Abahluleli 8
1 Abako-Efrayimi babuza uGidiyoni bathi, “Kungani usiphathe kanje na? Kungani ungasibizanga lapho ususiyakulwa lamaMidiyani?” Bamsola kakhulu.
The men of Ephraim said to him, "Why have you done such a thing to us, not calling us when you went to fight with Midian?" And they argued with him fiercely.
2 Kodwa yena wabaphendula wathi, “Kuyini mina engikufezileyo okulingana lokwenu na? Amagrebisi ako-Efrayimi aseleyo ekuvuneni kawangcono kulamagrebisi esivuno esipheleleyo sako-Abhiyezeri na?
He said to them, "What have I now done in comparison with you? Isn't the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?
3 UNkulunkulu unikele u-Orebhi loZebhi, abakhokheli bamaMidiyani, ezandleni zenu. Kuyini lokho engikwenzileyo lapho ngiqathaniswa lani?” Ngalokhu ukuthukuthela kwabo kwadeda.
God has delivered into your hand the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?" Then their anger subsided toward him, when he had said that.
4 UGidiyoni labantu bakhe abangamakhulu amathathu sebediniwe kodwa belokhu bexotshana lawo, bafika eJodani bayichapha.
Gideon came to the Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men who were with him, exhausted and famished.
5 Wasesithi ebantwini baseSukhothi, “Phanini amabutho ami izinkwa; akhathele, njalo ngisaxotshana loZebha kanye loZalimuna, amakhosi aseMidiyani.”
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 after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian."
6 Kodwa izikhulu zaseSukhothi zathi, “Usulazo mathupha yini izandla zikaZebha loZalimuna? Kungani amabutho akho kumele siwanike izinkwa?”
The princes of Succoth said, "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?"
7 UGidiyoni waphendula wathi, “Ngenxa yalokho, lapho uThixo esenikele uZebha loZalimuna esandleni sami, ngizaklaya imizimba yenu ngameva asenkangala.”
Gideon said, "Therefore when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will thresh your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers."
8 Esuka lapho waya ePheniweli, wenza isicelo esifanayo kubo, kodwa baphendula njengabantu beSukhothi.
He went up there to Penuel, and spoke to them in like manner; and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.
9 Ngakho wathi ebantwini basePheniweli, “Ekuphendukeni kwami senginqobile, ngizawudiliza umphotshongo lo.”
He spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, "When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower."
10 Ngalesosikhathi uZebha loZalimuna babeseKhakhori lebutho labantu ababephosa babe zinkulungwane ezilitshumi lanhlanu, ababesele emabuthweni asempumalanga; izinkulungwane ezilikhulu lamatshumi amabili zababesilwa ngenkemba zasezifile.
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of the Kedemites; for there fell one hundred twenty thousand men who drew sword.
11 UGidiyoni wahamba ngendlela yamasili empumalanga kweNobha leJogibheha wahlasela ibutho elalilibele.
And Gideon went up by the way of those who dwell in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, opposite Zebah, and struck the army, when the army was unsuspecting.
12 UZebha loZalimuna, amakhosi womabili aseMidiyani, babaleka, kodwa waxotshana labo wababamba, wawachitha wonke amabutho abo.
Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued after them, and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the entire army.
13 Emva kwalokho uGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi wabuyela evela empini ngoKhalo lwaseHeresi.
Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle from the ascent of Heres.
14 Wabamba ijaha laseSukhothi walibuzabuza, ijaha lelo lamlobela amabizo eziphathamandla zaseSukhothi ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa, abadala bomuzi.
He caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he described for him the officials of Succoth, and its elders, seventy-seven men.
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?’”
He came to the men of Succoth, and said, "Look Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom you taunted me, saying, "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?"
16 Wathatha abadala bomuzi wasefundisa amadoda aseSukhothi isifundo ngokubajezisa ngameva asenkangala.
He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he threshed the men of Succoth.
17 Wadiliza lomphotshongo wasePheniweli wabulala amadoda akulowomuzi.
He broke down the tower of Penuel, and killed the men of the city.
18 Wabuza uZebha loZalimuna wathi, “Ngabantu abanjani labo elababulalayo eThabhori?” Baphendula bathi, “Ngabantu abanjengawe, lowo lalowo efana lenkosana.”
Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?" They answered, "As you are, so were they; each one resembled the son of a king."
19 UGidiyoni waphendula wathi, “Labobantu babengabafowethu, amadodana kamama. Ngeqiniso njengoba uThixo ephila, aluba labayekela bephila, kade bengingeyikulibulala.”
He said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the LORD lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you."
20 Wasephendukela kuJetha, indodana yakhe endala, wathi, “Babulale!” Kodwa uJetha kayihwatshanga inkemba yakhe, ngoba wayengumfanyana esesaba.
He said to Jether his firstborn, "Get up, and kill them." But the youth did not draw his sword; for he feared, because he was yet a youth.
21 UZebha loZalimuna bathi, “Woza, usibulale wena ngokwakho. ‘Njengoba indoda injalo, anjalo lamandla ayo.’” Ngakho uGidiyoni wasondela phambili wababulala, wasethatha imiceciso entanyeni zamakamela abo.
Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise up yourself, and kill us, for a man is judged by his strength." Gideon arose, and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on their camels' necks.
22 Abako-Israyeli bathi kuGidiyoni, “Sibuse wena, lendodana yakho kanye lendodana yendodana yakho ngoba usisindisile ezandleni zamaMidiyani.”
Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, both you, and your son, and your son's son also; for you have saved us out of the hand of Midian."
23 Kodwa uGidiyoni wathi kubo, “Mina kangiyikulibusa, lendodana yami kayiyikulibusa. UThixo uzalibusa.”
Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you."
24 Wabuya wathi, “Ngilesicelo esisodwa, ukuthi omunye lomunye wenu angiphe icici esabelweni sempango yenu.” (Ukufaka amacici egolide kwakungumkhuba wama-Ishumayeli.)
Gideon said to them, "I would make a request of you, that you would give me every man the earrings from his plunder." (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
25 Baphendula bathi, “Sizathaba ukukunika wona.” Ngakho bendlala ingubo, kwathi umuntu ngamunye waphosela kuyo icici lempango yakhe.
They answered, "We will willingly give them." They spread a garment, and every one of them threw an earring from his 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 golden earrings that he requested was one thousand and seven hundred pieces of gold, besides the crescents, and the pendants, and the purple clothing that was on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were about 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.
Gideon made an ephod of it, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel prostituted themselves after it there; and it became a snare to Gideon, and to his house.
28 IMidiyani yanqotshwa kanjalo ngabako-Israyeli njalo kayizange ivuse ikhanda futhi. Ngezinsuku zokuphila kukaGidiyoni ilizwe laba lokuthula iminyaka engamatshumi amane.
So Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and did not become a threat again. The land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.
29 UJerubhi-Bhali indodana kaJowashi wabuyela ekhaya ukuyahlala khona.
Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house.
30 Wayelamadodana angamatshumi ayisikhombisa angawakhe ngoba wayelabafazi abanengi.
Gideon had seventy sons conceived from his body; for he had many wives.
31 Umkakhe weceleni, owayehlala eShekhemu, laye wamzalela indodana ayithi ngu-Abhimelekhi.
His secondary wife who was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.
32 UGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi wafa eseluphele kakhulu wangcwatshwa ethuneni likayise uJowashi e-Ofira yama-Abhiyezeri.
Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 Masinyane nje uGidiyoni esanda kufa abako-Israyeli bazingcolisa njalo ngokukhonza oBhali. Bamisa uBhali-Bherithi njengonkulunkulu wabo
It happened, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and played the prostitute after the Baals, and made Baal Berith their god.
34 kabaze bamkhumbula uThixo uNkulunkulu wabo owayebahlenge ezandleni zezitha zabo ezinhlangothini zonke.
The children of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side;
35 Njalo kababanga lomusa kwabendlu kaJerubhi-Bhali (uGidiyoni) ngezinto zonke ezinhle ayebenzele zona.
neither did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shown to Israel.
