UBawo wethu uhlangula ookumkani bakwaMidiyan

UGidiyon udambisa amaEfrayim akhubekileyo, ohlwaya iSukoti nePeniweli ngenxa yokwala ukunika isonka, abulale ookumkani ababulele abazalwana bakhe. Uyakwala ukuba ngukumkani, esithi uBawo wethu uya kulawula—aze enze iefodi ngexhoba, ethi onke amaSirayeli ahenyuze ngalo, luze uhlanga luphinde lulibale.

Isahluko 8.

Athi ke amadoda akwaEfrayim: Yini na ukuba usiphathe ngolu hlobo, ungasibizanga nje xa ubesiya kulwa namaMidiyan? Abambana naye kabukhali. Kodwa wathi kuwo: Yintoni na le ndiyenzileyo ngoku, xa ithelekiswa nani? Akulungile na ukubhikica kukaEfrayim ngaphezu kokuvunwa kweediliya kuka-Abhihezere? UBawo wethu uwanikele ezandleni zenu abathetheli bamaMidiyan, uOrebhe noZebhe. Bendinokwenza ntoni na mna xa ndithelekiswa nani? Akuba wawathetha loo mazwi, waphela umsindo wabo kuye.

UGidiyon wafika eYordan wayiwela, yena namadoda akhe angamakhulu amathathu, etyhafile kodwa esawasukela. Wathi kumadoda aseSukoti: Khaninike abantu bam izonka; batyhafile, ndaye ndisukela uZebha noTsalimuna, ookumkani bakwaMidiyan.

Kodwa abathetheli baseSukoti bathi: Sewubaphethe na ezandleni zakho uZebha noTsalimuna, ukuba sinike umkhosi wakho izonka?

Watsho uGidiyon: Xa uBawo wethu athe wawanikela ezandleni zam uZebha noTsalimuna, ndoyibhula inyama yenu ngameva nangamatshijolo asentlango.

Wenyuka esuka apho waya ePeniweli, wathetha nawo ngokunjalo, amadoda asePeniweli awamphendula njengoko aphendula ngako amadoda aseSukoti. Watsho nakumadoda asePeniweli: Xa ndibuye ndinoxolo, ndoyidiliza le nqaba inde.

Ke uZebha noTsalimuna babeseKarekore nemikhosi yabo, ingamadoda angamawaka alishumi elinamahlanu, wonke awayesele kuwo wonke umkhosi wabantu basempumalanga; abe ewile amadoda arhola ikrele angamawaka alikhulu elinamanci mabini. UGidiyon wenyuka ngendlela yabo bahlala ezintenteni ngasempumalanga kweNobha neYogebheba, wawuhlasela umkhosi, uhleli ukholosile. UZebha noTsalimuna basaba; wabasukela, wababamba ookumkani bobabini bakwaMidiyan, uZebha noTsalimuna, wawukhwankqisa wonke umkhosi. Wabuya ke uGidiyon unyana kaYowashe emfazweni ngendlela enyuka iHeres. Wabamba umfana wakwaSukoti, wambuza; waza loo mfana wawabhala amagama abathetheli baseSukoti namadoda amakhulu ayo, amadoda angamashumi asixhenxe anesixhenxe. Wafika emadodeni aseSukoti, wathi: Nanku uZebha noTsalimuna, enanidlala ngam ngabo, nisithi: Sewubaphethe na ezandleni zakho uZebha noTsalimuna, ukuba sinike izonka amadoda akho atyhafileyo? Wawathabatha amadoda amakhulu aloo mzi, wawabonisa amadoda aseSukoti ngameva nangamatshijolo asentlango. Wayidiliza nenqaba inde yasePeniweli, wawabulala amadoda aloo mzi.

Wabuza uZebha noTsalimuna, wathi: Ayenjani na amadoda enawabulalayo eTabhore? Bathi: Ayenjengawe, elowo enjengonyana wokumkani.

Wathi yena: Bebengabazalwana bam, oonyana bakama. Ehleli nje uBawo wethu, ukuba nibasindisile, ndingayi kunibulala.

Wathi kuYetere, izibulo lakhe: Vuka, ubabulale! Kodwa inkwenkwe ayibukhuphanga ikrele layo; yoyika, ngokuba iseyinkwenkwe.

Bathi uZebha noTsalimuna: Vuka wena usixabele; kuba njengoko injalo indoda, anjalo namandla ayo. Wavuka ke uGidiyon wababulala uZebha noTsalimuna, wawathabatha amaqhina afana nenyanga ayesezintanyeni zeenkamela zabo.

UGidiyon uyala ukulawula

Athi ke amadoda akwaSirayeli kuGidiyon: Masilawulwe nguwe, wena nonyana wakho nonyana wonyana wakho; kuba usihlangule esandleni samaMidiyan.

Wathi uGidiyon kuwo: Andiyi kunilawula mna, nonyana wam akayi kunilawula; uBawo wethu uya kunilawula. Wathi uGidiyon kuwo: Ndicela nto-nye kuni: elowo makandinike ijikazi elivela ekuphangeni kwakhe. (Ngokuba babenamajikazi egolide, kuba bengamaIshmayeli.).

Bathi: Siya kukunika ngovuyo. Batwabulula ingubo, waza elowo waphosa kuyo ijikazi elivela ekuphangeni kwakhe. Ubunzima bamajikazi egolide awawacelayo baba likhulu leeshekele neeshekele ezisixhenxe zegolide, ngaphandle kwamaqhina afana nenyanga, nezijorha, nezambatho ezimfusa ebezambethwe ngookumkani bakwaMidiyan, nemixokelelwane ebisezintanyeni zeenkamela zabo. UGidiyon wenza i-efodi ngayo, wayimisa emzini wakhe eOfra, wonke amaSirayeli ahenyuza khona ngokuyilandela, yaba ngumgibe kuGidiyon nakwindlu yakhe.

Iminyaka engamashumi mane yokuzola

Athotywa ke amaMidiyan phambi koonyana bakaSirayeli, akaphinda ayiphakamise intloko yawo. Lazola ilizwe iminyaka engamashumi mane ngemihla kaGidiyon. Waya ke uYerubhahali unyana kaYowashe, wahlala endlwini yakhe. Ke kaloku uGidiyon wayenoonyana abangamashumi asixhenxe, abaphuma esinqeni sakhe, ngokuba wayenabafazi abaninzi. Ishweshwe lakhe elaliseShekem nalo lamzalela unyana, waza wathi igama lakhe nguAbhimeleki. ^a

UGidiyon unyana kaYowashe wafa eseluphele kakuhle, wangcwatyelwa engcwabeni likayise uYowashe, eOfra yama-Abhihezere.

Kwathi, akufa uGidiyon, baphinda oonyana bakaSirayeli bahenyuza ngokulandela ooBhahali, benza uBhahali-bheriti waba thixo wabo. Abamkhumbula oonyana bakaSirayeli uBawo wethu, owabahlangulayo esandleni seentshaba zabo zonke ngeenxa zonke. Abayenzelanga nenceba indlu kaYerubhahali (uGidiyon) ngako konke okulungileyo awakwenzela amaSirayeli.