Judges 8
1 The men of Ephraim said to Gideon, “What is this you have done to us? You did not call us when you went to fight against Midian.” Then they had a violent argument with him.
Abako-Efrayimi babuza uGidiyoni bathi, “Kungani usiphathe kanje na? Kungani ungasibizanga lapho ususiyakulwa lamaMidiyani?” Bamsola kakhulu.
2 He said to them, “What have I done now compared to you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim's grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer?
Kodwa yena wabaphendula wathi, “Kuyini mina engikufezileyo okulingana lokwenu na? Amagrebisi ako-Efrayimi aseleyo ekuvuneni kawangcono kulamagrebisi esivuno esipheleleyo sako-Abhiyezeri na?
3 God has given you victory over the princes of Midian—Oreb and Zeeb! What have I accomplished compared to you?” Their anger toward him died down when he said this.
UNkulunkulu unikele u-Orebhi loZebhi, abakhokheli bamaMidiyani, ezandleni zenu. Kuyini lokho engikwenzileyo lapho ngiqathaniswa lani?” Ngalokhu ukuthukuthela kwabo kwadeda.
4 Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over it, he and the three hundred men who were with him. They were exhausted, yet they still kept up the pursuit.
UGidiyoni labantu bakhe abangamakhulu amathathu sebediniwe kodwa belokhu bexotshana lawo, bafika eJodani bayichapha.
5 He said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”
Wasesithi ebantwini baseSukhothi, “Phanini amabutho ami izinkwa; akhathele, njalo ngisaxotshana loZebha kanye loZalimuna, amakhosi aseMidiyani.”
6 Then the officials said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand? Why should we give bread to your army?”
Kodwa izikhulu zaseSukhothi zathi, “Usulazo mathupha yini izandla zikaZebha loZalimuna? Kungani amabutho akho kumele siwanike izinkwa?”
7 Gideon said, “When Yahweh has given us victory over Zebah and Zalmunna, I will tear your skin with the desert thorns and briers.”
UGidiyoni waphendula wathi, “Ngenxa yalokho, lapho uThixo esenikele uZebha loZalimuna esandleni sami, ngizaklaya imizimba yenu ngameva asenkangala.”
8 He went up from there to Peniel and spoke to the people there in the same way, but the men of Peniel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered.
Esuka lapho waya ePheniweli, wenza isicelo esifanayo kubo, kodwa baphendula njengabantu beSukhothi.
9 He spoke also to the men of Peniel and said, “When I come again in peace, I will pull down this tower.”
Ngakho wathi ebantwini basePheniweli, “Ekuphendukeni kwami senginqobile, ngizawudiliza umphotshongo lo.”
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about fifteen thousand men, all who remained out of the entire army of the people of the East, for there had fallen 120,000 men who drew the sword.
Ngalesosikhathi uZebha loZalimuna babeseKhakhori lebutho labantu ababephosa babe zinkulungwane ezilitshumi lanhlanu, ababesele emabuthweni asempumalanga; izinkulungwane ezilikhulu lamatshumi amabili zababesilwa ngenkemba zasezifile.
11 Gideon went up the road taken by tent dwellers, past Nobah and Jogbehah. He defeated the enemy army, because they were not expecting an attack.
UGidiyoni wahamba ngendlela yamasili empumalanga kweNobha leJogibheha wahlasela ibutho elalilibele.
12 Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and as Gideon pursued them, he captured the two kings of Midian—Zebah and Zalmunna—and set their whole army into a panic.
UZebha loZalimuna, amakhosi womabili aseMidiyani, babaleka, kodwa waxotshana labo wababamba, wawachitha wonke amabutho abo.
13 Gideon, son of Joash, returned from the battle going through the pass of Heres.
Emva kwalokho uGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi wabuyela evela empini ngoKhalo lwaseHeresi.
14 He caught a young man of Succoth and questioned him. The young man wrote down the names of seventy-seven officials and elders of Succoth.
Wabamba ijaha laseSukhothi walibuzabuza, ijaha lelo lamlobela amabizo eziphathamandla zaseSukhothi ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa, abadala bomuzi.
15 Gideon came to the men of Succoth and said, “Look at Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you mocked me and said, 'Have you already conquered Zebah and Zalmunna? We do not know that we should give bread to your army.'”
UGidiyoni wafika wathi ebantwini baseSukhothi, “Nangu uZebha loZalimuna elalingichothoza ngabo lisithi, ‘Usulazo yini izandla zikaZebha loZalimuna? Kungani amabutho akho akhatheleyo kumele siwanike izinkwa na?’”
16 Gideon took the elders of the city, and he punished the men of Succoth with the desert thorns and briers.
Wathatha abadala bomuzi wasefundisa amadoda aseSukhothi isifundo ngokubajezisa ngameva asenkangala.
17 Then he pulled down the tower of Peniel and killed the men of that city.
Wadiliza lomphotshongo wasePheniweli wabulala amadoda akulowomuzi.
18 Then Gideon said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?” They answered, “As you are, so were they. Every one of them looked like the son of a king.”
Wabuza uZebha loZalimuna wathi, “Ngabantu abanjani labo elababulalayo eThabhori?” Baphendula bathi, “Ngabantu abanjengawe, lowo lalowo efana lenkosana.”
19 Gideon said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As Yahweh lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you.”
UGidiyoni waphendula wathi, “Labobantu babengabafowethu, amadodana kamama. Ngeqiniso njengoba uThixo ephila, aluba labayekela bephila, kade bengingeyikulibulala.”
20 He said to Jether (his firstborn), “Get up and kill them!” But the young man did not draw his sword for he was afraid, because he was still a young boy.
Wasephendukela kuJetha, indodana yakhe endala, wathi, “Babulale!” Kodwa uJetha kayihwatshanga inkemba yakhe, ngoba wayengumfanyana esesaba.
21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Get up yourself and kill us! For as the man is, so is his strength.” Gideon rose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna. He also took off the crescent-shaped ornaments that were on their camels' necks.
UZebha loZalimuna bathi, “Woza, usibulale wena ngokwakho. ‘Njengoba indoda injalo, anjalo lamandla ayo.’” Ngakho uGidiyoni wasondela phambili wababulala, wasethatha imiceciso entanyeni zamakamela abo.
22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son, and your grandson—because you have saved us out of the hand of Midian.”
Abako-Israyeli bathi kuGidiyoni, “Sibuse wena, lendodana yakho kanye lendodana yendodana yakho ngoba usisindisile ezandleni zamaMidiyani.”
23 Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, neither will my son rule over you. Yahweh will rule over you.”
Kodwa uGidiyoni wathi kubo, “Mina kangiyikulibusa, lendodana yami kayiyikulibusa. UThixo uzalibusa.”
24 Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you: Every one of you would give me the earrings from his plunder.” (The Midianites had golden earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)
Wabuya wathi, “Ngilesicelo esisodwa, ukuthi omunye lomunye wenu angiphe icici esabelweni sempango yenu.” (Ukufaka amacici egolide kwakungumkhuba wama-Ishumayeli.)
25 They answered, “We are glad to give them to you.” They spread out a cloak and every man threw on it the earrings from his plunder.
Baphendula bathi, “Sizathaba ukukunika wona.” Ngakho bendlala ingubo, kwathi umuntu ngamunye waphosela kuyo icici lempango yakhe.
26 The weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold. This plunder was in addition to the crescent ornaments, the pendants, the purple clothing that was worn by the kings of Midian, and in addition to the chains that had been around their camels' necks.
Isisindo samacici egolide ayewacelile saba ngamashekeli angamakhulu alitshumi lesikhombisa, kungabalwa izigqizo lemigaxo lezembatho eziyibubende ezigqokwa ngamakhosi aseMidiyani loba amaketane ayesezintanjeni zamakamela awo.
27 Gideon made an ephod out of the earrings and put it in his city, in Ophrah, and all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there. It became a trap for Gideon and for those in his house.
UGidiyoni wenza isithombe ngegolide lelo, wasibeka e-Ofira, umuzi wakibo. Bonke abako-Israyeli bazingcolisa ngokusikhonza khonapho, njalo saba ngumjibila kuGidiyoni labendlu yakhe.
28 So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel and they did not raise their heads up again. So the land had peace for forty years in the days of Gideon.
IMidiyani yanqotshwa kanjalo ngabako-Israyeli njalo kayizange ivuse ikhanda futhi. Ngezinsuku zokuphila kukaGidiyoni ilizwe laba lokuthula iminyaka engamatshumi amane.
29 Jerub Baal, son of Joash, went and lived in his own house.
UJerubhi-Bhali indodana kaJowashi wabuyela ekhaya ukuyahlala khona.
30 Gideon had seventy sons who were his descendants, for he had many wives.
Wayelamadodana angamatshumi ayisikhombisa angawakhe ngoba wayelabafazi abanengi.
31 His concubine, who was in Shechem, also bore him a son, and Gideon gave him the name Abimelech.
Umkakhe weceleni, owayehlala eShekhemu, laye wamzalela indodana ayithi ngu-Abhimelekhi.
32 Gideon, son of Joash, died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, at Ophrah of the clan of Abiezer.
UGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi wafa eseluphele kakhulu wangcwatshwa ethuneni likayise uJowashi e-Ofira yama-Abhiyezeri.
33 It came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, the people of Israel turned again and prostituted themselves by worshiping the Baals. They made Baal-Berith their god.
Masinyane nje uGidiyoni esanda kufa abako-Israyeli bazingcolisa njalo ngokukhonza oBhali. Bamisa uBhali-Bherithi njengonkulunkulu wabo
34 The people of Israel did not remember to honor Yahweh, their God, who had rescued them from the hand of all their enemies on every side.
kabaze bamkhumbula uThixo uNkulunkulu wabo owayebahlenge ezandleni zezitha zabo ezinhlangothini zonke.
35 They did not keep their promises to the house of Jerub Baal (that is, Gideon), in return for all the good he had done in Israel.
Njalo kababanga lomusa kwabendlu kaJerubhi-Bhali (uGidiyoni) ngezinto zonke ezinhle ayebenzele zona.
