UJafta usindisa ama-Israyeli
1UJafta umGiliyadi gade ayingorho. Uyise bekunguGiliyadi, kodwana unina gade ayingwadla. 2Umfazi kaGiliyadi naye wambelethela amadodana. Kuthe lokha amadodana lawo nakhulako, aqotjha uJafta athi kuye: “Angeze waba nesabelo emzini kababa ngombana uyindodana yomfazi omunye.”
3UJafta wabaleka kubafowabo wayokuhlala enarheni yeThobu. Wafika lapho wabuthelela imigulukudu, yamlandela.
4Ngemva kwesikhathi ama-Amoni alwa no-Israyeli. 5Kwathi lokha ama-Amoni nathoma ukulwa no-Israyeli, abaphathi bakwaGiliyadi bakhamba bayokuthatha uJafta enarheni yeThobu, 6bathi kuye: “Yewize uzokuba mrholethu ukuze silwe nama-Amoni.”
7Kodwana uJafta wathi kubaphathi bakwaGiliyadi: “Angithi beningizonda benangiqotjha emzini kababa! Alo, kubayini-ke sele nigijimela kimapha naninomraro?”
8Abaphathi bathi kuye: “Iye, khona kunjalo. Nokho-ke size kuwe. Nange unganamba nathi, ulwe nama-Amoni lawa, uzakuba mrholethu kilo loke lakwaGiliyadi.”
9UJafta wathi ebaphathinabo: “Naningibuyisela ekhaya bona ngiyokulwa nama-Amoni bese uSomnini uwanikela esandleni sami, nitjho bona ngizaba mrholenu na?”
10Abaphathi bathi: “Iye, uSomnini uzakuba ngufakazi phakathi kwethu, sizakwenza okutjhoko.”
11Yeke uJafta wakhamba nabaphathi bakwaGiliyadabo. Abantu bakhona bamenza ihloko nomrholabo. UJafta wabuyelela amezwakhe phambi kwakaSomnini eMitsipha.
12UJafta wathumela iinthunywa ekosini yama-Amoni wathi: “Ngigomeni yakho kobana ungabeze uphume ipi uzokulwa nenarhami na?”
13Ikosi yama-Amoni yaphendula iinthunywezo yathi: “Ngombana u-Israyeli naphuma eGibhide wathatha inarhami ukusuka e-Arinoni ukuya eJabokhi ukuyokufika eJordani. Yeke ibuyise ngokuthula.”
14Godu uJafta wathumela iinthunywa ekosini yama-Amoni 15wathi kiyo: “Nakhu okutjhiwo nguJafta: U-Israyeli azange athathe inarha yakwaMowabi namkha yama-Amoni, 16kodwana kwathi naphuma eGibhide, waratha erhalawumbeni wanqomba elwandle lomGaba wafika eKhadetjhi. 17U-Israyeli wathumela umlayezo ekosini yakwa-Edomu wathi, ‘Sibawa usivumele sidlule enarhenakho.’ Kodwana ikosi yakwa-Edomu yaqinisa ihloko. Godu wathumela ilizwi ekosini yakwaMowabi, nayo yakhunyalala. Yeke u-Israyeli wahlala eKhadetjhi. 18Ukusuka lapho wakhamba phakathi kwerhalawumbapho, wazombeleza inarha yakwa-Edomu neyakwaMowabi wabe wafika ngepumalanga yenarha yakwaMowabi. Wahloma amatendakhe ngehlangothini le-Arinoni. Azange ayame i-Arinoni, okumkhawulo wakwaMowabi, kobana abeke inyawo lakhe enarheni yakwaMowabi. 19U-Israyeli wathumela ilizwi kuSirhoni ikosi yama-Amori, egade iphethe eRhetjhibhoni wathi kiyo, ‘Ngibawa ukudlula enarhenakho ngiye keyami.’ 20Kodwana ikosi uSirhoni azange ithembe u-Israyeli bonyana angadlula enarhenayo. Yeke, yabuthelela abantu bayo ndawonye, yahloma amatende eJahatsi yalwa no-Israyeli. 21USomnini uZimu wakwa-Israyeli wanikela uSirhoni nabo boke abantu bakhe esandleni saka-Israyeli, wamhlula. Yeke u-Israyeli wathatha yoke inarha yama-Amori ebegade ahlala lapho. 22Wathatha woke umkhawulo wama-Amori ukusuka e-Arinoni ukuya eJabokhi nokusuka erhalawumbeni ukuya eJordani. 23Ngalokho-ke uSomnini uZimu wakwa-Israyeli waqotjha ama-Amori phambi kwabantu bakhe, ama-Israyeli. Alo, wena ufuna ukuwathathela ilifa lawo na? 24Wena wamukela okuphiwa ngusingazimakho uKemotjhi. Nathi-ke sizakulonda yoke inarha uSomnini uZimethu ayimuke abanye phambi kwethu wasinikela yona. 25Kghani wena ubona inga ungcono kunoBhalakhi umsa kaTsipori ikosi yakwaMowabi? Yena zange akhe ajamelane no-Israyeli namkha alwe naye. 26Kubayini ungazange ulinge uthathe umkhawulo lowo eminyakeni emakhulu amathathu le ngesikhathi ama-Israyeli asahlala eRhetjhibhoni nemizanenayo ne-Aroweri nemizanenayo kanye nakiwo woke amadorobho aseligwini le-Arinoni? 27Ngalokho-ke angikakoni mina, kodwana wena uyangona ngokuphuma ipi bona ulwe nami. USomnini omugwebi uzakuqunta namhlanje phakathi kwama-Israyeli nama-Amoni.”
28Kodwana ikosi yama-Amoni azange ilalele umlayezo kaJafta agade awuthumele kiyo lowo.
29UMoya kaSomnini wehlela kuJafta, wadlula kwaGiliyadi nakwaManase wadlulela eMitsipha eseGiliyadi, ukusuka lapho wanqomba kuma-Amoni. 30UJafta wenza isifungo kuSomnini wathi: “Nange uSomnini anganikela ama-Amoni esandleni sami, 31nanyana yini ephuma emnyango wekumbami ukungihlangabeza ekufikeni kwami, nangibuya ukuyohlula ama-Amoni, kuzakuba ngokwakaSomnini. Ngizakwenza ngakho umhlabelo wokutjhiswa.”
32Yeke uJafta wayamela ngaphetjheya kuma-Amoni kobana alwe nawo. USomnini wawanikela esandleni sakhe. 33Wawamadlha ukusuka e-Aroweri ukuya esifundeni seMinithi nokuyokufika e-Abela-Keramimi. Wabulala abantu abanengi bewathumba nemizi ematjhumi amabili. Yeke ama-Amoni aguqiswa ma-Israyeli.
34UJafta wabuyela ekhaya eMitsipha. Baba-ke, nakho-ke ahlangatjezwa yindodakazakhe igida ngabosotjherere neentanga zayo. Umntazana loyo gade ayithorwanakhe, ngaphandle kwakhe uJafta gade anganandodana namkha indodakazi. 35Wathi lokha nambonako, wadabula izambatho zakhe, wathi: “Maye ndodakazami! Ungiqede amandla! Alo, sekube nguwe ongifaka emrarweni ongaka! Ngirhabe ngakhuluma kuSomnini, nje-ke angisakwazi ukujika amezwami.”
36Yona yathi kuyise: “Baba, nakube wathembise uSomnini, yenza lokho okuthembise uSomnini ngami ngombana uSomnini ukubuyiselele ezitheni zakho, ama-Amoni.”
37Emva kwalokho yathi kuyise: “Nginesibawo sinye phambi kwakho: Ngibawa ungitjhaphulule iinyanga ezimbili ngiye eentabeni ngiyokulilela ubuntombi bami, mina neentanga zami.”
38UJafta wathi: “Kulungile, khamba.” Watjhaphulula indodakazakhe iinyanga ezimbili. Yakhamba kanye neentanga zayo kobana iyokulilela ubuntombi bayo eentabeni. 39Ekupheleni kweenyanga ezimbili, yabuyela kuyise. Wenza ngayo umhlabelo njengombana afunga kuSomnini. Indodakazi leyo beyingazange yembulele indoda amabhayi. Ukusuka ngesikhatheso kwaba mkhuba kwa-Israyeli 40bonyana amadodakazi wakwa-Israyeli minyaka yoke akhambe ayokulilela indodakazi kaJafta umGiliyadi amalanga amane.
