Abahluleli 8
1 Amadoda akoEfrayimi asesithi kuye: Iyini linto oyenze kithi ukuthi awusibizanga nxa usiyakulwa lamaMidiyani? Amsola ngamandla.
And the men of Ephraim said to him: What is this that thou meanest to do, that thou wouldst not call us when thou wentest to fight against Madian? and they chid him sharply and almost offered violence.
2 Wasesithi kiwo: Ngenzeni khathesi uba kulinganiswa lokwenu? Ukukhothozwa kwezithelo zevini koEfrayimi kakukuhle yini kulesivuno sevini sakoAbiyezeri?
And he answered them: What could I have done like to that which you have done? Is not one bunch of grapes of Ephraim better than the vintages of Abiezer?
3 UNkulunkulu unikele esandleni senu iziphathamandla zeMidiyani, uOrebi loZebi; ngangingenzani njengani? Kwasekudeda kuye ukuthukuthela kwabo lapho ekhuluma lelilizwi.
The Lord hath delivered into your bands the princes of Madian, Oreb and Zeb: what could I have done like to what you have done? And when he had said this, their spirit was appeased, with which they swelled against him.
4 Lapho uGidiyoni efika eJordani wachapha, yena lamadoda angamakhulu amathathu ayelaye, bediniwe kodwa bexotsha.
And when Gedeon was come to the Jordan, he passed over it with the three hundred men, that were with him: who were so weary that they could not pursue after them that fled.
5 Wasesithi emadodeni eSukothi: Ake liphe abantu abangilandelayo amaqebelengwana ezinkwa, ngoba badiniwe, ngixotshana loZeba loZalimuna amakhosi eMidiyani.
And he said to the men of Soccoth: Give, I beseech you, bread to the people that is with me, for they are faint: that we may pursue Zebee, and Salmana the kings of Madian.
6 Lenduna zeSukothi zathi: Intende yesandla sikaZeba loZalimuna isisesandleni sakho yini, ukuthi siphe ibutho lakho isinkwa?
The princes of Soccoth answered: Peradventure the palms of the hands of Zebee and Salmana are in thy hand, and therefore thou demandest that we should give bread to thy army.
7 UGidiyoni wasesithi: Ngakho nxa iNkosi isinikele uZeba loZalimuna esandleni sami, ngizabhula inyama yenu ngameva enkangala langokhula oluhlabayo.
And he said to them: When the Lord therefore shall have delivered Zebee and Salmana into my hands, I will thresh your flesh with the thorns and briers of the desert.
8 Wasesenyuka lapho waya ePenuweli, wakhuluma labo ngokufananayo; lamadoda ePenuweli amphendula njengamadoda eSukothi emphendulile.
And going up from thence, he came to Phanuel: and he spoke the like things to the men of that place. And they also answered him, as the men of Soccoth had answered.
9 Wasekhuluma futhi emadodeni ePenuweli esithi: Ekubuyeni kwami ngokuthula ngizadiliza lo umphotshongo.
He said therefore to them also: When I shall return a conqueror in peace, I will destroy this tower.
10 Njalo uZeba loZalimuna babeseKarikori lenkamba yabo ilabo, phose inkulungwane ezilitshumi lanhlanu, bonke ababesele ebuthweni lonke labantwana bempumalanga, ngoba ababewile babengamadoda azinkulungwane ezilikhulu lamatshumi amabili abahwatsha inkemba.
But Zebee and Salmana were resting with all their army. For fifteen thousand men were left of all the troops of the eastern people, and one hundred and twenty thousand warriors that drew the sword, were slain.
11 UGidiyoni wasesenyuka ngendlela yabahlala emathenteni empumalanga kweNoba leJogibeha, wayitshaya inkamba, ngoba inkamba yayilibele.
And Gedeon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents, on the east of Nobe and Jegbaa, and smote the camp of the enemies, who were secure, and suspected no hurt.
12 UZeba loZalimuna basebebaleka, wasexotshana labo, wathumba amakhosi amabili eMidiyani, uZeba loZalimuna, wethusa inkamba yonke.
And Zebee and Salmana fled, and Gedeon pursued and took them, all their host being put in confusion.
13 Lapho uGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi esebuya evela empini phambi kokuphuma kwelanga,
And returning from the battle before the sun rising,
14 wabamba ijaha emadodeni eSukothi, walibuza; laselimbhalela iziphathamandla zeSukothi labadala bayo, amadoda angamatshumi ayisikhombisa lesikhombisa.
He took a boy of the men of Soccoth: and he asked him the names of the princes and ancients of Soccoth, and he described unto him seventy-seven men.
15 Wasefika emadodeni eSukothi, wathi: Khangelani oZeba loZalimuna elalingiklolodela ngabo lisithi: Intende yesandla sikaZeba loZalimuna isisesandleni sakho yini, ukuthi siphe amadoda akho asediniwe isinkwa?
And he came to Soccoth and said to them: Behold Zebee and Salmana, concerning whom you upbraided me, saying: Peradventure the hands of Zebee and Salmana, are in thy hands, and therefore thou demandest that we should give bread to the men that are weary and faint.
16 Wasethatha abadala bomuzi, lameva enkangala lokhula oluhlabayo, wenza amadoda eSukothi aqedisise ngawo.
So he took the ancients of the city and thorns and briers of the desert, and tore them with the same, and cut in pieces the men of Soccoth.
17 Lomphotshongo wePenuweli wawudiliza, wabulala amadoda omuzi.
And he demolished the tower of Phanuel, and slew the men of the city.
18 Wasesithi kuZeba lakuZalimuna: Ngamadoda anjani elawabulala eThabhori? Basebesithi: Njengawe babenjalo, ngulowo njengesimo sendodana yenkosi.
And he said to Zebee and Salmana: What manner of men were they whom you slew in Thabor? They answered: They were like thee, and one of them as the son of a king.
19 Wasesithi: Babengabafowethu, abantwana bakamama. Kuphila kukaJehova, uba belibayekele baphila, bengingayikulibulala.
He answered them: They were my brethren, the sons of my mother. As the Lord liveth, if you had saved them, I would not kill you.
20 Wasesithi kuJetheri izibulo lakhe: Sukuma ubabulale. Kodwa umfana kayihwatshanga inkemba yakhe, ngoba wayesesaba ngoba esesengumfana.
And he said to Jether his eldest son: Arise, and slay them. But he drew not his sword: for he was afraid, being but yet a boy.
21 UZeba loZalimuna basebesithi: Sukuma wena uwele phezu kwethu, ngoba njengoba injalo indoda, anjalo amandla ayo. Wasesukuma uGidiyoni wabulala uZeba loZalimuna. Wasethatha izinyangana ezazisentanyeni zamakamela abo.
And Zebee and Salmana said: Do thou rise, and run upon us: because the strength of a man is according to his age: Gedeon rose up and slew Zebee and Salmana: and he took the ornaments and bosses, with which the necks of the camels of kings are wont to be adorned.
22 Amadoda akoIsrayeli asesithi kuGidiyoni: Sibuse, wena-ke, lendodana yakho, lendodana yendodana yakho, ngoba usisindisile esandleni samaMidiyani.
And all the men of Israel said to Gedeon: Rule thou over us and thy son, and thy son’s son: because thou hast delivered us from the hand of Madian.
23 Kodwa uGidiyoni wathi kibo: Mina kangiyikulibusa, lendodana yami kayiyikulibusa; iNkosi izalibusa.
And he said to them: I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you, but the Lord shall rule over you.
24 UGidiyoni wasesithi kibo: Ake ngicele isicelo kini; nginikani ngamunye icici lempango yakhe. Ngoba babelamacici egolide, ngoba babengamaIshmayeli.
And he said to them: I desire one request of you: Give me the earlets of your spoils. For the Ismaelites were accustomed to wear golden earlets.
25 Basebesithi: Sizanika lokunika. Basebesendlala isembatho, baphosela lapho ngamunye icici lempango yakhe.
They answered: We will give them most willingly. And spreading a mantle on the ground, they cast upon it the earlets of the spoils.
26 Lesisindo samacici egolide ayewacelile sasingamashekeli egolide ayinkulungwane lamakhulu ayisikhombisa, ngaphandle kwezinyangana, leziceciso ezilengayo, lezembatho eziyibubende ezazisemakhosini eMidiyani, langaphandle kwamaketane ayesezintanyeni zamakamela awo.
And the weight of the earlets that he requested, was a thousand seven hundred sicles of gold, besides the ornaments, and jewels, and purple raiment which the kings of Madian were went to use, and besides the golden chains that were about the camels’ necks.
27 UGidiyoni wasesenza i-efodi ngakho, wayibeka emzini wakhe, eOfira. LoIsrayeli wonke waphinga lapho ngokuyilandela; yasisiba ngumjibila kuGidiyoni lendlu yakhe.
And Gedeon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city Ephra. And all Israel committed fornication with it, and it became a ruin to Gedeon and to all his house.
28 Ngokunjalo amaMidiyani ehliselwa phansi phambi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, kawaphindanga aphakamisa ikhanda lawo. Lelizwe laba lokuthula iminyaka engamatshumi amane ensukwini zikaGidiyoni.
But Madian was humbled before the children of Israel, neither could they any more lift up their beads: but the land rested for forty years, while Gedeon presided.
29 UJerubali indodana kaJowashi wayahlala-ke endlini yakhe.
So Jerobaal the son of Joas went, and dwelt in his own house.
30 Njalo uGidiyoni wayelamadodana angamatshumi ayisikhombisa aphuma okhalweni lwakhe, ngoba wayelabafazi abanengi.
And he had seventy sons, who came out of his thigh, for he had many wives.
31 Lomfazi wakhe omncane owayeseShekema laye wamzalela indodana, wayitha ibizo lokuthi nguAbhimeleki.
And his concubine, that he had in Sichem, bore him a son, whose name was Abimelech.
32 UGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi wasesifa eseluphele kuhle, wangcwatshelwa engcwabeni likaJowashi uyise, eOfira yamaAbiyezeri.
And Gedeon the son of Joas died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father in Ephra of the family of Ezri.
33 Kwasekusithi lapho uGidiyoni esefile, abantwana bakoIsrayeli baphenduka, baphinga ngokulandela oBhali, bazimisela uBhali-Berithi waba ngunkulunkulu.
But after Gedeon was dead, the children of Israel turned again, and committed fornication with Baalim. And they made a covenant with Baal, that he should be their god:
34 Njalo abantwana bakoIsrayeli kabayikhumbulanga iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo eyabophula esandleni sezitha zabo zonke inhlangothi zonke.
And they remembered not the Lord their God, who delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies round about:
35 Kabenzanga umusa endlini kaJerubali, onguGidiyoni, njengakho konke okuhle akwenza kuIsrayeli.
Neither did they shew mercy to the house of Jerobaal Gedeon, according to all the good things he had done to Israel.
