8Amadoda akoEfrayimia asesithi kuye: Iyini linto oyenze kithi ukuthi awusibizanga nxa usiyakulwa lamaMidiyani? Amsola ngamandla. 2 Wasesithi kiwo: Ngenzeni khathesi uba kulinganiswa lokwenu? Ukukhothozwa kwezithelo zevini koEfrayimi kakukuhle yini kulesivuno sevini sakoAbiyezerib? 3 UNkulunkulu unikele esandleni senu iziphathamandla zeMidiyanic, uOrebi loZebi; ngangingenzani njengani? Kwasekudeda kuye ukuthukuthela kwabod lapho ekhuluma lelilizwi.

UGidiyoni uthumba amakhosi eMidiyani

4 Lapho uGidiyoni efika eJordani wachapha, yena lamadoda angamakhulu amathathue ayelaye, bediniwe kodwa bexotsha. 5 Wasesithi emadodeni eSukothif: Ake liphe abantu abangilandelayog amaqebelengwana ezinkwa, ngoba badiniwe, ngixotshana loZeba loZalimuna amakhosi eMidiyani. 6 Lenduna zeSukothi zathi: Intende yesandla sikaZeba loZalimuna isisesandleni sakho yinih, ukuthi siphe ibutho lakho isinkwa? 7 UGidiyoni wasesithi: Ngakho nxa iNkosi isinikele uZeba loZalimuna esandleni sami, ngizabhula inyama yenu ngameva enkangala langokhula oluhlabayoi.

8 Wasesenyuka lapho waya ePenuwelij, wakhuluma labo ngokufananayo; lamadoda ePenuweli amphendula njengamadoda eSukothi emphendulile. 9 Wasekhuluma futhi emadodeni ePenuweli esithi: Ekubuyeni kwami ngokuthulak ngizadiliza lo umphotshongol.

10 Njalo uZeba loZalimuna babeseKarikori lenkamba yabo ilabo, phose inkulungwane ezilitshumi lanhlanu, bonke ababesele ebuthwenim lonke labantwana bempumalangan, ngoba ababewile babengamadoda azinkulungwane ezilikhulu lamatshumi amabili abahwatsha inkemba. 11 UGidiyoni wasesenyuka ngendlela yabahlala emathenteni empumalanga kweNoba leJogibehao, wayitshaya inkamba, ngoba inkamba yayilibelep. 12 UZeba loZalimuna basebebaleka, wasexotshana labo, wathumba amakhosi amabili eMidiyaniq, uZeba loZalimuna, wethusa inkamba yonke.

13 Lapho uGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi esebuya evela empini phambi kokuphuma kwelanga, 14 wabamba ijaha emadodeni eSukothi, walibuza; laselimbhalela iziphathamandla zeSukothi labadala bayo, amadoda angamatshumi ayisikhombisa lesikhombisa. 15 Wasefika emadodeni eSukothi, wathi: Khangelani oZeba loZalimuna elalingiklolodela ngabo lisithi: Intende yesandla sikaZeba loZalimuna isisesandleni sakho yinir, ukuthi siphe amadoda akho asediniwe isinkwa? 16 Wasethatha abadala bomuzis, lameva enkangala lokhula oluhlabayo, wenza amadoda eSukothi aqedisise ngawo. 17 Lomphotshongo wePenuwelit wawudiliza, wabulala amadoda omuzi.

18 Wasesithi kuZeba lakuZalimuna: Ngamadoda anjani elawabulala eThabhoriu? Basebesithi: Njengawe babenjalo, ngulowo njengesimo sendodana yenkosi. 19 Wasesithi: Babengabafowethu, abantwana bakamama. Kuphila kukaJehovav, uba belibayekele baphila, bengingayikulibulala. 20 Wasesithi kuJetheri izibulo lakhe: Sukuma ubabulale. Kodwa umfana kayihwatshanga inkemba yakhe, ngoba wayesesaba ngoba esesengumfana. 21 UZeba loZalimuna basebesithi: Sukuma wena uwele phezu kwethu, ngoba njengoba injalo indoda, anjalo amandla ayo. Wasesukuma uGidiyoni wabulala uZeba loZalimunaw. Wasethatha izinyangana ezazisentanyeni zamakamela abo.

UGidiyoni wala ukubekwa inkosi

22 Amadoda akoIsrayeli asesithi kuGidiyoni: Sibuse, wena-ke, lendodana yakho, lendodana yendodana yakho, ngoba usisindisile esandleni samaMidiyani. 23 Kodwa uGidiyoni wathi kibo: Mina kangiyikulibusa, lendodana yami kayiyikulibusa; iNkosi izalibusax.

24 UGidiyoni wasesithi kibo: Ake ngicele isicelo kini; nginikani ngamunye icici lempangoy yakhe. Ngoba babelamacici egolide, ngoba babengamaIshmayeliz. 25 Basebesithi: Sizanika lokunika. Basebesendlala isembatho, baphosela lapho ngamunye icici lempango yakhe. 26 Lesisindo samacici egolide ayewacelile sasingamashekeli* egolide ayinkulungwane lamakhulu ayisikhombisa, ngaphandle kwezinyanganaa, leziceciso ezilengayo, lezembatho eziyibubende ezazisemakhosini eMidiyanib, langaphandle kwamaketane ayesezintanyeni zamakamela awoc. 27 UGidiyoni wasesenza i-efodi*d ngakho, wayibeka emzini wakhe, eOfirae. LoIsrayeli wonke waphinga lapho ngokuyilandelaf; yasisiba ngumjibila kuGidiyonig lendlu yakhe.

Ukufa kukaGidiyoni

28 Ngokunjalo amaMidiyani ehliselwa phansi phambi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, kawaphindanga aphakamisa ikhanda lawo. Lelizwe laba lokuthula iminyaka engamatshumi amaneh ensukwini zikaGidiyoni.

29 UJerubali indodana kaJowashi wayahlala-ke endlini yakhe. 30 Njalo uGidiyoni wayelamadodana angamatshumi ayisikhombisa aphuma okhalweni lwakhei, ngoba wayelabafazi abanengi. 31 Lomfazi wakhe omncane owayeseShekemaj laye wamzalela indodana, wayitha ibizo lokuthi nguAbhimeleki.

32 UGidiyoni indodana kaJowashi wasesifa eseluphele kuhlek, wangcwatshelwa engcwabeni likaJowashi uyise, eOfira yamaAbiyezeril. 33 Kwasekusithi lapho uGidiyoni esefilem, abantwana bakoIsrayeli baphenduka, baphinga ngokulandela oBhalin, bazimisela uBhali-Berithio waba ngunkulunkulu. 34 Njalo abantwana bakoIsrayeli kabayikhumbulanga iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabop eyabophula esandleni sezitha zabo zonke inhlangothi zonke. 35 Kabenzanga umusa endlini kaJerubaliq, onguGidiyoni, njengakho konke okuhle akwenza kuIsrayeli.