ABahluleli 8:1-35
8 Abako-Efrayimi basebesithi kuye: “Kungani usiphathe kanje? Kungani ungasibizanga usiyakulwa lamaMidiyani?”+ Baxabana laye bemsola kakhulu.+
2 Kodwa yena wathi kubo: “Kambe lokho engikwenzileyo kungcono yini kulalokho elikwenzileyo lina? Amagilebisi asalayo nxa kuvunwa ko-Efrayimi+ kawangcono yini kulesivuno sonke sako-Abhiyezeri?+
3 UNkulunkulu uzinikele ezandleni zenu iziphathamandla zakoMidiyani u-Orebhi loZebhi.+ Manje lokho engikwenzileyo mina kungalingana yini lalokho elikwenzileyo?” Wathi esetsho njalo ulaka lwabo lwehla.
4 UGidiyoni wafika kuJodani wachapha lamadoda angu-300 ayehamba lawo. Baqhubeka bexotshanisa isitha lanxa basebediniwe.
5 Wafika emadodeni eSukhothi wathi: “Ngicela liphe abantu engihamba labo isinkwa ngoba badiniwe futhi ngixotshana loZebha loZalimuna amakhosi amaMidiyani.”
6 Kodwa iziphathamandla zeSukhothi zathi: “Kanti usubabambile yini oZebha loZalimuna ukuthi sesingaze siphe amabutho akho ukudla?”
7 UGidiyoni wasesithi: “Nxa uJehova esenikele uZebha loZalimuna esandleni sami, ngizabuya ngizolibhaxabula ngengatsha zameva asenkangala+ ngenxa yamazwi enu eliwakhulumileyo.”
8 Wasuka lapho waya ePhenuweli wafika wacela lokho ayekucele eSukhothi, kodwa amadoda ePhenuweli amphendula njengaweSukhothi.
9 Ngakho wathi emadodeni ePhenuweli: “Nxa sengiphenduka nginqobile ngizawudiliza umphotshongo lo.”+
10 Ngalesosikhathi uZebha loZalimuna babeseKharikhori belamadoda angaba ngu-15 000. Amadoda la yiwo wodwa ayesele ebuthweni labaseMpumalanga+ ngoba kwakufe amadoda angu-120 000 ayesilwa ngenkemba.
11 UGidiyoni waqhubeka ehamba ngendlela yabantu abahlala ematendeni empumalanga kweNobha leJogibheha,+ watheleka ezihonqweni zesitha wasihlasela sisalibele.
12 Amakhosi amabili amaMidiyani, uZebha loZalimuna, abaleka kodwa uGidiyoni wawaxotshanisa waze wawabamba. Wonke amabutho ayesenkambeni ethuka aphithana amakhanda.
13 Ngemva kwalokho uGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi waphenduka evela empini ehamba ngendlela encinyane eqansa ize iyefika eHeresi.
14 Wathi esendleleni wabamba elinye ijaha leSukhothi walibuzisisa, laselimbhalela amabizo angu-77 eziphathamandla zeSukhothi lawabadala bakhona.
15 Esethole amabizo lawo waya emadodeni eSukhothi wafika wathi kuwo: “Nangu uZebha loZalimuna elalingichothoza ngabo lisithi, ‘Kanti usubabambile yini oZebha loZalimuna ukuthi sesingaze sinike amabutho akho adiniweyo ukudla?’”+
16 Wasethatha abadala bedolobho lelo wababhaxabula ngengatsha zameva, wawafundisa isifundo amadoda eSukhothi.+
17 Wadiliza lomphotshongo wePhenuweli+ wabulala amadoda akulelodolobho.
18 Wabuza uZebha loZalimuna wathi: “Babenjani abantu elababulala eThabhori?” Baphendula bathi: “Babenjengawe, bonke babengathi ngamadodana enkosi.”
19 UGidiyoni wasesithi: “Kwakungabafowethu abazalwa ngumama. Ngifunga ngoJehova uNkulunkulu ophilayo, ngabe alizange libabulale lami bengingasoze ngilibulale.”
20 Wasesithi kuJetheri izibulo lakhe: “Buya ubabulale.” Kodwa uJetheri wesaba ukuhwatsha inkemba yakhe ngoba wayesesengumfanyana nje.
21 Yikho uZebha loZalimuna bathi kuGidiyoni: “Buya wena usibulale ngoba indoda ikhanya ngamandla ayo.” Ngakho wababulala+ wasethatha imiceciso eyayigaxwe entanyeni zamakamela abo. Umceciso ngamunye wawubunjwe waba lucezu olunjengenyanga ethwasileyo.
22 Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi abako-Israyeli bathi kuGidiyoni: “Sicela usibuse wena lamadodana akho kanye labazukulu bakho ngoba usikhululile kwabakoMidiyani.” +
23 Kodwa uGidiyoni wathi: “Mina angisoze ngilibuse futhi lamadodana ami kawasoze alibuse. UJehova nguye ozalibusa.”+
24 UGidiyoni waqhubeka wathi: “Kodwa kulento eyodwa engiyicela kini. Ngicela ngamunye wenu athathe empahleni yakhe ayithumbileyo icici legolide elifakwa emakhaleni angiphe lona.” (Abantu ababebanqobile babelamacici egolide ngoba babengama-Ishmayeli.)+
25 Baphendula bathi: “Sizakupha lokho okucelayo.” Basebesendlala ilembu elikhulu, ngamunye wabo wathatha empahleni yakhe ayithumbileyo icici legolide elifakwa emakhaleni waliphosela khonapho.
26 Isisindo samacici egolide ayewacelile sasingamakhilogremu angu-19,* kungabalwa imiceciso ebunjwe yaba lucezu olunjengenyanga ethwasileyo, lemigaxo kanye lezembatho zamakhosi akoMidiyani ezenziwe ngewulu eyibubende* lemiceciso eyayigaxwe entanyeni zamakamela.+
27 UGidiyoni wenza i-efodi*+ ngezinto lezi wayibeka egcekeni edolobheni lakhe lase-Ofira.+ Bonke abako-Israyeli baqalisa ukuyikhonza*+ futhi yaba ngumjibila kuGidiyoni labendlu yakhe.+
28 AmaMidiyani+ anqotshwa ngabako-Israyeli njalo kawazange aphinde abahlasele.* Ngensuku zikaGidiyoni kwaba lokuthula elizweni okweminyaka engu-40.+
29 UJerubhali*+ indodana kaJowashi wabuyela emzini wakhe wayahlala khona.
30 UGidiyoni waba lamadodana angu-70 ngoba wayelamakhosikazi amanengi.
31 Omunye umkakhe owayehlala eShekhemu wamzalela umntwana futhi uGidiyoni wambiza ngokuthi ngu-Abhimeleki.+
32 UGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi wafa eseluphele wangcwatshwa ethuneni likayise uJowashi, e-Ofira yama-Abhiyezeri.+
33 UGidiyoni wathi esanda kufa abako-Israyeli baqalisa futhi ukukhonza oBhali*+ njalo benza uBhali-bherithi waba ngunkulunkulu wabo.+
34 Abako-Israyeli abazange bamkhumbule uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo+ owayebakhulule kuzo zonke izitha zabo ezazibahanqile,+
35 futhi abazange babelothando oluqotho kwabendlu kaJerubhali owayebizwa langokuthi nguGidiyoni lanxa wayebenzele izinto ezinhle kakhulu.+
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiNgisi umbala oyibubende yi-purple.
^ NgesiHebheru, “sasingamashekheli egolide angu-1 700.” Khangela iSengezo ku-B14.
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala leSengezo ku-B5.
^ Kumbe, “baqalisa ukufeba layo.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “avuse ikhanda.”
^ Kumbe, “ukufeba laboBhali.”
