< Judges 2 >
1 Yahweh’s angel came up from Gilgal to Bochim. He said, “I brought you out of Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I swore to give your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you.
Ingilosi kaThixo yahamba isuka eGiligali isiya eBhokhimi yathi, “Ngalikhupha eGibhithe ngaliholela elizweni engafunga ukulinika okhokho benu. Ngathi, ‘Angiyikusephula isivumelwano sami lani,
2 You shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land. You shall break down their altars.’ But you have not listened to my voice. Why have you done this?
njalo kaliyikwenza isivumelwano labantu balelilizwe, kodwa lizabhidliza ama-alithare abo.’ Kodwa lina kalingilalelanga. Likwenzeleni lokhu na?
3 Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’”
Ngakho khathesi-ke ngiyalitshela ukuthi angiyikubaxotsha phambi kwenu, bazakuba yizifu kini njalo onkulunkulu babo bazakuba yimijibila kini.”
4 When Yahweh’s angel spoke these words to all the children of Israel, the people lifted up their voice and wept.
Kwathi ingilosi kaThixo isizikhulumile zonke lezizinto kubo bonke abako-Israyeli, abantu bakhala kakhulu,
5 They called the name of that place Bochim, and they sacrificed there to Yahweh.
indawo leyo bayibiza ngokuthi yiBhokhimi. Banikela imihlatshelo kuThixo khonapho.
6 Now when Joshua had sent the people away, the children of Israel each went to his inheritance to possess the land.
Emva kokuba uJoshuwa esebadedele abako-Israyeli, bahamba bayalithatha ilizwe, lowo lalowo endaweni eyilifa lakhe.
7 The people served Yahweh all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of Yahweh that he had worked for Israel.
Abantu bamkhonza uThixo ngezinsuku zokuphila kukaJoshuwa labadala kulaye ababesele bephila njalo beyibonile imisebenzi emikhulu uThixo ayeyenzele abako-Israyeli.
8 Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Yahweh, died, being one hundred ten years old.
UJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, inceku kaThixo, wafa eseleminyaka elikhulu letshumi.
9 They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath Heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.
Bamngcwaba emhlabeni oyilifa lakhe, eThimnathi-Heresi, elizweni lezintaba lako-Efrayimi, enyakatho kwentaba iGashi.
10 After all that generation were gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who didn’t know Yahweh, nor the work which he had done for Israel.
Kwathi emva kokuba sonke isizukulwane leso sesiphelile, kwavela esinye isizukulwane esasingamazi uThixo kanye lalokho ayekwenzele abako-Israyeli.
11 The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and served the Baals.
Lapho-ke abako-Israyeli benza okubi emehlweni kaThixo, bakhonza uBhali.
12 They abandoned Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; and they provoked Yahweh to anger.
Bamdela uThixo, uNkulunkulu waboyise, owayebakhuphe eGibhithe. Balandela njalo bakhonza onkulunkulu abehlukeneyo babantu ababehlala phakathi kwabo. Bamthukuthelisa uThixo
13 They abandoned Yahweh, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.
ngoba bamdela bakhonza uBhali labo-Ashithorethi.
14 Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies.
Ekubathukutheleleni kwakhe uThixo wabanikela ezandleni zababahlaselayo lababaphangayo. Wabanikela ezitheni zabo ezazibahanqile, ababengasenelisi ukumelana lazo.
15 Wherever they went out, Yahweh’s hand was against them for evil, as Yahweh had spoken, and as Yahweh had sworn to them; and they were very distressed.
Zonke izikhathi lapho abako-Israyeli bephuma ukuyakulwa, isandla sikaThixo samelana labo ukuba behlulwe, njengokufunga kwakhe kubo. Basebephakathi kohlupho olukhulu.
16 Yahweh raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them.
Kulapho-ke uThixo abeka khona abahluleli ababahlengayo ezandleni zabaphangi laba.
17 Yet they didn’t listen to their judges; for they prostituted themselves to other gods, and bowed themselves down to them. They quickly turned away from the way in which their fathers walked, obeying Yahweh’s commandments. They didn’t do so.
Belo kababalalelanga abahluleli babo kodwa baqhubeka bekhonza abanye onkulunkulu. Kabenzanga njengabokhokho babo, kodwa bona baphanga baphuma endleleni oyise ababehambe ngayo, indlela yokulalela imilayo kaThixo.
18 When Yahweh raised up judges for them, then Yahweh was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for it grieved Yahweh because of their groaning by reason of those who oppressed them and troubled them.
Ngasosonke isikhathi lapho uThixo ebabekela khona umahluleli, wayemthungamela umahluleli abahlenge ezandleni zezitha zabo lapho esaphila; ngoba uThixo waba lesihawu kubo lapho bebubula ngaphansi kwalabo ababebancindezele lababebahlukuluza.
19 But when the judge was dead, they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers in following other gods to serve them and to bow down to them. They didn’t cease what they were doing, or give up their stubborn ways.
Kodwa lapho umahluleli esefile, abantu babuyela ezindleleni zokuxhwala okwedlula ezaboyise, belandela abanye onkulunkulu, bebasebenzele njalo bebakhonza, besala ukudela izenzo zabo ezimbi lezindlela zobuqholo.
20 Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel; and he said, “Because this nation transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to my voice,
Ngakho uThixo wamthukuthelela kakhulu u-Israyeli wathi, “Njengoba isizwe lesi sesephule isivumelwano engasimisela okhokho baso njalo kasingilalelanga,
21 I also will no longer drive out any of the nations that Joshua left when he died from before them;
kangisayikuxotsha phambi kwaso iloba yisiphi isizwe phakathi kwezatshiywa nguJoshuwa ekufeni kwakhe.
22 that by them I may test Israel, to see if they will keep Yahweh’s way to walk therein, as their fathers kept it, or not.”
Ngizasebenzisa zona ukuhlola abako-Israyeli ngibone ukuthi bazayigcina yini indlela kaThixo, bahambe kuyo njengokwenziwa ngokhokho babo.”
23 So Yahweh left those nations, without driving them out hastily. He didn’t deliver them into Joshua’s hand.
UThixo wayevumele ukuthi lezozizwe zisale; kazixotshanga masinyane ngokuzinikela ezandleni zikaJoshuwa.