Abahluleli 8
1 Amadoda akoEfrayimi asesithi kuye: Iyini linto oyenze kithi ukuthi awusibizanga nxa usiyakulwa lamaMidiyani? Amsola ngamandla.
The men of Ephraim said to him, “Why have you treated us this way, that you didn’t call us when you went to fight with Midian?” They rebuked him sharply.
2 Wasesithi kiwo: Ngenzeni khathesi uba kulinganiswa lokwenu? Ukukhothozwa kwezithelo zevini koEfrayimi kakukuhle yini kulesivuno sevini sakoAbiyezeri?
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 esandleni senu iziphathamandla zeMidiyani, uOrebi loZebi; ngangingenzani njengani? Kwasekudeda kuye ukuthukuthela kwabo lapho ekhuluma lelilizwi.
God has delivered into your hand the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb! What was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger was abated towards him when he had said that.
4 Lapho uGidiyoni efika eJordani wachapha, yena lamadoda angamakhulu amathathu ayelaye, bediniwe kodwa bexotsha.
Gideon came to the Jordan and passed 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.
He said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”
6 Lenduna zeSukothi zathi: Intende yesandla sikaZeba loZalimuna isisesandleni sakho yini, ukuthi siphe ibutho lakho isinkwa?
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 wasesithi: Ngakho nxa iNkosi isinikele uZeba loZalimuna esandleni sami, ngizabhula inyama yenu ngameva enkangala langokhula oluhlabayo.
Gideon said, “Therefore when the LORD has 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.
He went up there to Penuel, and spoke to them in the same way; and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.
9 Wasekhuluma futhi emadodeni ePenuweli esithi: Ekubuyeni kwami ngokuthula ngizadiliza lo umphotshongo.
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 armies with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of the children of the east; for there fell one hundred and twenty thousand men who drew sword.
11 UGidiyoni wasesenyuka ngendlela yabahlala emathenteni empumalanga kweNoba leJogibeha, wayitshaya inkamba, ngoba inkamba yayilibele.
Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and struck the army; for the army felt secure.
12 UZeba loZalimuna basebebaleka, wasexotshana labo, wathumba amakhosi amabili eMidiyani, uZeba loZalimuna, wethusa inkamba yonke.
Zebah and Zalmunna fled and he pursued them. He took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and confused all the army.
13 Lapho uGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi esebuya evela empini phambi kokuphuma kwelanga,
Gideon the 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.
He caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him; and he described for him the princes of Succoth, and its elders, 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?
He came to the men of Succoth, and said, “See 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 Wasethatha abadala bomuzi, lameva enkangala lokhula oluhlabayo, wenza amadoda eSukothi aqedisise ngawo.
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.
He broke down the tower of Penuel, and killed the men of the city.
18 Wasesithi kuZeba lakuZalimuna: Ngamadoda anjani elawabulala eThabhori? Basebesithi: Njengawe babenjalo, ngulowo njengesimo sendodana yenkosi.
Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?” They answered, “They were like you. They all resembled the children of a king.”
19 Wasesithi: Babengabafowethu, abantwana bakamama. Kuphila kukaJehova, uba belibayekele baphila, bengingayikulibulala.
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 Wasesithi kuJetheri izibulo lakhe: Sukuma ubabulale. Kodwa umfana kayihwatshanga inkemba yakhe, ngoba wayesesaba ngoba esesengumfana.
He said to Jether his firstborn, “Get up and kill them!” But the youth didn’t draw his sword; for he was afraid, 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, “You rise and fall on us; for as the man is, so is his strength.” Gideon arose, and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents 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 over us, both you, your son, and your son’s son also; for you have saved us out of the hand of Midian.”
23 Kodwa uGidiyoni wathi kibo: Mina kangiyikulibusa, lendodana yami kayiyikulibusa; iNkosi izalibusa.
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.
Gideon said to them, “I do have a request: that you would each give me the earrings of his plunder.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
25 Basebesithi: Sizanika lokunika. Basebesendlala isembatho, baphosela lapho ngamunye icici lempango yakhe.
They answered, “We will willingly give them.” They spread a garment, and every man threw the earrings of his plunder into it.
26 Lesisindo samacici egolide ayewacelile sasingamashekeli egolide ayinkulungwane lamakhulu ayisikhombisa, ngaphandle kwezinyangana, leziceciso ezilengayo, lezembatho eziyibubende ezazisemakhosini eMidiyani, langaphandle kwamaketane ayesezintanyeni zamakamela awo.
The weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold, in addition to the crescents, and the pendants, and the purple clothing that was on the kings of Midian, and in addition to 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.
Gideon made an ephod out of it, and put it in Ophrah, his city. Then all Israel played the prostitute with it there; and it 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.
So Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more. The land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.
29 UJerubali indodana kaJowashi wayahlala-ke endlini yakhe.
Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house.
30 Njalo uGidiyoni wayelamadodana angamatshumi ayisikhombisa aphuma okhalweni lwakhe, ngoba wayelabafazi abanengi.
Gideon had seventy sons conceived from his body, for he had many wives.
31 Lomfazi wakhe omncane owayeseShekema laye wamzalela indodana, wayitha ibizo lokuthi nguAbhimeleki.
His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.
32 UGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi wasesifa eseluphele kuhle, wangcwatshelwa engcwabeni likaJowashi uyise, eOfira yamaAbiyezeri.
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 Kwasekusithi lapho uGidiyoni esefile, abantwana bakoIsrayeli baphenduka, baphinga ngokulandela oBhali, bazimisela uBhali-Berithi waba ngunkulunkulu.
As soon as Gideon was dead, the children of Israel turned again and played the prostitute following the Baals, and made Baal Berith their god.
34 Njalo abantwana bakoIsrayeli kabayikhumbulanga iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo eyabophula esandleni sezitha zabo zonke inhlangothi zonke.
The children of Israel didn’t remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side;
35 Kabenzanga umusa endlini kaJerubali, onguGidiyoni, njengakho konke okuhle akwenza kuIsrayeli.
neither did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, that is, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shown to Israel.
