AbaHluleli

8 Amadoda akwa-Efrayimi athi kuGideyoni: “Yini le osenze yona? Awusibizanga ngani lapho uyolwa nabakwaMidiyani?” + Axabana naye kwaba kubi. + 2 Kodwa wathi kuwo: “Yini nje engiyenzile uma ngiqhathaniswa nani? Ayingcono yini imikhothozo yakwa-Efrayimi + kunesivuno samagilebhisi sase-Abhi-ezeri? + 3 UNkulunkulu uzinikele esandleni senu izikhulu zakwaMidiyani u-Orebi noZebi, + yini engiyenzile uma ngiqhathaniswa nani?” Lapho esho lokhu,* behlisa umoya.*

4 Ekugcineni uGideyoni wafika eJordani, waliwela. Yena namadoda angu-300 ayekanye naye babekhathele, kodwa baqhubeka nokubajaha. 5 Wathi emadodeni aseSukoti: “Ngicela niphe laba bantu abangilandelayo izinkwa, ngoba bakhathele futhi ngijaha uZeba noZalmuna, amakhosi akwaMidiyani.” 6 Kodwa izikhulu zaseSukoti zathi: “Usubabambile yini oZeba noZalmuna okwenza kudingeke sinike ibutho lakho isinkwa?” 7 UGideyoni waphendula wathi: “Ngoba nisho kanjalo, lapho uJehova enikela uZeba noZalmuna esandleni sami, ngizonibhaxabula ngameva asehlane.” + 8 Wasuka lapho wenyukela ePhenuweli wafike wacela into efanayo, kodwa amadoda asePhenuweli amnikeza impendulo efana neyamadoda aseSukoti. 9 Ngakho nasemadodeni asePhenuweli wathi: “Lapho ngibuya ngokuthula, ngizowubhidliza lo mbhoshongo.” +

10 UZeba noZalmuna babeseKarkori kanye namabutho abo, amadoda angaba ngu-15 000. Yilawa kuphela ayesele kulo lonke ikamu labaseMpumalanga, + ngoba kwase kufe amadoda angu-120 000 ayehlome ngezinkemba. 11 UGideyoni waqhubeka wenyuka ngendlela edlula ngakulabo abahlala ematendeni empumalanga yeNoba neJogibeha, + wahlasela ikamu lingalindele. 12 Lapho uZeba noZalmuna bebaleka, wawajaha wawabamba la makhosi amabili akwaMidiyani, uZeba noZalmuna, okwenza lonke ikamu lethuka kakhulu.

13 UGideyoni indodana kaJowashi wabuya empini ngendlela enyukela eHeresi. 14 Endleleni wabamba insizwa ethile yaseSukoti wayiphenya ngemibuzo. Ngakho le nsizwa yambhalela amagama ezikhulu nawamadoda amadala aseSukoti, amadoda angu-77. 15 Ngemva kwalokho waya emadodeni aseSukoti wathi: “Naba oZeba noZalmuna ebeningiklolodela ngabo, nithi, ‘Usubabambile yini oZeba noZalmuna okwenza kudingeke sinike ibutho lakho elikhathele isinkwa?’ ” + 16 Wathatha amadoda amadala alelo dolobha, wathatha nameva asehlane wawafundisa isifundo amadoda aseSukoti. + 17 Wabhidliza nombhoshongo wasePhenuweli, + wayesebulala amadoda akulelo dolobha.

18 Wabuza uZeba noZalmuna wathi: “Ayebukeka kanjani amadoda enawabulala eThabori?” Bathi: “Ayenjengawe, ngayinye yayibukeka njengendodana yenkosi.” 19 Wathi: “Kwakungabafowethu, amadodana kamama. Ngimfunge uJehova, ukube anibabulalanga, bekungeke kudingeke ukuba nginibulale.” 20 Ngemva kwalokho wathi kuJetheri izibulo lakhe: “Sukuma ubabulale.” Kodwa le nsizwa ayizange iyihoshe inkemba yayo; yayesaba ngoba yayisencane. 21 Ngakho uZeba noZalmuna bathi: “Sukuma wena usibulale, ngoba indoda ibonakala ngamandla ayo.”* Ngakho uGideyoni wasukuma wababulala oZeba noZalmuna, + wayesethatha imihlobiso emise okwenyanga eyayisezintanyeni zamakamela abo.

22 Kamuva amadoda akwa-Israyeli athi kuGideyoni: “Sibuse, wena nendodana yakho nomzukulu wakho, ngoba usisindisile esandleni sabakwaMidiyani.” + 23 Kodwa uGideyoni wathi kuwo: “Mina ngeke nginibuse, nendodana yami ngeke inibuse. UJehova nguye ozonibusa.” + 24 UGideyoni waqhubeka wathi kuwo: “Mangenze isicelo sibe sinye kini: sokuba ngamunye wenu anginike indandatho yasekhaleni empangweni yakhe.” (Ngoba babenezindandatho zegolide zasekhaleni, ngoba babengabakwa-Ishmayeli.) + 25 Baphendula bathi: “Kulungile sizokunika.” Ngakho bandlala ingubo, ngamunye waphonsa indandatho yasekhaleni ayikhiphe empangweni yakhe. 26 Isisindo sezindandatho zegolide zasekhaleni ayezicelile saba amashekeli* egolide angu-1 700, ingabalwa imihlobiso emise okwenyanga, imihlobiso efakwa emigexweni, izingubo zoboya eziphephuli ezazigqokwa amakhosi akwaMidiyani kanye nemigexo eyayisezintanyeni zamakamela. +

27 UGideyoni wabe esenza i-efodi + wabukisa ngalo edolobheni lakubo lase-Ofira; + wonke ama-Israyeli alikhulekela* lapho, + laba ugibe kuGideyoni nasendlini yakhe. +

28 AbakwaMidiyani + banqotshwa kanjalo-ke phambi kwama-Israyeli, abazange baphinde bazame ukulwa nawo;* izwe laba nokuthula* iminyaka engu-40 ezinsukwini zikaGideyoni. +

29 UJerubhali + indodana kaJowashi wabuyela emzini wakhe wayohlala khona.

30 UGideyoni waba namadodana angu-70,* ngoba wayenabafazi abaningi. 31 Isancinza sakhe esasiseShekemi, naso samzalela indodana, ayiqamba ngokuthi u-Abhimeleki. + 32 Ekugcineni uGideyoni indodana kaJowashi wafa esemdala, wangcwatshwa ethuneni likaJowashi uyise e-Ofira lama-Abhi-ezeri. +

33 Ngemva nje kokufa kukaGideyoni, ama-Israyeli aphinde akhonza oBhali, *+ amisa uBhali-bheriti njengonkulunkulu wawo. + 34 Ama-Israyeli awazange amkhumbule uJehova uNkulunkulu wawo, + owayewakhulule esandleni sazo zonke izitha zawo ezaziwazungezile; + 35 awazange alubonise uthando oluqotho emndenini kaJerubhali, uGideyoni, ngakho konke okuhle ayekwenzele u-Israyeli. +