ABahluleli 7:1-25
7 UJerubhali obizwa langokuthi nguGidiyoni+ labo bonke abantu ayelabo bavuka ekuseni kakhulu bayamisa inkamba yabo duze komthombo waseHarodi. Inkamba yamaMidiyani yona yayisemagcekeni ngasenyakatho kwabo, eqaqeni lwaseMore.
2 UJehova wasesithi kuGidiyoni: “Angisoze nginikele amaMidiyani ezandleni zenu ngoba abantu olabo banengi kakhulu.+ Phela abako-Israyeli bangacina bezikhukhumeza besebesithi kimi, ‘Izandla zethu yizo ezisikhululileyo.’+
3 Khathesi ngicela utshele abantu uthi: ‘Loba ngubani owesabayo kumbe olovalo kabuyele ngekhaya.’”+ Ngakho uGidiyoni wabalinga ngamazwi la. Amadoda angu-22 000 athi esizwa lokhu abuyela emakhaya kwasala angu-10 000.
4 Lanxa kunjalo uJehova wathi kuGidiyoni: “Abantu laba balokhu bebanengi kakhulu. Bahambise esifuleni ukuze ngibahlole. Nxa ngingathi, ‘Lo uzahamba lawe,’ nguye ozahamba laye, kodwa ngingathi, ‘Lo kasoze ahambe lawe,’ kasoze ahambe.”
5 Ngakho wahamba labo esifuleni.
UJehova wasesithi kuGidiyoni: “Khetha bonke abanatha amanzi ngesandla bemile, ubehlukanise lalabo abanatha beguqile.”
6 Amadoda ayenatha ngesandla emile ayengu-300. Wonke amanye ayenatha eguqile.
7 UJehova wathi kuGidiyoni: “Ngizalikhulula ngamadoda la angu-300 anathe amanzi emile njalo ngizanikela amaMidiyani esandleni sakho.+ Tshela bonke abanye babuyele emizini yabo.”
8 Ngakho bathi sebethethe ukudla lempondo kwamanye amabutho, uGidiyoni watshela amabutho lawo ukuthi abuyele emakhaya, kwasala amadoda angu-300. Inkamba yamaMidiyani yayingaphansi esigodini.+
9 Ngalobobusuku uJehova wathi kuye: “Sukuma uhlasele inkamba yabo ngoba sengibanikele ezandleni zakho.+
10 Kodwa nxa usesaba ukubahlasela, yehla lenceku yakho uPhura liye enkambeni yabo,
11 ufike ulalele abakukhulumayo. Ngemva kwalokho uzakuba lesibindi sokuhlasela* inkamba yabo.” Ngakho uGidiyoni lenceku yakhe uPhura bahamba bayafika eduze lenkamba yamabutho esitha.
12 AmaMidiyani lama-Amaleki labantu bonke beMpumalanga+ babebuthene esigodini bebanengi angani zintethe. Amakamela abo lawo ayemanengi kakhulu+ angathi yitshebetshebe ekhunjini lolwandle.
13 UGidiyoni wafika enkambeni yabo omunye umuntu elandisela umngane wakhe iphupho esithi: “Nanti iphupho engiliphuphileyo. Bekulesinkwa sebhali esiyindingilizi ebesigiqika sisiza enkambeni yamaMidiyani. Sigiqike safika satshaya itende lawa,+ saligenqula lakhangela phezulu.”
14 Umngane wakhe wasesithi: “Le yinkemba kaGidiyoni+ indodana kaJowashi um-Israyeli. UNkulunkulu usenikele uMidiyani labo bonke abasenkambeni esandleni sakhe.”+
15 UGidiyoni wathi esizwa iphupho lelo lokuthi lalisitshoni,+ wakhothama wakhonza uNkulunkulu. Ngemva kwalokho wabuyela enkambeni yabako-Israyeli wafika wathi: “Sukumani ngoba uJehova usenikele inkamba yamaMidiyani ezandleni zenu.”
16 UGidiyoni wehlukanisa amadoda angu-300 aba ngamaqembu amathathu. Wanika indoda ngayinye uphondo+ lembiza yamanzi enkulu elesibane phakathi.
17 Wasesithi kuwo: “Lingikhangele lenze lokho engizakwenza. Nxa ngingafika eduze lenkamba yabo kumele lilandele lokho engizakwenza.
18 Nxa mina lalabo engilabo singatshaya impondo, lani kumele litshaye impondo zenu ligombolozele inkamba yabo, limemeze lithi, ‘Inkemba kaJehova lekaGidiyoni!’”
19 UGidiyoni lamadoda angu-100 ayelawo basondela enkambeni yamaMidiyani ekuqaliseni komlindo wesibili ebusuku,* kusanda kutshintshwa abalindi. Batshaya impondo+ baphahlazela phansi imbiza ezinkulu ababezithwele.+
20 Amaqembu womathathu lawo atshaya impondo aphahlazela phansi imbiza ezinkulu. Babephethe izibane esandleni senxele futhi babetshaya impondo ababezibambe ngesandla sokudla, bememeza besithi: “Inkemba kaJehova lekaGidiyoni!”
21 Ngalesosikhathi wonke amadoda ayemile endaweni zawo ehanqe inkamba. Bonke ababesenkambeni yamaMidiyani babaleka behlaba umkhosi.+
22 Amadoda angu-300 aqhubeka etshaya impondo njalo uJehova wenza wonke amabutho amaMidiyani ayesenkambeni avukelana ahlaselana ngenkemba.+ Abaleka ayafika eBhethi-shitha, adlula aya eZerera aze ayafika lasemingceleni yase-Abheli-mehola+ eduze kweThabhathi.
23 Kwabizwa amadoda ako-Israyeli ayevela koNafithali lako-Asheri lawo wonke awakoManase,+ axotshanisa amaMidiyani.
24 UGidiyoni wathuma izithunywa kuwo wonke umango wezintaba zako-Efrayimi esithi: “Yehlani liyehlasela amaMidiyani, lithumbe amazibuko* lize liyefika eBhethi-bhara leJodani.” Ngakho wonke amadoda ako-Efrayimi abuthana ndawonye asethumba amazibuko aze ayafika eBhethi-bhara leJodani.
25 Athumba leziphathamandla zakoMidiyani u-Orebhi loZebhi. U-Orebhi ambulalela edwaleni lika-Orebhi+ njalo uZebhi ambulalela esikhamelweni sewayini* sikaZebhi, aqhubeka exotshanisa amaMidiyani.+ Ngemva kwalokhu aletha ikhanda lika-Orebhi lelikaZebhi kuGidiyoni owayesemangweni weJodani.
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiHebheru, “izandla zakho zizaqina uhlasele.”
^ Lesi yisikhathi esisukela kubo-10 ebusuku kusiya kubo-2 ekuseni.
^ Izibuko yindawo lapho okuchatshwa khona umfula.
^ Lapha kutshiwo indawo okuvoxelwa kuyo amagilebisi.
