ABAHLULELI 3

₁Lezi ziyizizwe aziyekile uJehova ukuze amvivinye ngazo uIsrayeli, bonke abakwaIsrayeli ababengazi-mpi eKhanani,

₂kuphela ukuba izizukulwane zabantwana bakwaIsrayeli zazi, zifundiswe impi, ikakhulu labo ababengayazi ngaphambili.

₃Amakhosi ayisihlanu amaFilisti, nawo onke amaKhanani, namaSidoni, namaHivi ahlala entabeni yaseLebanoni, kusukela entabeni yaseBali-Hermoni kuze kube-sekuyeni eHamati.

₄Zazingezokuba uIsrayeli avivinywe ngazo, kwazeke uma beyakulalela imiyalo kaJehova abayala ngayo oyise ngesandla sikaMose.

₅Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bahlala phakathi kwamaKhanani, namaHeti, nama-Amori, namaPherizi, namaHivi, namaJebusi,

₆bathatha amadodakazi awo abangomkabo, banika amadodana awo amadodakazi abo, bakhonza onkulunkulu babo.

₇Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli benza okubi emehlweni kaJehova, bamkhohlwa uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo, bakhonza oBali noAshitaroti.

₈Ngalokho intukuthelo kaJehova yavuthela uIsrayeli, wathengisa ngabo esandleni sikaKushani-Rishatayimi inkosi yaseAramu-Naharayimi; abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bamkhonza uKushani-Rishatayimi iminyaka eyisishiyagalombili.

₉Kepha abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bakhala kuJehova; uJehova wabavusela abantwana bakwaIsrayeli umsindisi owabasindisa, uOtheniyeli indodana kaKenazi, umnawe kaKalebi.

₁₀UMoya kaJehova wayephezu kwakhe, wahlulela uIsrayeli, waphuma impi, uJehova wanikela uKushani-Rishatayimi inkosi yaseAramu-Naharayimi esandleni sakhe; isandla sakhe samahlula uKushani-Rishatayimi.

₁₁Izwe lase liba-nokuthula iminyaka engamashumi amane. Wafa uOtheniyeli indodana kaKenazi.

₁₂Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli babuye benza okubi emehlweni kaJehova; uJehova wamnika uEgiloni inkosi yakwaMowabi amandla phezu kukaIsrayeli, lokhu benzé okubi emehlweni kaJehova.

₁₃Wazibuthela abantwana bakwa-Amoni nabakwa-Amaleki, waya wachitha uIsrayeli, badla umuzi wamasundu.

₁₄Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bamkhonza uEgiloni inkosi yakwaMowabi iminyaka eyishumi nesishiyagalombili.

₁₅Kepha abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bakhala kuJehova, uJehova wabavusela umsindisi, uEhudi indodana kaGera, umBenjamini, umuntu oyinxele; abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bathuma isipho ngaye kuEgiloni inkosi yakwaMowabi.

₁₆UEhudi wazenzela inkemba ebukhali izinsiko zombili, ubude bayo buyingalo, wayibhinca phansi kwengubo yakhe ethangeni lokunene.

₁₇Wamnika uEgiloni inkosi yakwaMowabi isipho, kepha uEgiloni wayengumuntu okhulupheleyo kakhulu.

₁₈Kwathi eseqedile ukumnika isipho, wamukisa abantu ababesithwele isipho.

₁₉Kepha yena wabuya endaweni yezithombe ezibaziweyo engaseGiligali, wathi: Nginendaba eyisifuba kuwe-nkosi; wathi: Thulani. Base bephuma bonke ababemi ngakuye.

₂₀UEhudi wasondela kuye; wayehlezi ekamelweni eliphezulu elipholileyo; wayesethi uEhudi: Nginodaba oluvela kuNkulunkulu kuwe. Wasukuma esihlalweni sakhe.

₂₁UEhudi wayeselula isandla sakhe sokhohlo, wabamba inkemba ethangeni lakhe lokunene, wamgwaza esiswini sakhe;

₂₂kwangena nesibambo emva kwenkemba, amanoni azungeza inkemba, ngokuba akayikhiphanga inkemba esiswini sakhe; yaphumela emuva.

₂₃UEhudi wayesephumela ekamelweni eliphambili, wazivalela iminyango yekamelo eliphezulu, wayihluthulela.

₂₄Nxa esephumile yena, kwafika izinceku zakhe; zabona, bheka, iminyango yekamelo eliphezulu yayihluthulelwe; zathi: Mhlawumbe uyembesa izinyawo zakhe ekamelweni lakhe elipholileyo.

₂₅Zalinda zaze zajabha; bheka, akayivulanga iminyango yekamelo eliphezulu; ngalokho zathatha ukhiye, zayivula; bheka, inkosi yazo yayiwele phansi ifile.

₂₆UEhudi waphunyuka zisalinda, wadlula endaweni yezithombe ezibaziweyo, wabalekela eSeyiri.

₂₇Kwathi esefikile, wabetha icilongo ezintabeni zakwaEfrayimi, abantwana bakwaIsrayeli behla naye ezintabeni, yena ephambi kwabo.

₂₈Wathi kubo: Ngilandeleni, ngokuba uJehova unikele izitha zenu abakwaMowabi esandleni senu. Behla emva kwakhe, bavimba amazibuko aseJordani ngakuwo abakwaMowabi, abavumanga ukuba kuwele-muntu.

₂₉Babulala kwabakwaMowabi ngalesosikhathi kungathi abantu abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi abayizidlakela namajaha, akwaphunyuka-muntu.

₃₀UMowabi wathotshiswa kanjalo ngalolosuku phansi kwesandla sakwaIsrayeli. Izwe laba-nokuthula iminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalombili.

₃₁Emva kwakhe kwafika uShamgari indodana ka-Anati owabulala kuwo amaFilisti abantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha ngocijo lwenkabi; naye wasindisa uIsrayeli.