UGidiyoni ubizelwa ukusindisa ama-Israyeli
1Abantu bakwa-Israyeli benza ubumbi phambi kwakaSomnini. Nje-ke uSomnini wabanikela esandleni samaMidiyani iminyaka elikhomba. 2Isandla samaMidiyani sasiqinile phezu kwaka-Israyeli, ngalokho ama-Israyeli azenzela iindawo zokuzifihla eentabeni, okutjho emipharwini, emarholweni neenqongolweni. 3Bekuthi njalo lokha ama-Israyeli angatjala bese amaMidiyani, ama-Amalekhi nabantu bangepumalanga benyuke bawasahlele. 4Gade bahloma amatende bajamelane nama-Israyeli bese batjhabalalisa isivuno senarhawo ukufikela emkhawulweni weGaza, bangatjhiyi litho lokudla kwa-Israyeli. Godu batjhabalalisa kwasamvu, kwasakomo ngitjho nakwasadumbana. 5Benyuka nemihlambi yabo namatendabo bembatha yoke indawo inga yintethe. Babanengi namakamelabo kungakghoneki nokubabala kangangobana lapha bakhambe khona bebatjhiya inarha ilibhudu. 6Ama-Israyeli ahlukumezeka ngebanga lamaMidiyani, alilela uSomnini.
7Lokha ama-Israyeli nalilela uSomnini ngebanga lamaMidiyani, 8uSomnini wathumela umphorofidi owafika kiwo wathi: “Nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini, ‘Nganenyula eGibhide, nganikhupha ekumbeni yobukhoboka, 9nganenyela esandleni samaGibhide nesandleni sabo boke abanigandelelako, ngabaqotjha phambi kwenu, nganinikela inarhabo. 10Nganazisa bona nginguSomnini uZimenu, ngalokho ningesabi abosingazimu bama-Amori enihlala enarhenabo. Kodwana azange nilalele ilizwi lami.’ ”
11Ingilozi kaSomnini yeza yahlala ngaphasi komuthi we-owuku e-Ofira okungewakaJowatjhi umAbiyezeri, lokha indodanakhe uGidiyoni nayisabhula ikoroyi ebutlhodlhelweni bamadiribe kobana iyifihlele amaMidiyani. 12Ingilozi leyo yazibonakalisa kuGidiyoni yathi: “USomnini unawe, wena ngorho.”
13UGidiyoni wathi kiyo: “Babethu, alo, nakube uSomnini unathi, kubayini sehlelwe ngikho koke lokhu? Ziphi izenzo zakhe ezihle abobaba ebebalokhu basitjela ngazo basithi, ‘USomnini wasikhupha eGibhide’? Kodwana thina uSomnini usilahlile begodu usinikele esandleni samaMidiyani.”
14Nje-ke uSomnini waphendukela kuye wathi: “Ngithi khamba ngamandla onawo lawo ufese utjhaphulule u-Israyeli esandleni samaMidiyani. Angithi ngimi engikuthumako!”
15Yena wathi kiyo: “Kosami, bengingubani-ke mina bona ngingatjhaphulula u-Israyeli na? Qala, nekorwanami ngiyo ebogaboga khulu kezakwaManase. Kanti nami ngingomncani ngakwethu.”
16USomnini wathi kuye: “Ngebanga lokobana nginawe, uzakumadlha amaMidiyani inga umadlha umuntu munye.”
17UGidiyoni wathi: “Awa, yeke nakube ngifumene umusa emehlweni kaSomnini, uSomnini akangibonise iphawu bonyana ngambala nguye okhuluma nami. 18USomnini angasuki lapha, ngiyamrabhela, kufikela bengibuye ngimnikele isibiko sami.”
USomnini wathi: “Ngizakuhlala bewubuye.”
19UGidiyoni wangena ngekumbenakhe walungisa imbuzana nesikwa esinganangumelo ngesitjhutjhana seflowuru, wafaka inyama ngesiqwebini, wathela umhluzi ngembizeni, waletha phambi kwayo ngaphasi kwe-owuku wakubika. 20Ingilozi kaZimu yathi kuye: “Thatha inyama nesikwa esinganangumelo bese ubeka phezu kwedwaleli, uthele umhluzi phezulu.” Ngambala wenza njalo.
21Yeke ingilozi kaSomnini yelula idondolo ebelisesandleni sayo yathinta ngalo inyama nesikwa esinganangumelo. Kwaqubuka umlilo edwalenapho waqothula inyama nesikweso. Khonapho ingilozi kaSomnini yanyamalala. 22Yeke kwembuka kuGidiyoni bonyana umuntu loyo bekuyingilozi kaSomnini, wathi: “Maye mina, Somnini Somandla! Qala-ke sele ngibonene nengilozi kaSomnini ubuso nobuso.”
23Kodwana uSomnini wathi kuye: “Yiba nokuthula, ungesabi ngombana awuzukufa.”
24UGidiyoni wakha i-aldari lakaSomnini, khonapho walithiya wathi, “USomnini, ukuthula”. Nanamhlanjesi lisajame e-Ofira okungeyama-Abiyezeri.
UGidiyoni utjhabalalisa indawo ekhethekileko kaBhali
25Ngobusukobo uSomnini wathi kuGidiyoni: “Thatha emhlambini kayihlo ikunzi yekhethelo eneminyaka elikhomba, ubhuruze i-aldari uyihlo alakhele uBhali, ugawule nesigodo saka-Atjhera esiseqadi kwalo, 26wakhe i-aldari lakaSomnini uZimakho phezu kwendunduma ezombelezwe mthangala le. Ulakhe amahla ngamatje. Uthathe ikunzi yekhethelo leyo unikele ngayo njengomhlabelo wokutjhiswa ngeenkuni zesigodo saka-Atjhera osigawulilekweso.”
27Yeke uGidiyoni wathatha amadoda alitjhumi aziinceku zakhe, wenza njengombana uSomnini amyalile. Kodwana azange enze lokho emini ngebanga lokobana gade esaba khulu bakwabo kanye namadoda wedorobho. Ngalokho wakwenza lokho ngobumnyama.
28Kwathi lokha amadoda wedorobho navukako ekuseni, qala, abona i-aldari lakaBhali libhuruziwe no-Atjhera ogade aseqadi kwalo agawuliwe bekwanikelwa ngekunzi yekhethelo e-aldarini elitjha ebegade lakhiwe. 29Athi enye kenye: “Ngubani-ke owenze lokhu?” Ngemva kobana afunisisile abe abuzisisa, kwathiwa: “NguGidiyoni umsa kaJowatjhi owenze lokhu.” 30Yeke amadoda wedorobho athi kuJowatjhi: “Khupha umsanakho loyo! Kumele abulawe ngombana ubhuruze i-aldari lakaBhali bewagawula no-Atjhera ogade ajame eqadi kwalo.”
31Kodwana uJowatjhi wathi kibo boke ebegade bajamelene naye: “Madekhethu, nilwela uBhali na? Nifuna ukumvikela? Nakube unguzimu, uzazilwela, ngoba nakhu i-aldari lakhe libhuruziwe.” (Nanyana ngubani olwela uBhali kumele abulawe ekuseni.) 32Mhlokho uJowatjhi wathiya uGidiyoni bona nguJerubhali, okuhlathululwa ngokuthi, “UBhali akalwe naye” ngombana ubhuruze i-aldari lakhe.
UGidiyoni ulwa nezitha zama-Israyeli
33Woke amaMidiyani nama-Amalekhi kanye nabantu bepumalanga bahlangana, bathi bangayama iJordani bahloma amatendabo emrhobeni weJizriyela. 34Kodwana uMoya kaSomnini wehlela kuGidiyoni, wavuthela ipalapala, wabiza ama-Abiyezeri bonyana amlandele. 35Wathuma iinthunywa kilo loke lakwaManase, nabo babizwa bonyana bamlandele. Wathumela iinthunywa ku-Atjheri, uZebuloni noNafitali, bakhuphuka bayokuhlangana nabo.
36UGidiyoni wathi kuZimu: “Ukuze ngibone bonyana uSomnini uzakutjhaphulula u-Israyeli ngesandla sami njengombana atjhwile, 37qala ngendlala isitjhuba sobuboya bemvu eselelweni. Nakube buvuka bunombethe bona bodwa kodwana ngemaqadi kwabo khibe kome kere, khona-ke ngizakwazi bonyana uSomnini uzakutjhaphulula u-Israyeli ngesandla sami njengombana atjhwile.”
38Yeke kwaba njalo. Wavuka ngakusasa ekuseni, waminya isitjhuba sobuboya, kwaphuma amanzi azala isitja swi. 39UGidiyoni wathi kuZimu: “Itukuthelo kaSomnini ingavuthi phezu kwami, akhe ngikhulume kanye nje kwaphela, ngiyarabhela. USomnini akangivumele ngizizinye kokugcina. Isitjhuba sobuboyesi asome kere bese kuthi yoke indawo ibe nombethe.”
40Ngambala uZimu wakwenza lokho ngobusukobo. Kwavuka kunombethe yoke indawo kodwana isitjhuba sobuboya some kere.
