Abahluleli 3 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

INkosi itshiya izizwe ezithile ukuba ihlole uIsrayeli ngazo

¹ Lezi yilezozizwe iNkosi eyazitshiya ukuba ihlole uIsrayeli ngazo labo ababengazilwanga izimpi zaseKanani,

² yayiqonde ukufundisa izizukulwana zabakoIsrayeli ezizayo, ikakhulu labo abangafundanga ukulwa esikhathini esingaphambili, ukulwa impi.

³ Yilezike izizwe; amakhosi amahlanu amaFilistiya, lawo wonke amaKanani, lamaSidoni, lamaHivi ayehlala entabeni zaseLebanoni, kusukela entabeni yaseBali‐Hermoni kuze kufike ngasekungeneni kweHamathi.

⁴ Zazingezokuhlola uIsrayeli ukuze kwaziwe ukuba uIsrayeli uzayilalela yini imilayo yeNkosi eyabalaya yona oyise ngoMose.

⁵ AbakoIsrayeli bahlala phakathi kwamaKanani lamaHethi lamaAmori lamaPerizi lamaHivi lamaJebusi;

⁶ bathatha amadodakazi azo aba ngomkabo, amadodakazi abo bawendisela amadodana abo, bakhonza onkulunkulu bazo.

UOthiniyeli

⁷ AbakoIsrayeli benza okubi phambi kweNkosi, bayikhohlwa iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo, bakhonza oBali laboAshera.

⁸ Ngakho ulaka lweNkosi lwavutha kuIsrayeli, yabanikela esandleni sikaKushani‐Rishathayimi inkosi yaseAramu eliphakathi kwemifula emibili; abakoIsrayeli bayisebenzela inkosi uKushani‐Rishathayimi iminyaka eficaminwembili.

⁹ Kodwa kwathi lapho abakoIsrayeli bekhala eNkosini, iNkosi yabalethela umkhululi owabakhululayo, uOthiniyeli indodana kaKenazi umnawakhe kaKalebi.

¹⁰ Umoya weNkosi wehlela kuye, waba ngumahluleli koIsrayeli, waphuma impi, iNkosi yanikela esandleni sakhe uKushani‐Rishathayimi inkosi yaseAramu, wamnqoba.

¹¹ Kwaba khona ukuthula elizweni iminyaka engamatshumi amane. UOthiniyeli indodana kaKenazi wasesifa.

UEhudi

¹² AbakoIsrayeli babuya benza okubi phambi kweNkosi. INkosi yasimnika amandla uEgiloni inkosi yaseMowabi ukulwa loIsrayeli, ngoba babenzile okubi phambi kwayo.

¹³ Wahlangana lamaAmoni lamaAmaleki, bamahlula uIsrayeli, bawuthumba umuzi waMalala.

¹⁴ AbakoIsrayeli babengaphansi kukaEgiloni inkosi yaseMowabi iminyaka elitshumi leficaminwembili.

¹⁵ Kodwa kwathi lapho abakoIsrayeli bekhala eNkosini, iNkosi yabalethela umkhululi, uEhudi indodana kaGera, owakoBenjamini owayelinxele. AbakoIsrayeli bathumela umthelo wabo kuEgiloni inkosi yaseMowabi ngaye.

¹⁶ UEhudi wazenzela umhedla obukhali inxa zombili, ubude bawo buyingalonye, wawuhloma ngaphansi kwezigqoko zakhe ngasethangazini langasokunene.

¹⁷ Wamnika uEgiloni inkosi yaseMowabi lowomthelo. UEgiloni wayengumuntu oqatha.

¹⁸ UEhudi eseqedile ukumnika umthelo, waseyekela abantu ababethwele umthelo ukuba bahambe.

¹⁹ Kodwa yena wabuyela emuva ngasematsheni abaziweyo phansi kweGiligali, wathi: Nkosi, ngilendaba eyimfihlo kuwe. UEgiloni wasebathulisa, wabakhupha bonke ababelaye.

²⁰ UEhudi wasondela kuye ehlezi yedwa endlini yakhe epholileyo esophahleni. UEhudi wathi kuye: Ngilendaba evela kuNkulunkulu kuwe. UEgiloni wasesukuma esihlalweni sakhe;

²¹ uEhudi waseselula isandla sakhe sekhohlo, wahwatshwa umhedla ngasethangazini lakhe langasokunene, wamhlaba ngawo esiswini,

²² kwaze kwatshona lesilanda, amahwahwa awugubuzela umhedla, kawuncothulanga esiswini sakhe, kwaphuma lomswane.

²³ UEhudi wasephumela phandle, wavala iminyango yendlu esophahleni, wayikhiya.

²⁴ Esehambile, kwafika izinceku; kwathi lapho zibona iminyango yendlu esophahleni ikhiyiwe, zathi mhlawumbe uye ngaphandle endlini epholileyo.

²⁵ Zalinda zaze zaphelelwa yikwazi; kodwa lapho elokhu engayivuli iminyango yendlu esophahleni, zathatha ikhiye zayivula, zabona inkosi yazo ilele phansi isifile.

²⁶ UEhudi wabaleka zisalibele, wedlula ematsheni ebaziweyo, waya eSeyira.

²⁷ Kwathi esefikile wakhalisa uphondo ezintabeni zakoEfrayimi. AbakoIsrayeli behla laye ezintabeni ebahola.

²⁸ Wathi kibo: Ngilandelani, ngoba iNkosi inikele izitha zenu amaMowabi ezandleni zenu. Ngakhoke bamlandela, bawavalela amaMowabi ukuba angachaphi ngamazibuko eJordani, kabavumelanga muntu ukuchapha.

²⁹ Babulala ngalesosikhathi amaMowabi angaba zinkulungwane ezilitshumi, amadoda empi aqinileyo lalamandla, kakuphunyukanga muntu.

³⁰ AmaMowabi anqotshwa mhlalokho ngabakoIsrayeli. Kwaba khona ukuthula elizweni iminyaka engamatshumi eficaminwembili.

UShamigari

³¹ Ngemva kukaEhudi kwaba khona uShamigari indodana kaAnathi, owabulala amaFilistiya angamakhulu ayisithupha ngocijo lwenkabi; laye wamkhulula uIsrayeli.