihlala elizweni lawo. Kodwa kalililalelanga ilizwi lami.

And I said to you, I [am] the Lord your God: you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but you listened not to my voice.

11 Kwasekufika ingilosi yeNkosi, yahlala ngaphansi kwesihlahla se-okhi esiseOfira, esasingesikaJowashi umAbiyezeri, lendodana yakhe uGidiyoni yayibhula ingqoloyi esikhamelweni sewayini, ukuze iyifihlele amaMidiyani.

And an angel of the Lord came, and sat down under the fir tree, which was in Ephratha in the land of Joas father of Esdri; and Gedeon his son [was] threshing wheat in a wine-press in order to escape from the face of Madiam.

12 Ingilosi yeNkosi yasibonakala kuye, yathi kuye: INkosi ilawe, qhawe elilamandla.

And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, The Lord [is] with you, you mighty in strength.

13 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.

And Gedeon said to him, [Be gracious] with me, my Lord: but if the Lord is with us, why have these evils found us? and where are all his miracles, which our fathers have related to us, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt? and now he has cast us out, and given us into the hand of Madiam.

14 INkosi yasiphendukela kuye yathi: Hamba ngalamandla akho, ukhulule uIsrayeli esandleni samaMidiyani. Kangikuthumanga yini?

And the angel of the Lord turned to him, and said, Go in this your strength, and you shall save Israel out of the hand of Madiam: behold, I have sent you.

15 Wasesithi kuyo: Hawu Nkosi yami, ngizamkhulula ngani uIsrayeli? Khangela, usendo lwami lungumyanga koManase, njalo ngingomncinyane endlini kababa.

And Gedeon said to him, [Be gracious] with me, my Lord: whereby shall I save Israel? behold, my thousand is weakened in Manasse, and I am the least in my father's house.

16 INkosi yasisithi kuye: Ngoba ngizakuba lawe, uzawatshaya-ke amaMidiyani njengendodanye.

And the angel of the Lord said to him, The Lord shall be with you, and you shall strike Madiam as one man.

17 Wasesithi kuyo: Uba khathesi ngithole umusa emehlweni akho, ngenzela isibonakaliso sokuthi nguwe okhuluma lami.

And Gedeon said to him, If now I have found mercy in your eyes, and you will do this day for me all that you have spoken of with me,

18 Ake ungasuki lapha, ngize ngibuye kuwe, ngikhuphe isipho sami, ngisibeke phambi kwakho. Yasisithi: Mina ngizahlala uze uphenduke.

depart not hence until I come to you, and I will bring forth an offering and offer it before you: and he said, I will remain until you return.

19 UGidiyoni wasengena, walungisa izinyane lembuzi, lezinkwa ezingelamvubelo nge-efa lempuphu, inyama wayifaka esitsheni, lomhluzi wawufaka embizeni, wakukhuphela kuyo ngaphansi kwesihlahla se-okhi, wakusondeza.

And Gedeon went in, and prepared a kid of the goats, and an ephah of fine flour unleavened; and he put the flesh in the basket, and poured the broth into the pot, and brought them forth to him under the turpentine tree, and drew near.

20 Ingilosi kaNkulunkulu yasisithi kuye: Thatha inyama lezinkwa ezingelamvubelo, ukubeke phezu kwalelidwala, ubusuthela umhluzi. Wasesenza njalo.

And the angel of God said to him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and put them on that rock, and pour out the broth close by: and he did so.

21 Ingilosi yeNkosi yasiselula isihloko somqwayi owawusesandleni sayo, yathinta inyama lezinkwa ezingelamvubelo; kwasekusenyuka umlilo uphuma edwaleni, wadla inyama lezinkwa ezingelamvubelo. Lengilosi yeNkosi yasuka emehlweni akhe.

And the angel of the Lord stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened bread; and fire came up out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened bread, and the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight.

22 UGidiyoni wasebona ukuthi yayiyingilosi yeNkosi. UGidiyoni wathi: Maye, Nkosi Jehova! Ngenxa yokuthi ngibone ingilosi yeNkosi ubuso ngobuso.

And Gedeon saw that he was an angel of the Lord; and Gedeon said, Ah, ah, Lord my God! for I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.

23 Kodwa iNkosi yathi kuye: Ukuthula kakube kuwe, ungesabi, kawuyikufa.

And the Lord said to him, Peace be to you, fear not, you shall not die.

24 UGidiyoni waseyakhela iNkosi ilathi lapho, walibiza ngokuthi uJehova-shalomi. Kuze kube lamuhla lisesekhona eOfira lamaAbiyezeri.

And Gedeon built there an altar to the Lord, and called it The peace of the Lord, until this day, as it is still inEphratha of the father of Esdri.

25 Kwasekusithi ngalobobusuku iNkosi yathi kuye: Thatha ijongosi lenkunzi engekayihlo, ngitsho ijongosi lesibili elileminyaka eyisikhombisa, udilize ilathi likaBhali elingelikayihlo, lesixuku esiphansi kwalo usigamule;

And it came to pass in that night, that the Lord said to him, Take the young bullock which your father has, even the second bullock of seven years old, and you shall destroy the altar of Baal which your father has, and the grove which is by itthou shall destroy.

26 wakhele iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ilathi phezu kwengqonga yalinqaba, njengokwejwayelekileyo; ubusuthatha ijongosi lesibili, unikele umnikelo wokutshiswa ngenkuni zesixuku ozasigamula.

And you shall build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of this Maozi in the ordering[it], and you shall take the second bullock, and shall offer up whole burnt offerings with the wood of the grove, which you shall destroy.

27 UGidiyoni wasethatha amadoda alitshumi ezincekwini zakhe, wenza njengokutsho kweNkosi kuye; kodwa kwathi ngenxa yokuthi wayesesaba indlu kayise lamadoda omuzi ukukwenza emini, wakwenza ebusuku.

And Gedeon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord spoke to him: and it came to pass, as he feared the house of his father and the men of the city if he should do it by day, that he did it by night.

28 Lapho amadoda omuzi evuka ekuseni kakhulu, khangela, ilathi likaBhali lalidiliziwe, lesixuku esasiphansi kwalo sesiganyuliwe, lejongosi lesibili lanikelwa phezu kwelathi elaselakhiwe.

And the men of the city rose up early in the morning; and behold, the altar of Baal had been demolished, and the grove by it had been destroyed; and they saw the second bullock, which Gedeon offered on the altar that had been built.

29 Basebesithi omunye komunye: Ngubani owenze loludaba? Nxa sebedingile bebuza bathi: UGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi wenze loludaba.

And a man said to his neighbour, Who has done this thing? and they enquired and searched, and learnt that Gedeon the son of Joas had done this thing.

30 Amadoda omuzi asesithi kuJowashi: Khupha indodana yakho ukuze ife, ngoba idilizile ilathi likaBhali, langoba igamule isixuku esasiphansi kwalo.

And the men of the city said to Joas, Bring out your son, and let him die, because he has destroyed the altar of Baal, and because he has destroyed the grove that is by it.

31 Kodwa uJowashi wathi kubo bonke ababemi ngakuye: Lina lizamlwela uBhali yini, kumbe lina limsindise? Omlwelayo uzabulawa kusesekuseni. Uba engunkulunkulu, kazilwele, ngoba ilathi lakhe lidiliziwe.

And Gedeon the son of Joas said to all the men who rose up against him, Do you now plead for Baal, or will you save him? whoever will plead for him, let him be slain this morning: if he be a god let him plead for himself, [because] one has thrown down his altar.

32 Ngakho ngalolosuku wambiza ngokuthi nguJerubali, esithi: UBhali kalwe laye, ngoba ulidilizile ilathi lakhe.

And he called it in that day Jerobaal, saying, Let Baal plead thereby, because his altar has been thrown down.

33 Lawo wonke amaMidiyani lamaAmaleki labantwana bempumalanga babuthana ndawonye, bachapha, bamisa inkamba esigodini seJizereyeli.

And all Madiam, and Amalek, and the sons of the east gathered themselves together, and encamped in the valley of Jezrael.

34 LoMoya weNkosi wembesa uGidiyoni; wavuthela uphondo, lamaAbiyezeri abizwa emva kwakhe.

And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gedeon, and he blew with the horn, and Abiezer came to help after him.

35 Wasethuma izithunywa kuye wonke uManase, labo futhi babizwa emva kwakhe. Wasethuma izithunywa koAsheri lakoZebuluni lakoNafithali; basebesiza ukubahlangabeza.

And [Gedeon] sent messengers into all Manasse, and into Aser, and into Zabulon, and into Nephthali; and he went up to meet them.

36 UGidiyoni wasesithi kuNkulunkulu: Uba uzasindisa uIsrayeli ngesandla sami njengokutsho kwakho,

And Gedeon said to God, If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said,

37 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.

behold, I put the fleece of wool in the threshing floor: if there be dew on the fleece only, and drought on all the ground, I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.

38 Kwasekusiba njalo. Lapho evuka ngovivi kusisa, wacindezela uboya obugundiweyo, wakhama amazolo eboyeni obugundiweyo, umganu ogcwele amanzi.

And it was so: and he rose up early in the morning, and wrung the fleece, and dew dropped from the fleece, a bowl full of water.

39 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.

And Gedeon said to God, Let not, I pray you, your anger be kindled with me, and I will speak yet once; I will even yet make one trial more with the fleece: let now the drought be upon the fleece only, and let there be dew on all the ground.

40 UNkulunkulu wasesenza njalo ngalobobusuku; ngoba kwaba lokoma eboyeni obugundiweyo kuphela, kodwa emhlabathini wonke kwaba lamazolo.

And God did so in that night; and there was drought on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.