ABAGWEBI 8

₁Athi amadoda akwaEfrayim kuye, Yintoni na le nto uyenzileyo kuthi, yokuba ungasibizi, ukuya kulwa kwakho namaMidiyan? Babambana naye kabukhali. ₂Wathi kuwo, Ndenzé ntoni na ngoku ngangáni? Ukubhikica kwamaEfrayim akukugqithile na ngokulunga ukuvuna iidiliya komAbhihezere? ₃UThixo ubanikele esandleni senu abathetheli bakwaMidiyan, uOrebhe noZebhe; yintoni na endinokuyenza ngangani? Yaza ingqumbo yawo ngakuye yadamba ekulithetheni kwakhe elo lizwi.

₄Akufika uGidiyon eYordan, ewela enamadoda amakhulu mathathu, etyhafile, esasukela noko, ₅wathi kumadoda aseSukoti, Khanibaphe abantu aba bandilandelayo iintendana zezonka, ngokuba batyhafile; ndisukela uZebha noTsalimuna, ookumkani bamaMidiyan. ₆Bathi abathetheli baseSukoti, Isandla sikaZebha noTsalimuna sesisesandleni sakho yini na, ukuba siwunike umkhosi wakho isonka? ₇Wathi uGidiyon, Xa kunjalo, ákubanikela uYehova ooZebha noTsalimuna esandleni sam, ndoyibhalula inyama yenu ngemithana enameva yasentlango, nangamakhakakhaka.

₈Wenyuka khona, waya ePenuweli, wathetha kubo kwangokunjalo. Bamphendula abantu basePenuweli njengoko bamphendula ngako abantu baseSukoti. ₉Watsho nakubantu basePenuweli, ukuthi, Ekubuyeni kwam ngoxolo ndoyidiliza le nqaba inde.

₁₀Ke kaloku uZebha noTsalimuna bebeseKarkore, benemikhosi yabo, ngathi ngamawaka alishumi elinamahlanu ewonke amadoda, abesele kwimikhosi yonke yabasempumalanga. Kwakuwé amadoda alikhulu elinamanci mabini amawaka, arhola ikrele. ₁₁Wenyuka uGidiyon ngendlela yabahlala ezintenteni, ngasempumalanga kweNobha neYogebheha, wayibulala impi; impi leyo ibingaxhalele nto. ₁₂Basaba ooZebha noTsalimuna; wabasukela, wababamba ookumkani bobabini bamaMidiyan, ooZebha noTsalimuna; wayothusa yonke impi.

₁₃Wabuya uGidiyon unyana kaYowashe emfazweni, evela eqhineni leHeheres, ₁₄wabamba indodana yabantu baseSukoti, wayibuza; yambalela abathetheli baseSukoti, namadoda amakhulu akhona, amadoda amashumi asixhenxe anesixhenxe. ₁₅Weza ebantwini baseSukoti, wathi, Naba ooZebha noTsalimuna, enibe nindingcikiva ngabo, nisithi, Isandla sikaZebha noTsalimuna sesisesandleni sakho yini na, ukuba siwanike isonka amadoda akho atyhafileyo? ₁₆Wawathabatha amadoda amakhulu aloo mzi, nemithana enameva yasentlango namakhakakhaka, wawaqondisa ngayo amadoda aseSukoti. ₁₇Wayidiliza nenqaba ende yasePenuweli, wababulala abantu baloo mzi.

₁₈Wathi kuZebha noTsalimuna, Ebenjani na amadoda enawabulalayo eTabhore? Bathi, Abenjengawe, elowo enesithomo sonyana wokumkani. ₁₉Wathi, Babengabazalwana bam abo, oonyana bakama. Ehleli nje uYehova, ukuba benibasindisile, ngendingànibulali. ₂₀Wathi kuYetere owamazibulo kuye, Suk' ume, ubabulale. Ke indodana leyo ayilirholanga ikrele layo; ngokuba ibisoyika, kuba ibisengumfana. ₂₁Bathi ooZebha noTsalimuna, Suk' ume wena, usithi qwele; njengoko injalo indoda, bunjalo nobugorha bayo. Wesuka ke uGidiyon, wababulala ooZebha noTsalimuna, wazithabatha iintsimbi ezisezintanyeni zeenkamela zabo.

₂₂Athi amaSirayeli kuGidiyon, Silawule wena, kwanonyana wakho, nonyana wonyana wakho; ngokuba usisindisile esandleni samaMidiyan. ₂₃Wathi uGidiyon kuwo, Andiyi kunilawula mna; akayi kunilawula nonyana wam; nguYehova oya kunilawula nina. ₂₄Wathi uGidiyon kuwo, Ndiya kucela ngcelo-nye kuni; ndinikeni elowo ijikazi lexhoba lakhe. (Ngokuba ebenamajikazi egolide, kuba ebengamaIshmayeli.) ₂₅Athi, Sokunika ngemvume. Azandlala iingubo, aphosa khona elowo ijikazi lexhoba lakhe. ₂₆Ubunzima bamajikazi egolide awawacelayo baba liwaka elinamakhulu asixhenxe eeshekele• zegolide, ngaphandle kwezo ntsimbi namacici neengubo ezimfusa ezibe zikookumkani bamaMidiyan, nangaphandle kwezidanga ezibe zisezintanyeni zeenkamela zabo. ₂₇UGidiyon wenza ngazo iefodi,• wayibeka emzini wakhe eOfra; athi onke amaSirayeli ahenyuza ngokuyilandela khona; yangumgibe kuGidiyon nakwindlu yakhe.

₂₈Athotywa amaMidiyan phambi koonyana bakaSirayeli, akaphinda aziphakamise iintloko zawo. Lazola ke ilizwe iminyaka emashumi mané ngemihla kaGidiyon.

₂₉Waya uYerubhahali, unyana kaYowashe, wahlala endlwini yakhe. ₃₀UGidiyon ebenoonyana abangamashumi asixhenxe abaphumáyo esinqeni sakhe, ngokuba ebenabafazi abaninzi. ₃₁Neshweshwe lakhe, elibe likwaShekem, lamzalela unyana nalo; awamthiya igama lokuba nguAbhimeleki. ₃₂Wafa uGidiyon unyana kaYowashe, eyingwevu enkulu, wangcwatyelwa engcwabeni likaYowashe uyise, eOfra yama-Abhihezere.

₃₃Kwathi, akufa uGidiyon, babuya oonyana bakaSirayeli bahenyuza ngokulandela uBhahali;• bazimisela uBhahalibheriti,• waba nguthixo wabo. ₃₄Oonyana bakaSirayeli abamkhumbulanga uYehova uThixo wabo, owabahlangulayo esandleni seentshaba zabo zonke ngeenxa zonke; ₃₅àbayenzela nceba indlu kaYerubhahali, kaGidiyon, ngokokulunga konke awawenzeláyo amaSirayeli.