Judges 8

1Amadoda akoEfrayimi ^a asesithi kuye: Iyini linto oyenze kithi ukuthi awusibizanga nxa usiyakulwa lamaMidiyani? Amsola ngamandla. 2Wasesithi kiwo: Ngenzeni khathesi uba kulinganiswa lokwenu? Ukukhothozwa kwezithelo zevini koEfrayimi kakukuhle yini kulesivuno sevini sakoAbiyezeri ^b? 3UNkulunkulu unikele esandleni senu iziphathamandla zeMidiyani ^c, uOrebi loZebi; ngangingenzani njengani? Kwasekudeda kuye ukuthukuthela kwabo ^d lapho ekhuluma lelilizwi.

UGidiyoni uthumba amakhosi eMidiyani

4Lapho uGidiyoni efika eJordani wachapha, yena lamadoda angamakhulu amathathu ^e ayelaye, bediniwe kodwa bexotsha. 5Wasesithi emadodeni eSukothi ^f: Ake liphe abantu abangilandelayo ^g amaqebelengwana ezinkwa, ngoba badiniwe, ngixotshana loZeba loZalimuna amakhosi eMidiyani. 6Lenduna zeSukothi zathi: Intende yesandla sikaZeba loZalimuna isisesandleni sakho yini ^h, ukuthi siphe ibutho lakho isinkwa? 7UGidiyoni wasesithi: Ngakho nxa iNkosi isinikele uZeba loZalimuna esandleni sami, ngizabhula inyama yenu ngameva enkangala langokhula oluhlabayo ⁱ.

8Wasesenyuka lapho waya ePenuweli ^j, wakhuluma labo ngokufananayo; lamadoda ePenuweli amphendula njengamadoda eSukothi emphendulile. 9Wasekhuluma futhi emadodeni ePenuweli esithi: Ekubuyeni kwami ngokuthula ^k ngizadiliza lo umphotshongo ^l.

10Njalo uZeba loZalimuna babeseKarikori lenkamba yabo ilabo, phose inkulungwane ezilitshumi lanhlanu, bonke ababesele ebuthweni ^m lonke labantwana bempumalanga ⁿ, ngoba ababewile babengamadoda azinkulungwane ezilikhulu lamatshumi amabili abahwatsha inkemba. 11UGidiyoni wasesenyuka ngendlela yabahlala emathenteni empumalanga kweNoba leJogibeha ^o, wayitshaya inkamba, ngoba inkamba yayilibele ^p. 12UZeba loZalimuna basebebaleka, wasexotshana labo, wathumba amakhosi amabili eMidiyani ^q, uZeba loZalimuna, wethusa inkamba yonke.

13Lapho uGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi esebuya evela empini phambi kokuphuma kwelanga, 14wabamba ijaha emadodeni eSukothi, walibuza; laselimbhalela iziphathamandla zeSukothi labadala bayo, amadoda angamatshumi ayisikhombisa lesikhombisa. 15Wasefika emadodeni eSukothi, wathi: Khangelani oZeba loZalimuna elalingiklolodela ngabo lisithi: Intende yesandla sikaZeba loZalimuna isisesandleni sakho yini ^r, ukuthi siphe amadoda akho asediniwe isinkwa? 16Wasethatha abadala bomuzi ^s, lameva enkangala lokhula oluhlabayo, wenza amadoda eSukothi aqedisise ngawo. 17Lomphotshongo wePenuweli ^t wawudiliza, wabulala amadoda omuzi.

18Wasesithi kuZeba lakuZalimuna: Ngamadoda anjani elawabulala eThabhori ^u? Basebesithi: Njengawe babenjalo, ngulowo njengesimo sendodana yenkosi. 19Wasesithi: Babengabafowethu, abantwana bakamama. Kuphila kukaJehova ^v, uba belibayekele baphila, bengingayikulibulala. 20Wasesithi kuJetheri izibulo lakhe: Sukuma ubabulale. Kodwa umfana kayihwatshanga inkemba yakhe, ngoba wayesesaba ngoba esesengumfana. 21UZeba loZalimuna basebesithi: Sukuma wena uwele phezu kwethu, ngoba njengoba injalo indoda, anjalo amandla ayo. Wasesukuma uGidiyoni wabulala uZeba loZalimuna ^w. Wasethatha izinyangana ezazisentanyeni zamakamela abo.

UGidiyoni wala ukubekwa inkosi

22Amadoda akoIsrayeli asesithi kuGidiyoni: Sibuse, wena-ke, lendodana yakho, lendodana yendodana yakho, ngoba usisindisile esandleni samaMidiyani. 23Kodwa uGidiyoni wathi kibo: Mina kangiyikulibusa, lendodana yami kayiyikulibusa; iNkosi izalibusa ^x.

24UGidiyoni wasesithi kibo: Ake ngicele isicelo kini; nginikani ngamunye icici lempango ^y yakhe. Ngoba babelamacici egolide, ngoba babengamaIshmayeli ^z. 25Basebesithi: Sizanika lokunika. Basebesendlala isembatho, baphosela lapho ngamunye icici lempango yakhe. 26Lesisindo samacici egolide ayewacelile sasingamashekeli* egolide ayinkulungwane lamakhulu ayisikhombisa, ngaphandle kwezinyangana ^aa, leziceciso ezilengayo, lezembatho eziyibubende ezazisemakhosini eMidiyani ^ab, langaphandle kwamaketane ayesezintanyeni zamakamela awo ^ac. 27UGidiyoni wasesenza i-efodi* ^ad ngakho, wayibeka emzini wakhe, eOfira ^ae. LoIsrayeli wonke waphinga lapho ngokuyilandela ^af; yasisiba ngumjibila kuGidiyoni ^ag lendlu yakhe.

Ukufa kukaGidiyoni

28Ngokunjalo amaMidiyani ehliselwa phansi phambi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, kawaphindanga aphakamisa ikhanda lawo. Lelizwe laba lokuthula iminyaka engamatshumi amane ^ah ensukwini zikaGidiyoni.

29UJerubali indodana kaJowashi wayahlala-ke endlini yakhe. 30Njalo uGidiyoni wayelamadodana angamatshumi ayisikhombisa aphuma okhalweni lwakhe ^ai, ngoba wayelabafazi abanengi. 31Lomfazi wakhe omncane owayeseShekema ^aj laye wamzalela indodana, wayitha ibizo lokuthi nguAbhimeleki.

32UGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi wasesifa eseluphele kuhle ^ak, wangcwatshelwa engcwabeni likaJowashi uyise, eOfira yamaAbiyezeri ^al. 33Kwasekusithi lapho uGidiyoni esefile ^am, abantwana bakoIsrayeli baphenduka, baphinga ngokulandela oBhali ^an, bazimisela uBhali-Berithi ^ao waba ngunkulunkulu. 34Njalo abantwana bakoIsrayeli kabayikhumbulanga iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo ^ap eyabophula esandleni sezitha zabo zonke inhlangothi zonke. 35Kabenzanga umusa endlini kaJerubali ^aq, onguGidiyoni, njengakho konke okuhle akwenza kuIsrayeli.