< Abahluleli 7 >
1 UJerubali, onguGidiyoni, labo bonke abantu ababelaye basebevuka ngovivi, bamisa inkamba ngasemthonjeni weHarodi, okokuthi waba lenkamba yamaMidiyani enyakatho, ngaseqaqeni lweMore esigodini.
2 INkosi yasisithi kuGidiyoni: Abantu abalawe banengi kakhulu ukuthi nginikele amaMidiyani esandleni sabo, hlezi uIsrayeli azidumise emelene lami, esithi: Isandla sami singisindisile.
3 Ngakho khathesi memezela-ke endlebeni zabantu usithi: Loba ngubani owesabayo lothuthumelayo kaphenduke asuke masinyane entabeni yeGileyadi. Ngakho kwaphenduka ebantwini abazinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili lambili, lenkulungwane ezilitshumi zasala.
4 INkosi yasisithi kuGidiyoni: Abantu basesebanengi kakhulu; behlisele emanzini, ngizakuhlolela bona khona; kuzakuthi-ke lowo engizakuthi ngaye kuwe: Lo uzahamba lawe, yena uzahamba lawe; kodwa loba ngubani engizakuthi ngaye kuwe: Lo kayikuhamba lawe, yena kayikuhamba.
5 Wasebehlisela abantu emanzini. INkosi yasisithi kuGidiyoni: Wonke oxhapha emanzini ngolimi lwakhe njengenja ixhapha, uzambeka yedwa, laye wonke oguqa ngamadolo akhe ukunatha.
6 Lenani lalabo abaxhaphayo ngesandla sabo besisa emlonyeni wabo babengamadoda angamakhulu amathathu, kodwa bonke abaseleyo babantu baguqa ngamadolo abo ukunatha amanzi.
7 INkosi yasisithi kuGidiyoni: Ngamadoda angamakhulu amathathu axhaphileyo ngizalisindisa, nginikele amaMidiyani esandleni sakho; bayekele-ke bonke abantu bahambe, ngulowo lalowo endaweni yakhe.
8 Ngakho abantu bathatha umphako esandleni sabo, lempondo zabo. Wasewayekela wonke amadoda akoIsrayeli ahamba, ngulowo ethenteni lakhe, kodwa wagcina amadoda angamakhulu amathathu. Lenkamba yamaMidiyani yaba ngaphansi kwakhe esigodini.
9 Kwasekusithi ngalobobusuku iNkosi yathi kuye: Sukuma, wehlele enkambeni, ngoba ngiyinikele esandleni sakho.
10 Kodwa uba usesaba ukwehla, yehla wena loPura inceku yakho uye enkambeni.
11 Uzakuzwa abakukhulumayo; lemva kwalokho izandla zakho zizaqiniswa ukuze wehlele enkambeni. Wasesehla yena loPura ijaha lakhe, baya ephethelweni labangamatshumi amahlanu ababesenkambeni.
12 Njalo amaMidiyani lamaAmaleki labo bonke abantwana bempumalanga babelele esigodini njengentethe ngobunengi, lamakamela abo ayengelanani, njengetshebetshebe elisekhunjini lolwandle ngobunengi.
13 Kwathi uGidiyoni efika, khangela umuntu elandisela umngane wakhe iphupho, wathi: Khangela, ngiphuphe iphupho, khangela-ke, iqebelengwana lesinkwa sebhali ligiqikela enkambeni yamaMidiyani, lafika ethenteni, lalitshaya lawa laligenqula lakhangela phezulu, okokuthi ithente lawa.
14 Umngane wakhe wasephendula wathi: Lokhu kakusilutho ngaphandle kwenkemba kaGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi, indoda yakoIsrayeli. UNkulunkulu unikele esandleni sakhe iMidiyani lenkamba yonke.
15 Kwasekusithi uGidiyoni esezwe ukulandiswa kwephupho lengcazelo yalo, wakhonza, wabuyela enkambeni yakoIsrayeli, wathi: Vukani, ngoba iNkosi inikele esandleni senu inkamba yamaMidiyani.
16 Wasesehlukanisa amadoda angamakhulu amathathu, aba yizigaba ezintathu, wanika impondo esandleni sawo wonke, lenqayi ezingelalutho, lezihlanti phakathi kwezinqayi.
17 Wasesithi kuwo: Ngikhangelani, lenze njalo. Khangelani-ke, nxa ngifika ephethelweni lenkamba, kuzakuthi njengokwenza kwami lenze njalo.
18 Nxa ngivuthela impondo, mina labo bonke abalami, lapho lani lizavuthela izimpondo, lihanqe inkamba yonke, lithi: OweNkosi lokaGidiyoni!
19 Ngakho uGidiyoni lamadoda alikhulu ayelaye bafika ephethelweni lenkamba ekuqaleni komlindo wobusuku waphakathi, besanda kumisa nje abalindi; basebevuthela impondo, babulala izinqayi ezazisesandleni sabo.
20 Lezigaba ezintathu zavuthela izimpondo, zabulala izinqayi, zaphatha esandleni sazo sekhohlo izihlanti lesandleni sazo sokunene impondo zokuvuthelwa, zamemeza zisithi: Inkemba yeNkosi lekaGidiyoni!
21 Zasezisima, ngulowo endaweni yakhe, behanqe inkamba, lenkamba yonke yagijima yamemeza yabaleka.
22 Lapho abangamakhulu amathathu bevuthela impondo, iNkosi yamisa inkemba yomunye komunye, lenkambeni yonke; lenkamba yabaleka kwaze kwaba seBeti-Shita eZerera, kwaze kwaba semngceleni weAbeli-Mehola eduze kweTabathi.
23 Lamadoda akoIsrayeli abizelwa ndawonye evela koNafithali lakoAsheri lakoManase wonke, axotshana lamaMidiyani.
24 UGidiyoni wasethuma izithunywa kuyo yonke intaba yakoEfrayimi esithi: Yehlani lihlangabeze amaMidiyani, lithumbe amanzi phambi kwawo kuze kube seBeti-Bara leJordani. Ngakho wonke amadoda akoEfrayimi abizelwa ndawonye, athumba amanzi kuze kube seBeti-Bara leJordani.
25 Athumba iziphathamandla ezimbili eMidiyani, uOrebi loZebi; abulala uOrebi edwaleni leOrebi, loZebi ambulala esikhamelweni sewayini seZebi, axotshana lamaMidiyani; aletha amakhanda aboOrebi loZebi kuGidiyoni ngaphetsheya kweJordani.
