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, Why hast thou treated us thus, that thou calledst us not when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? and they chid with him sharply.
2 Wasesithi kiwo: Ngenzeni khathesi uba kulinganiswa lokwenu? Ukukhothozwa kwezithelo zevini koEfrayimi kakukuhle yini kulesivuno sevini sakoAbiyezeri?
And he said to them, What have I done now in comparison of you? [Is] not the gleaning of the grapes 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.
God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then, when he had said that, their anger towards him abated.
4 Lapho uGidiyoni efika eJordani wachapha, yena lamadoda angamakhulu amathathu ayelaye, bediniwe kodwa bexotsha.
And Gideon came to Jordan, [and] passed over, he, and the three hundred men that [were] with him, faint, yet pursuing [them].
5 Wasesithi emadodeni eSukothi: Ake liphe abantu abangilandelayo amaqebelengwana ezinkwa, ngoba badiniwe, ngixotshana loZeba loZalimuna amakhosi eMidiyani.
And he said to the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread to the people that follow me: for they [are] faint, and I am pursuing 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 hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand, 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 Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.
8 Wasesenyuka lapho waya ePenuweli, wakhuluma labo ngokufananayo; lamadoda ePenuweli amphendula njengamadoda eSukothi emphendulile.
And he went up thence to Penuel, and spoke to them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered [him].
9 Wasekhuluma futhi emadodeni ePenuweli esithi: Ekubuyeni kwami ngokuthula ngizadiliza lo umphotshongo.
And he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, 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 [men], all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.
11 UGidiyoni wasesenyuka ngendlela yabahlala emathenteni empumalanga kweNoba leJogibeha, wayitshaya inkamba, ngoba inkamba yayilibele.
And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure.
12 UZeba loZalimuna basebebaleka, wasexotshana labo, wathumba amakhosi amabili eMidiyani, uZeba loZalimuna, wethusa inkamba yonke.
And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.
13 Lapho uGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi esebuya evela empini phambi kokuphuma kwelanga,
And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun [had risen],
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 inquired of him: and he described to him the princes of Succoth, and its elders, [even] 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 the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye upbraided me, saying, [Are] the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand, that we should give bread to thy men [that are] weary?
16 Wasethatha abadala bomuzi, lameva enkangala lokhula oluhlabayo, wenza amadoda eSukothi aqedisise ngawo.
And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness, and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
17 Lomphotshongo wePenuweli wawudiliza, wabulala amadoda omuzi.
And he beat down the tower of Penuel, 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 to Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men [were they] whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou [art], so [were] they; each one resembled the children of a king.
19 Wasesithi: Babengabafowethu, abantwana bakamama. Kuphila kukaJehova, uba belibayekele baphila, bengingayikulibulala.
And he said, They [were] my brethren, [even] the sons of my mother: [as] the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.
20 Wasesithi kuJetheri izibulo lakhe: Sukuma ubabulale. Kodwa umfana kayihwatshanga inkemba yakhe, ngoba wayesesaba ngoba esesengumfana.
And he said to Jether his first-born, Arise, [and] 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 Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man [is], [so is] his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that [were] on their camels' necks.
22 Amadoda akoIsrayeli asesithi kuGidiyoni: Sibuse, wena-ke, lendodana yakho, lendodana yendodana yakho, ngoba usisindisile esandleni samaMidiyani.
Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.
23 Kodwa uGidiyoni wathi kibo: Mina kangiyikulibusa, lendodana yami kayiyikulibusa; iNkosi izalibusa.
And Gideon said to them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: 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 Gideon said to them, I would desire a request of you, that you would give me every man the ear-rings of his prey. (For they had golden ear-rings, because they [were] Ishmaelites.)
25 Basebesithi: Sizanika lokunika. Basebesendlala isembatho, baphosela lapho ngamunye icici lempango yakhe.
And they answered, We will willingly give [them]. And they spread a garment, and cast into it every man the ear-rings of his prey.
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 golden ear-rings that he requested, was a thousand and seven hundred [shekels] of gold; besides ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that [was] on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that [were] about their camels' necks.
27 UGidiyoni wasesenza i-efodi ngakho, wayibeka emzini wakhe, eOfira. LoIsrayeli wonke waphinga lapho ngokuyilandela; yasisiba ngumjibila kuGidiyoni lendlu yakhe.
And Gideon made of it an ephod, and put it in his city, [even] in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither astray after it: which thing became a snare to Gideon, and to his house.
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 children of Israel, so that they raised their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.
29 UJerubali indodana kaJowashi wayahlala-ke endlini yakhe.
And Jerubbaal the 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 of his body begotten: for he had many wives.
31 Lomfazi wakhe omncane owayeseShekema laye wamzalela indodana, wayitha ibizo lokuthi nguAbhimeleki.
And his concubine that [was] in Shechem, she also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.
32 UGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi wasesifa eseluphele kuhle, wangcwatshelwa engcwabeni likaJowashi uyise, eOfira yamaAbiyezeri.
And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulcher of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.
33 Kwasekusithi lapho uGidiyoni esefile, abantwana bakoIsrayeli baphenduka, baphinga ngokulandela oBhali, bazimisela uBhali-Berithi waba ngunkulunkulu.
And it came to pass as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went astray after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god.
34 Njalo abantwana bakoIsrayeli kabayikhumbulanga iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo eyabophula esandleni sezitha zabo zonke inhlangothi zonke.
And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side:
35 Kabenzanga umusa endlini kaJerubali, onguGidiyoni, njengakho konke okuhle akwenza kuIsrayeli.
Neither showed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, [namely] Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shown to Israel.
