Abahluleli 7
1 Ekuseni kakhulu uJerubhi-Bhali (lowo nguGidiyoni) labantu bakhe bonke bamisa emthonjeni waseHarodi. Izihonqo zamaMidiyani zazingasenyakatho kwabo esigodini eduzane lentaba yaseMore.
And Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, arose early, and all the people that were with him, and they encamped beside the spring Harod; and he had the camp of Midian on the north by the hill of Moreh in the valley.
2 UThixo wathi kuGidiyoni, “Abantu olabo banengi kakhulu ukuba nginikele amaMidiyani ezandleni zabo. Ukuze u-Israyeli angazincomi kimi esithi amandla akhe amsindisile,
And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give Midian into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
3 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.
And now proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whoever is timid and afraid, let him go back and turn from mount Gilead. And there went back of the people twenty-two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
4 Kodwa uThixo wathi kuGidiyoni, “Abantu balokhu bebanengi kakhulu. Behlisele emanzini, ngizakuhlolela bona khonale. Ngingathi, ‘Lo uzahamba lawe,’ uzahamba; kodwa ngingathi, ‘Lo kazukuhamba lawe,’ akayikuhamba.”
And Jehovah said to Gideon, Still the people are many; bring them down to the water, and I will try them for thee there, and it shall be, that of whom I shall say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I shall say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
5 Ngakho uGidiyoni wabathatha abantu wabasa ngasemanzini. Khonapho uThixo wathi kuGidiyoni, “Yehlukanisa labo abaxhapha amanzi ngolimi lwabo njengenja kulabo abaguqa phansi ukuba banathe.”
And he brought down the people to the water; and Jehovah said to Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down on his knees to drink.
6 Abantu abangamakhulu amathathu bakhaphazela amanzi emilonyeni yabo ngezandla zabo. Abanye bonke baguqa phansi ngamadolo abo ukuba banathe.
And the number of them that lapped, with their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men; and all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water.
7 UThixo wasesithi kuGidiyoni, “Ngamadoda angamakhulu amathathu anathe equthile ngizakusindisa nginikele amaMidiyani ezandleni zakho. Amanye wonke adedele aye emizini yabo.”
And Jehovah said to Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and give Midian into thy hand; and let all the people go every man to his place.
8 Ngakho uGidiyoni wabuyisela inengi labako-Israyeli emathenteni abo wasala labangamakhulu amathathu, abayibo abathatha ukudla lamacilongo abanye. Izihonqo zamaMidiyani zazingaphansi kwakhe esigodini.
And they took the victuals of the people in their hand, and their trumpets; and all the men of Israel he sent away, every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men. Now the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
9 Ngalobobusuku uThixo wathi kuGidiyoni, “Vuka, yehla uyehlasela izihonqo ngoba ngizazinikela ezandleni zakho.
And it came to pass in that night, that Jehovah said to him, Arise, go down to the camp; for I have given it into thy hand.
10 Nxa usesaba ukuhlasela, yehlela ezihonqweni lenceku yakho uPhura
And if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the camp;
11 ulalele abakutshoyo. Emva kwalokho uzakuba lesibindi sokuhlasela izihonqo.” Ngakho yena loPhura inceku yakhe behlela emaphethelweni ezihonqo.
and thou shalt hear what they say; and afterwards shall thy hand be strengthened, and thou shalt go down unto the camp. And he went down with Phurah his servant to the outside of the armed men that were in the camp.
12 AmaMidiyani lama-Amaleki kanye labanye bonke abasempumalanga babemise esigodini, bebanengi njengentethe. Amakamela abo ayengeke abalwe njengetshebetshebe okhunjini lolwandle.
And Midian and Amalek and all the children of the east lay along in the valley as locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand upon the sea-shore for multitude.
13 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.”
And Gideon came, and behold, a man was telling a dream to his fellow; and he said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and lo, a cake of barley-bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came to the tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it; and the tent lay along.
14 Umngane wakhe waphendula wathi, “Lokhu akungeke kube ngolunye ulutho ngaphandle kwenkemba kaGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi, umʼIsrayeli. UNkulunkulu usenikele amaMidiyani lezihonqo zonke ezandleni zakhe.”
And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, the man of Israel: God hath given into his hand Midian and all the host.
15 Kwathi uGidiyoni esezwe iphupho lelo lengcazelo yalo, wakhonza. Wabuyela ezihonqweni zako-Israyeli wamemeza esithi, “Vukani! UThixo usenikele izihonqo zamaMidiyani ezandleni zenu!”
And it came to pass when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, that he worshipped. And he returned into the camp of Israel, and said, Arise; for Jehovah hath given into your hand the camp of Midian.
16 Esehlukanise abantu abangamakhulu amathathu baba ngamaviyo amathathu, bonke wabanika amacilongo lezimbizanyana ezingelalutho, zilezibane phakathi.
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, and empty pitchers, and torches within the pitchers.
17 Wathi kubo, “Ngikhangelani. Lingilandele. Lapho sengifike emaphethelweni ezihonqo, lenze engizabe ngikwenza.
And he said to them, Look on me, and do likewise; behold, when I come to the extremity of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.
18 Nxa mina labo bonke abalami sesitshaya amacilongo ethu, lina ezindaweni zonke zezihonqo likhalise awenu limemeza lisithi, ‘NgekaThixo lekaGidiyoni.’”
And when I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, ye also shall blow the trumpets around the whole camp, and shall say, For Jehovah and for Gideon!
19 UGidiyoni lamadoda alikhulu ayelaye bafika emaphethelweni ezihonqo ekuqaliseni komlindo waphakathi, besanda kuntshintsha abalindi. Bakhalisa amacilongo abo babulala lenkonxa ababeziphethe.
And Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came to the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch; and they blew the trumpets, and broke the pitchers that were in their hands.
20 Amaviyo amathathu akhalisa amacilongo abulala inkonxa. Bephethe izibane ngezandla zabo zenxele, ezandleni zokudla bephethe amacilongo ababezawakhalisa, bamemeza bathi, “Inkemba kaThixo lekaGidiyoni!”
And the three companies blew the trumpets, and broke in pieces the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hand, and the trumpets in their right hand for blowing, and cried, The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon!
21 Umuntu munye ngamunye wayemi endaweni yakhe behanqe izihonqo, amaMidiyani wonke agijima, ehlaba umkhosi ebaleka.
And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran, and cried out, and fled.
22 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.
And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and Jehovah set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout the camp. And the host fled to Beth-shittah towards Zererah, to the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.
23 Abako-Israyeli labakoNafithali, labako-Asheri labo bonke abakoManase babizwa, baxotshana lamaMidiyani.
And the men of Israel were called together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after Midian.
24 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.
And Gideon sent messengers throughout mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against Midian, and take before them the waters unto Beth-barah, and the Jordan. And all the men of Ephraim were called together, and took the waters unto Beth-barah, and the Jordan.
25 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.
And they took two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb; and they pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.
