Abehluleli 7

7 ¹UJerubhali (uGideyoni) nabantu bakhe bonke bavuka ekuseni kakhulu, bamisa ikamu ngasemthonjeni waseHarodi; ikamu lamaMidiyani lalisenyakatho yabo, egqumeni laseMore esigodini.

²UBaba wethu wathi kuGideyoni: “Unabantu abaningi kakhulu ukuba nginikele amaMidiyani ezandleni zabo, funa u-Israyeli uzigabise kimi, athi, ‘Isandla sami singisindisile.’ ³Manje-ke memezela ebantwini, uthi: ‘Noma ngubani owesabayo nothuthumelayo, akaphenduke abuyele emuva, asuke eNtabeni yaseGileyadi.’” Base-abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nambili babuyela emuva; kwasala abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi.

⁴UBaba wethu wathi kuGideyoni: “Abantu basebaningi kakhulu. Behlisele emanzini; ngizobahlungela khona lapho. Lowo engithi uhambe nawe uyakuhamba; lowo engithi akahambi nawe akayikuhamba.” ⁵Wabehlisela abantu emanzini, uBaba wethu wathi kuGideyoni: “Bahlukanise bonke abakhotha amanzi ngolimi lwabo njengenja; wenze okufanayo nakubo bonke abaguqa phansi ukuze baphuze.”

⁶Amadoda angamakhulu amathathu akhotha amanzi, ewafaka emlonyeni ngesandla; bonke abanye baguqa phansi ukuze baphuze amanzi.

⁷UBaba wethu wathi kuGideyoni: “Ngamadoda angamakhulu amathathu akhothileyo ngizokusindisa, nginikele amaMidiyani esandleni sakho. Thumela bonke abanye ekhaya, kube yilowo nalowo endaweni yakhe.”

⁸Abantu bathatha umphako namacilongo; uGideyoni wathumela bonke abanye bakwa-Israyeli emakhaya, kwaba yilowo nalowo etendeni lakhe, kodwa wagcina amadoda angamakhulu amathathu. Ikamu lamaMidiyani laliphansi kwakhe esigodini.

⁹Ngalobo busuku uBaba wethu wathi kuye: “Vuka, wehlele ekamu, ngokuba ngilinikele esandleni sakho. ¹⁰Kodwa uma wesaba ukwehla, yehlela ekamu noPhura inceku yakho,

¹¹“Uzokuzwa abakushoyo, bese izandla zakho ziqiniswa, uyakwehlela ekamu.” Wase ehla noPhura inceku yakhe, baya emaphethelweni amabutho ahlomileyo asekamu.

¹²AmaMidiyani nama-Amaleki nabo bonke abantu basempumalanga babelele esigodini njengezinkumbi ngobuningi; amakamela abo ayengenakubalwa njengesihlabathi sasogwini lolwandle. ¹³Kwathi uGideyoni efika, nango umuntu exoxela umngane wakhe iphupho. Wathi: “Lalela, ngiphuphe iphupho: isinkwa esiyindilinga sebhali safika sigingqika sangena ekamu lamaMidiyani, sashaya itende, lawa—laphenduka lagumbuqeka lalala phansi.”

¹⁴Umngane wakhe waphendula wathi: “Lokhu akulutho ngaphandle kwenkemba kaGideyoni indodana kaJowashi, umIsrayeli. UNkulunkulu unikele amaMidiyani nalo lonke ikamu esandleni sakhe.”

¹⁵UGideyoni wathi ezwa iphupho nencazelo yalo, wakhuleka, wabuyela ekamu lakwa-Israyeli, wathi: “Vukani, ngokuba uBaba wethu ulinikele ikamu lamaMidiyani ezandleni zenu.” ¹⁶Wahlukanisa amadoda angamakhulu amathathu aba yiziqumbi ezintathu, lesi naleso sinikwe icilongo, nembiza engenalutho, nesibani ngaphakathi embizeni.

¹⁷Wathi kubo: “Ngibukeni; nenze njengoba ngenza. Lapho ngifika emaphethelweni ekamu, nenze njengoba ngenza.”

¹⁸Lapho mina nabo bonke abanami sishaya amacilongo, nani nishaye awenu nizungeze lonke ikamu, nimemeze nithi: “Ngenxa kaBaba wethu nangenxa kaGideyoni!”

¹⁹UGideyoni namadoda akhe ayikhulu bafika emaphethelweni ekamu ekuqaleni komlindo waphakathi kwamabili, emva nje kokuba abalindi beshintshiwe. Bashaya amacilongo, baphahlaza izimbiza ezazisezandleni zabo. ²⁰Izigaba ezintathu zashaya amacilongo zazo zaphahlaza izimbiza, ziphethe izibani ngezandla zazo zobunxele, amacilongo ngesokunene silungele ukushaya, zimemeza zithi: “Inkemba ngenxa kaBaba wethu nangenxa kaGideyoni!” ²¹Yilowo nalowo wema endaweni yakhe bezungeze ikamu, kuyilapho lonke ibutho ligijima, limemeza, libaleka. ²²Kwathi lapho amacilongo angamakhulu amathathu ekhala, uBaba wethu wabhekanisa inkemba yalowo nalowo nomngane wakhe kulo lonke ikamu. Ikamu labalekela eBeti-Shita, libheke eZarera, kuze kube semngceleni wase-Abela-Mehola eduze neThabhathi. ²³Ama-Israyeli avela kwaNafetali, nakwa-Asheri, nakuyo yonke indlu kaManase abizwa, axosha amaMidiyani. ²⁴UGideyoni wathuma izithunywa kulo lonke izwe lezintaba lakwa-Efrayimi, ethi: “Yehlani nilwe namaMidiyani—nithumbe amanzi phambi kwawo, kuze kufike eBeti-Bara neJordani.” Ngakho wonke amadoda akwa-Efrayimi abuthana, athumba amanzi kwaze kwaba seBeti-Bara neJordani. ²⁵Bathumba izikhulu ezimbili zamaMidiyani, u-Orebi noZebi. Babulala u-Orebi edwaleni lika-Orebi, noZebi esikhamweni sewayini sikaZebi. Base bexosha amaMidiyani, baletha amakhanda ka-Orebi nawoZebi kuGideyoni ngaphesheya kweJordani.