Ndị Ikpe 3
1 Ndị a bụ aha mba dị iche iche Onyenwe anyị hapụrụ nʼala ahụ iji nwapụta ndị Izrel ahụ niile na-esoghị mgbe e buru agha nʼime ala Kenan.
At that time there were still many people-groups in Canaan. Yahweh left them there to test the Israeli people. But many of the Israelis in Canaan were ones who had not fought in any of the wars in Canaan. So Yahweh also left those people-groups in Canaan so that the descendants of those who had not fought in any of the wars might learn how to fight.
2 O mere nke a naanị ka ọ kuziere ọgbọ niile ndị Izrel ibu agha, bụ ndị ahụ na-amabeghị ihe agha bụ nʼoge gara aga.
3 Ndịisi ise nke ndị Filistia, na ndị Kenan niile, ndị Saịdọn na ndị Hiv, ndị bi nʼelu ugwu Lebanọn, site nʼugwu Baal-Hemon ruo na mbata obodo Hamat.
[This is a list of] the people-groups that Yahweh left there: The Philistines and their five leaders, the people living in the area near Sidon [city], the descendants of Canaan, and the descendants of Hiv who were living in the mountains of Lebanon between Baal-Hermon Mountain and Lebo-Hamath.
4 A ga-esite na ndị a nwapụta okwukwe ụmụ Izrel ma ịmata ma ha ga-edebe iwu Onyenwe anyị sitere nʼọnụ Mosis nye nna nna ha ochie.
Yahweh left these people-groups there to test the Israelis, to see if they would obey his commands which he had told Moses to give them.
5 Nʼihi nke a, ụmụ Izrel biri nʼetiti ndị Kenan, ndị Het, ndị Hiv, ndị Periz, ndị Amọrait, na ndị Jebus.
The Israelis lived among the Canaan people-group, the Hiv people-group, the Amor people-group, the Periz people-group, the Hiv people-group, and the Jebus people-group.
6 Ha lụtaara onwe ha ụmụ ha ndị inyom na nwunye, werekwa ụmụ ha ndị inyom nye ụmụ ha ndị ikom, feekwa chi ha niile ofufe.
[Moses had told the people not to associate with any of those people]. But the Israelis took daughters of people from those people-groups [to be their own wives], and gave their own daughters to men of those groups, to marry them. And [as a result] they started to worship the gods of those people-groups.
7 Ụmụ Izrel mere ihe jọrọ njọ nʼanya Onyenwe anyị. Ha chefuru Onyenwe anyị Chineke ha, malite ife chi Baal, na Ashera ofufe.
The Israelis did things that Yahweh said were very evil. They forgot about Yahweh, their God, and they started to worship [the idols that represented] the god Baal and the goddess Asherah.
8 Nʼihi ya, iwe ọkụ Onyenwe anyị kpaliri megide ụmụ Izrel. Ọ raara ha nye nʼaka eze Kushan Rishataim, eze Aram Naharaim, onye ndị Izrel nọrọ nʼokpuru ọchịchị ya afọ asatọ.
Yahweh became very angry with the Israelis. So he allowed king Cushan from Mesopotamia to conquer them and rule them for eight years.
9 Ma mgbe ụmụ Izrel kpọkuru Onyenwe anyị, o mere ka Otniel, nwa Kenaz, bilie nʼetiti ha. Otniel bụ nwa nwanne Kaleb nke nta. Ọ bụkwa ya napụtara ụmụ Izrel site nʼaka ndị iro ha.
But when they pleaded to Yahweh [to help them], he gave them a leader to rescue them. He was Othniel, the son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz.
10 Mmụọ Onyenwe anyị bịakwasịrị ya, nke mere ka ọ bụrụ onye ikpe ndị Izrel, ọ pụrụ ibu agha. Onyenwe anyị nyefere Kushan Rishataim bụ eze ndị Aram nʼaka Otniel, onye ike ya karịrị nke ya.
Yahweh’s Spirit came upon him, and he became their leader. He [led an army that] fought against [the army of] Cushan, and defeated them.
11 Sitekwa nʼoge ahụ gaa nʼihu, udo dịịrị nʼala niile iri afọ anọ, mgbe Otniel na-ekpe Izrel ikpe. Nʼikpeazụ, Otniel, nwa Kenaz nwụrụ.
After that, there was peace in the land for 40 years, until Othniel died.
12 Ụmụ Izrel bidoro ime ihe ọjọọ nʼanya Onyenwe anyị. Ya mere, Onyenwe anyị nyefere ha nʼaka Eglọn, eze Moab.
After that, the Israelis again did things that Yahweh said were very evil. As a result, he allowed the army of King Eglon, who ruled [the] Moab [area], to defeat the Israelis.
13 Ọ kpọtara ndị Amọn na ndị Amalek ka ha dịnyere ya. Eglọn bịara buso ndị Izrel agha, nweta obodo Nkwụ, ya abụrụzia nke ha.
Eglon persuaded the leaders of the Ammon and Amalek people-groups to join their armies with his army to attack Israel. They captured [Jericho, which was called] ‘The City of Palm Trees’.
14 Afọ iri na asatọ site nʼoge ahụ ka ụmụ Izrel nọrọ nʼokpuru ọchịchị Eglọn, eze Moab.
Then King Eglon ruled the Israelis for eighteen years.
15 Ma mgbe ụmụ Izrel tikuru Onyenwe anyị banyere ọnọdụ ọjọọ ha, o zitere ha onye nzọpụta. Aha nwoke ahụ bụ Ehud, nwa Gera, onye sitere nʼagbụrụ Benjamin. Ọ bụ onye na-eme aka ekpe. Ya onwe ya bụkwa onye na-ebugara Eglọn, eze Moab, ego ụtụ niile ụmụ Izrel na-atụ kwa afọ.
But then the Israelis again pleaded to Yahweh [to help them]. So he gave them another leader to rescue them. He was Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera, from the descendants of Benjamin. The Israelis sent him to King Eglon to give him their yearly protection money.
16 Tupu ọ malite ije ya, o buru ụzọ kwadebere onwe ya mma agha nwere ihu abụọ na nzuzo. Ogologo mma ahụ ga-eru ihe dịka site nʼọnụ mkpịsịaka ruo nʼisi mbụ aka. Ehud kekwasịrị mma ahụ nʼapata ụkwụ aka nri ya, yikwasị ya uwe mwụda ya.
Ehud had with him a double-edged dagger, about a foot and a half long. He strapped it to his right thigh, under his clothes.
17 O bunyere Eglọn, eze Moab ego ụtụ ahụ. Eglọn bụ nwoke buru oke ibu.
He gave the money to King Eglon, who was a very fat man.
18 Mgbe Ehud nyesịrị eze Eglọn ego ụtụ ahụ o ji bịa, o zilagara ndị butere ego ahụ.
Then Ehud started to go back home with the men who had carried the money.
19 Mgbe ọ bịaruru nso nʼobodo Gilgal, ebe arụsị dị iche iche a pịrị apị dị, ọ laghachiri azụ jekwuru eze Eglọn sị ya, “Enwere m ozi m ga-ezi gị, ma ọ ga-abụ na nzuzo.” Mgbe ahụ, eze zipụrụ ndị so ya nọdụ, ka ya na Ehud naanị nwee ike ịnọ kparịa ụka ha na nzuzo.
When they arrived at the stone carvings near Gilgal, [he told the other men to go on, but] he himself turned around and went back [to the king of Moab. When he arrived at the palace], he said to the king, “Your majesty, I have a secret message for you.” So the king told all his servants to be quiet, and sent them out of the room.
20 Ehud bịakwutere ya mgbe ọ nọ naanị ya nʼọnụụlọ dị nʼime nʼelu ụlọeze ya, sị, “Enwere m ozi Chineke sị m zie gị.” Dịka eze ahụ si nʼoche ya bilite ọtọ,
Then, as Eglon was sitting alone in the upstairs room of his summer palace, Ehud came close to him and said, “I have a message for you from God.” As the king got up from his chair,
21 Ehud tinyere aka ekpe ya nʼime uwe ya, mịpụta mma ahụ nwere ihu abụọ nke o kegidere nʼapata ụkwụ aka nri ya. O weere ya mapuo eze Eglọn afọ.
Ehud reached with his left hand and pulled the dagger from his right thigh, and plunged it into the king’s belly.
22 Ọ bụladị isi mma ahụ sooro ihu mma ahụ mibanye nʼime afọ ukwu eze Eglọn. Ọnụ mma ahụ pụtakwara nʼazụ eze ahụ. Ehud amịpụtaghị mma ahụ, kama abụba dị nʼafọ eze ahụ kpuchiri ya.
He thrust it in so far that the handle went into the king’s belly, and the blade came out the king’s back. Ehud did not pull the dagger out. [He left it there, with] the handle buried in the king’s fat.
23 Ya mere, Ehud pụrụ nʼezi, mechibido ya ọnụ ụzọ niile e si abanye nʼọnụụlọ elu ahụ, kpọchie ha.
Then Ehud left the room. He went out to the porch. He shut the doors to the room and locked them.
24 Mgbe ọ pụchara, ndị na-ejere eze ozi bịara chọọ ịbanye nʼụlọ ahụ. Ma mgbe ha hụrụ na a kpọchiri ọnụ ụzọ ụlọ ahụ akpọchi, ha kwuru nʼonwe ha sị, “Ọ ga-abụ na ọ na-anyụ nsị nʼụlọ mposi.”
After he had gone, King Eglon’s servants came back, but they saw that the doors of the room were locked. They said, “The king must be defecating in the inner room.”
25 Ma mgbe oge dị anya gasịrị ma eze apụtaghị, ha enweghị ike ijide onwe ha ọzọ. Ha weere ọtụghe ụzọ tụghee ọnụ ụzọ ahụ, hụ ebe eze ha tọgbọrọ nʼala, nwụọ.
So they waited, but when the king did not open the doors of the room, after a while they were worried. They got a key and unlocked the doors. And they saw that their king was lying on the floor, dead.
26 Mgbe ahụ ha nọ na-eche, Ehud gbapụrụ. O sitere nʼebe ahụ arụsị ndị ahụ a pịrị apị dị gbafee, gbaga Seira.
Meanwhile, Ehud escaped. He passed by the stone carvings and arrived at Seirah, in the hilly area where the descendants of Ephraim lived.
27 Mgbe o ruru nʼebe ahụ, ọ fụrụ opi ike nʼala ugwu ugwu Ifrem, ndị Izrel sooro ya site nʼugwu ahụ rịda, ya onwe ya na-edu ha.
There he blew a trumpet [to signal that the people should join him to fight the people of Moab]. So the Israelis went with him from the hills. They went down [toward the Jordan river], with Ehud leading them.
28 Ọ sịrị ha, “Soronụ m nʼazụ, nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị enyela ndị Moab ndị iro unu nʼaka unu.” Ya mere, ha sooro ya gbadaa, gaa nọchie ụzọ niile ndị Moab nwere ike isi gafee osimiri Jọdan. Ha ekwekwaghị ka onye Moab ọbụla si nʼebe ahụ gafee.
He said to the men, “Yahweh is going to allow us to defeat your enemies, the people of Moab. So follow me!” So they followed him down to the river, and they stationed some of their men at the place where people can walk across the river, in order that they could [kill any people from Moab who tried to] cross the river [to escape].
29 Nʼụbọchị ahụ, ha gburu puku ndị agha Moab iri, ha niile siri ike bụrụkwa dimkpa. O nweghị otu onye gbapụrụ.
At that time, the Israelis killed about 10,000 people from Moab. They were all strong and capable men, but not one of them escaped.
30 Nʼụbọchị ahụ, e mere ka Moab nọdụ nʼokpuru ndị Izrel. Ala ahụ nwere ozuzu ike na udo, iri afọ asatọ.
On that day, the Israelis conquered the people of Moab. Then there was peace in their land for 80 years.
31 Mgbe Ehud chịsịrị, Shamga, nwa Anat rịgotara ịchị. O tigburu narị ndị Filistia isii. Ọ bụ ndụdụ e ji achị ehi ka o ji tigbuo ha. Ya onwe ya kwa, zọpụtara ndị Izrel.
After Ehud [died], Shamgar became their leader. He rescued the Israelis [from the Philistines. In one battle] he killed 600 Philistines with an (ox goad/sharp wooden pole).
