Tikhulu
8 Ngemuva kwaloko emadvodza aka-Efrayimu atsi kuye: “Yini lena losente yona? Awukasibiti leni ngesikhatsi uyokulwa nebakaMidiyani?”+ Baka-Efrayimu bacabana naye kamatima.+ 2 Kodvwa watsi kubo: “Lokwentiwe ngimi kuyini nakulinganiswa nalokwentiwe ngini? Emagilebisi lasele labutfwa baka-Efrayimu+ akasincono yini kunesivuno semagilebisi saka-Abiyezeri?+ 3 Nkulunkulu watinikela esandleni senu tindvuna takaMidiyani, lokubo-Orebi naZebi.+ Lokwentiwe ngimi kuyini nakulinganiswa nalokwentiwe ngini?” Watsi nakasho loko,* behlisa umoya.*
4 Gideyoni wabese uyefika eJordane futsi wewela. Yena kanye nemadvodza langu-300 labekanawo bebadziniwe kodvwa bachubeka bacosha titsa tabo. 5 Ngako watsi emadvodzeni aseSukhothi: “Ngicela niphe lamadvodza langilandzelako tinkhwa, ngobe adziniwe futsi sicosha emakhosi akaMidiyani, boZeba naSalmuna.” 6 Kodvwa tindvuna taseSukhothi tatsi: “Sewubancobile yini boZeba naSalmuna kutsi singanika lelibutfo lakho sinkhwa?” 7 Nakeva loko Gideyoni watsi: “Ngenca yaloko lenikushoko, ngemuva kwekutsi Jehova asanikele boZeba naSalmuna esandleni sami, ngitanishaya ngemanyeva nangenchachabutane yasehlane.”+ 8 Wesuka lapho wakhuphukela ePhenuweli futsi wacela intfo lefanako, kodvwa emadvodza asePhenuweli amphendvula njengemadvodza aseSukhothi. 9 Ngako wabese utjela lamadvodza asePhenuweli watsi: “Nangibuya ngincobile,* ngitawudzilita lombhoshongo.”+
10 BoZeba naSalmuna bebaseKhakhori kanye nemabutfo abo langemadvodza lacishe abe ngu-15 000. Lawa bekungiwo onkhe emadvodza labesele kulo lonkhe libutfo lebantfu baseMphumalanga,+ ngobe emadvodza langu-120 000 lebekahlome ngetinkemba abesafile. 11 Gideyoni wachubeka akhuphuka ngendlela yebantfu labahlala emathendeni, emphumalanga yeNoba neJogbeha+ futsi wahlasela lelibutfo kulenkambu lingakagadzi. 12 Ngesikhatsi lamakhosi lamabili akaMidiyani, lokuboZeba naSalmuna abaleka, Gideyoni wawacosha wase uyawabamba. Loko kwabangela kutsi yonkhe lenkambu yesabe.
13 Gideyoni indvodzana yaJowashi wabese uyabuya emphini ahamba ngendlela leyenyukela eHeresi. 14 Asasendleleni leya lapho, wabamba lelinye lijaha laseSukhothi waphindze waliphenya ngemibuto. Ngako lelijaha lambhalela emabito etindvuna newemadvodza lamadzala aseSukhothi, kwaba ngemadvodza langu-77. 15 Wahamba naloluhla waya emadvodzeni aseSukhothi, wase utsi: “Naba boZeba naSalmuna, lenangenta inhlekisa ngabo ngesikhatsi nitsi: ‘Sewubancobile yini boZeba naSalmuna kutsi singanika libutfo lakho lelidziniwe sinkhwa?’”+ 16 Ngemuva kwaloko watsatsa emadvodza lamadzala alelidolobha futsi wasebentisa emanyeva nenchachabutane yasehlane kuze awafundzise sifundvo lamadvodza aseSukhothi.+ 17 Wabese udzilita umbhoshongo wasePhenuweli,+ wabulala nemadvodza akulelidolobha.
18 Gideyoni wabuta Zeba naSalmuna watsi: “Anjani lamadvodza leniwabulele eThabori?” Bamphendvula batsi: “Abefanana nawe, onkhe abebukeka njengemadvodzana enkhosi.” 19 Wabaphendvula watsi: “Abebomnaketfu, atalwa ngumake. Ngifunga Jehova Nkulunkulu lophilako, kube anikawabulali nami bengingeke nginibulale.” 20 Wabese utsi kuJetheri indvodzana yakhe lelitibulo: “Sukuma, ubabulale.” Kodvwa lelijaha alizange liyihoshule inkemba yalo ngobe belesaba futsi liseselincane. 21 Ngako boZeba naSalmuna batsi: “Wota wena usibulale ngobe indvodza yehlulelwa ngemandla ayo.”* Gideyoni waya kubo wabulala Zeba naSalmuna+ wase utsatsa imihlobiso lemise kwelucetu lwenyeti lebeyisetintsanyeni temakamela abo.
22 Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi emadvodza aka-Israyeli atsi kuGideyoni: “Sibuse, wena nendvodzana yakho kanye nemtukulu wakho ngobe usisindzisile esandleni sebakaMidiyani.”+ 23 Gideyoni watsi kubo: “Angeke nginibuse, nendvodzana yami angeke inibuse. NguJehova lotanibusa.”+ 24 Gideyoni wachubeka watsi: “Kunye lengikucela kini: Ngicela ngamunye wenu angiphe licici lasemphumulweni lalitfole etintfweni latitsatsele tona emphini.” (Bantfu bakaMidiyani bebanemacici eligolide asemakhaleni ngobe bebavela esiveni saka-Ishmayeli.)+ 25 Lamadvodza amphendvula atsi: “Nakanjani sitakunika wona.” Ngemuva kwaloko elula ingubo futsi indvodza ngayinye yafaka kuyo licici lasekhaleni lelitsetse etintfweni lebeyititsatsele tona etitseni tawo. 26 Sisindvo salamacici eligolide asekhaleni besingemakhilogremu langaba ngu-19* eligolide. Aphindze atsatsa nemihlobiso lemise kwelucetu lwenyeti, imigaco, tingubo letibukhwebeletane* letakhiwe ngeboya letigcokwa ngemakhosi akaMidiyani kanye nemigaco yemakamela.+
27 Gideyoni wakha sidziya+ ngaleligolide wase usibeka edolobheni lakhe lebelise-Ofra.+ Onkhe ema-Israyeli asikhonta lapho,*+ futsi saba lugibe kuGideyoni nasendlini yakhe.+
28 Ema-Israyeli abancoba bakaMidiyani+ futsi abazange baphindze bahluphe* ema-Israyeli. Lelive laphumula* iminyaka lengu-40 ngesikhatsi saGideyoni.+
29 Ngako Jerubhali+ indvodzana yaJowashi wabuyela ekhaya futsi wahlala khona.
30 Gideyoni watala emadvodzana langu-70,* ngobe bekanebafati labanyenti. 31 Umfati wakhe lomncane waseShekhemu naye wamtalela indvodzana, layibita ngekutsi ngu-Abimeleki.+ 32 Gideyoni indvodzana yaJowashi wafa asamdzala futsi wangcwatjwa ethuneni lababe wakhe Jowashi, lelise-Ofra e-Abiyezeri.+
33 Ngekushesha nje ngemuva kwekufa kwaGideyoni, ema-Israyeli aphindze angetsembeki* ngekutsi akhonte boBhali,+ akhetsa Bhali-bherithi kutsi abe ngunkulunkulu wawo.+ 34 Ema-Israyeli awazange amkhumbule Jehova Nkulunkulu wawo,+ lobekawakhulule esandleni sato tonkhe titsa tawo lebetiwatungeletile;+ 35 futsi awazange ayikhombise lutsandvo lolucotfo indlu yaJerubhali, lokunguGideyoni, kute akhombise kubonga ngato tonkhe tintfo letinhle labetentele ema-Israyeli.+