1Abantu bakwa-Efrayimu bathi kuGidiyoni: “Yintobani osenze yona le? Kubayini ungasibizi lokha nawuyokulwa namaMidiyani?” Bamsola ngamandla.
2Yena wathi kibo: “Bekuyini-ke engikwenzileko kunalokho okwenziwe ngini? Okwenziwe babantu bakwa-Efrayimu kungaphezu kwalokho okwenziwe mndenami ama-Abiyezeri. 3UZimu unikele iinduna zakwaMidiyani, u-Orebi noZebi, ezandleni zenu. Alo, yini-ke engcono engiyenzileko kunalokho okwenziwe ngini?” Awa-ke, ukutjho kwakhe njalo kibo kwabathela ngamanzi.
UGidiyoni uhlunguphaza abantu bakwaMidiyani, beSukothi nebePenuweli
4UGidiyoni gade ayame iJordani namadoda amakhulu amathathu nalokhu agijimisa amaMidiyani. Ngebanga lokobana gade adinwe aphelile, 5wathi ebantwini beSukothi: “Siseenthendeni zakaZebarhi noTsalmuna amakhosi wakwaMidiyani. Nje-ke ngiyanibawa, akhese niphe amadoda akhamba nami la izikwa ezindulungu ngombana alambile kanti nokudinwa kuziphe amandla.”
6Iinkhulu zeSukothi zathi: “Kanti uZebarhi noTsalmuna sele basezandleni zakho bonyana singabeze siphe ibutho lakhwelo isikwa na?”
7UGidiyoni wathi: “Nihlale nazi-ke bonyana lokha uSomnini nanikela uZebarhi noTsalmuna esandleni sami, ngizokhekhebula inyamenu ngameva nangeenumba.”
8Ukusuka lapho wakhuphukela kwaPenuweli, wakhuluma lokho akukhulume ebantwini beSukothi. Abantu bakwaPenuweli nabo bakhamba emagameni wabantu beSukothi. 9Godu wathi ebantwini bakwaPenuweli: “Mhlana ngibuya ngokuthula ngizobhuruza isithala sabalindesi.”
10UZebarhi noTsalmuna gade baseKharikhori nebutho labo ebelingaba madoda aziinkulungwana ezilitjhumi nahlanu. Lawo gade kumadoda asele ebuthweni loke labantu bepumalanga. Abahlongakalako bekuziinkulungwana ezilikhulu namatjhumi amabili zamadoda akwazi ukulwa ngesabula. 11UGidiyoni wakhuphuka ngendlela yabosomatende ngepumalanga yeNobarhi neJogiboha, wasahlela ibutho lakhona ngombana belingakatjheji. 12Loke ibutho langenwa livalo. Amakhosi amabili wakwaMidiyani, uZebarhi noTsalmuna, abaleka, kodwana uGidiyoni wawagijimisa.
13UGidiyoni umsa kaJowatjhi wabuya epini sele akhamba ngendlela yomenyukelo weRheresi. 14Wabamba isokana ebantwini beSukothi walipheka ngemibuzo. Isokanelo lamtlolela amabizo weenkhulu nabaphathi beSukothi. Kwaba madoda amatjhumi alikhomba nakhomba. 15Wafika ebantwini beSukothi wathi: “Napa-ke aboZebarhi noTsalmuna ebeningichotjhela ngabo nithi, ‘Sele basezandleni zakho kobanyana singabeze siphe ibutho lakho elidiniweko isikwa na?’ ”
16Wathatha abaphathi bedorobho, wathatha ameva werhalawumba neenumba, ngawo wafundisa amadoda weSukothi isifundo. 17Wephula isithala sabalindi bePenuweli, wabulala namadoda wedorobho.
18Wathi kuZebarhi noTsalmuna: “Nganjani amadoda eniwabulele eTabori?”
Baphendula bathi: “Gade afana nawe, woke gade anjengamakhosana.”
19Wathi kibo: “Baba-ke! Bafowethu labo, madodana kamma. Ngifunga uSomnini, ngathana azange nibabulale, nami bengingeze nganibulala.”
20Wathi kuJeteri izibulo lakhe: “Babulale!”
Kodwana umsana azange arhwatjhe isabulakhe, gade esaba ngombana bekasesemncani. 21UZebarhi noTsalmuna bathi: “Sibulala wena ngokwakho ngombana uyindoda!”
UGidiyoni wasuka wababulala, wathatha imikghabiso yeenqetjhana zenyezi ebegade iseentanyeni zamakamela.
UGidiyoni wala ukuba yikosi
22Abantu bakwa-Israyeli bathi kuGidiyoni: “Yewusibuse, wena nendodanakho kanye nomntwanomntwanakho ngombana usitjhaphulule esandleni samaMidiyani.”
23UGidiyoni wathi kibo: “Mina angeze nganibusa, ngitjho nendodanami angeze yanibusa, kodwana nguSomnini ozanibusa.” 24Godu wathi: “Akhe nginikhombele lokhu: omunye nomunye wenu akangiphe idzilamnwana epangwenakhe.” (AmaMidiyani lawo bekaziinzukulwana zaka-Itjhimayeli, ngalokho gade afaka iindzilamnwana.)
25Baphendula bathi: “Sizakupha ngeenhliziyo ezimhlophe.”
Baqhisa isambatho phasi, woke umuntu waphosela idzilamnwana ayiphangileko lapho. 26Ubudisi beendzilamnwana azikhombelako, bebupheze bube makhilogremu amatjhumi amabili ngaphandle kwemikghabiso yeenqetjhana zenyezi namancina kanye nezambatho ezibubende ezazembathwa makhosi wakwaMidiyani begodu nangaphandle kwemikghabiso ebegade iseentanyeni zamakamelawo. 27UGidiyoni wenza i-efodi ngegolidelo wayibeka edorobheni lakhe e-Ofira. Woke u-Israyeli wadlhemadlhema ne-efodi leyo ngokuyilotjha khonapho. Yaphenduka isifu kuGidiyoni nomndenakhe.
28AmaMidiyani aguqiswa phambi kwama-Israyeli, azange asaziphakamisa. Ngalokho inarha yaba nokuthula iminyaka ematjhumi amane emihleni kaGidiyoni.
29UJerubhali umsa kaJowatjhi wakhamba wayokuhlala emzinakhe. 30UGidiyoni lo gade anamadodana amatjhumi alikhomba, okubantwabakhe ngenyama ngombana gade anabafazi abanengi. 31Ikhohlo lakhe ebegade liseTjhekemu nalo lambelethela indodana. Wayithiya bona ngu-Abimeleki. 32UGidiyoni umsa kaJowatjhi wahlongakala sele aluphele kwamambala. Wabulungwa ethuneni lakayise uJowatjhi e-Ofira lama-Abiyezeri.
U-Abimeleki uba yikosi eTjhekemu
33Kwathi bona uGidiyoni ahlongakale, ama-Israyeli godu abuyela adlhemadlhema ngemva kwaboBhali. Enza uBhali-Bherithi uzinyanawo. 34Azange akhumbule uSomnini uZimawo owawaphunyurhisa ezandleni zazo zoke izitha zawo eziwazombelezileko. 35Godu azange akhombise nesisa emndenini kaJerubhali okutjho uGidiyoni, ngakho koke okuhle awenzele khona.
