1 Kwakhona amaSirayeli aphinda akreqa *kuNdikhoyo, waza ke wawanikela ezandleni zamaMidiyan iminyaka esixhenxe.
2 AmaMidiyan la ke ayewaphatha gadalala amaSirayeli. Ngoko ke amaSirayeli azenzela iindawo zokuzimela ezintabeni emiqolombeni nasemaweni ngenxa yokoyika amaMidiyan.
3 AmaSirayeli ayesithi akulima, afike amaMidiyan nama-Amaleki neentlanga zasempumalanga awahlasele.
4 Ezi ntlanga zazifika zimise kwimida yamaSirayeli, zizitshabalalise zonke izilimo, ziyokuma ezantsi ngaseGaza. Zazithimba konke okushukumayo: iigusha, iinkomo, needonki, zingawashiyeli nento le amaSirayeli.
5 Zazisiza nemfuyo, neentente zazo, kutsho kunyakaze ngathi libubu leenkumbi. Lo mkhosi ke ukunye nezo nkamela wawusuka ube yinyambalala. Wawusuka ulitshabalalise ilizwe lonke,
6-7 kangangokuba ahlwempuzeka amaSirayeli engenakwenza nto.Ngenxa yale mpatho yamaMidiyan ke amaSirayeli azibika kuNdikhoyo.
8 Ke yena wawathumela umshumayeli owathi: “Utsho uNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli ukuthi: ‘Ndanikhupha eJiputa, ilizwe enaningamakhoboka kulo.
9 Ndanihlangula kumaJiputa nakwiintlanga ezanicinezelayo kweli lizwe. Ndazigxotha xa ningenayo, ndaza ndaninika umhlaba wazo.
10 Ndaniyala ndathi: “Mna ndinguNdikhoyo uThixo wenu; ningaze niboyike oothixo bama-Amori enihlala emhlabeni wawo.” Kuloo nto yonke ke anindiphulaphulanga.’ ”
11 Ke kaloku isithunywa sikaNdikhoyo saya kwilali yaseOfra, safika sahlala phantsi komthi wom-oki owawungokaJowashe, umfo womzi ka-Abhiyezere. Unyana wakhe uGidiyon wayebhula ingqolowa esixovulweni seediliya khon' ukuze angabonwa ngamaMidiyan.
12 Isithunywa eso ke sabonakala kuye sathi: “UNdikhoyo unawe, gorhandini lomeleleyo!”
13 UGidiyon wathi kuso: “Ngxe, Mhlekazi! Ukuba uNdikhoyo unathi, kungani ukuba sihlelwe zizinto ezinje? Zaya phi eza zigigaba zezinto ezimangalisayo sasihlala sibaliselwa ngazo ngoobawo, kusithiwa uNdikhoyo wayezenza – ezo wazenzayo nasekubakhululeni kwakhe eJiputa? Kungokunje uNdikhoyo usilahlile; usinikele ezandleni zamaMidiyan.”
14 UNdikhoyo ke wabheka kuye, wathi: “Hamba ngala mandla unawo, uwasindise amaSirayeli ezandleni zamaMidiyan. Kaloku ndim okugunyazisayo.”
15 UGidiyon wathi: “Camagu, Nkosi yam, ndingawahlangula njani na amaSirayeli? Umzi wakowethu ungento nje kwaManase, nam ndingongazelwe nto kowethu nje?”
16 UNdikhoyo waphendula wathi: “Ndiya kuba nawe. AmaMidiyan uya kuwatshayela, abe ngathi kuwe angumntu omnye.”
17 UGidiyon waphendula wathi: “Ukuba ungakum, nceda undenzele umqondiso wokuba nguwe Ndikhoyo lo uthetha nam.
18 Nceda, sukumka de ndibuye nomnikelo, ndiwubeke phambi kwakho.”Saphendula sathi: “Hayi ke, ndiza kuhlala apha ude ubuye.”
19 UGidiyon ke waya kuxhela ibhokhwe esencinci, wayipheka. Wenza nesonka ngomgubo oziikhilogram ezilishumi. Intlama leyo zange ayidibanise nagwele. Inyama leyo wayifaka ebhaskitini, waza wawuphatha ngembiza umhluzi; waya nazo ezo zinto kwisithunywa sikaNdikhoyo esasiphantsi komthi wom-oki.
20 Ke sona sathi kuye: “Inyama leyo nesonka zibeke phezu kweli litye, uzigalele umhluzi.” Wenjenjalo ke uGidiyon.
21 Ke sona isithunywa eso sachukumisa inyama leyo nesonka ngentonga esasiyiphethe. Kwaqhambuka umlilo elityeni, wayilenya inyama leyo kunye nesonka eso. Emva koko isithunywa saphel' emehlweni.
22 Waqonda ke uGidiyon ukuba sisithunywa sikaNdikhoyo esi asibonileyo. Wavakala esithi: “Yhuu, Ndikhoyo, Ngangalala! Isithunywa sikaNdikhoyo ndisibone ubuso ngobuso!”
23 Waphendula ke uNdikhoyo wathi: “Xola, ungatatazeli; awuzukufa.”
24 Ke uGidiyon wakhela uNdikhoyo iqonga lamadini kuloo ndawo, wathi igama lalo nguNdikhoyo-uluxolo. (Lisekhona ke nangoku eOfra, engumhlaba womzi ka-Abhiyezere.)
25 Ngobo busuku ke uNdikhoyo wayalela uGidiyon wathi: “Thatha inkunzi yenkomo kwezikayihlo, nditsho le yesibini, le inesixhenxe seminyaka. Uzulidilize ke iqonga likayihlo elakhelwe uBhali, unqunqe nomfanekiso womthi wesithixokazi uAshera osecaleni kweqonga elo.
26 Yakhela uNdikhoyo iqonga encotsheni yale nqaba, wenze idini elitshiswayo ngenkunzi yesibini leyo, ubase ngalaa mfanekiso ka-Ashera uwunqunqileyo.”
27 UGidiyon wathatha amadoda alishumi kwizicaka zakhe, wenza ngokomlomo kaNdikhoyo. Lo msebenzi ke wawenza ngobusuku, kuba esoyika amawabo nabamelwana.
28 Bavuka ngentsasa elandelayo abantu baloo lali: nâlo iqonga likaBhali lidiliziwe, nomfanekiso ka-Ashera unqunqiwe, kwaza kwenziwa idini ngenkunzi yenkomo yesibini kwelo qonga lakhiwe kuloo ndawo!
29 Babuzana ke bathi: “Ngubani na owenze le nto?” Bawuphanda ke lo mcimbi, beva kusithiwa: “NguGidiyon unyana kaJowashe owenze le nto!”
30 Bathetha noJowashe ke, bathi: “Mkhuphe unyana wakho, simbulale! Udilize iqonga likaBhali, wawunqunqa umfanekiso ka-Ashera obungakulo.”
31 UJowashe wathi kuloo madoda ayemrharhamela: “Kanti ngoku seningakuBhali? Nini abamkhuselayo? Wonke umntu ongakuBhali uza kufa kungekasi. Ukuba uBhali nguthixo makazilwele; kaloku kudilizwe iqonga lakhe.”
32 Ukusukela ngoko ke uGidiyon kwathiwa nguJerubhali, kuba uJowashe ethe: “UBhali makahlanganise, kuba liqonga lakhe elidiliziweyo.”
33 Ahlanganisana ke amaMidiyan nama-Amaleki nezizwe zasempumalanga, baza bawela iJordan, baya kumisa kwintili yaseYizereli.
34 UGidiyon wagutyungelwa nguMoya kaNdikhoyo, wakhalisa isigodlo ememeza amawabo omzi ka-Abhiyezere ukuba abophelele amlandele.
35 Wathumela izigidimi ukuba abizwe eze kuye amadoda onke akwaManase. Wathumela nakwa-Ashere, kwaZebhulon, nakwaNafetali, zaza ke zeza nezo zindlu.
36 UGidiyon wathi ke kuThixo: “Ukuba ngenene uza kuhlangula amaSirayeli ngesandla sam naku ke endiza kukwenza:
37 Ndiza kubeka uboya begusha phaya esandeni sengqolowa. Ukuba ke kuse ibuboya obo bodwa obunombethe, ungekho kodwa emhlabeni, ndiya kuqonda ke ukuba ngenene uza kuwahlangula ngesandla sam amaSirayeli.”
38 Kwaba njalo ke. Ngengomso wathi akubukhama obo boya kwaphuma ingqayi yonke yamanzi.
39 Ngoku ke wathi uGidiyon kuThixo: “Ungakhathazeki; mandiphinde ndenze esinye isicelo. Nceda undiqinisekise kwakhona ngobu boya. Kwesi isihlandlo ndifuna uboya bome qoko, kodwa wona umhlaba ube manzi.”
40 Ngobo busuku ke uThixo wayenza loo nto. Ngengomso kwasa uboya bomile, ke wona umhlaba wonke umanzi ngumbethe.