1 Athi amadoda akwaEfrayim kuye, Yintoni na le nto uyenzileyo kuthi, yokuba ungasibizi, ukuya kulwa kwakho namaMidiyan? Babambana naye kabukhali.
2 Wathi kuwo, Ndenze ntoni na ngoku ngangani? Ukubhikica kwamaEfrayim akukugqithile na ngokulunga ukuvuna iidiliya komAbhihezere?
3 UThixo ubanikele esandleni senu abathetheli bakwaMidiyan, uOrebhe noZebhe; yintoni na endinokuyenza ngangani? Yaza ingqumbo yawo ngakuye yadamba ekulithetheni kwakhe elolizwi.
4 Akufika uGidiyon eYordan, ewela enamadoda amakhulu mathathu, etyhafile, esasukela noko,
5 wathi kumadoda aseSukoti, Khanibaphe abantu aba bandilandelayo iintendana zezonka, ngokuba batyhafile; ndisukela uZebha noTsalimuna, ookumkani bamaMidiyan.
6 Bathi abathetheli baseSukoti, Isandla sikaZebha noTsalimuna sesisesandleni sakho yini na, ukuba siwunike umkhosi wakho isonka?
7 Wathi uGidiyon, Xa kunjalo, akubanikela uYehova ooZebha noTsalimuna esandleni sam, ndoyibhalula inyama yenu ngemithana enameva yasentlango, nangamakhakakhaka.
8 Wenyuka khona, waya ePenuweli, wathetha kubo kwangokunjalo. Bamphendula abantu basePenuweli njengoko bamphendula ngako abantu baseSukoti.
9 Watsho nakubantu basePenuweli, ukuthi, Ekubuyeni kwam ngoxolo ndoyidiliza le nqaba inde.
10 Ke kaloku uZebha noTsalimuna bebeseKarkore, benemikhosi yabo, ngathi ngamawaka alishumi elinamahlanu ewonke amadoda, abesele kwimikhosi yonke yabasempumalanga. Kwakuwe amadoda alikhulu elinamanci mabini amawaka, arhola ikrele.
11 Wenyuka uGidiyon ngendlela yabahlala ezintenteni, ngasempumalanga kweNobha neYogebheha, wayibulala impi; impi leyo ibingaxhalele nto.
12 Basaba ooZebha noTsalimuna; wabasukela, wababamba ookumkani bobabini bamaMidiyan, ooZebha noTsalimuna; wayothusa yonke impi.
13 Wabuya uGidiyon unyana kaYowashe emfazweni, evela eqhineni leHeheres,
14 wabamba indodana yabantu baseSukoti, wayibuza; yambalela abathetheli baseSukoti, namadoda amakhulu akhona, amadoda amashumi asixhenxe anesixhenxe.
15 Weza ebantwini baseSukoti, wathi, Naba ooZebha noTsalimuna, enibe nindingcikiva ngabo, nisithi, Isandla sikaZebha noTsalimuna sesisesandleni sakho yini na, ukuba siwanike isonka amadoda akho atyhafileyo?
16 Wawathabatha amadoda amakhulu aloo mzi, nemithana enameva yasentlango namakhakakhaka, wawaqondisa ngayo amadoda aseSukoti.
17 Wayidiliza nenqaba ende yasePenuweli, wababulala abantu baloo mzi.
18 Wathi kuZebha noTsalimuna, Ebenjani na amadoda enawabulalayo eTabhore? Bathi, Abenjengawe, elowo enesithomo sonyana wokumkani.
19 Wathi, Babengabazalwana bam abo, oonyana bakama. Ehleli nje uYehova, ukuba benibasindisile, ngendinganibulali.
20 Wathi kuYetere owamazibulo kuye, Suk’ ume, ubabulale. Ke indodana leyo ayilirholanga ikrele layo; ngokuba ibisoyika, kuba ibisengumfana.
21 Bathi ooZebha noTsalimuna, Suk’ ume wena, usithi qwele; njengoko injalo indoda, bunjalo nobugorha bayo. Wesuka ke uGidiyon, wababulala ooZebha noTsalimuna, wazithabatha iintsimbi ezisezintanyeni zeenkamela zabo.
22 Athi amaSirayeli kuGidiyon, Silawule wena, kwanonyana wakho, nonyana wonyana wakho; ngokuba usisindisile esandleni samaMidiyan.
23 Wathi uGidiyon kuwo, Andiyi kunilawula mna; akayi kunilawula nonyana wam; nguYehova oya kunilawula nina.
24 Wathi uGidiyon kuwo, Ndiya kucela ngcelo-nye kuni; ndinikeni elowo ijikazi lexhoba lakhe. (Ngokuba ebenamajikazi egolide, kuba ebengamaIshmayeli.)
25 Athi, Sokunika ngemvume. Azandlala iingubo, aphosa khona elowo ijikazi lexhoba lakhe.
26 Ubunzima bamajikazi egolide awawacelayo baba liwaka elinamakhulu asixhenxe eeshekele zegolide, ngaphandle kwezaa ntsimbi namacici neengubo ezimfusa ezibe zikookumkani bamaMidiyan, nangaphandle kwezidanga ezibe zisezintanyeni zeenkamela zabo.
27 UGidiyon wenza ngazo iefodi, wayibeka emzini wakhe eOfra; athi onke amaSirayeli ahenyuza ngokuyilandela khona; yangumgibe kuGidiyon nakwindlu yakhe.
28 Athotywa amaMidiyan phambi koonyana bakaSirayeli, akaphinda aziphakamise iintloko zawo. Lazola ke ilizwe iminyaka emashumi mane ngemihla kaGidiyon.
29 Waya uYerubhahali, unyana kaYowashe, wahlala endlwini yakhe.
30 UGidiyon ebenoonyana abangamashumi asixhenxe abaphumayo esinqeni sakhe, ngokuba ebenabafazi abaninzi.
31 Neshweshwe lakhe, elibe likwaShekem, lamzalela unyana nalo; awamthiya igama lokuba nguAbhimeleki.
32 Wafa uGidiyon unyana kaYowashe, eyingwevu enkulu, wangcwatyelwa engcwabeni likaYowashe uyise, eOfra yama-Abhihezere.
33 Kwathi, akufa uGidiyon, babuya oonyana bakaSirayeli bahenyuza ngokulandela uBhahali; bazimisela uBhahali-bheriti, waba nguthixo wabo.
34 Oonyana bakaSirayeli abamkhumbulanga uYehova uThixo wabo, owabahlangulayo esandleni seentshaba zabo zonke ngeenxa zonke;
35 abayenzela nceba indlu kaYerubhahali, kaGidiyon, ngokokulunga konke awawenzelayo amaSirayeli.