Abahluleli 7:1-25
7 UJerubhali, okutjho uGidiyoni,+ nabo boke abantu abanaye bavuka ekuseni bahloma ikampa emThonjeni kaRharodi, ngesikhathi ikampa yakwaMidiyani ingetlhagwinakhe embundwini weMore emrhobeni othabaleleko.
2 Nje-ke uJehova wathi kuGidiyoni: “Abantu abanawe banengi khulu bona nginganikela amaMidiyani esandleni sabo.+ Nangingenza njalo, u-Israyeli angazikhakhazisa aphikisane nami athi, ‘Sisandla sami esingisindisileko.’+
3 Ngalokho, ngibawa umemezele ebantwini uthi: ‘Nanyana ngubani osabako nothuthumelako akabuyele ekhaya.’”+ Yeke uGidiyoni wabavivinya. Ngokunjalo, abantu abazii-22 000 hlangana nabo babuyela ekhaya, kwasala abazii-10 000.
4 Nanyana kunjalo, uJehova wathi kuGidiyoni: “Abantwaba basese banengi khulu. Yehlela nabo emanzini bona ngiyokuvivinyela bona lapho. Nangithi kuwe, ‘Lo uzokukhamba nawe,’ uzokukhamba nawe kodwana nangithi kuwe, ‘Lo akazukukhamba nawe,’ angekhe akhambe nawe.”
5 Yeke wehlela nabantu emanzini.
UJehova wathi kuGidiyoni: “Hlukanisa woke umuntu oqabha amanzi ngelimi njengenja, kilabo abaguqa ngamadolo bona basele.”
6 Isibalo salabo abaqabha amanzi, ababeka isandla sabo emlonyeni, besimadoda ama-300. Boke abanye abantu baguqa ngamadolo bona basele.
7 UJehova wathi kuGidiyoni: “Ngizonisindisa ngamadoda ama-300 aqabhe amanzi begodu ngizokunikela amaMidiyani esandleni sakho.+ Kodwana tjela boke abanye abantu bona babuyele ekhaya.”
8 Kwathi ngemva kokuthi bathathe imiphako namaphondo ebantwini, watjela woke amanye amadoda wakwa-Israyeli bona abuyele ekhaya wasala namadoda ama-300 kwaphela. Ikampa yakwaMidiyani beyingenzasi kwakhe emrhobeni othabaleleko.+
9 Phakathi nobusukobo, uJehova wathi kuye: “Vuka, sahlela ikampa ngombana ngiyinikele esandleni sakho.+
10 Kodwana nangabe uyasaba ukusahlela, yehlela ekampeni noPura umsizakho.
11 Lalela ukuthi bathini, ngemva kwalokho uzokuba nesibindi sokusahlela ikampa.” Khonokho yena nomsizakhe uPura behlela emaphethelweni wekampa yamabutho.
12 Nje-ke amaMidiyani nama-Amalekhi nabo boke abantu bePumalanga+ bagubuzesa umrhoba othabaleleko njengesikhonyani begodu amakamelabo bewanganasibalo,+ amanengi njengehlabathi emagega nelwandle.
13 UGidiyoni wafika begodu bekunendoda etjela umnganayo ngebhudango, ithi: “Nanti ibhudango engilibhudangileko. Bekunoburotho bebhali obuyindulungu bugedekela ngekampeni yakwaMidiyani. Bafika etendeni balibetha ngamandla lathi dusu phasi.+ Kwamambala, baketula itende lafadalala phasi.”
14 Nakezwa lokho umnganakhe wathi: “Lokhu kungaba kwaphela yisabula kaGidiyoni,+ indodana kaJowatjhi, umuntu wakwa-Israyeli. UZimu unikele uMidiyani nayo yoke ikampa esandleni sakhe.”+
15 Msinyana ngemva kobana uGidiyoni amuzwe atjho ibhudango nehlathululo yalo,+ wakhothama walotjha. Ngemva kwalokho, wabuyela ekampeni yakwa-Israyeli wathi: “Vukani ngombana uJehova unikele ikampa yakwaMidiyani esandleni senu.”
16 Ngemva kwalokho, wahlukanisa abantu abama-300 baba ziinqhema ezintathu begodu boke wabanikela amaphondo+ nemijeka emikhulu enganalitho eneembani ngaphakathi.
17 Wathi kibo: “Ngiqalani begodu nenze patsi lokho engikwenzako. Nangifika emaphethelweni wekampa, kufuze nenze njengombana ngenza.
18 Nangivuthela iphondo, mina nabo boke abanami, nani kufuze nivuthele amaphondo ekampeni yoke nirhuwelele nithi, ‘KaJehova nekaGidiyoni!’”
19 UGidiyoni namadoda ali-100 ebewanaye bafika emaphethelweni wekampa ekuthomeni komlindo webusuku ophakathi,* msinyana ngemva kobana kubekwe abonogada. Bavuthela amaphondo+ begodu baphihliza imijeka emikhulu yamanzi ebebayiphethe.+
20 Nje-ke iinqhema ezintathu zavuthela amaphondo zaphadlha nemijeka emikhulu. Babamba iimbani ngezandla zesincele bese bavuthela amaphondo asezandleni zabo zokudla, barhuwelela bathi: “Isabula kaJehova nekaGidiyoni!”
21 Phakathi naso soke isikhathesi, indoda ngayinye beyijame endawenayo magega nayo yoke ikampa begodu loke ibutho labaleka, lirhuwelela njengombana libaleka.+
22 Abama-300 baraga nokuvuthela amaphondo, uJehova wenza bona bajikelane, bahlabane ngeensabula zabo ekampeni yoke;+ ibutho labaleka belayokufika eBhethe-Tjhitha, langena eTserera kufikela emaphethelweni we-Abela-Merhola+ hlanu kweThabathi.
23 Kwabizelwa ndawonye amadoda wakwa-Israyeli avela kwaNafitali, kwa-Atjheri nakwaManase,+ woke agijimisa uMidiyani.
24 UGidiyoni wathumela iinthunywa kiso soke isifunda seentaba sakwa-Efrayimu, wathi: “Yehlani niyokusahlela amaMidiyani, akhambeleni phambili nifike eBhethe-Bhara neMlanjeni iJordani ukuze niwavimbe bona angayami umlambo.” Yeke kwabuthelelwa woke amadoda wakwa-Efrayimu begodu bawavimba bekwafika eBhethe-Bhara neJordani.
25 Godu babamba amakhosana amabili wakwaMidiyani, u-Orebi noZebi; babulala u-Orebi edwaleni laka-Orebi,+ babulala uZebi emgodini wokutlhodlhela iwayini kaZebi. Basolo bagijimisa uMidiyani+ begodu baletha iinhloko zaka-Orebi noZebi kuGidiyoni esifundeni seJordani.
Imitlolo Ephasi
^ Kusukela pheze ngesimbi ye-10 ebusuku ukuya pheze ngesimbi ye-2 ekuseni.
