Abahluleli 8
1 Amadoda akoEfrayimi asesithi kuye: Iyini linto oyenze kithi ukuthi awusibizanga nxa usiyakulwa lamaMidiyani? Amsola ngamandla.
And the men of Ephraim said unto him—What is this thing thou hast done to us, in not calling us, when thou wentest to fight with Midian? And they did chide with him, sharply.
2 Wasesithi kiwo: Ngenzeni khathesi uba kulinganiswa lokwenu? Ukukhothozwa kwezithelo zevini koEfrayimi kakukuhle yini kulesivuno sevini sakoAbiyezeri?
And he said unto them, What have I done, now, in comparison with you? Is not the grape-gleaning of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?
3 UNkulunkulu unikele esandleni senu iziphathamandla zeMidiyani, uOrebi loZebi; ngangingenzani njengani? Kwasekudeda kuye ukuthukuthela kwabo lapho ekhuluma lelilizwi.
Into your hand, hath God delivered the princes of Midian—Oreb and Zeeb, what then had I been able to do in comparison with you? Then, was their spirit softened toward him, when he had spoken this word.
4 Lapho uGidiyoni efika eJordani wachapha, yena lamadoda angamakhulu amathathu ayelaye, bediniwe kodwa bexotsha.
And Gideon came towards the Jordan, being about to pass over—he, and the three hundred men who were with him, faint yet pursuing.
5 Wasesithi emadodeni eSukothi: Ake liphe abantu abangilandelayo amaqebelengwana ezinkwa, ngoba badiniwe, ngixotshana loZeba loZalimuna amakhosi eMidiyani.
So he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread to the people that are following me; for, faint, they are, and, I, am in pursuit of Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
6 Lenduna zeSukothi zathi: Intende yesandla sikaZeba loZalimuna isisesandleni sakho yini, ukuthi siphe ibutho lakho isinkwa?
And the princes of Succoth said, Are the palms of the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy power, —that we should give to thine army bread?
7 UGidiyoni wasesithi: Ngakho nxa iNkosi isinikele uZeba loZalimuna esandleni sami, ngizabhula inyama yenu ngameva enkangala langokhula oluhlabayo.
And Gideon said, Therefore, when Yahweh hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my power, then will I tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness, and with the nettles.
8 Wasesenyuka lapho waya ePenuweli, wakhuluma labo ngokufananayo; lamadoda ePenuweli amphendula njengamadoda eSukothi emphendulile.
So he went up from thence, to Penuel, and spake unto them in like manner, —and the men of Penuel answered him, as had answered the men of Succoth.
9 Wasekhuluma futhi emadodeni ePenuweli esithi: Ekubuyeni kwami ngokuthula ngizadiliza lo umphotshongo.
So he spake to the men of Penuel also, saying, —When I return with success, I will break down 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.
Now, Zebah and Zalmunna, were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand, all that were left out of all the host of the sons of the east, —and, the fallen, were a hundred and twenty thousand men, who had drawn the sword.
11 UGidiyoni wasesenyuka ngendlela yabahlala emathenteni empumalanga kweNoba leJogibeha, wayitshaya inkamba, ngoba inkamba yayilibele.
So Gideon went up by the way of the tent-dwellers, on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host, when, the host, had become secure.
12 UZeba loZalimuna basebebaleka, wasexotshana labo, wathumba amakhosi amabili eMidiyani, uZeba loZalimuna, wethusa inkamba yonke.
And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, then he pursued them, and captured the two kings of Midian—Zebah and Zalmunna, and, all the host, put he in terror.
13 Lapho uGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi esebuya evela empini phambi kokuphuma kwelanga,
And Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle, —from the ascent of Heres;
14 wabamba ijaha emadodeni eSukothi, walibuza; laselimbhalela iziphathamandla zeSukothi labadala bayo, amadoda angamatshumi ayisikhombisa lesikhombisa.
and caught a young man, of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him, —so he wrote down for him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, 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?
Then came he in unto the men of Succoth, and said, Lo! Zebah and Zalmunna, —concerning whom ye did taunt me, saying—Are the palms of the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy power, that we should give to thy weary men bread?
16 Wasethatha abadala bomuzi, lameva enkangala lokhula oluhlabayo, wenza amadoda eSukothi aqedisise ngawo.
So he took the elders of the city, and the thorns of the wilderness and the nettles, and taught therewith the men of Succoth:
17 Lomphotshongo wePenuweli wawudiliza, wabulala amadoda omuzi.
the tower of Penuel also, brake he down, —and slew the men of the city.
18 Wasesithi kuZeba lakuZalimuna: Ngamadoda anjani elawabulala eThabhori? Basebesithi: Njengawe babenjalo, ngulowo njengesimo sendodana yenkosi.
Then said he unto Zebah and unto Zalmunna, What manner of men were they, whom ye slew at Tabor? And they said, As thou art, so were they, each one, as handsome as the sons of a king.
19 Wasesithi: Babengabafowethu, abantwana bakamama. Kuphila kukaJehova, uba belibayekele baphila, bengingayikulibulala.
And he said: My brethren, sons of my mother, they were! As Yahweh liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not have slain you.
20 Wasesithi kuJetheri izibulo lakhe: Sukuma ubabulale. Kodwa umfana kayihwatshanga inkemba yakhe, ngoba wayesesaba ngoba esesengumfana.
So he said to Jether his firstborn, Up! slay them. But the youth drew not his sword, for he feared, because he was yet a youth.
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.
Then said Zebah and Zalmunna—Up! thou, and fall upon us, for, like the man, is his might. So Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents that were on the necks of their camels.
22 Amadoda akoIsrayeli asesithi kuGidiyoni: Sibuse, wena-ke, lendodana yakho, lendodana yendodana yakho, ngoba usisindisile esandleni samaMidiyani.
Then said the men of Israel, unto Gideon, Rule over us—even thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, —for thou hast saved us out of the power of Midian.
23 Kodwa uGidiyoni wathi kibo: Mina kangiyikulibusa, lendodana yami kayiyikulibusa; iNkosi izalibusa.
And Gideon said unto them, I, will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you, —Yahweh, shall rule over you.
24 UGidiyoni wasesithi kibo: Ake ngicele isicelo kini; nginikani ngamunye icici lempango yakhe. Ngoba babelamacici egolide, ngoba babengamaIshmayeli.
And Gideon said unto them—I would make to you a request, Give me, then, every man the nose-ring of his spoil. For they had, nose-rings of gold, for, Ishmaelites, they were.
25 Basebesithi: Sizanika lokunika. Basebesendlala isembatho, baphosela lapho ngamunye icici lempango yakhe.
And they said, We will, freely give. So they spread out a mantle, and cast therein, every man the nose-ring of his spoil.
26 Lesisindo samacici egolide ayewacelile sasingamashekeli egolide ayinkulungwane lamakhulu ayisikhombisa, ngaphandle kwezinyangana, leziceciso ezilengayo, lezembatho eziyibubende ezazisemakhosini eMidiyani, langaphandle kwamaketane ayesezintanyeni zamakamela awo.
And so it was, that the weight of the nose-rings of gold which he requested, was a thousand and seven hundred [shekels] of gold, —besides the crescents, and the pendants, and the raiment of purple that were upon the kings of Midian, and besides the ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.
27 UGidiyoni wasesenza i-efodi ngakho, wayibeka emzini wakhe, eOfira. LoIsrayeli wonke waphinga lapho ngokuyilandela; yasisiba ngumjibila kuGidiyoni lendlu yakhe.
And Gideon made thereof an Ephod, and set it up in his own city, in Ophrah, and all Israel went unchastely astray after it there, —so it became, to Gideon and to his house, a snare.
28 Ngokunjalo amaMidiyani ehliselwa phansi phambi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, kawaphindanga aphakamisa ikhanda lawo. Lelizwe laba lokuthula iminyaka engamatshumi amane ensukwini zikaGidiyoni.
Thus was Midian subdued, before the sons of Israel, neither did they again lift up their head, —and the land had rest forty years, in the days of Gideon.
29 UJerubali indodana kaJowashi wayahlala-ke endlini yakhe.
So then Jerubbaal, son of Joash, went and dwelt in his own house.
30 Njalo uGidiyoni wayelamadodana angamatshumi ayisikhombisa aphuma okhalweni lwakhe, ngoba wayelabafazi abanengi.
And, Gideon, had seventy sons, sprung from his own loins, —for, many wives, had he.
31 Lomfazi wakhe omncane owayeseShekema laye wamzalela indodana, wayitha ibizo lokuthi nguAbhimeleki.
And, his concubine who was in Shechem, she also, bare him a son, —and he gave him the name of Abimelech.
32 UGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi wasesifa eseluphele kuhle, wangcwatshelwa engcwabeni likaJowashi uyise, eOfira yamaAbiyezeri.
And Gideon, son of Joash, died in a good old age, —and was buried in the grave of Joash his father, in Ophrah, of the Abiezrites.
33 Kwasekusithi lapho uGidiyoni esefile, abantwana bakoIsrayeli baphenduka, baphinga ngokulandela oBhali, bazimisela uBhali-Berithi waba ngunkulunkulu.
And it came to pass that, as soon as Gideon was dead, the sons of Israel turned back, and went unchastely astray after the Baals, —and appointed them Baal-berith, to be god:
34 Njalo abantwana bakoIsrayeli kabayikhumbulanga iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo eyabophula esandleni sezitha zabo zonke inhlangothi zonke.
so the sons of Israel remembered not Yahweh, their own God, —who had rescued them out of the hand of all their enemies, on every side;
35 Kabenzanga umusa endlini kaJerubali, onguGidiyoni, njengakho konke okuhle akwenza kuIsrayeli.
neither dealt they in lovingkindness with the house of Jerubbaal [namely] Gideon, —according to all the goodness wherewith he had dealt with Israel.
