ABagwebi 7:1-25
7 Emva koko, uYerubhahali, oko kukuthi, uGidiyon,+ nabo bonke abantu ababekunye naye bavuka ekuseni bamisa inkampu equleni laseHarodi, ngoxa inkampu yamaMidiyan yayisemantla kwinduli kaMore, entlanjeni.*
2 UYehova wathi kuGidiyon: “Baninzi kakhulu aba bantu bakunye nawe ukuba ndinganikela uMidiyan esandleni sabo.+ USirayeli angasuke aqhayise athi, ‘Ndizisindise ngokwam.’+
3 Ngoku, yithi kwaba bantu, ‘Nabani na owoyikayo nongcangcazelayo makagoduke.’”+ Ngoko ke, uGidiyon wabavavanya. Emva koko, kwagoduka abantu abayi-22 000, kwashiyeka abayi-10 000.
4 Kodwa uYehova wathi kuGidiyon: “Basebaninzi gqitha aba bantu. Yithi mabehle baye ngasemanzini ukuze ndikuvavanyele bona apho. Xa ndisithi kuwe, ‘Lo uza kuhamba nawe,’ ngulowo oza kuhamba nawe, kodwa xa ndisithi kuwe, ‘Lo akazukuhamba nawe,’ lowo akazukuhamba nawe.”
5 Ngoko wasa aba bantu ngasemanzini.
Waza wathi uYehova kuGidiyon: “Thatha bonke abantu abakha amanzi ngesandla bawasele ngolwimi okwenja, ubahlule kwabo baguqa ngamadolo xa besela.”
6 Inani labantu abasela amanzi ngolwimi bewakha ngesandla laba ngamadoda ayi-300. Bonke abanye abantu baguqa phantsi xa besela.
7 Wathi uYehova kuGidiyon: “Ndiza kunisindisa ngala madoda ayi-300 asele amanzi ngolwimi, kwaye ndiza kumnikela esandleni senu uMidiyan.+ Bonke abanye abantu mabagoduke.”
8 Ngoko ke emva kokuba bethathe umphako neempondo ebantwini, uGidiyon wawagodusa onke amadoda akwaSirayeli, washiya kuphela amadoda ayi-300. Inkampu yamaMidiyan yayisezantsi kwakhe entlanjeni.+
9 Ngobo busuku, uYehova wathi kuye: “Vuka, hlasela le nkampu, kuba ndiyinikele esandleni sakho.+
10 Kodwa ukuba uyoyika, yihla uye kuyo noPura isicaka sakho.
11 Mamela nje loo nto ithethwayo apho, uza kutsho ube nesibindi* sokuyihlasela le nkampu.” Emva koko, uGidiyon noPura isicaka sakhe behla baya kanye ekuqaleni kwenkampu yomkhosi.
12 AmaMidiyan, ama-Amaleki nabo bonke abantu baseMpuma+ babethe saa kuloo ntlambo okwebubu leenkumbi, neenkamela zabo zingenakubaleka,+ zininzi oku kwesanti eselunxwemeni lolwandle.
13 Ngoko ke uGidiyon weza, ibe kwakukho indoda ebalisela umhlobo wayo iphupha layo, isithi: “Ndiphuphe le nto: Bekukho isonka serhasi esirawundi ebesiqengqelekela kwinkampu yamaMidiyan. Siye saqengqeleka sayokubetha intente, yaphethuka yaza yawa bhuma.”+
14 Akuva loo nto, umhlobo wakhe wathi: “Nakanjani, eli likrele likaGidiyon+ unyana kaYowashe, indoda yakwaSirayeli. UThixo unikele uMidiyan nayo yonke inkampu esandleni sakhe.”+
15 Wathi uGidiyon akumva ebalisa elo phupha nentsingiselo yalo,+ waqubuda waza wakhonza. Emva koko wabuyela enkampini yakwaSirayeli waza wathi: “Vukani, kuba uYehova uyinikele kuni inkampu yamaMidiyan.”
16 Wawahlula-hlula la madoda ayi-300 aba ngamaqela amathathu, wawanika onke iimpondo+ neengqayi ezinkulu ezingenanto, kukho izibane ngaphakathi kuzo.
17 Emva koko wathi kuwo: “Jongani kum, nize nenze njengokuba ndisenza. Xa ndifika ekuqaleni kwenkampu, kufuneka nenze loo nto ndiyenzayo.
18 Xa mna nabo bonke endikunye nabo sivuthela uphondo, nani nimele nivuthele uphondo, nijikeleze yonke inkampu, nize nikhwaze nisithi, ‘ElikaYehova nelikaGidiyon!’”
19 UGidiyon namadoda ayi-100 awayekunye naye baya ekuqaleni kwenkampu, xa kanye kutshintshwa oonogada abangena phambi kokuba kube sezinzulwini zobusuku.* Bavuthela iimpondo,+ baziqhekeza neengqayi ezinkulu zamanzi ababeziphethe.+
20 Ngoko la maqela mathathu avuthela iimpondo aza aphula nezo ngqayi zinkulu. Aphatha izibane ngezandla zasekhohlo, evuthela iimpondo ezikwizandla zasekunene, aza akhwaza athi: “Ikrele likaYehova nelikaGidiyon!”
21 Ngalo lonke elo xesha, ndoda nganye yayimi ngendawo yayo, onke ejikeleze inkampu, ibe wabaleka wonke umkhosi, ukhwaza.+
22 La madoda ayi-300 aqhubeka evuthela iimpondo, uYehova wenza ukuba umkhosi osenkampini ujikelane ngamakrele;+ waza loo mkhosi wabaleka de wayokufika eBhete-shita, ukuya eTserera, ukuyokutsho kwimimandla engaphandle yaseAbheli-mehola+ ngaseTabhata.
23 Kwabizelwa ndawonye onke amadoda akwaSirayeli, ukusuka kwaNafetali, kwa-Ashere nakulo lonke elakwaManase,+ aza onke aleqa amaMidiyan.
24 UGidiyon wathumela abathunywa kuwo wonke ummandla weentaba wakwaEfrayim, esithi: “Hambani niye kuhlasela amaMidiyan, niwavalele eBhete-bhara nakuMlambo iYordan, nize nimise amadoda apho ukuze angaweli.” Ngoko onke amadoda akwaEfrayim ahlanganisana aza avala apho ukuyokutsho eBhete-bhara naseYordan.
25 Azibamba zombini iinkosana zakwaMidiyan, uOrebhi noZehebhe; uOrebhi ambulalela kwiliwa likaOrebhi,+ aza uZehebhe ambulalela kwisixovulelo sewayini sikaZehebhe. Aqhubeka ewaleqa amaMidiyan,+ aza abuya nentloko kaOrebhi nekaZehebhe, azizisa kuGidiyon kummandla waseYordan.
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Okanye “ethafeni.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “izandla zakho ziza komelela.”
^ Ukusuka malunga no-10:00 p.m. ukuya kutsho malunga no-2:00 a.m.
