< Abahluleli 11 >

1 UJeftha umGiliyadi wayelibutho elilamandla. Uyise wayenguGiliyadi; unina wayeyisifebe.
And Jephthah the Gileadite hath been a mighty man of valour, and he [is] son of a woman, a harlot; and Gilead begetteth Jephthah,
2 UmkaGiliyadi wamzalela amadodana, okwathi esekhulile asexotsha uJeftha. Athi kuye, “Wena akulalifa ozalithola emulini yakwethu ngoba uyindodana yomunye umfazi.”
and the wife of Gilead beareth to him sons, and the wife's sons grow up and cast out Jephthah, and say to him, 'Thou dost not inherit in the house of our father; for son of another woman [art] thou.'
3 Ngakho uJeftha wabaleka kubafowabo wayahlala elizweni laseThobhi, lapho abuthanelwa khona lixuku lezigebenga zamlandela.
And Jephthah fleeth from the face of his brethren, and dwelleth in the land of Tob; and vain men gather themselves together unto Jephthah, and they go out with him.
4 Emva kwalokho, kwathi ama-Amoni esesilwa labako-Israyeli,
And it cometh to pass, after a time, that the Bene-Ammon fight with Israel,
5 abadala baseGiliyadi bahamba bayathatha uJeftha elizweni laseThobhi.
and it cometh to pass, when the Bene-Ammon have fought with Israel, that the elders of Gilead go to take Jephthah from the land of Tob;
6 Bathi kuye, “Woza ube ngumlawuli wamabutho ethu ukuze silwe lama-Amoni.”
and they say unto Jephthah, 'Come, and thou hast been to us for captain, and we fight against the Bene-Ammon.'
7 UJeftha wathi kubo, “Kalingizondanga yini langixotsha endlini kababa na? Kungani lisiza kimi khathesi seliphakathi kohlupho?”
And Jephthah saith to the elders of Gilead, 'Have not ye hated me? and ye cast me out from the house of my father, and wherefore have ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?'
8 Abadala baseGiliyadi bathi kuye, “Lanxa kunjalo, khathesi sesiphendukela kuwe; hamba lathi ekulweni lama-Amoni, njalo uzakuba yinduna yabo bonke abahlala eGiliyadi.”
and the elders of Gilead say unto Jephthah, 'Therefore, now, we have turned back unto thee; and thou hast gone with us, and fought against the Bene-Ammon, and thou hast been to us for head — to all the inhabitants of Gilead.'
9 UJeftha waphendula wathi, “Nxa lingabuyela lami ukuyakulwa lama-Amoni uThixo awanikele kimi, ngizakuba yinduna yenu sibili na?”
And Jephthah saith unto the elders of Gilead, 'If ye are taking me back to fight against the Bene-Ammon, and Jehovah hath given them before me — I, am I to you for a head?'
10 Abadala baseGiliyadi baphendula bathi, “UThixo ungufakazi wethu; sizakwenza njengoba usitsho impela.”
And the elders of Gilead say unto Jephthah, 'Jehovah is hearkening between us — if according to thy word we do not so.'
11 Ngakho uJeftha wahamba labadala baseGiliyadi, abantu bamenza waba yinduna lomlawuli wabo. Wawaphinda wonke amazwi akhe phambi kukaThixo eMizipha.
And Jephthah goeth with the elders of Gilead, and the people set him over them for head and for captain, and Jephthah speaketh all his words before Jehovah in Mizpeh.
12 Emva kwalokho uJeftha wathuma izithunywa enkosini yama-Amoni lombuzo othi: “Kuyini osibangisa khona uze uhlasele ilizwe lethu na?”
And Jephthah sendeth messengers unto the king of the Bene-Ammon, saying, 'What — to me and to thee, that thou hast come in unto me, to fight in my land.'
13 Inkosi yama-Amoni yaphendula izithunywa zikaJeftha yathi, “Abako-Israyeli sebesukile eGibhithe bathatha ilizwe lami kusukela e-Arinoni kusiya eJabhoki, umango wonke kusiya eJodani. Khathesi libuyiseleni ngokuthula.”
And the king of the Bene-Ammon saith unto the messengers of Jephthah, 'Because Israel took my land in his coming up out of Egypt, from Arnon, and unto the Jabbok, and unto the Jordan; and now, restore them in peace.'
14 UJeftha wazibuyisela izithunywa enkosini yama-Amoni
And Jephthah addeth yet and sendeth messengers unto the king of the Bene-Ammon,
15 esithi, “Nanku okutshiwo nguJeftha: U-Israyeli kazange athathe ilizwe laseMowabi loba ilizwe lama-Amoni.
and saith to him, 'Thus said Jephthah, Israel took not the land of Moab, and the land of the Bene-Ammon,
16 Kodwa ekusukeni kwakhe eGibhithe, u-Israyeli wadabula enkangala esiya oLwandle oluBomvu eqonda eKhadeshi.
for in their coming up out of Egypt, Israel goeth in the wilderness unto the Red Sea, and cometh in to Kadesh,
17 U-Israyeli wathuma izithunywa enkosini yase-Edomi esithi, ‘Ake usinike imvumo yokudabula phakathi kwelizwe lakho,’ kodwa inkosi yase-Edomi kayilalelanga. Bathumela lasenkosini yaseMowabi, layo yala. Ngakho u-Israyeli wahlala eKhadeshi.
and Israel sendeth messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me pass over, I pray thee, through thy land, and the king of Edom hearkened not; and also unto the king of Moab hath [Israel] sent, and he hath not been willing; and Israel abideth in Kadesh,
18 Emva kwalokho bahamba bedabula phakathi kwenkangala, beceza ilizwe lase-Edomi lelaseMowabi, badlula beseceleni elingasempumalanga kwelizwe laseMowabi, bamisa ngakwelinye icele le-Arinoni. Kabangenanga elizweni laseMowabi, ngoba i-Arinoni yayingumngcele walo.
and he goeth through the wilderness, and compasseth the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and cometh in at the rising of the sun of the land of Moab, and they encamp beyond Arnon, and have not come into the border of Moab, for Arnon [is] the border of Moab.
19 U-Israyeli wasethuma izithunywa kuSihoni inkosi yama-Amori, owayebusa eHeshibhoni, wathi kuye, ‘Akusivumele sidlule phakathi kwelizwe lakho sisiya endaweni yethu.’
'And Israel sendeth messengers unto Sihon, king of the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and Israel saith to him, Let us pass over, we pray thee, through thy land, unto my place,
20 Kodwa uSihoni kamthembanga u-Israyeli ukuba adlule phakathi kwelizwe lakhe. Wabutha abantu bakhe bonke wamisa eJahazi walwa lo-Israyeli.
and Sihon hath not trusted Israel to pass over through his border, and Sihon gathereth all his people, and they encamp in Jahaz, and fight with Israel;
21 Ngakho uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, wanikela uSihoni labantu bakhe bonke ezandleni zika-Israyeli, wabehlula. U-Israyeli walithatha lonke ilizwe lama-Amori ayehlala kulelolizwe,
and Jehovah, God of Israel, giveth Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smite them, and Israel possesseth all the land of the Amorite, the inhabitant of that land,
22 walithumba lonke elama-Amori kusukela e-Arinoni kusiya eJabhoki lokusuka enkangala kusiya eJodani.
and they possess all the border of the Amorite from Arnon, and unto the Jabbok, and from the wilderness, and unto the Jordan.
23 Njengoba uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ewaxotshile ama-Amori phambi kwabantu bakhe u-Israyeli, wena ulelungelo bani lokulithatha na?
'And now, Jehovah, God of Israel, hath dispossessed the Amorite from the presence of His people Israel, and thou wouldest possess it!
24 Kawuyikuthatha lokho okuphiwa ngunkulunkulu wakho uKhemoshi na? Ngokunjalo, yiloba yikuphi uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu asiphe khona, sizakuthatha.
That which Chemosh thy god causeth thee to possess — dost thou not possess it? and all that which Jehovah our God hath dispossessed from our presence, — it we do possess.
25 Wena ungcono yini kuloBhalaki indodana kaZiphori, inkosi yaseMowabi? Wake waxabana lo-Israyeli loba walwa laye na?
'And now, [art] thou at all better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he at all strive with Israel? did he at all fight against them?
26 U-Israyeli wahlala eHeshibhoni iminyaka engamakhulu amathathu, e-Aroweri, lasemizaneni eseduzane kanye lakuyo yonke imizi elinganisane le-Arinoni. Kungani ungazihlangulanga lezondawo ngalesosikhathi?
In Israel's dwelling in Heshbon and in its towns, and in Aroer and in its towns, and in all the cities which [are] by the sides of Arnon three hundred years — and wherefore have ye not delivered them in that time?
27 Kangikonelanga, kodwa wena wenza okubi kimi ngokungihlasela ngempi. Akuthi uThixo, uMahluleli, ahlulele umbango ngalolosuku phakathi kwabako-Israyeli lama-Amoni.”
And I — I have not sinned against thee, and thou art doing with me evil — to fight against me. Jehovah, the Judge, doth judge to-day between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.'
28 Kodwa inkosi yama-Amoni kayilinakanga ilizwi eyayilithunyelwe nguJeftha.
And the king of the Bene-Ammon hath not hearkened unto the words of Jephthah which he sent unto him,
29 Lapho-ke uMoya kaThixo wehlela kuJeftha. Wadabula eGiliyadi kanye lakoManase, wedlula eMizipha yaseGiliyadi, kuthe esuka lapho waqhubekela kuma-Amoni.
and the Spirit of Jehovah is on Jephthah, and he passeth over Gilead and Manasseh, and passeth over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he hath passed over to the Bene-Ammon.
30 Njalo uJeftha wafunga isifungo kuThixo wathi, “Unganikela ama-Amoni ezandleni zami,
And Jephthah voweth a vow to Jehovah, and saith, 'If Thou dost at all give the Bene-Ammon into my hand —
31 loba kuyini okuphuma emnyango wendlu yami ukuba kungihlangabeze lapho ngibuya nginqobile ngivela kuma-Amoni kuzakuba ngokukaThixo, njalo ngizakunikela njengomnikelo wokutshiswa.”
then it hath been, that which at all cometh out from the doors of my house to meet me in my turning back in peace from the Bene-Ammon — it hath been to Jehovah, or I have offered up for it — a burnt-offering.'
32 UJeftha waya ngaphetsheya ukuyakulwa lama-Amoni, njalo uThixo wawanikela ezandleni zakhe.
And Jephthah passeth over unto the Bene-Ammon to fight against them, and Jehovah giveth them into his hand,
33 Watshabalalisa imizi engamatshumi amabili kusukela e-Aroweri kusiya eduze leMinithi, kusiyafika e-Abheli-Kheramimi. U-Israyeli wayinqoba kanjalo i-Amoni.
and he smiteth them from Aroer, and unto thy going in to Minnith, twenty cities, and unto the meadow of the vineyards — a very great smiting; and the Bene-Ammon are humbled at the presence of the sons of Israel.
34 UJeftha esebuyele emzini wakhe eMizipha, ngubani owaphuma wamhlangabeza ngaphandle kwendodakazi yakhe, igida kukhala amagedla! Yayiyiyo yodwa umntanakhe. Ngaphandle kwakhe wayengelandodana loba indodakazi.
And Jephthah cometh into Mizpeh, unto his house, and lo, his daughter is coming out to meet him with timbrels, and with choruses, and save her alone, he hath none, son or daughter.
35 Kwathi eyibona wadabula izigqoko zakhe wakhala esithi, “Oh! Ndodakazi yami! Usungidabule wangenza ngaba lusizi, ngoba ngifunge isifungo kuThixo engingeke ngisephule.”
And it cometh to pass, when he seeth her, that he rendeth his garments, and saith, 'Alas, my daughter, thou hast caused me greatly to bend, and thou hast been among those troubling me; and I — I have opened my mouth unto Jehovah, and I am not able to turn back.'
36 Yona yaphendula yathi, “Baba, wethule ilizwi lakho kuThixo. Kimi yenza njengoba uthembisile, njengoba uThixo esephindisele ezitheni zakho, ama-Amoni.”
And she saith unto him, 'My father — thou hast opened thy mouth unto Jehovah, do to me as it hath gone out from thy mouth, after that Jehovah hath done for thee vengeance on thine enemies, on the Bene-Ammon.'
37 Wasesithi, “Kodwa ngicela ungivumele kulokhu okukodwa nje. Nginika izinyanga ezimbili ukuba ngizulazule ezintabeni ngilile labangane bami, ngoba angiyikwenda.”
And she saith unto her father, 'Let this thing be done to me; desist from me two months, and I go on, and have gone down on the hills, and I weep for my virginity — I and my friends.'
38 Yena wathi, “Ungahamba.” Wayivumela ukuba ihambe okwezinyanga ezimbili. Yona lamantombazana lawo baya ezintabeni balila ngoba yayingasoze yende.
And he saith, 'Go;' and he sendeth her away two months, and she goeth, she and her friends, and she weepeth for her virginity on the hills;
39 Emva kwezinyanga ezimbili yabuyela kuyise wasesenza lokho ayekufungile ngayo. Yayiyintombi egcweleyo. Kulokhu yikho okuvela khona umkhuba wama-Israyeli
and it cometh to pass at the end of two months that she turneth back unto her father, and he doth to her his vow which he hath vowed, and she knew not a man; and it is a statute in Israel:
40 wokuthi minyaka yonke izintombi zako-Israyeli ziyaphuma okwensuku ezine ukuba zikhumbule indodakazi kaJeftha umGiliyadi.
from time to time the daughters of Israel go to talk to the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite, four days in a year.

< Abahluleli 11 >