ABAHLULELI 8

₁Abantu bakwaEfrayimi bathi kuye: Ukwenzeleni lokhu kithina ukuthi awusibizanga lapho uyakulwa nabakwaMidiyani na? Bamkhankatha kakhulu.

₂Wathi kubo: Ngenzeni mina, uma kulinganiswa nokwenu na? Ukukhothoza kwabakwaEfrayimi akukuhle yini kunokuvuna umvini kwama-Abiyezeri na?

₃UNkulunkulu unikele esandleni senu izikhulu zakwaMidiyani, o-Orebi noZebi; mina benginamandla okwenzani, uma kulinganiswa nokwenu, na? Kwase kubohla ukuthukuthela kwabo ngaye, eseshilo lokho.

₄UGideyoni wafika eJordani, wawela, yena namadoda angamakhulu amathathu ayenaye, eyethile, esaxosha nokho.

₅Wayesethi kubantu baseSukoti: Ake niphe abantu abangilandelayo izinkwa, ngokuba bayethile, ngisaxosha oZeba noSalimuna amakhosi akwaMidiyani.

₆Izikhulu zaseSukoti zathi: Izandla zikaZeba noSalimuna sezisesandleni sakho ukuba siphe impi yakho isinkwa na?

₇UGideyoni wathi: Ngalokho nxa uJehova enikele oZeba noSalimuna esandleni sami, ngiyakuklebhula inyama yenu ngameva asehlane nangamazinyo ezinqola zokubhula.

₈Wenyuka lapho, waya ePhenuweli, wakhuluma kubo ngokunjalo; abantu basePhenuweli bamphendula njengabantu baseSukoti bebephendulile.

₉Wakhuluma nakubo abantu basePhenuweli, wathi: Ekubuyeni kwami ngiphilile ngizakubhidliza lombhoshongo.

₁₀OZeba noSalimuna babeseKarkori, izimpi zabo zinabo kungathi abantu abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nanhlanu, bonke ababesele empini yonke yabasempumalanga, ngokuba kwakuwile abantu abayizinkulungwane eziyikhulu namashumi amabili abahloma inkemba.

₁₁UGideyoni wenyuka ngendlela yabahlala ematendeni ngasempumalanga kwaseNoba neJogibeha, wanqoba impi, impi yayithi ilondekile.

₁₂OZeba noSalimuna babaleka, wabaxosha; wawabamba amakhosi omabili akwaMidiyani, oZeba noSalimuna, wachitha impi yonke.

₁₃UGideyoni indodana kaJowashi wabuya empini ngasekwenyukeni kweHeresi.

₁₄Wabamba insizwa yabantu baseSukoti, wabuza kuyo; yona yamlobela izikhulu zaseSukoti namalunga alo, abantu abangamashumi ayisikhombisa nesikhombisa.

₁₅Wayesefika kubantu baseSukoti, wathi: Bhekani oZeba noSalimuna enangiswabulela ngabo, nathi: Izandla zikaZeba noSalimuna sezisesandleni sakho ukuba siphe amadoda akho ayethileyo isinkwa na?

₁₆Wayesebamba amalunga omuzi, nameva asehlane, namazinyo ezinqola zokubhula, wagalela ngawo abantu baseSukoti.

₁₇Wawubhidliza umbhoshongo wasePhenuweli, wabulala abantu bomuzi.

₁₈Wayesesho koZeba noSalimuna, ethi: Babenjani labobantu enababulala eThabori na? Bathi: Babenjengawe; yilowo nalowo wafana nabantwana benkosi.

₁₉Wathi: Babengabafowethu, amadodana kamame. Kuphila kukaJehova, uma benibayekile baphila, bengingayikunibulala.

₂₀Wayesethi kuJetheri izibulo lakhe: Suka ubabulale. Kepha umfana kahoshanga inkemba yakhe, ngokuba wesaba lokhu engumfana.

₂₁Base bethi oZeba noSalimuna: Suka wena, usihlasele, ngokuba njengendoda anjalo amandla ayo. Wayesesuka uGideyoni, wababulala oZeba noSalimuna, wathatha izimbedu ezinjengenyanga ezazisezintanyeni zamakamela abo.

₂₂Abantu bakwaIsrayeli bathi kuGideyoni: Sibuse, wena nendodana yakho, nendodana yendodana yakho futhi, ngokuba usisindisile esandleni sakwaMidiyani.

₂₃UGideyoni wathi kubo: Angiyikunibusa, nendodana yami ayiyikunibusa; nguJehova oyakunibusa.

₂₄UGideyoni wathi kubo: Mangicele okuthile kini ukuba ninginike, kube-yilowo nalowo amacici empango yakhe. Babenamacici egolide, lokhu bebengabakwaIshmayeli.

₂₅Bathi: Siyakukunika wona impela. Beneka ingubo, baphonsa khona, kwaba-yilowo nalowo amacici empango yakhe.

₂₆Isisindo samacici egolide awacelayo sasingamashekeli* ayinkulungwane namakhulu ayisikhombisa egolide, ngaphandle kwezimbedu ezinjengenyanga, neziqhaza, nezingubo ezibubende ezazembethwé ngamakhosi akwaMidiyani, nangaphandle kwamaketanga ayesezintanyeni zamakamela awo.

₂₇UGideyoni wenza ingubo yamahlombe ngakho, wayibeka emzini wakhe eOfira; bonke abakwaIsrayeli baya baphinga nayo khona; yaba-lugibe kuGideyoni nendlu yakhe.

₂₈AbakwaMidiyani bathotshiswa kanjalo phambi kwabantwana bakwaIsrayeli, ababe besaphakamisa amakhanda abo. Izwe lathula iminyaka engamashumi amane ezinsukwini zikaGideyoni.

₂₉UJerubali* indodana kaJowashi waya wahlala endlini yakhe.

₃₀UGideyoni wayenamadodana angamashumi ayisikhombisa aphuma okhalweni lwakhe, ngokuba wayenabafazi abaningi.

₃₁Isancinza sakhe esasiseShekemi naso samzalela indodana, sayiqamba igama lokuthi uAbimeleki.

₃₂UGideyoni indodana kaJowashi wafa esemdala, wembelwa ethuneni likaJowashi uyise eOfira lama-Abiyezeri.

₃₃Kwathi esefile uGideyoni, abantwana bakwaIsrayeli babuye baphinga nawoBali, bamenza uBali-Beriti unkulunkulu wabo.

₃₄Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli babengakhumbuli uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo owabophula esandleni sezitha zonke zabo nxazonke.

₃₅Abenzanga umusa kuyo indlu kaJerubali* onguGideyoni njengakho konke okuhle ayekwenzile kuIsrayeli.