Judg 7 | NdeIBE | STEP | Ekuseni kakhulu uJerubhi-Bhali (lowo nguGidiyoni) labantu bakhe bonke bamisa emthonjeni waseHerodi. Izihonqo zamaMidiyani zazingasenyakatho kwabo esigodini eduzane lentaba yaseMore.

Judges 7

UGidiyoni Wehlula amaMidiyani

1 Ekuseni kakhulu uJerubhi-Bhali (lowo nguGidiyoni) labantu bakhe bonke bamisa emthonjeni waseHerodi. Izihonqo zamaMidiyani zazingasenyakatho kwabo esigodini eduzane lentaba yaseMore. 2 UJehova wathi kuGidiyoni, “Abantu olabo banengi kakhulu ukuba nginikele amaMidiyani ezandleni zabo. Ukuze u-Israyeli angazincomi kimi esithi amandla akhe amsindisile, 3 memezela ebantwini khathesi nje uthi, ‘Loba ngubani othuthumelayo ngenxa yokwesaba angaphenduka asuke eNtabeni iGileyadi.’ “Ngakho abantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili lambili basuka, kwathi abayizinkulungwane ezilitshumi basala.

4 Kodwa uJehova wathi kuGidiyoni, “Abantu balokhu bebanengi kakhulu. Behlisele emanzini, ngizakwahlukanisela bona khonale. Ngingathi, ‘Lo uzahamba lawe,’ uzahamba; kodwa ngingathi, ‘Lo kazukuhamba lawe;’ akayikuhamba.”

5 Ngakho uGidiyoni wabathatha abantu wabasa ngasemanzini. Khonapho uJehova wathi kuGidiyoni, “Yehlukanisa labo abaxhapha amanzi ngolimi lwabo njengenja kulabo abaguqa phansi ukuba banathe.” 6 Abantu abangamakhulu amathathu bakhaphazela amanzi emilonyeni yabo ngezandla zabo. Abanye bonke baguqa phansi ngamadolo abo ukuba banathe.

7 UJehova wasesithi kuGidiyoni, “Ngabantu abangamakhulu amathathu abaxhaphileyo ngizakusindisa nginikele amaMidiyani ezandleni zakho. Abanye bonke abantu badedele bahambe, lowo lalowo endaweni yakhe.” 8 Ngakho uGidiyoni wabuyisela inengi lama-Israyeli emathenteni abo wasala labangamakhulu amathathu, abayibo abathatha ukudla lamacilongo alabo abanye. Izihonqo zamaMidiyani zazingaphansi kwakhe esigodini. 9 Ngalobobusuku uJehova wathi kuGidiyoni, “Vuka, yehla uyehlasela izihonqo ngoba ngizazinikela ezandleni zakho.

10 Nxa usesaba ukuhlasela, yehlela ezihonqweni lenceku yakho uPhura 11 ulalele abakutshoyo. Emva kwalokho uzakuba lesibindi sokuhlasela izihonqo.” Ngakho yena loPhura inceku yakhe behlela emaphethelweni ezihonqo.

12 AmaMidiyani lama-Amaleki kanye labanye bonke abantu basempumalanga babemise esigodini, bebanengi njengethethe. Amakamela abo ayengeke abalwe njengetshebetshebe ekhunjini lolwandle.

13 UGidiyoni wafika omunye umuntu esatshela umngane wakhe iphupho lakhe. Wathi, “Ngiphuphe iphupho. Isinkwa samabele esiyimbulunga size sigiqikela ezihonqweni zamaMidiyani. Sitshaye ithente ngamandla amakhulu ithente lagenquka lawohloka.”

14 Umngane wakhe waphendula wathi, “Lokhu akungeke kube ngolunye ulutho ngaphandle kwenkemba kaGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi, um-Israyeli. UNkulunkulu usenikele amaMidiyani lezihonqo zonke ezandleni zakhe.”

15 Kwathi uGidiyoni esezwe iphupho lelo lencazelo yalo, wakhonza uNkulunkulu. Wabuyela ezihonqweni zako-Israyeli wamemeza esithi, “Vukani! UJehova usenikele izihonqo zamaMidiyani ezandleni zenu!”

16 Esehlukanise abantu abangamakhulu amathathu baba ngamaviyo amathathu, bonke wabanika amacilongo lembizanyana ezingelalutho, zilezibane phakathi.

17 Wathi kubo, “Ngikhangelani. Lingilandele. Lapho sengifike emaphethelweni ezihonqo, yenzani njengoba ngisenza. 18 Nxa mina labo bonke abalami sesitshaya amacilongo ethu, lina ezindaweni zonke zezihonqo khalisani awenu limemeze lithi, ‘NgekaJehova lekaGidiyoni.’ ”

19 UGidiyoni lamadoda alikhulu ayelaye bafika emaphethelweni ezihonqo ekuqaliseni komlindo waphakathi, besanda kuntshintsha abalindi. Bakhalisa amacilongo abo babulala lezimbizanyana ababeziphethe.

20 Amaviyo amathathu akhalisa amacilongo abulala izimbizanyana. Bephethe izibane ngezandla zabo zenxele, ezandleni zokudla bephethe amacilongo ababezawakhalisa, bamemeza bathi, “Inkemba kaJehova lekaGidiyoni!” 21 Kwathi umuntu ngamunye emi endaweni yakhe behanqe izihonqo, amaMidiyani wonke agijima, ehlaba umkhosi ebaleka.

22 Kwathi amacilongo angamakhulu amathathu esekhala, uJehova wenza ukuthi abantu ababesezindaweni zonke ezihonqweni bahlaselane ngezinkemba zabo. Ibutho labalekela eBhethi Shitha ngokuya eZerera kusiyafika emngceleni we-Abheli Melola eduzane leThabathi. 23 Abako-Israyeli labakoNafthali, labako-Asheri labo bonke abakoManase babizwa, baxotshana lamaMidiyani.

24 UGidiyoni wathuma izithunywa kulo lonke ilizwe lamaqaqa elako-Efrayimi, esithi, “Yehlani lihlasele amaMidiyani lithumbe iziziba zaseJodani ngaphambi kwawo kusiyafika eBhethi Bhara.” Ngakho bonke abantu bako-Efrayimi babizwa bazithumba iziziba zaseJodani kusiyafika eBhethi Bhara. 25 Bathumba labakhokheli bamaMidiyani ababili, u-Orebhi loZebhi. U-Orebhi bambulalela edwaleni lika-Orebhi, uZebhi esikhamelweni sewayini sikaZebhi. Baxotshana lamaMidiyani, amakhanda abo-Orebhi loZebhi bawasa kuGidiyoni owayenga-seJodani.