ABagwebi 8:1-35
8 Amadoda akwaEfrayim athi kuye: “Yintoni le usenze yona? Kutheni ungasibizanga nje xa ubuyokulwa noMidiyan?”+ Axambulisana naye kabukhali.+
2 Kodwa wathi kuwo: “Ayikho ncinci na le nto ndiyenzileyo xa ithelekiswa naleyo niyenzileyo nina? Ukuchola-chola kukaEfrayim+ akubhetelanga na kunesivuno seediliya sika-Abhi-ezere?+
3 UThixo wazinikela ezandleni zenu iinkosana zakwaMidiyan uOrebhi noZehebhe,+ ngoko ayincincanga na le nto ndiyenzileyo mna kunaleyo nayenzayo nina?” Wathi akutsho, wehla umsindo wawo.*
4 UGidiyon weza eYordan waza wayiwela. Yena namadoda ayi-300 awayekunye naye babediniwe, kodwa baqhubeka bewaleqa amaMidiyan.
5 Ngoko wathi kumadoda aseSukoti: “Khaniphe aba bantu bandilandelayo isonka, kuba badiniwe yaye ndileqa uZebha noTsalmuna, ookumkani bakwaMidiyan.”
6 Kodwa iinkosana zaseSukoti zathi: “UZebha noTsalmuna sele besesandleni sakho na le nto kufuneka sinike umkhosi wakho isonka?”
7 UGidiyon wathi: “Ngenxa yaloo nto ke, xa uYehova enikela uZebha noTsalmuna esandleni sam, ndiza kunibhula ngameva namakhakakhaka asentlango.”+
8 Wagqitha ke wayokutsho ePenuweli waza nalapho wenza kwaeso sicelo, kodwa amadoda asePenuweli amphendula ngendlela efanayo neyalawo aseSukoti.
9 Ngoko ke, nakumadoda asePenuweli wathi: “Xa ndibuya ndiseluxolweni, ndiza kuyidiliza le nqaba.”+
10 UZebha noTsalmuna babeseKarkore kunye nemikhosi yabo yamadoda amalunga ne-15 000. Ngawo kuphela awayesele kuwo wonke umkhosi waseMpuma,+ kuba amadoda ayi-120 000 axhobe ngamakrele ayexatyelwe.
11 UGidiyon wathi chu ngendlela egudle iintente ezingakwimpuma yeNobha neYogebheha,+ waza wayixabela loo nkampu ingalindelanga.
12 Xa uZebha noTsalmuna babalekayo, wabaleqa waza wababamba abo kumkani babini bakwaMidiyan, uZebha noTsalmuna, yatsho yaphakuzela yonke inkampu.
13 Ukubuya kwakhe emfazweni, uGidiyon unyana kaYowashe wenyuka ngendlela ephakathi kweentaba eya eHeres.
14 Endleleni wathimba umfana waseSukoti waza wamehlisa emenyusa ngemibuzo. Ngoko lo mfana wambhalela amagama ayi-77 eenkosana nabadala baseSukoti.
15 Wasuka apho wangqala kumadoda aseSukoti waza wathi: “Nanku ke uZebha noTsalmuna enandigezela ngabo nisithi, ‘UZebha noTsalmuna sele besesandleni sakho na le nto kufuneka sinike amadoda akho adiniweyo isonka?’”+
16 Ngoko wabathatha abadala besixeko, wawafundisa isifundo loo madoda aseSukoti ngameva namakhakakhaka asentlango.+
17 Wayidiliza nenqaba yasePenuweli,+ wabulala namadoda esixeko.
18 Wathi kuZebha noTsalmuna: “Ayenjani laa madoda nawabulalayo eTabhore?” Baphendula bathi: “Ayenjengawe kanye, engathi ngoonyana bakakumkani.”
19 Wathi ke yena: “Yayingabantakwethu abo, abantwana bakamama. Njengokuba uYehova ephila, ukuba naningababulalanga, bendingazukunibulala.”
20 Ngoko wathi kuYetere izibulo lakhe: “Phakama, babulale.” Kodwa lo mfana akazange alikhuphe ikrele lakhe; wayesoyika, kuba wayesengumfana.
21 Ngoko uZebha noTsalmuna bathi: “Sibulale ngokwakho, kaloku indoda ibonakala ngamandla ayo.” Ngoko uGidiyon waphakama wambulala uZebha noTsalmuna,+ wathatha nezihombo ezimilise okwenyanga ezazisezintanyeni zeenkamela zabo.
22 Emva koko amadoda akwaSirayeli athi kuGidiyon: “Silawule, wena nonyana wakho nomzukulwana wakho, kuba usisindisile esandleni sikaMidiyan.”+
23 Kodwa uGidiyon wathi kuwo: “Anizukulawulwa ndim nangunyana wam. Niza kulawulwa nguYehova.”+
24 Waqhubeka wathi uGidiyon: “Mandicele le nto apha kuni: ngamnye wenu makandinike icici lempumlo alifumene kwizinto azithimbileyo.” (Kuba babenamakhonkco empumlo egolide, kaloku babengamaIshmayeli.)+
25 Wona athi: “Ngokuqinisekileyo siza kukunika.” Ngoko andlala isambatho, yaza ndoda nganye yaphosa kuso icici lempumlo elifumene kwizinto ezithimbileyo.
26 Ubunzima baloo macici babuziishekele* zegolide eziyi-1 700, ngaphandle kwezihombo ezimile okwenyanga, amajikazi, izambatho zoboya obumsobo* ezazinxitywa ngookumkani bakwaMidiyan neentsimbi zomqala ezazisezintanyeni zeenkamela.+
27 UGidiyon wenza ngazo iefodi,+ wayimisa kwisixeko sakhe esiyiOfra;+ ibe wonke uSirayeli wazenza umfazi othengisa ngomzimba kuyo,+ yaza yaba ngumgibe kuGidiyon nendlu yakhe.+
28 Oyiswa ngaloo ndlela ke amaMidiyan+ ngamaSirayeli, yaye awazange aphinde awakhathaze;* laza laphumla* ilizwe iminyaka eyi-40 ngemihla kaGidiyon.+
29 Ngoko uYerubhahali+ unyana kaYowashe wagoduka waya kuhlala kwakhe.
30 UGidiyon waba noonyana abayi-70,* kuba wayenabafazi abaninzi.
31 Nomnye umfazi wakhe* owayekwaShekem wamzalela unyana, waza wamthiya igama elinguAbhimeleki.+
32 UGidiyon unyana kaYowashe wafa emdala ngokwaneleyo waza wangcwatywa kwingcwaba likaYowashe utata wakhe eOfra yama-Abhi-ezere.+
33 Kamsinya nje emva kokufa kukaGidiyon, amaSirayeli aphinda azenza abafazi abathengisa ngomzimba kooBhahali,+ aza amisela uBhahali-bheriti+ ukuba abe nguthixo wawo.
34 AmaSirayeli awazange amkhumbule uYehova uThixo wawo,+ owayewasindise esandleni seentshaba zawo zonke ezaziwajikelezile;+
35 yaye awazange abonise ukuba ayithanda ngokungagungqiyo indlu kaYerubhahali, uGidiyon ukutsho, owamenzela izinto ezintle uSirayeli.+
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Ngokoqobo, “ehlisa umoya.”
^ Okanye “obupepuli.”
^ Ishekele yayilingana ne-11,4 g. Funda Isihlomelo B14.
^ Ngokoqobo, “aphakamise intloko yawo.”
^ Okanye “laba seluxolweni.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “waba noonyana abayi-70 abaphuma ethangeni lakhe.”
^ Okanye “Neshweshwe lakhe.”
