Abahluleli 7 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

UGidiyoni unqoba amaMidiyani

¹ UJerubali, onguGidiyoni, labo bonke ababelaye bavuka ekuseni, bamisa ngasemthonjeni waseHarodi, izihonqo zamaMidiyani zazisenyakatho kwabo, phansi kwentaba yaseMore esigodini.

² INkosi yathi kuGidiyoni: Abantu olabo banengi kakhulu ukuba nginikele amaMidiyani ezandleni zabo, funa abakoIsrayeli bazikhukhumeze kimi bathi: Sizinqobele thina ngamandla ethu.

³ Ngalokhoke memezela lokhu ebantwini uthi: Lowo owesabayo lothuthumelayo kasuke entabeni yaseGilibowa, abuyele ekhaya. Ngakho, abazinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili lambili babuyela ekhaya, kwasala inkulungwane ezilitshumi.

⁴ INkosi yathi kuGidiyoni: Abantu basesebanengi kakhulu; bathathe ubase emanzini, ngizakukuhlolela bona khona; lowo engizakuthi ngaye kuwe: Lumuntu uzahamba lawe; uzahamba lawe; lalowo engizakuthi ngaye kuwe: Lumuntu kayikuhamba lawe; angahambi.

⁵ Wasebesake abantu ngasemanzini. INkosi yathi kuGidiyoni: Bonke abaxhapha amanzi njengenja, uzababeka bodwa; ngokunjalo labo bonke abaguqayo ukuba banathe.

⁶ Ubunengi balabo abaxhaphayo babengamakhulu amathathu; abanye bonke baguqa ngamadolo ukunatha benatha ngezandla zabo.

⁷ INkosi yathi kuGidiyoni: Ngamakhulu amathathu alabo axhaphileyo ngizakulikhulula, nginikele amaMidiyani ezandleni zakho; bayekele bonke abanye babuyele emakhaya abo.

⁸ Ngakho uGidiyoni wasebabuyisela bonke abakoIsrayeli emakhaya, kwasala amakhulu amathathu, bathatha inqayi lempondo zokukhaliswa abantu ababelazo. Izihonqo zamaMidiyani zazingaphansi esigodini.

⁹ Ngalobobusuku iNkosi yathi kuye: Suka, wehle uyehlasela izihonqo, ngoba ngizinikele ezandleni zakho.

¹⁰ Kodwa uba usesaba ukwehla uye ezihonqweni, hamba loPura inceku yakho,

¹¹ uzwe abakukhulumayo; kuzakukunika isibindi sokuba uzihlasele izihonqo. Wasesehla loPura inceku yakhe, waya emaphethelweni ezihonqo lapho kwakukhona abahlomileyo.

¹² AmaMidiyani lamaAmaleki labo bonke abantu basempumalanga babelele kuso sonke isigodi bebanengi njengentethe, lamakamela abo ayengelakubalwa engangetshebetshebe elisokhunjini lolwandle ubunengi.

¹³ Kwathi uGidiyoni efika, wafica umuntu elandisela umngane wakhe iphupho esithi: Ngiphuphe ngibona isinkwa sebhali siphoseka ezihonqweni zamaMidiyani, safika ethenteni, salitshaya saligenqula, lawela phansi.

¹⁴ Umngane wakhe wathi: Lokhu kutsho kuphela umhedla kaGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi, owakoIsrayeli. UNkulunkulu unikele esandleni sakhe lonke iMidiyani lempi yalo.

¹⁵ Kwathi uGidiyoni esizwa ukulandiswa kwephupho lencazelo yalo, wakhuleka, wasebuyela ezihonqweni zakoIsrayeli, wathi: Vukani, ngoba iNkosi inikele impi yamaMidiyani ezandleni zenu.

¹⁶ Wasesahlukanisa abantu abangamakhulu amathathu, baba yizigaba ezintathu, wabanika impondo zokukhaliswa, lenqayi ezingelalutho, wafaka izibane phakathi.

¹⁷ Wathi kubo: Khangelani lapha, lingilingise. Nxa ngifika emaphethelweni ezihonqo, lenze njengami.

¹⁸ Nxa mina labo bonke abangakimi sikhalisa impondo, lani lonke elihanqe izihonqo lizakhalisa impondo zenu, limemeze lithi: OweNkosi lokaGidiyoni!

¹⁹ UGidiyoni labantu abalikhulu ababengakuye bafika emaphethelweni ezihonqo ekuqaleni komlindo waphakathi, sebeqalisile ukulinda; bakhalisa impondo, babulala izinqayi ababeziphethe.

²⁰ Ababesezigabeni ezintathu bakhalisa impondo, babulala izinqayi, bephethe ezandleni zabo zasekhohlo izibane lezandleni zabo zokunene impondo zokukhaliswa, bamemeza besithi: Umkhonto weNkosi lokaGidiyoni!

²¹ Bonke bema endaweni zabo bezihanqile izihonqo, lempi yonke yavuka itshaywa luvalo, yabaleka.

²² Lapho abangamakhulu amathathu bekhalisa impondo zabo, ezihonqweni zonke iNkosi yenza bonke abantu balwe labaseduze labo; impi yabaleka yaze yafika eBeti‐Shita ngaseZerera, lasemqolweni waseAbeli‐Mehola phansi kweTabathi.

²³ AbakoIsrayeli babizwa koNafitali lakoAsheri lakoManase wonke, baxotshana lamaMidiyani.

²⁴ UGidiyoni wathuma izithunywa kuzo zonke intaba zakoEfrayimi wathi: Wozani kulwa lamaMidiyani, livimbe emazibukweni eJordani lize lifike eBeti‐Bara. Ngakho bonke abakoEfrayimi babizwa, bavimba emazibukweni eJordani baze bafika eBeti‐Bara.

²⁵ Bathumba amakhosana amabili aseMidiyani, uOrebi loZeba; uOrebi bambulalela edwaleni laseOrebi, uZeba bambulalela esikhamelweni saseZeba, bexotshana lamaMidiyani. Baletha amakhanda aboOrebi loZeba kuGidiyoni ngaphetsheya kweJordani.