1 Ke kaloku oonyana bakaSirayeli benza ububi emehlweni kaYehova; wabanikela uYehova esandleni samaMidiyan iminyaka esixhenxe.
2 Isandla samaMidiyan saba namandla phezu kwamaSirayeli; oonyana bakaSirayeli bazilungisela imigongxo esezintabeni, nemiqolomba, neemboniselo ngenxa yamaMidiyan.
3 Kwathi, xa abehlwayele amaSirayeli, enyuka amaMidiyan, nama-Amaleki, nabasempumalanga;
4 benyuka, bawafikela, bawangqinga, bayonakalisa indyebo yelizwe kwada kwaya eGaza, abashiya nto idliwayo kwaSirayeli, nagusha, nankomo, naesile.
5 Ngokuba bebenyuka bona nemfuyo yabo, neentente zabo, beza benjengeenkumbi ukuba baninzi, ababa nakubalwa, bona neenkamela zabo; balingena ilizwe ukuba balonakalise.
6 Abhitya kunene amaSirayeli ngenxa yamaMidiyan. Bakhala oonyana bakaSirayeli kuYehova.
7 Kwathi, bakukhala oonyana bakaSirayeli kuYehova ngenxa yamaMidiyan,
8 uYehova wathuma indoda engumprofeti koonyana bakaSirayeli; yathi kubo, Utsho uYehova, uThixo kaSirayeli, ukuthi, Ndaninyusa mna eYiputa, ndanikhupha endlwini yobukhoboka;
9 ndanihlangula esandleni samaYiputa, nasesandleni sabaxini benu bonke, ndabagxotha phambi kwenu, ndaninika ilizwe labo;
10 ndathi kuni, NdinguYehova, uThixo wenu; ningaboyiki oothixo bama-Amori, enihleli ezweni lawo; analiphulaphula izwi lam.
11 Kweza isithunywa sikaYehova, sahlala phantsi komoki obuseOfra, kaYowashe umAbhihezere. Ke uGidiyon, unyana wakhe, wayebhula ingqolowa esixovulelweni, ukuze ayifihle kumaMidiyan.
12 Kwabonakala isithunywa sikaYehova kuye, sathi kuye, UYehova unawe, gorhandini linobukroti.
13 Wathi uGidiyon kuso, Camagu, Nkosi yam; ukuba uYehova unathi, yini na ukuba kusihlele konke oku? Iphi na yonke imisebenzi yakhe ebalulekileyo, ababesibalisela ngayo oobawo, besithi, Sasinganyuswanga nguYehova na eYiputa? Kungoku uYehova usilahlile, wasinikela esandleni samaMidiyan.
14 Wabheka ke uYehova kuye, wathi, Hamba ngala mandla akho, uwasindise amaSirayeli esandleni samaMidiyan. Akuthunywe ndim yini na?
15 Wathi yena kuye, Camagu, Nkosi yam, ndowasindisa ngantoni na amaSirayeli? Khangela, umzi wakowethu ngowona uphantsi kwaManase, nam ndinguyena mncinane endlwini kabawo.
16 Wathi uYehova kuye, Ndiya kuba nawe, uwabulale amaMidiyan njengandoda-nye.
17 Wathi kuye, Ukuba ndibabalwe nguwe, khawundenzele umqondiso wokuba nguwe othetha nam.
18 Musa ukumka apha, ndide ndize kuwe, ndirhole umnikelo wam, ndiwubeke phambi kwakho.
19 Wathi, Ndohlala mna, ude ubuye. UGidiyon waya walungisa itakane lebhokhwe, nezonka ezingenagwele ze-efa yomgubo ocoliweyo; inyama wayibeka engobozini, umhluzi wawugalela embizeni, wazisa kuye phantsi komoki, wasondeza.
20 Sathi kuye isithunywa sikaThixo, Thabatha inyama nezonka ezingenagwele, uzibeke phezu kweli litye, uwuphalazele kulo umhluzi. Wenjenjalo.
21 Saza isithunywa sikaYehova sesa incam yentonga esesandleni saso, sachukumisa inyama nezonka ezingenagwele; wenyuka umlilo elityeni, wayidla inyama nezonka ezingenagwele, saza isithunywa sikaYehova semka ke emehlweni akhe.
22 Wabona uGidiyon ukuba sisithunywa sikaYehova; wathi uGidiyon, Yoo! Nkosi Yehova! Nditsho ngokuba ndibonene nesithunywa sikaYehova.
23 UYehova wathi kuye, Uxolo malube kuwe; musa ukoyika, akuyi kufa.
24 UGidiyon wakha khona isibingelelo kuYehova, wathi igama laso nguYehova-uluxolo; sisekho nanamhla eOfra yama-Abhihezere.
25 Kwathi ngobo busuku, wathi uYehova kuye, Thabatha inkunzi yenkomo eyekayihlo, eyesibini inkunzi eminyaka isixhenxe, usidilize isibingelelo sikaBhahali sikayihlo, umgawule uAshera ongakuso;
26 wakhe isibingelelo kuYehova uThixo wakho encotsheni yale nqaba, usilungiselele, uthabathe eyesibini inkunzi, unyuse idini elinyukayo ngeenkuni zika-Ashera omgawuleyo.
27 UGidiyon wathabatha amadoda alishumi kubakhonzi bakhe; wenza njengoko wathethayo uYehova kuye. Kwathi, kuba esoyika indlu kayise namadoda aloo mzi, akenza emini, wenza ebusuku.
28 Avuka kusasa ngengomso amadoda aloo mzi: naso isibingelelo sikaBhahali sidiliziwe, egawulwe noAshera obengakuso, neyesibini inkunzi inyusiwe phezu kwesibingelelo esibe sakhiwe.
29 Yathi enye kwenye, Ngubani na lo wenze le nto? Abuza, afuna. Bathi, NguGidiyon unyana kaYowashe, lo wenze le nto.
30 Athi amadoda aloo mzi kuYowashe, Khupha unyana wakho, afe; ngokuba usidilizile isibingelelo sikaBhahali, wamgawula uAshera obengakuso.
31 Wathi uYowashe kubo bonke ababemmele, Niya kummela uBhahali nina aba na? Niya kumsindisa nina aba na? Lowo ummelayo uBhahali makabulawe; makhe kuse. Ukuba unguThixo, makazithethele, ngokuba sidiliziwe isibingelelo sakhe.
32 Kwathiwa loo mini unguYerubhahali, kusithiwa, uBhahali makaphikisane naye, ngokuba esidilizile isibingelelo sakhe.
33 Ahlangana ndawonye onke amaMidiyan, nama-Amaleki, nabasempumalanga; awela, amisa emathafeni aseYizereli.
34 UMoya kaYehova wangena kuGidiyon, wavuthela ngesigodlo; ahlatyelwa umkhosi, eza ama-Abhihezere, amlandela.
35 Wathuma abathunywa kumaManase onke, ahlatyelwa; eza nawo amlandela. Wathuma abathunywa kuma-Ashere, nakumaZebhulon, nakumaNafetali; enyuka awakhawulela.
36 Wathi uGidiyon kuThixo, Ukuba uyawasindisa amaSirayeli ngesandla sam, njengoko uthethileyo,
37 nanku ndibeke uboya obuchetyiweyo esandeni; ukuba umbethe uthe waba seboyeni bodwa, wonke umhlaba wawomile, ndiya kwazi ke ukuba uya kuwasindisa amaSirayeli ngesandla sam, njengoko uthethileyo.
38 Kwaba njalo ke. Wavuka kusasa ngengomso, wabukhamanga uboya, wawukhama umbethe eboyeni, kwazala indebe ngamanzi.
39 Wathi uGidiyon kuThixo, Mawungavuthi umsindo wakho kum, ndakuthetha okwesi sihlandlo sodwa; makhe ndilinge okwesi sihlandlo sodwa ngoboya, kome uboya bodwa, umbethe ube semhlabeni wonke.
40 Wenjenjalo uThixo ngobo busuku: koma uboya bodwa, umbethe waba semhlabeni wonke.