Abahluleli 8
1 Abako-Efrayimi babuza uGidiyoni bathi, “Kungani usiphathe kanje na? Kungani ungasibizanga lapho ususiyakulwa lamaMidiyani?” Bamsola kakhulu.
Then the men of Ephraim asked Gideon, “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn't you call us when you went to attack the Midianite?” They argued furiously with him.
2 Kodwa yena wabaphendula wathi, “Kuyini mina engikufezileyo okulingana lokwenu na? Amagrebisi ako-Efrayimi aseleyo ekuvuneni kawangcono kulamagrebisi esivuno esipheleleyo sako-Abhiyezeri na?
“Now what have I achieved in comparison to you?” Gideon replied. “Even Ephraim's left-over grapes are better than Abiezer's whole grape harvest!
3 UNkulunkulu unikele u-Orebhi loZebhi, abakhokheli bamaMidiyani, ezandleni zenu. Kuyini lokho engikwenzileyo lapho ngiqathaniswa lani?” Ngalokhu ukuthukuthela kwabo kwadeda.
God handed over to you Oreb and Zeeb, the two Midianite commanders. What have I managed to achieve in comparison to you?” When he told them this their animosity towards him died down.
4 UGidiyoni labantu bakhe abangamakhulu amathathu sebediniwe kodwa belokhu bexotshana lawo, bafika eJodani bayichapha.
Then Gideon crossed the Jordan with his three hundred men. Even though they were exhausted they continued the chase.
5 Wasesithi ebantwini baseSukhothi, “Phanini amabutho ami izinkwa; akhathele, njalo ngisaxotshana loZebha kanye loZalimuna, amakhosi aseMidiyani.”
When they got to Succoth, Gideon asked the people there, “Please provide some bread to the men with me because they're worn out—I'm pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the Midianite kings.”
6 Kodwa izikhulu zaseSukhothi zathi, “Usulazo mathupha yini izandla zikaZebha loZalimuna? Kungani amabutho akho kumele siwanike izinkwa?”
But the Succoth town leaders replied, “Why should we give your army bread when you haven't even captured Zebah and Zalmunna yet?”
7 UGidiyoni waphendula wathi, “Ngenxa yalokho, lapho uThixo esenikele uZebha loZalimuna esandleni sami, ngizaklaya imizimba yenu ngameva asenkangala.”
“In that case, once the Lord has handed Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I'll return and thrash you with thorns and briers from the desert!” Gideon replied.
8 Esuka lapho waya ePheniweli, wenza isicelo esifanayo kubo, kodwa baphendula njengabantu beSukhothi.
He left and went to Penuel and asked them the same thing, but the people of Penuel answered the same way as the people of Succoth.
9 Ngakho wathi ebantwini basePheniweli, “Ekuphendukeni kwami senginqobile, ngizawudiliza umphotshongo lo.”
So he told them, “When I return victorious, I'll demolish this tower!”
10 Ngalesosikhathi uZebha loZalimuna babeseKhakhori lebutho labantu ababephosa babe zinkulungwane ezilitshumi lanhlanu, ababesele emabuthweni asempumalanga; izinkulungwane ezilikhulu lamatshumi amabili zababesilwa ngenkemba zasezifile.
Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies of around fifteen thousand men. These were all who remained of the armies of the people of the East—one hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had already been killed.
11 UGidiyoni wahamba ngendlela yamasili empumalanga kweNobha leJogibheha wahlasela ibutho elalilibele.
Gideon took the caravan route to the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked their army, catching them offguard.
12 UZebha loZalimuna, amakhosi womabili aseMidiyani, babaleka, kodwa waxotshana labo wababamba, wawachitha wonke amabutho abo.
Zebah and Zalmunna ran away, but he chased after the two Midianite kings and captured them, defeating the whole of their terrified army.
13 Emva kwalokho uGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi wabuyela evela empini ngoKhalo lwaseHeresi.
Then Gideon, son of Joash, returned from the battle through the Heres Pass.
14 Wabamba ijaha laseSukhothi walibuzabuza, ijaha lelo lamlobela amabizo eziphathamandla zaseSukhothi ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa, abadala bomuzi.
There he captured a young man from Succoth and questioned him. The man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven leaders and elders of Succoth.
15 UGidiyoni wafika wathi ebantwini baseSukhothi, “Nangu uZebha loZalimuna elalingichothoza ngabo lisithi, ‘Usulazo yini izandla zikaZebha loZalimuna? Kungani amabutho akho akhatheleyo kumele siwanike izinkwa na?’”
Gideon went and said to the Sukkoth town leaders, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, the ones you taunted me about when you said, ‘Why should we give your exhausted army bread when you haven't even captured Zebah and Zalmunna yet?’”
16 Wathatha abadala bomuzi wasefundisa amadoda aseSukhothi isifundo ngokubajezisa ngameva asenkangala.
So he took the town elders of Succoth and taught them a lesson using thorns and briers from the desert.
17 Wadiliza lomphotshongo wasePheniweli wabulala amadoda akulowomuzi.
He also demolished the tower of Peniel and killed the men of the town.
18 Wabuza uZebha loZalimuna wathi, “Ngabantu abanjani labo elababulalayo eThabhori?” Baphendula bathi, “Ngabantu abanjengawe, lowo lalowo efana lenkosana.”
Then Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What were they like, the men you killed at Tabor?” “They looked like you,” they answered. “Each of them had the stature of a prince.”
19 UGidiyoni waphendula wathi, “Labobantu babengabafowethu, amadodana kamama. Ngeqiniso njengoba uThixo ephila, aluba labayekela bephila, kade bengingeyikulibulala.”
“Those were my brothers, my mother's sons,” Gideon burst out. “As the Lord lives, if you had let them live, I wouldn't kill you!”
20 Wasephendukela kuJetha, indodana yakhe endala, wathi, “Babulale!” Kodwa uJetha kayihwatshanga inkemba yakhe, ngoba wayengumfanyana esesaba.
He told Jether, his oldest son, “Go on, kill them!” But the boy refused to draw his sword, because he was young and afraid.
21 UZebha loZalimuna bathi, “Woza, usibulale wena ngokwakho. ‘Njengoba indoda injalo, anjalo lamandla ayo.’” Ngakho uGidiyoni wasondela phambili wababulala, wasethatha imiceciso entanyeni zamakamela abo.
Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, “Come on, you do it! Show yourself a man and kill us!” So Gideon went over and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent-shaped ornaments from the necks of their camels.
22 Abako-Israyeli bathi kuGidiyoni, “Sibuse wena, lendodana yakho kanye lendodana yendodana yakho ngoba usisindisile ezandleni zamaMidiyani.”
Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “You must become our ruler, you, your son, and your grandson; because you've saved us from the Midianites.”
23 Kodwa uGidiyoni wathi kubo, “Mina kangiyikulibusa, lendodana yami kayiyikulibusa. UThixo uzalibusa.”
“I won't be your ruler, and my son won't either,” Gideon replied. “The Lord will be your ruler.”
24 Wabuya wathi, “Ngilesicelo esisodwa, ukuthi omunye lomunye wenu angiphe icici esabelweni sempango yenu.” (Ukufaka amacici egolide kwakungumkhuba wama-Ishumayeli.)
Then Gideon said, “I have a request to ask of you: that each of you give me an earring from your plunder.” (Their enemies were Ishmaelites and wore gold earrings.)
25 Baphendula bathi, “Sizathaba ukukunika wona.” Ngakho bendlala ingubo, kwathi umuntu ngamunye waphosela kuyo icici lempango yakhe.
“We'll happily give them to you,” they replied. They spread out a cloak, and each of them threw on it earrings from their plunder.
26 Isisindo samacici egolide ayewacelile saba ngamashekeli angamakhulu alitshumi lesikhombisa, kungabalwa izigqizo lemigaxo lezembatho eziyibubende ezigqokwa ngamakhosi aseMidiyani loba amaketane ayesezintanjeni zamakamela awo.
The weight of the earrings he'd asked for was 1,700 shekels, not including the ornaments, the pendants, and the purple garments worn by the Midianite kings or the chains that were round their camels' necks.
27 UGidiyoni wenza isithombe ngegolide lelo, wasibeka e-Ofira, umuzi wakibo. Bonke abako-Israyeli bazingcolisa ngokusikhonza khonapho, njalo saba ngumjibila kuGidiyoni labendlu yakhe.
From the gold Gideon made an ephod, which he placed in his hometown of Ophrah. All Israel prostituted themselves there by worshiping it as an idol, and it became a trap to Gideon and his family.
28 IMidiyani yanqotshwa kanjalo ngabako-Israyeli njalo kayizange ivuse ikhanda futhi. Ngezinsuku zokuphila kukaGidiyoni ilizwe laba lokuthula iminyaka engamatshumi amane.
This is how the Midianites was subjugated before the Israelites and did not gain power again. So the land was at peace for forty years during the lifetime of Gideon.
29 UJerubhi-Bhali indodana kaJowashi wabuyela ekhaya ukuyahlala khona.
Jerub-baal, son of Joash, went home, living his own house.
30 Wayelamadodana angamatshumi ayisikhombisa angawakhe ngoba wayelabafazi abanengi.
Gideon had seventy sons, all his own, because he had many wives.
31 Umkakhe weceleni, owayehlala eShekhemu, laye wamzalela indodana ayithi ngu-Abhimelekhi.
His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also had a son. He named him Abimelech.
32 UGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi wafa eseluphele kakhulu wangcwatshwa ethuneni likayise uJowashi e-Ofira yama-Abhiyezeri.
Gideon, son of Joash, died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 Masinyane nje uGidiyoni esanda kufa abako-Israyeli bazingcolisa njalo ngokukhonza oBhali. Bamisa uBhali-Bherithi njengonkulunkulu wabo
But as soon as Gideon died, the Israelites went back to prostituting themselves, worshiping before the Baals. They made Baal-berith their god.
34 kabaze bamkhumbula uThixo uNkulunkulu wabo owayebahlenge ezandleni zezitha zabo ezinhlangothini zonke.
They forgot about the Lord their God, who had saved them from all their enemies that surrounded them.
35 Njalo kababanga lomusa kwabendlu kaJerubhi-Bhali (uGidiyoni) ngezinto zonke ezinhle ayebenzele zona.
They did not show any respect to the family of Jerub-baal (Gideon) for all the good he had done for Israel.
