Abahluleli 8:1-35
8 Amadoda wakwa-Efrayimu athi kuye: “Yintobani osenze yona le? Kubayini ungakasibizi nawuyokulwa noMidiyani?”+ Yeke amphudlhela kabuhlungu.+
2 Kodwana wathi kiwo: “Ngenzeni nangimadaniswa nani? Kghani ukuburuja okwenziwa kwa-Efrayimu+ akusingcono na nakumadaniswa nesivuno samadiribe sakwa-Abiyezeri?+
3 UZimu wanikela amakhosana wakwaMidiyani u-Orebi noZebi esandleni senu,+ alo mina ngenzeni nangimadaniswa nani?” Kwathi nakakhuluma njalo,* ehlisa ummoya.
4 Ngemva kwalokho, uGidiyoni wafika eJordani wayiyama. Yena namadoda ama-300 ebewanaye bebadiniwe kodwana baraga nokugijimisa amanababo.
5 Yeke wathi emadodeni weSukothi: “Ngibawa ninikele abantu abangilandelako uburotho ngombana badiniwe begodu ngigijimisa uZebarhi noTsalmuna amakhosi wakwaMidiyani.”
6 Kodwana amakhosana weSukothi athi: “Kghani uZebarhi noTsalmuna sebasesandleni sakho na bona singanikela ibutho lakho uburotho?”
7 Kilokho uGidiyoni wathi: “Ngebanga lokuthi nitjho njalo, lokha uJehova nakanikela uZebarhi noTsalmuna esandleni sami, ngizoniritha ngameva nangamathuthumbo ahlabako wemmangweni.”+
8 Wasuka lapho wakhuphukela ePhenuweli wafika wenza isibawo esifanako, kodwana amadoda wePhenuweli amnikela ipendulo efana neyamadoda weSukothi.
9 Yeke wathi nemadodeni wePhenuweli: “Nangibuya ngokuthula, ngizokugiriza umbhotjhongo lo.”+
10 Nje-ke uZebarhi noTsalmuna bebaseKharikhori namabuthwabo, amadoda angaba zii-15 000. La bekumadoda aseleko ebuthweni loke labantu bePumalanga,+ ngombana amadoda azii-120 000 ebewahlome ngeensabula bekabulewe.
11 UGidiyoni waraga nokukhuphuka ngendlela yabantu abahlala ematendeni epumalanga yeNobarhi neJogibhoha,+ wasahlela ikampa ingakalindeli.
12 Kwathi uZebarhi noTsalmuna nababalekako, wawagijimisa begodu wabamba amakhosi amabili la wakwaMidiyani, uZebarhi noTsalmuna, ngalokho ikampa yabethwa livalo beyahlangahlangana.
13 Ngemva kwalokho, uGidiyoni indodana kaJowatjhi wabuya epini akhamba ngendledlana ekhuphukela eRheresi.
14 Nakasendleleni wabamba isokana leSukothi walipheka ngemibuzo. Isokaneli lamtlolela amagama wamakhosana nabadala beSukothi, amadoda ama-77.
15 Ngalokho watjhinga emadodeni weSukothi wathi: “Nangu uZebarhi noTsalmuna eninginyefule ngabo nathi, ‘Kghani uZebarhi noTsalmuna sele basesandleni sakho na bona singanikela abantu bakho abadiniweko uburotho?’”+
16 Yeke wathatha abadala bedorobho wabaritha ngameva nangamathuthumbo ahlabako wemmangweni, ngalokho wafundisa abadala beSukothi isifundo.+
17 Wagiriza umbhotjhongo wePhenuweli+ wabulala namadoda wedorobho.
18 Wabuza uZebarhi noTsalmuna wathi: “Bewanjani amadoda eniwabulele eTabori?” Bamphendula bathi: “Bewafana nawe, ngayinye beyifana nendodana yekosi.”
19 Kilokho wathi: “Bewabafowethu, amadodana kamma. Ngifunga ngoJehova uZimu ophilako, ngathana azange niwabulale, bekungekhe kutlhogeke bona nginibulale.”
20 Yeke wathi kuJeteri izibulo lakhe: “Sikima ubabulale.” Kodwana uJeteri akhenge akhuphe isabulakhe; bekasaba, ngombana bekasesemncani.
21 Ngalokho uZebarhi noTsalmuna bathi: “Sikima wena ngokwakho usirhayile, ngombana indoda ibonakala ngamandlayo.” Nje-ke uGidiyoni wasikima wabulala uZebarhi noTsalmuna+ wathatha nemikghabiso ebunjwe njengenyezi ebeyilenga eentanyeni zamakamelabo.
22 Ngemva kwesikhathi amadoda wakwa-Israyeli athi kuGidiyoni: “Sibusa, wena, indodanakho nomzukulwanakho, ngombana usisindise esandleni samaMidiyani.”+
23 Kodwana uGidiyoni wathi kiwo: “Angeze nginibuse, nendodanami angeze inibuse. NguJehova ozonibusa.”+
24 UGidiyoni waragela phambili wathi: “Ngivumelani ngenze isibawo sinye kini: ukuthi omunye nomunye wenu anginikele icici lepumulo elisezintweni azifumene epini.” (Ngombana amanaba bewanamacici wepumulo wegolide ngebanga lokuthi bewama-Itjhimayeli.)+
25 Amphendula athi: “Sizokunikela wona nakanjani.” Ngalokho andlala isambatho begodu enye nenye indoda yaphosela icici lepumulo ebelisezintweni zayo ezifumene epini esambathweni.
26 Inani lobudisi bamacici wepumulo wegolide ebekawabawile belimatjhekeli* wegolide ayi-1 700, ngaphandle kwemikghabiso ebunjwe njengenyezi, amacici, izambatho zewulu ezisipiridzana ezimbathwa makhosi wakwaMidiyani nemigejiso eseentanyeni zamakamela.+
27 UGidiyoni wathatha igolide wenza ngalo i-efodi+ wayibeka edorobheni lakhe e-Ofira;+ ama-Israyeli woke angwadla ngokuyilotjha lapho+ begodu yaba sithiyo kuGidiyoni nendlinakhe.+
28 Yeke uMidiyani+ wahlulwa phambi kwama-Israyeli begodu akhenge asawatshwenya godu; inarha yaba nokuthula* iminyaka ema-40 emihleni kaGidiyoni.+
29 UJerubhali+ indodana kaJowatjhi wabuyela kwakhe wahlala khona.
30 UGidiyoni waba namadodana ama-70 ngombana bekanabafazi abanengi.
31 Ikhohlo lakhe leTjhekemu nalo lambelethela indodana, wayithiya ngokuthi ngu-Abimeleki.+
32 UGidiyoni indodana kaJowatjhi wahlongakala ngemva kokuthi athabele ukuphila isikhathi eside begodu wabulungwa ethuneni lakaJowatjhi uyise, e-Ofira yama-Abiyezeri.+
33 Msinyana ngemva kokuhlongakala kwakaGidiyoni, ama-Israyeli athoma godu ukungwadla ngokulotjha aboBhali+ begodu abeka uBhali-Bherithi bona abe nguzimawo.+
34 Ama-Israyeli akhenge akhumbule uJehova uZimawo,+ owawasindisa esandleni sawo woke amanabawo awabhodileko;+
35 akhenge abe nethando* ngendlu kaJerubhali, okutjho uGidiyoni, ngakho koke okuhle ebekakwenzele u-Israyeli.+
Imitlolo Ephasi
^ NgesiHebheru, “ilizwelo.”
^ Itjhekeli beyilingana namagremu ayi-11.4. Qala Isith. B14.
^ NgesiHebheru, “yaphumula.”
^ Namkha “nethando elithembekileko.”
