Abahluleli 8 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

¹ AbakoEfrayimi bathi kuye: Kuyini lokhu okwenze kithi ukuba ungasibizi nxa usiya ukulwa lamaMidiyani na? Bamsola kakhulu.

² Yena wathi kibo: Ngenzeni mina lapho kulinganiswa lokwenziwe yini? Ukudojwa kwezithelo zevini eziseleyo koEfrayimi kakukuhle yini kulokuvuna kulesisivuno sakoAbiyezeri na?

³ UNkulunkulu unikele ezandleni zenu amakhosana aseMidiyani, uOrebi loZeba; mina ngenzeni lapho kulinganiswa lokwenziwe yini na? Kwasekudeda ukumthukuthelela kwabo esetsho lokho.

UGidiyoni uthumba amakhosi aseMidiyani

⁴ UGidiyoni wafika eJordani wachapha, yena kanye labantu abangamakhulu amathathu ababelaye, sebediniwe belambile belokhu bexotshana lamaMidiyani.

⁵ Wasesithi kwabaseSukothi: Ake linike abantu bami ukudla, ngoba sebediniwe balambile, ngixotshana loZeba loZalimuna amakhosi aseMidiyani.

⁶ Izinduna zaseSukothi zathi: Usubabambile yini uZeba loZalimuna ukuba siphe impi yakho ukudla na?

⁷ UGidiyoni wathi: Ngenxa yalokhoke nxa iNkosi isinikele uZeba loZalimuna esandleni sami, ngizaklebhula imizimba yenu ngameva asenkangala langothathawe.

⁸ Wasuka lapho, waya ePenuweli, wakhuluma ngendlela efananayo labasePenuweli; bamphendula njengabaseSukothi.

⁹ Wathi kwabasePenuweli: Ekubuyeni kwami senginqobile ngizadiliza inqaba yenu.

¹⁰ UZeba loZalimuna babeseKarikori lempi yabo engabantu abazinkulungwane elitshumi lanhlanu, kuyikuphela kwabo abaseleyo kuyo yonke impi yabantu basempumalanga, ngoba kwabulawa abantu abazinkulungwane ezilikhulu lamatshumi amabili ababehlomile.

¹¹ UGidiyoni wahamba ngendlela yezindwendwe zabahambayo engasempumalanga kweNoba leJogibeha, wayihlasela impi, wayijuma ingananzelele.

¹² UZeba loZalimuna, amakhosi aseMidiyani, babaleka; waxotshana labo, wababamba, wayethusa yonke impi yabo.

¹³ Kwathi uGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi esebuya ekulweni ngendlela yasemqansweni waseHeresi,

¹⁴ wabamba insizwa yaseSukothi, wayibuza; yasimbhalela amabizo ezinduna labadala baseSukothi abangamatshumi ayisikhombisa lesikhombisa.

¹⁵ Wafika ebantwini baseSukothi, wathi kibo: Nampa oZeba loZalimuna elalingiklolodela ngabo lisithi: UZeba loZalimuna usubabambile yini ukuba sinike abantu bakho asebelambile ukudla na?

¹⁶ Wasethatha abadala bomuzi, wabatshaya labobantu baseSukothi ngameva asenkangala langothathawe.

¹⁷ Wasediliza inqaba yasePenuweli, wabulala abantu balowomuzi.

¹⁸ Wathi kuZeba lakuZalimuna: Babenjani labobantu elababulalayo na? Baphendula bathi: Babefanana lawe, bonke befana labantwana bamakhosi.

¹⁹ Wasesithi: Babengabafowethu, bengabantwana bakamama. Ngifunga iNkosi, uba lalibayekele baphila, lami bengingayikulibulala.

²⁰ Wasesithi kuJetheri izibulo lakhe: Sukuma ubabulale. Kodwa umfana lowo kawuhwatshanga umhedla wakhe, wayesesaba ngoba esesengumfana nje.

²¹ UZeba loZalimuna bathi: Sukuma wena usibulale, ngoba ulamandla endoda. Wasesukuma uGidiyoni ebabulala. Wasethatha izigqizo ezazisentanyeni zamakamela abo.

UGidiyoni uyala ukubekwa inkosi

²² AbakoIsrayeli bathi kuGidiyoni: Woba ngumbusi wethu, wena lendodana yakho, lendodana yendodana yakho, ngoba usikhulule ezandleni zamaMidiyani.

²³ UGidiyoni wathi kibo: Kangiyikulibusa, lendodana yami kayiyikulibusa; iNkosi yiyo ezakulibusa.

²⁴ Wasesithi kibo: Ake ngenze isicelo kini; nginikani lonke amadikazi eliwaphangileyo. Ngoba labo ababenqotshiwe babefaka amadikazi egolide ngoba bebengabakoIshmayeli.

²⁵ Baphendula bathi: Sizakunika wona impela. Basebesendlala ingubo; kwathi bonke abantu baphosela kiyo amadikazi ababewaphangile.

²⁶ Ubunzima bamadikazi egolide ayewacelile babungamashekeli egolide azinkulungwane ezingamakhulu ayisikhombisa, ngaphandle kwezigqizo lamangqongqo lezambatho eziyibubende zamakhosi aseMidiyani, langaphandle kwamaketane ayesezintanyeni zamakamela.

²⁷ UGidiyoni wenza ngakho isithombe, wasibeka emzini wakhe iOfira. AbakoIsrayeli bonke benza okubi, basikhonza khona; saba ngumjibila kuGidiyoni lendlu yakhe.

Ukufa kukaGidiyoni

²⁸ AmaMidiyani anqotshwa ngabakoIsrayeli, kawaphindanga avuka futhi. Kwaba lokuthula elizweni ensukwini zikaGidiyoni iminyaka engamatshumi amane.

²⁹ UJerubali indodana kaJowashi wabuyela wayahlala endlini yakhe.

³⁰ UGidiyoni wayelamadodana angamatshumi ayisikhombisa aluzalo lwakhe, ngoba wayelabafazi abanengi.

³¹ Omunye umfazi wakhe owayeseShekema laye wamzalela indodana, wayitha ibizo lokuthi nguAbimeleki.

³² UGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi wafa eseluphele kakhulu, wangcwatshelwa elibeni likayise uJowashi eOfira elabaseAbiyezeri.

³³ Kwathi lapho uGidiyoni esefile, abakoIsrayeli babuya benza okubi ngokukhonza oBali, benza uBali‐Berithi waba ngunkulunkulu wabo.

³⁴ Kabayikhumbulanga iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo eyabophula ezandleni zezitha zabo zonke inxa zonke.

³⁵ Kabatshengisanga umusa endlini kaJerubali, othiwa nguGidiyoni, ngakho konke okuhle akwenza kuIsrayeli.