Kwafika ingelosi kaJehova, yahlala phansi kwe-oki* lase-Ofira likaJowashi umAbiyezeri; indodana yakhe uGideyoni yayibhula ukolweni esikhamweni sewayini ukuba amthukusele abakwaMidiyani. Ingelosi kaJehova yabonakala kuye, yathi kuye: “UJehova unawe wena qhawe elinamandla.”
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.”
UJehova wambheka, wathi: “Hamba ngalawa mandla akho, umsindise u-Israyeli esandleni sakwaMidiyani; angikuthumanga na?”
Wathi kuye: “O Nkosi, ngiyakumsindisa u-Israyeli ngantoni na? Bheka, umndeni wami umpofu kwaManase, mina ngingomncinyane endlini kababa.”
UJehova wathi kuye: “Impela ngiyakuba nawe; uyakubabulala abakwaMidiyani kungathi bangumuntu munye.”
Wathi kuye: “Uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, unginike isibonakaliso ukuthi nguwe okhuluma nami. Ake ungamuki lapha, ngize ngibuyele kuwe, ngilethe isipho sami, ngisibeke phambi kwakho.”
Wayesethi: “Ngiyakuhlala uze ubuye.”
UGideyoni wangena, walungisa izinyane lembuzi namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo e-efa* lempuphu; wayibeka inyama eqomeni, wawuthela umhluzi ekhanzini, wakukhiphela kuye phansi kwe-oki,* wakunikela.
Ingelosi kaNkulunkulu yathi kuye: “Thatha inyama namaqebelengwane angenamvubelo, ukubeke edwaleni leli, uwuthulule umhluzi.” Wenze njalo. 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. Wayesebona uGideyoni ukuthi iyingelosi kaJehova; uGideyoni wathi: “Maye, Nkosi Nkulunkulu! Ngokuba ngibonile ingelosi kaJehova ubuso nobuso.”
UJehova wathi kuye: “Ukuthula makube kuwe; ungesabi, awuyikufa.”
UGideyoni wamakhela uJehova i-altare khona, waliqamba igama lokuthi iJehova Shalomi; kuze kube namuhla lisekhona e-Ofira lama-Abiyezeri.
Kwathi ngalobo busuku uJehova wathi kuye: “Thatha iduna likayihlo nenye inkunzi eneminyaka eyisikhombisa, ubhidlize i-altare likaBali uyihlo analo, ugawule u-Ashera* ongakulo, umakhele uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho i-altare esiqongweni sale nqaba ngokuhlelekileyo, uyithathe inkunzi yesibili, unikele ngomnikelo wokushiswa ngezinkuni zika-Ashera* ozakumgawula.”
UGideyoni wayesethatha amadoda ayishumi ezincekwini zakhe, wenza njengalokho uJehova ekhulumile kuye; kwathi lokhu ebesaba abendlu kayise nabantu bomuzi ukuba angakwenzi emini, wakwenza ebusuku.
Lapho abantu bomuzi bevuka ekuseni kakhulu, bheka, i-altare likaBali lase libhidliziwe, no-Ashera* owayengakulo wayegawuliwe, nenkunzi yesibili yayinikelwe phezu kwe-altare elalakhiwe.
Bakhuluma omunye komunye, bathi: “Kwenziwe ngubani lokhu na?”
Lapho becinga bebuza, bathi: “NguGideyoni indodana kaJowashi owenze lokhu.”
Base bethi abantu bomuzi kuJowashi: “Khipha indodana yakho ukuba ife, ngokuba ilibhidlizile i-altare likaBali nangokuba imgawulile u-Ashera* owayengakulo.”
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.” Ngalokho ngalolo suku wambiza ngokuthi uJerubali,* ethi: “UBali makalwe naye ngokuba elibhidlizile i-altare lakhe.”