uBaba Wethu Unikela Amakhosi aseMidiyani
UGideyoni uthulisa u-Efrayimi ozizwa edelelekile, ujezisa iSukoti nePenuweli ngokwenqaba ukumnika isinkwa, futhi ubulala amakhosi abulala abafowabo. Uyawenqaba umqhele, ethi uBaba wethu uyobusa — bese enza i-efodi ngempango wonke u-Israyeli afebe ngayo, futhi isizwe siyakhohlwa futhi.
8 1Amadoda akwa-Efrayimu athi: “Kungani usenze kanje—ungasibizi ngesikhathi uhamba ukuyolwa noMidiyani?” Aphikisana naye kabuhlungu. 2Kodwa wathi kuwo: “Yini engiyenzile manje uma kuqhathaniswa nani? Akungcono yini ukukhothoza kwa-Efrayimu kunokuvuna kwamagilebhisi kuka-Abhiyezeri? 3uBaba wethu unikele izikhulu zakwaMidiyani, u-Orebi noZebi, ezandleni zenu. Yini engangingayenza uma kuqhathaniswa nani?” Ngala mazwi intukuthelo yawo kuye yadamba.
4uGideyoni wafika eJordani wawela, yena kanye namadoda akhe angama-300, bekhathele kodwa besaxosha. 5Wathi emadodeni aseSukothi: “Ngicela niphe amabutho ami isinkwa; akhathele, futhi ngixosha uZeba noZalimuna, amakhosi aseMidiyani.”
6Kodwa izikhulu zaseSukothi zathi: “Usuvele usubambe uZeba noZalimuna yini, ukuba sinike ibutho lakho isinkwa?”
7Ngakho uGideyoni wathi: “Lapho uBaba wethu enginikela uZeba noZalimuna ezandleni zami, ngiyakubhula inyama yenu ngameva asehlane nangezihlahla zameva.”
8Esuka lapho wenyukela ePhenuweli, wakhuluma kuwo ngokufananayo, amadoda asePhenuweli amphendula njengoba enzile amadoda aseSukothi. 9Ngakho wathi nakuwo amadoda asePhenuweli: “Lapho ngibuya ngiphilile, ngiyakudiliza lo mbhoshongo.”
10uZeba noZalimuna babeseKarikori namabutho abo—cishe abangu-15 000, bonke abasala ebuthweni lonke labantu basempumalanga; kwase kuwile amadoda angu-120 000 ayehlome ngezinkemba. 11uGideyoni wenyuka ngomgwaqo wabahlali bamatende ngasempumalanga kweNoba neJogibeha, wahlasela ibutho lisazizwa livikelekile. 12uZeba noZalimuna babaleka; wabaxosha, wawathumba amakhosi amabili aseMidiyani, uZeba noZalimuna, wethusa lonke ibutho. 13uGideyoni indodana kaJowashi wabuya empini ngentuba yaseHeresi. 14Wabamba insizwa yaseSukothi wayibuza; leyo nsizwa yamlobela amagama ezikhulu zaseSukothi namagama amadoda amadala—amadoda angamashumi ayisikhombisa nesikhombisa. 15Weza emadodeni aseSukothi wathi: “Nampa uZeba noZalimuna, enangihleka ngabo nithi: ‘Izandla zikaZeba noZalimuna sezivele zisesandleni sakho yini, ukuba sinike amadoda akho akhathele isinkwa?’” 16Wathatha amadoda amadala edolobha, wafundisa amadoda aseSukothi isifundo ngameva asehlane nangezihlahla zameva. 17Wawudiliza nombhoshongo wasePhenuweli, wabulala amadoda edolobha.
18Wabuza uZeba noZalimuna: “Ayenjani amadoda enawabulala eThabori?” Athi: “Ayenjengawe—kwaba ngulowo nalowo efana nendodana yenkosi.”
19Wathi: “Babengabafowethu, amadodana kamame siqu. Kuphila kukaBaba wethu, ukube naniwayekile, bengingeke nginibulale.”
20Wathi kuJetheri, izibulo lakhe: “Vuka, ubabulale!” Kodwa umfana akayihoshanga inkemba yakhe; wayesaba, esengumfana nje.
21uZeba noZalimuna bathi: “Vuka wena usishaye phansi, ngokuba njengoba enjalo umuntu, anjalo namandla akhe.” Ngakho uGideyoni wavuka wabulala uZeba noZalimuna, wathatha imihlobiso enjengenyanga eyayisezintanyeni zamakamela abo.
uGideyoni Wenqaba Ukubusa
22Amadoda akwa-Israyeli athi kuGideyoni: “Sibuse—wena, indodana yakho, nomzukulu wakho—ngokuba usisindisile esandleni saseMidiyani.”
23uGideyoni wathi kuwo: “Angiyikunibusa, nendodana yami ngeke inibuse; uBaba wethu uyakunibusa.” 24uGideyoni wathi kuwo: “Nginesicelo esisodwa: yilowo nalowo kini anginike icici elivela empangweni yakhe.” (Izitha zazinamacici egolide, ngokuba zazingama-Ishmayeli.).
25Athi: “Siyakunika ngokuthokoza.” Andlala ingubo, yilelo nalelo doda laphonsa kuyo icici elivela empangweni yalo. 26Amacici egolide awacelayo ayenesisindo esingamaphawundi angamashumi amane nambili nohhafu egolide, ngaphandle kwemihlobiso enjengenyanga, nemihlobiso elenga, nezingubo eziyibubende ezazigqokwa ngamakhosi aseMidiyani, namaketanga ayesezintanyeni zamakamela abo. 27uGideyoni wenza i-efodi ngalo, walimisa edolobheni lakhe, e-Ofra, wonke u-Israyeli waziphingisa kulo lapho, laba yisicupho kuGideyoni nasendlini yakhe.
Iminyaka Engamashumi Amane Yokuphumula
28Ngakho uMidiyani wehliswa phambi kwabakwa-Israyeli, akabange esaphakamisa ikhanda lakhe. Izwe laba nokuthula iminyaka engamashumi amane ezinsukwini zikaGideyoni. 29uJerubhali indodana kaJowashi wahamba wayohlala endlini yakhe siqu. 30uGideyoni wayenamadodana angamashumi ayisikhombisa, inzalo yakhe siqu, ngokuba wayenabafazi abaningi. 31Isancinza sakhe esasiseShekemi naso samzalela indodana, wayiqamba igama elithi u-Abhimeleki. a a v31 Igama elithi Abhimeleki lisho ukuthi “ubaba uyinkosi”—igama elimangalisayo uma kubhekwa ukwenqaba kukaGideyoni ubukhosi kulesi sahluko esifanayo.
32uGideyoni indodana kaJowashi wafa eseluphele kahle, wangcwatshwa ethuneni likayise uJowashi e-Ofra yama-Abhiyezeri.
33Kwathi lapho uGideyoni esefile, abakwa-Israyeli baphinda baziphingisa koBhali, benza uBhali-Berithi waba unkulunkulu wabo. 34Abantu bakwa-Israyeli abazange bamkhumbule uBaba wethu, owabophula ezandleni zazo zonke izitha zabo ezazibazungezile. 35Futhi abazange babonise umusa endlini kaJerubhali (uGideyoni) ngakho konke okuhle ayekwenzele u-Israyeli.
