Kuncoba kwaJeftha nesetsembiso sakhe
1Jeftha bekuyingwazi yakaGileyadi. Uyise, Gileyadi, abemtele kulenye nje ingwadla. 2Gileyadi abenalamanye emadvodzana, labewatalelwe ngumkakhe. Atsi kube akhule lamadvodzana, ase ayamcosha Jeftha lapha ekhaya, atsi: “Ungeke usitfole sabelo lesilifa kulomndeni wakitsi, ngobe wena uyindvodzana yakalomunye umfati.” 3Ngako-ke Jeftha wabaleka ekhaya kubo, abalekela bomnakabo, wayawuhlala eveni lakaThobu, lapho efika kwabutsana tonkhe tihlophoyi kuye, tamsingatsa, tamlandzela, taphuma naye.
4Kwatsi ngalesinye sikhatsi sive saka-Amoni nasiyawuhlasela ema-Israyeli, 5tibondza takaGileyadi tahamba tayawulandza Jeftha eveni lakaThobu, 6tafike tatsi: “Wota utewuba yindvuna yetfu, kuze sikwati kulwa nema-Amoni.”
7Jeftha wakhuluma kuto, watsi: “Angitsi nine nangitondza, naze nangicosha nasekhaya kitsi? Manje senitelani kimi ngobe senisenhluphekweni?”
8Tibondza takaGileyadi tamphendvula, tatsi: “Noko sesigucukela kuwe nyalo, hamba natsi siyekulwa nema-Amoni, sitakwenta ube ngumholi wetfu kubo bonkhe labakhile kuleli lakaGileyadi.”
9Jeftha watiphendvula watsi: “Naningibuyisa ekhaya siyekulwa nema-Amoni, nakungenteka Simakadze awanikele kimi, nitangenta ngempela yini umholi wenu?”
10Tibondza takaGileyadi tamphendvula, tatsi: “Simakadze ungufakazi wetfu, ngempela sitakwenta njengobe usho.”
11Ngako Jeftha wahamba naletibondza takaGileyadi, sive sonkhe safike samenta inhloko nemholi waso. Jeftha wawaphindzaphindza lamagama akhe aseMispa embikwaSimakadze.
12Ngako Jeftha wase utfumela tigijimi enkhosini yema-Amoni, wayibuta watsi: “Kukhona yini lesikone ngako, kutsi ungaze utewuhlasela live letfu?”
13Inkhosi yema-Amoni yaphendvula letigijimi takaJeftha yatsi: “Kwatsi ema-Israyeli nakaphuma eGibhithe, efika lapha atsatsa live lami, kusukela e-Anoni kuze kuyewufika eJabhoki naseJordane. Manje-ke libuyiseni ngekuthula.”
14Jeftha waphindza watfumela tigijimi enkhosini yema-Amoni, 15tafike tatsi:
“Jeftha utsi: ‘Ema-Israyeli akazange alitsatse live lemaMowabi nelive lema-Amoni. 16Kodvwa atsi nakaphuma eveni laseGibhithe, ema-Israyeli ahamba lihlane acondza eLwandle Lolubovu, endlulela eKhadeshi. 17Israyeli watfumela tigijimi enkhosini yaka-Edomu, tafike tatsi: “Sivumele sihambe sidzabule lelive lakho.” Kodvwa inkhosi yaka-Edomu, ayizange imvumele kuloko. Baka-Israyeli baphindza futsi batfumela nasenkhosini yakaMowabi, nayo yala; ngako baka-Israyeli bahlala eKhadeshi.
18“ ‘Emvakwaloko bahamba bazula ehlane, bagega live laka-Edomu nelakaMowabi, baze befika ngasemphumalanga nelakaMowabi, bayawumisa ngesheya kwe-Anoni. Abazange bangene eminyeleni yelive lakaMowabi, ngobe i-Anoni bekunguwona mnyele walo.
19“ ‘Baka-Israyeli base batfumela tigijimi kuSihoni, inkhosi yema-Amori, labebusa eHeshboni, batsi kuye: “Sicela mane sendlule eveni lakho, siye eveni letfu.” 20Kodvwa Sihoni akazange awetsembe ema-Israyeli kutsi angendlula eveni lakhe. Wabutsa yonkhe imphi yakhe wayakumisa eJahasi, walwa nawo ema-Israyeli.
21“ ‘Simakadze Nkulunkulu wema-Israyeli wanikela Sihoni naso sonkhe sive sakhe esandleni sema-Israyeli, abehlula. Ngako baka-Israyeli balidla lonkhe lelo live ema-Amori labehlala kulo. 22Alidla lonkhe lelo live, kusukela e-Anoni kuye eJabhoki; nekusuka ehlane kuye emfuleni iJordane.
23“ ‘Manje-ke njengobe Simakadze Nkulunkulu wema-Israyeli acosha ema-Amori ngaphambili kwesive sakhe, ema-Israyeli, wena-ke unalilungelo lini lekulidla lelo live? 24Ungete wamane ulidle kuphela lelo lonikwa lona ngunkulunkulu wakho longuKhemoshi? Ngalokunjalo natsi sitalidla lelo lesilinikwa nguSimakadze Nkulunkulu wetfu, kube letfu. 25Uncono yini wena kunaBhalaki, umsa waSiphori, inkhosi yemaMowabi? Yena wake wacabana yini nema-Israyeli nome walwa nawo? 26Kwaze kwaphela iminyaka lengema-300, baka-Israyeli bahlala eHeshboni, nase-Aroyeri, nasetabelweni letiyitungeletile, nakuwo onkhe emadolobha kuvundla ne-Anoni. Awuzange ubahlasele ngani-ke ngaleso sikhatsi ulidle lelive? 27Mine angikakoni ngalutfo, kodvwa nguwe lowonile ngekufuna kungihlasela ngemphi. Shangatsi Simakadze longuyena angumehluleli angakhipha sigwebo lamuhla emkhatsini wesive sema-Israyeli nesive sema-Amoni.’ ”
28Noko inkhosi yema-Amoni ayizange iwunake lombiko wayo lowawutfunyelwe nguJeftha.
29Moya waSimakadze wase wehlela kuJeftha. Wahamba wadzabula kulakaGileyadi nakulakaManase, wewelela ngesheya eMispa yakaGileyadi, wendlula lapho washuca wayawuhlasela ema-Amoni. 30Jeftha wenta sifungo kuSimakadze, watsi: “Nawunganikela ema-Amoni esandleni sami, 31nome ngabe ngubani loyawuphuma kucala emnyango wendlu yami kungihlangabeta nase ngibuya ekuncobeni imphi yema-Amoni, uyawuba waSimakadze; ngiyawunikela ngaye abe ngumnikelo wekushiswa.”
32Jeftha wesuka lapho wewela wayakulwa nema-Amoni, Simakadze wawanikela esandleni sakhe. 33Wabhubhisa emadolobha langema-20, kusukela e-Aroyeri kuze kuyewufika emacentselweni aseMinithi nase-Abela Kheramimu; acotfula imbokodvo nesisekelo. Ayincoba kanjalo-ke ema-Israyeli i-Amoni.
34Jeftha nase achamuka ekhaya lakhe lelaliseMispa, ngubani lobekangaphuma kucala amhlangabete ngaphandle kwentfombi yakakhe, leyaphuma igiya, itjakadvula, ishaya makhoyane wayo. Kwakukuphela kwayo vo! Ngaphandle kwayo abengenandvodzana nandvodzakati. 35Watsi nakayibona, waklebhula timphahla takhe, wakhala, watsi: “Awu, ndvodzakati yami! Ungidzabukisile wangihluphekisa, ngobe ngente sifungo kuSimakadze lengingasoze ngasephula.”
36Yona yaphendvula yatsi: “Babe, nangabe wente sincumo kuSimakadze, yenta kimi njengobe ufungile kuSimakadze, ngobe nguye lokuphindziselele etitseni takho, ema-Amoni. 37Kodvwa mane ungentele kube kunye. Ngicela umane unginike tinyanga tibe timbili ngibe ngedvwa, ngikhuphukele etintsabeni ngiyewuzula khona, ngililele buntfombi bami, mine kanye nabontsanga yetfu.”
38Uyise watsi: “Hamba.” Wayikhulula, yahamba tinyanga letimbili. Yona nebangani bayo bakhuphukela etintsabeni bayawulilela buntfombi bayo. 39Kwatsi kube kuphele letinyanga letimbili, yehla yabuyela kuyise. Uyise wenta kuyo njengobe abefungile. Bekuyintfombi leyayingayati indvodza.
Lavela lapho-ke lisiko lema-Israyeli, 40lekutsi njalo nje ngemnyaka emantfombatana langema-Israyeli ahamba emalanga lamane ayekwenta umkhosi wekukhumbula indvodzakati yaJeftha wakaGileyadi.
