AbaHluleli

7 Khona-ke uJerubhali, okungukuthi, uGideyoni, + nabo bonke abantu ababekanye naye, bavuka ekuseni bafike bahlala ngaseSiphethwini SaseHarodi, kuyilapho ikamu lakwaMidiyani lingasenyakatho egqumeni laseMore, elisethafeni.* 2 UJehova wayesethi kuGideyoni: “Abantu abanawe baningi kakhulu ukuba nginikele uMidiyani esandleni sabo. + U-Israyeli angase azigabise bese ethi kimi, ‘Yisandla sami esingisindisile.’ + 3 Manje, ngicela umemezele kubantu, uthi: ‘Noma ngubani owesabayo nothuthumelayo, angabuyela ekhaya.’ ” + Ngakho uGideyoni wabavivinya. Ngenxa yalokho abantu abangu-22 000 babuyela emakhaya, kwasala abangu-10 000.

4 Noma kunjalo uJehova wathi kuGideyoni: “Abantu basebaningi kakhulu. Bayale ukuba behlele emanzini ukuze ngikuvivinyele bona lapho. Lapho ngithi kuwe, ‘Lona uzohamba nawe,’ kufanele ahambe nawe, kodwa lapho ngithi kuwe, ‘Lona ngeke ahambe nawe,’ akufanele ahambe nawe.” 5 Ngakho wathatha abantu wehlela nabo emanzini.

UJehova wayesethi kuGideyoni: “Hlukanisa bonke labo abaphuza amanzi ngezandla zabo kulabo abaguqayo futhi bagobe ukuze baphuze.”* 6 Labo ababephuza amanzi ngezandla zabo babengu-300. Bonke abanye babeguqa ngamadolo ukuze baphuze.

7 Manje uJehova wathi kuGideyoni: “Ngizonisindisa ngala madoda angu-300 aphuze amanzi ngesandla, ngizonikela abakwaMidiyani esandleni sakho. + Kodwa bonke abanye abantu, mababuyele emakhaya.” 8 Ngakho ngemva kokuthatha umphako nezimpondo kubantu, wonke amanye amadoda akwa-Israyeli wawabuyisela emakhaya, wasala namadoda angu-300 kuphela. Ikamu lakwaMidiyani lalingezansi kwakhe ethafeni. +

9 Ngalobo busuku uJehova wathi kuye: “Sukuma uhlasele ikamu, ngoba ngilinikele esandleni sakho. + 10 Kodwa uma wesaba ukuhlasela, yehla noPhura isikhonzi sakho niye ekamu. 11 Ufike ulalele lokho abazobe bekukhuluma, ngemva kwalokho uzoba nesibindi* sokuhlasela ikamu.” Ngakho yena noPhura isikhonzi sakhe behlela ngasekuqaleni kwekamu.

12 AbakwaMidiyani nama-Amaleki nabo bonke abaseMpumalanga + babegcwele ethafeni njengesikhonyane, amakamela abo ayengenakubalwa, + emaningi njengesihlabathi esisogwini lolwandle. 13 Lapho uGideyoni efika, umuntu othile wayelandisa umngani wakhe iphupho, ethi: “Nali iphupho engiliphuphile. Bekukhona isinkwa sebhali esiyindilinga sigingqikela ekamu lakwaMidiyani. Sifike etendeni salishaya lawa. + Silishaye itende labheka phezulu, lawa lafadalala.” 14 Umngani wakhe waphendula wathi: “Phela lokhu kusho inkemba kaGideyoni + indodana kaJowashi, umuntu wakwa-Israyeli. UNkulunkulu unikele uMidiyani nalo lonke ikamu esandleni sakhe.” +

15 Kwathi nje lapho uGideyoni ezwa ukulandiswa kwephupho nencazelo yalo, + waguqa phansi wakhuleka. Ngemva kwalokho wabuyela ekamu lakwa-Israyeli wathi: “Sukumani, ngoba uJehova unikele ikamu lakwaMidiyani esandleni senu.” 16 Wabe esehlukanisa amadoda angu-300 aba amaviyo amathathu, wonke wawanika izimpondo + nezimbiza ezinkulu ezingenalutho, wafaka izibani phakathi ezimbizeni. 17 Wathi kuwo: “Bukani mina bese nenza njengoba nje ngenza. Lapho sengifikile ngasekuqaleni kwekamu, kufanele nenze njengoba nje ngenza. 18 Lapho ngishaya uphondo, mina nabo bonke abakanye nami, nani kumele nishaye izimpondo nhlangothi zonke zekamu, nimemeze nithi, ‘EkaJehova nekaGideyoni!’ ”

19 UGideyoni namadoda angu-100 ayekanye naye bafika ngasekuqaleni kwekamu ngesikhathi sokuqala komlindo waphakathi nobusuku,* ngemva nje kokushintshana kwabaqaphi. Bashaya izimpondo, + baphihliza izimbiza ezinkulu zamanzi ababeziphethe. + 20 Ngakho amaviyo amathathu ashaya izimpondo, aphihliza izimbiza ezinkulu. Abamba izibani ngesandla sobunxele, ashaya izimpondo ayezibambe ngesandla sokudla, ayesememeza ethi: “Inkemba kaJehova nekaGideyoni!” 21 Phakathi naso sonke leso sikhathi indoda nendoda yayimi endaweni yayo nhlangothi zonke zekamu, lonke ikamu labaleka, limemeza njengoba libaleka. + 22 La madoda angu-300 aqhubeka nokushaya izimpondo, uJehova wabangela ukuba yilowo nalowo kulo lonke ikamu amelane nomunye; + ibutho labaleka laze layofika eBheti-shitha, ladlulela eZerera, laze lafika emaphethelweni ase-Abela-mehola + ngaseThabati.

23 Amadoda akwa-Israyeli abuthelwa ndawonye kusukela kwaNafetali, kwa-Asheri nakulo lonke elakwaManase, + amjaha uMidiyani. 24 UGideyoni wathumela izithunywa kuzo zonke izintaba zakwa-Efrayimi, ethi: “Yehlani niyohlasela uMidiyani, nivimbe emazibukweni kuze kube seBheti-bhara naseJordani.” Ngakho wonke amadoda akwa-Efrayimi abuthana, avimba emazibukweni kwaze kwaba seBheti-bhara naseJordani. 25 Athumba nezikhulu ezimbili zakwaMidiyani, u-Orebi noZebi; abulala u-Orebi phezu kwedwala lika-Orebi, + abulala noZebi esikhamweni sewayini sikaZebi. Aqhubeka nokujaha uMidiyani, + aletha ikhanda lika-Orebi nelikaZebi kuGideyoni esifundeni saseJordani.