ABagwebi
6 Kodwa amaSirayeli aphinda enza izinto ezimbi emehlweni kaYehova,+ ngoko uYehova wawanikela esandleni sikaMidiyan iminyaka esixhenxe.+ 2 Isandla sikaMidiyan sasimcinezela uSirayeli.+ Ngenxa kaMidiyan, amaSirayeli azenzela iindawo zokuzimela* ezintabeni, emiqolombeni nakwiindawo ekwakunzima ukufika kuzo.+ 3 Wayesithi uSirayeli xa etyala imbewu, uMidiyan noAmaleki+ nabantu baseMpuma+ bamhlasele. 4 Babemisa inkampu ukuze bamhlasele, bayonakalise imveliso yomhlaba ukuya kutsho eGaza, yaye uSirayeli babengamshiyeli nto yakutya nagusha nankunzi yankomo nadonki.+ 5 Babesiza nemfuyo yabo neentente zabo ezininzi okweenkumbi,+ bona neenkamela zabo bengenakubalwa,+ yaye babesiza elizweni ukuze balitshabalalise. 6 Ngoko amaSirayeli ahlwempuzeka kakhulu ngenxa kaMidiyan; yaye akhala kuYehova ecela uncedo.+
7 Xa amaSirayeli akhala kuYehova ecela uncedo ngenxa kaMidiyan,+ 8 uYehova wathumela umprofeti kumaSirayeli, owathi kuwo: “Uthi uYehova uThixo kaSirayeli, ‘Ndanikhupha eYiputa, ndinikhupha endlini yobukhoboka.+ 9 Ndanihlangula esandleni seYiputa nakubo bonke abacinezeli benu ndaza ndabagxotha phambi kwenu, ndaninika ilizwe labo.+ 10 Ndathi kuni: “NdinguYehova uThixo wenu.+ Ningaboyiki oothixo bama-Amori enihleli elizweni labo.”+ Kodwa anizange nindithobele.’”+
11 Kamva ingelosi kaYehova yeza+ yahlala phantsi komthi omkhulu owawuseOfra, owawungokaYowashe umAbhi-ezere.+ Unyana wakhe uGidiyon+ wayebhula ingqolowa kwisixovulelo sewayini ukuze ayifihle kumaMidiyan. 12 Ingelosi kaYehova yabonakala kuye yathi: “UYehova unawe,+ kroti elinamandla.” 13 UGidiyon wathi: “Uxolo nkosi yam, kodwa ukuba uYehova unathi, kutheni sikule ngxaki?+ Ziphi ezaa zenzo zakhe zimangalisayo abasibalisela ngazo ookhokho bethu,+ besithi, ‘UYehova akazange asikhuphe eYiputa na?’+ Ngoku uYehova usilahlile,+ usinikele esandleni sikaMidiyan.” 14 UYehova wamjonga waza wathi: “Hamba ngala mandla unawo, yaye uza kumsindisa uSirayeli esandleni sikaMidiyan.+ Ayindim na okuthumayo?” 15 UGidiyon wathi kuye: “Uxolo Yehova. Ndingamsindisa njani mna uSirayeli? Jonga! Isizwana* sam sesona sincinci kwaManase, yaye nam ndingoyena ungabalulekanga endlini katata.” 16 UYehova wathi: “Uza kuwaxabela amaMidiyan ngokungathi ngumntu omnye, kuba ndiza kube ndikuxhasa.”+
17 Yena wathi: “Ukuba uyandithanda, ndibonise ukuba nguwe lo othetha nam. 18 Ndiyakucela, ungasuki apha de ndibuye nesipho sam, ndisibeke phambi kwakho.”+ Ngoko wathi: “Ndiza kuhlala apha de ubuye.” 19 UGidiyon wangena walungisa itakane lebhokhwe waza wenza isonka esingenagwele nge-efa* yomgubo.+ Inyama wayifaka ebhaskithini, umhluzi wawufaka embizeni; emva koko wayokumnika phantsi komthi omkhulu.
20 Ingelosi kaThixo wokwenene yathi kuye: “Thatha inyama nesonka esingenagwele uzibeke kwelaa litye likhulu, uze uwugalele apho umhluzi.” Wayenza loo nto. 21 Ingelosi kaYehova yolula isandla, yachukumisa ngentonga inyama nesonka esingenagwele, kwaza kwaphuma umlilo elityeni, wayitshisa yaphela loo nyama neso sonka.+ Emva koko ingelosi kaYehova yanyamalala. 22 UGidiyon watsho wabona ukuba le ibiyingelosi kaYehova.+
Ngoko nangoko uGidiyon wathi: “Awu, Nkosi enguMongami Yehova! Ndibone ingelosi kaYehova ubuso ngobuso!”+ 23 Kodwa uYehova wathi kuye: “Uxolo malube nawe. Ungoyiki;+ awuzukufa.” 24 Ngoko uGidiyon wamakhela isibingelelo uYehova apho, ibe sisabizwa ngokuthi yiYehova-shalom*+ de kube namhlanje. SiseseOfra yama-Abhi-ezere.
25 Ngobo busuku uYehova wathi kuye: “Thatha ithole lenkomo eliyinkunzi likatata wakho, ithole lesibini lenkomo eliyinkunzi elineminyaka esixhenxe, uze usichithe isibingelelo utata wakho awasenzela uBhahali, ugawule nepali engcwele*+ esecaleni kwaso. 26 Emva kokwakhela uYehova uThixo wakho isibingelelo ngamatye abekwe kakuhle phezu kwale ndawo ikhuselekileyo, uze uthathe ithole lesibini lenkomo eliyinkuzi, ulinikele njengomnikelo otshiswayo phezu kweenkuni zepali engcwele* oye wayigawula.” 27 Ngoko uGidiyon wathatha amadoda alishumi kwizicaka zakhe, wenza yonke into uYehova awayemxelele yona. Kodwa akazange ayenze emini loo nto kuba wayeyoyika kakhulu indlu katata wakhe namadoda esixeko, ngoko wayenza ebusuku.
28 Xa amadoda esixeko evuka ekuseni, abona ukuba isibingelelo sikaBhahali sidiliziwe, ipali engcwele* ebisecaleni kwaso igawulwe, nethole lesibini lenkomo eliyinkunzi linikelwe esibingelelweni esasakhiwe. 29 Abuzana esithi: “Yenziwe ngubani le nto?” Emva kokuba ebuzisile, athi: “Yenziwe nguGidiyon unyana kaYowashe.” 30 Ngoko athi kuYowashe: “Khupha unyana wakho kuba kufuneka afe, kuba udilize isibingelelo sikaBhahali waza wagawula ipali engcwele* ebingakuso.” 31 UYowashe+ wathi kubo bonke ababeze kuye: “Udinga ukulwelwa nini na uBhahali? Udinga ukusindiswa nini na? Nabani na omlwelayo makabulawe kwangale ntsasa.+ Ukuba unguthixo, makazilwele ngokwakhe,+ kuba kukho umntu odilize isibingelelo sakhe.” 32 Ngaloo mini, wambiza uGidiyon ngokuthi nguYerubhahali,* esithi: “UBhahali makazilwele ngokwakhe, kuba kukho umntu odilize isibingelelo sakhe.”
33 Onke amaMidiyan+ nama-Amaleki+ nabantu baseMpuma badibana,+ bawelela* kwiNtlambo YaseYizereli* baza bamisa inkampu. 34 Emva koko umoya kaYehova waba phezu koGidiyon*+ waza yena wavuthela uphondo,+ yaye ama-Abhi-ezere+ eza kumxhasa. 35 Wathumela abantu kulo lonke elakwaManase, nabo beza kumxhasa. Wathumela abantu nakwa-Ashere nakwaZebhulon nakwaNafetali, nabo beza kumhlangabeza.
36 Ngoko uGidiyon wathi kuThixo wokwenene: “Ukuba uza kumsindisa ngam uSirayeli, kanye njengokuba ubuthembisile,+ 37 ndibeka uboya kwibala lokubhula. Ukuba umbethe uwele kobu boya qha, kuze kome kuyo yonke enye indawo, ndiza kutsho ndazi ukuba uza kumsindisa ngam uSirayeli, kanye njengokuba ubuthembisile.” 38 Kwenzeka kanye loo nto. Ukuvuka kwakhe ekuseni ngemini elandelayo, wabukhama uboya, kwaphuma amanzi ombethe, agcwalisa isitya esikhulu. 39 Noko ke, uGidiyon wathi kuThixo wokwenene: “Mawungavuthi umsindo wakho kum, kodwa mandicele okokugqibela. Ndicela uphinde undibonise enye into ngobu boya. Ndicela wenze kome uboya bodwa, kuze kubekho umbethe kuyo yonke enye indawo.” 40 UThixo wayenza loo nto ngobo busuku; koma uboya bodwa, kodwa kwabakho umbethe kuyo yonke indawo.