UGideyoni Uhlasela AbakwaMidiyani
1UJerubhali okunguGideyoni, nawo wonke amabutho ayehamba naye, bavuka ekuseni bayokanisa ngasemthonjeni kaHarodi. Inkambu yabakwaMidiyani yayingasenyakatho kwabo, phansi kwegquma iMore, esigodini.
2USimakade wathi kuGideyoni: “Amabutho anawe maningi kakhulu ukuba nginikele abakwaMidiyani esandleni sawo, funa u-Israyeli athathe udumo kungabi ngolwami, ethi: ‘Isandla sami singisindisile.’ 3Manje memezela lokhu emabuthweni, uthi: ‘Owesabayo, ethuthumela, makabuyele emuva, makasuke entabeni kwaGileyadi.’ ”
Kwabuyela emuva abayizi-20 000, kwasala abayizi-10 000.
4USimakade wathi kuGideyoni: “Abantu basebaningi kakhulu, yehla nabo uye emanzini, ngizokuvivinyela bona lapho. Uma ngithi: ‘Lona uzohamba nawe,’ uzohamba nawe; uma ngithi: ‘Lona akazukuhamba nawe,’ akayukuhamba.”
5Wehlela ngasemanzini namabutho; uSimakade wathi kuGideyoni: “Bonke labo abaxhapha amanzi ngolimi njengokuxhapha kwenja, bamise nganhlanye; nabo bonke labo abaguqa ngamadolo ukuba baphuze bebeka izandla emilonyeni yabo, nabo bamise nganhlanye.”
6Inani lalabo abawaxhaphayo, bebeke izandla emilonyeni yabo, kwakungamadoda angama-300, kepha bonke abanye baguqa phansi ngamadolo ukuba baphuze amanzi.
7USimakade wayesethi kuGideyoni: “Ngalawo madoda angama-300 axhaphe amanzi, ngizokunikhulula, nginikele abakwaMidiyani esandleni sakho. Bonke abanye mababuyele emakhaya abo.”
8Abantu baphatha umphako namacilongo abo ngezandla, bonke abanye bakwa-Israyeli wababuyisela emathendeni abo, wasala nalawo madoda angama-300. Inkambu yakwaMidiyani yayingezansi kwakhe, esigodini.
9Ngalobo busuku uSimakade wathi kuye: “Vuka wehlele enkanjini, ngokuba ngiyinikele esandleni sakho. 10Kepha uma wesaba ukuyihlasela, yehlela enkanjini nenceku yakho uPhura, 11uyokuzwa abakushoyo, emveni kwalokho uyakuqina idolo, wehlele enkanjini.”
Wahamba noPhura, inceku yakhe, waya emaphethelweni alabo abahlomile ababesenkanjini. 12AbakwaMidiyani nabase-Amaleki, nabo bonke abasempumalanga babelele esigodini bebaningi njengesikhonyane; namakameli abo engenakubalwa njengesihlabathi solwandle. 13Ngesikhathi efika uGideyoni, enye yamadoda yayixoxela umngani wayo iphupho layo, ithi: “Ngibe nephupho; ngiphuphe iqebelengwane lesinkwa esiyindilinga sebhali ligingqikela enkanjini yakwaMidiyani. Lifike lashaya ithende lawa, lagumbuqela, lapatalala.”
14Umngani wayo waphendula wathi: “Lokhu akusho lutho ngaphandle kokuthi inkemba kaGideyoni, indodana kaJowashi, indoda yakwa-Israyeli, uNkulunkulu unikele esandleni sayo uMidiyani nempi yakhe yonke.”
15Lapho uGideyoni elizwa iphupho nencazelo yalo, wakhuleka, wayesebuyela enkanjini yakwa-Israyeli, wafike wathi: “Vukani, ngokuba uSimakade uyinikele esandleni senu impi yakwaMidiyani.”
16Emveni kokuba amadoda angama-300 esewehlukanise amaviyo amathathu, wawanikeza amacilongo ezandleni zawo, nezitsha ezingenalutho nezihlonti phakathi ezitsheni.
17Wathi kuwo: “Bhekani mina, nenze njengami uma ngifika emaphethelweni enkambu, nenze njengoba ngenza. 18Lapho ngishaya icilongo nabo bonke abakanye nami, nani niyoshaya amacilongo nizungeze yonke inkambu, nimemeze, nithi: ‘EkaSimakade nekaGideyoni!’ ”
UGideyoni Unqoba AbakwaMidiyani
19UGideyoni nabayikhulu ababehamba naye bafika emaphethelweni enkambu yakwaMidiyani ngokuqala komlindo ophakathi, lapho abaqaphi bephuma kungena abanye; babetha amacilongo baphihliza izitsha ezazisezandleni zabo. 20Omathathu amaqembu abetha amacilongo, abulala izitsha ayeziphethe, ephethe izihlonti ngezandla zawo zokudla, ashaya amacilongo amemeza, athi: “Inkemba kaSimakade nekaGideyoni!”
21Wonke amadoda ama, yileyo naleyo endaweni yayo ezungeze inkambu, wonke amadoda ayesenkanjini akhala, abaleka, acela empunzini.
22Ngesikhathi eshaya amacilongo angama-300, uSimakade wenza ukuba izitha zibulalane zodwa, yonke impi yesitha; impi yabaleka yaze yayofika eBhethi Shitha ngaseZerera, nasemngceleni wase-Abhela Mehola ngaseThabhathi. 23Kwabizwa wonke amadoda akwa-Israyeli, kwaNafethali nakwa-Asheri nakulo lonke elakwaManase, abaxosha abakwaMidiyani.
24UGideyoni wathumela izigijimi kulo lonke elisezintabeni kwa-Efrayimi, wathi: “Yehlani nilwe nabakwaMidiyani, nithathe imithombo kuze kuyofika eBhethi Bhara naseJordani.”
Wonke amadoda akwa-Efrayimi abizwa, athatha imithombo yamanzi kwaze kwayofika eBhethi Bhara naseJordani. 25Abamba abakhuzi bempi bakwaMidiyani ababili, u-Orebhi noZebhi, u-Orebhi bambulalela edwaleni lika-Orebhi, uZebhi bambulalela esikhamweni sewayini sikaZebhi, ngesikhathi bexosha abakwaMidiyani. Baletha amakhanda o-Orebhi noZehebhi kuGideyoni, phesheya kweJordani.
