Judges 7
1 Jerub-baal (Gideon) and those who were with him got up early and went and camped by the Harod spring. The Midianite camp was to the north in the valley near the Moreh hill.
Ekuseni kakhulu uJerubhi-Bhali (lowo nguGidiyoni) labantu bakhe bonke bamisa emthonjeni waseHarodi. Izihonqo zamaMidiyani zazingasenyakatho kwabo esigodini eduzane lentaba yaseMore.
2 The Lord told Gideon, “There are too many soldiers with you for me to hand over the Midianites to them, otherwise Israel will brag to me, saying, ‘I saved myself by my own strength.’
UThixo wathi kuGidiyoni, “Abantu olabo banengi kakhulu ukuba nginikele amaMidiyani ezandleni zabo. Ukuze u-Israyeli angazincomi kimi esithi amandla akhe amsindisile,
3 So tell the soldiers, ‘Anyone who is worried or afraid can leave Mount Gilead and go back home.’” Twenty-two thousand of them went back home, but ten thousand stayed.
memezela ebantwini khathesi nje uthi, ‘Lowo othuthumelayo ngenxa yokwesaba angabuyela emuva asuke eNtabeni iGiliyadi.’” Ngakho abantu abazinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili lambili babuyela, kwathi abazinkulungwane ezilitshumi basala.
4 Then the Lord told Gideon, “There are still too many soldiers. Take them down to the water and I will reduce them for you. Whoever I tell you, ‘He shall go with you,’ he shall go. But anyone that I say, ‘He shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”
Kodwa uThixo wathi kuGidiyoni, “Abantu balokhu bebanengi kakhulu. Behlisele emanzini, ngizakuhlolela bona khonale. Ngingathi, ‘Lo uzahamba lawe,’ uzahamba; kodwa ngingathi, ‘Lo kazukuhamba lawe,’ akayikuhamba.”
5 Gideon took the soldiers down to the water. The Lord told Gideon, “Set to one side those who lap the water with their tongues, like a dog does, and on the other side those who kneel down to drink.”
Ngakho uGidiyoni wabathatha abantu wabasa ngasemanzini. Khonapho uThixo wathi kuGidiyoni, “Yehlukanisa labo abaxhapha amanzi ngolimi lwabo njengenja kulabo abaguqa phansi ukuba banathe.”
6 Three hundred lapped water from their hands to their mouths. All the rest knelt down to drink the water.
Abantu abangamakhulu amathathu bakhaphazela amanzi emilonyeni yabo ngezandla zabo. Abanye bonke baguqa phansi ngamadolo abo ukuba banathe.
7 The Lord told Gideon, “With these three hundred men that lapped I will save you and hand over the Midianites to you. Let all the rest of the soldiers go home.”
UThixo wasesithi kuGidiyoni, “Ngamadoda angamakhulu amathathu anathe equthile ngizakusindisa nginikele amaMidiyani ezandleni zakho. Amanye wonke adedele aye emizini yabo.”
8 The three hundred took over the supplies and trumpets of the others. Gideon sent all the rest home, but held onto the three hundred men. The Midianite camp was below him in the valley.
Ngakho uGidiyoni wabuyisela inengi labako-Israyeli emathenteni abo wasala labangamakhulu amathathu, abayibo abathatha ukudla lamacilongo abanye. Izihonqo zamaMidiyani zazingaphansi kwakhe esigodini.
9 That night the Lord spoke to Gideon, “Get up, go down and attack the camp, for I have handed it over to you.
Ngalobobusuku uThixo wathi kuGidiyoni, “Vuka, yehla uyehlasela izihonqo ngoba ngizazinikela ezandleni zakho.
10 But if you are afraid to go down, go with your servant Purah to the camp.
Nxa usesaba ukuhlasela, yehlela ezihonqweni lenceku yakho uPhura
11 You'll hear what they're talking about and then you'll have the courage to attack the camp.” So he took his servant Purah with him and went to the edge of the camp where armed men were on guard.
ulalele abakutshoyo. Emva kwalokho uzakuba lesibindi sokuhlasela izihonqo.” Ngakho yena loPhura inceku yakhe behlela emaphethelweni ezihonqo.
12 The Midianites, Amalekites, and all the peoples of the East filled the valley like a swarm of locusts, and as for their camels, they were as uncountable as the sand on the seashore.
AmaMidiyani lama-Amaleki kanye labanye bonke abasempumalanga babemise esigodini, bebanengi njengentethe. Amakamela abo ayengeke abalwe njengetshebetshebe okhunjini lolwandle.
13 Just as Gideon arrived, a man was telling his friend about a dream he'd had. He was saying, “I had this dream. I dreamed I saw a round loaf of barley bread come rolling into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, knocking it upside-down, flat on the ground!”
UGidiyoni wafika omunye umuntu esatshela umngane wakhe iphupho lakhe. Wathi, “Ngiphuphe iphupho. Isinkwa sebhali esiyindilinga size sigiqikela ezihonqweni zamaMidiyani. Sitshaye ithente ngamandla amakhulu ithente lagenquka lawohlokela phansi.”
14 “This can only represent the victory by the sword of Gideon, son of Joash, a man of Israel,” his friend answered. “God has handed over to him the Midianites and everyone else camped here.”
Umngane wakhe waphendula wathi, “Lokhu akungeke kube ngolunye ulutho ngaphandle kwenkemba kaGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi, umʼIsrayeli. UNkulunkulu usenikele amaMidiyani lezihonqo zonke ezandleni zakhe.”
15 When Gideon heard the dream and what it meant, he bowed in thanks to God. He went back to the Israelite camp and announced, “On your feet! For the Lord has handed over the Midianite camp to you!”
Kwathi uGidiyoni esezwe iphupho lelo lengcazelo yalo, wakhonza. Wabuyela ezihonqweni zako-Israyeli wamemeza esithi, “Vukani! UThixo usenikele izihonqo zamaMidiyani ezandleni zenu!”
16 He divided the three hundred men into three companies. He handed them all trumpets, and empty jars with torches inside them.
Esehlukanise abantu abangamakhulu amathathu baba ngamaviyo amathathu, bonke wabanika amacilongo lezimbizanyana ezingelalutho, zilezibane phakathi.
17 “Watch me and follow my example,” he told them. “So when I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly what I do.
Wathi kubo, “Ngikhangelani. Lingilandele. Lapho sengifike emaphethelweni ezihonqo, lenze engizabe ngikwenza.
18 Immediately I and those with me blow the trumpets, then you blow your trumpets from all around the camp, and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”
Nxa mina labo bonke abalami sesitshaya amacilongo ethu, lina ezindaweni zonke zezihonqo likhalise awenu limemeza lisithi, ‘NgekaThixo lekaGidiyoni.’”
19 Gideon and the hundred men who with him arrived at the edge of the camp around midnight, after the guards were changed. They blew their trumpets and smashed the jars they were holding.
UGidiyoni lamadoda alikhulu ayelaye bafika emaphethelweni ezihonqo ekuqaliseni komlindo waphakathi, besanda kuntshintsha abalindi. Bakhalisa amacilongo abo babulala lenkonxa ababeziphethe.
20 All three companies blew their trumpets and smashed their jars. They held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands, and they shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”
Amaviyo amathathu akhalisa amacilongo abulala inkonxa. Bephethe izibane ngezandla zabo zenxele, ezandleni zokudla bephethe amacilongo ababezawakhalisa, bamemeza bathi, “Inkemba kaThixo lekaGidiyoni!”
21 Each man stood in his place encircling the camp, and all the enemy soldiers ran around shouting—then they fled.
Umuntu munye ngamunye wayemi endaweni yakhe behanqe izihonqo, amaMidiyani wonke agijima, ehlaba umkhosi ebaleka.
22 When they blew the three hundred trumpets, the Lord made all the men in the camp attack one other with their swords. The enemy army fled to Beth-shittah near Zererah, all the way to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.
Kwathi amacilongo angamakhulu amathathu esekhala, uThixo wenza ukuthi abantu ababesezindaweni zonke ezihonqweni bahlaselane ngezinkemba zabo. Ibutho labalekela eBhethi-Shitha ngokuya eZerera kusiyafika emngceleni we-Abheli-Mehola eduzane leThabathi.
23 The Israelite soldiers were summoned from Naphtali, Asher, and all of Manasseh, and they chased after the Midianites.
Abako-Israyeli labakoNafithali, labako-Asheri labo bonke abakoManase babizwa, baxotshana lamaMidiyani.
24 Gideon sent messengers through all the hill country of Ephraim saying, “Come and attack the Midianites, and take control of the Jordan fords ahead of them as far as Beth-barah.” So all the men of Ephraim were summoned, and they took control of the Jordan fords as far as Beth-barah.
UGidiyoni wathuma izithunywa kulolonke ilizwe lamaqaqa elako-Efrayimi, esithi, “Yehlani lihlasele amaMidiyani lithumbe iziziba zaseJodani phambi kwawo kusiyafika eBhethi-Bhara.” Ngakho bonke abantu bako-Efrayimi babizwa bazithumba iziziba zaseJodani kusiyafika eBhethi-Bhara.
25 They also captured Oreb and Zeeb, two of the Midianite commanders. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They continued chasing down the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb back to Gideon who was on the other side of the Jordan.
Bathumba labakhokheli bamaMidiyani ababili, u-Orebhi loZebhi. U-Orebhi bambulalela edwaleni lika-Orebhi, uZebhi esikhamelweni sewayini sikaZebhi. Baxotshana lamaMidiyani, amakhanda ka-Orebhi loZebhi bawasa kuGidiyoni owayeseJodani.
