< Abahluleli 2 >

1 Ingilosi kaThixo yahamba isuka eGiligali isiya eBhokhimi yathi, “Ngalikhupha eGibhithe ngaliholela elizweni engafunga ukulinika okhokho benu. Ngathi, ‘Angiyikusephula isivumelwano sami lani,
And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to depart from Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I swore to your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.
2 njalo kaliyikwenza isivumelwano labantu balelilizwe, kodwa lizabhidliza ama-alithare abo.’ Kodwa lina kalingilalelanga. Likwenzeleni lokhu na?
And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?
3 Ngakho khathesi-ke ngiyalitshela ukuthi angiyikubaxotsha phambi kwenu, bazakuba yizifu kini njalo onkulunkulu babo bazakuba yimijibila kini.”
Therefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.
4 Kwathi ingilosi kaThixo isizikhulumile zonke lezizinto kubo bonke abako-Israyeli, abantu bakhala kakhulu,
And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
5 indawo leyo bayibiza ngokuthi yiBhokhimi. Banikela imihlatshelo kuThixo khonapho.
And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there to the LORD.
6 Emva kokuba uJoshuwa esebadedele abako-Israyeli, bahamba bayalithatha ilizwe, lowo lalowo endaweni eyilifa lakhe.
And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man to his inheritance to possess the land.
7 Abantu bamkhonza uThixo ngezinsuku zokuphila kukaJoshuwa labadala kulaye ababesele bephila njalo beyibonile imisebenzi emikhulu uThixo ayeyenzele abako-Israyeli.
And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel.
8 UJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, inceku kaThixo, wafa eseleminyaka elikhulu letshumi.
And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.
9 Bamngcwaba emhlabeni oyilifa lakhe, eThimnathi-Heresi, elizweni lezintaba lako-Efrayimi, enyakatho kwentaba iGashi.
And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.
10 Kwathi emva kokuba sonke isizukulwane leso sesiphelile, kwavela esinye isizukulwane esasingamazi uThixo kanye lalokho ayekwenzele abako-Israyeli.
And also all that generation were gathered to their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
11 Lapho-ke abako-Israyeli benza okubi emehlweni kaThixo, bakhonza uBhali.
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:
12 Bamdela uThixo, uNkulunkulu waboyise, owayebakhuphe eGibhithe. Balandela njalo bakhonza onkulunkulu abehlukeneyo babantu ababehlala phakathi kwabo. Bamthukuthelisa uThixo
And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were around them, and bowed themselves to them, and provoked the LORD to anger.
13 ngoba bamdela bakhonza uBhali labo-Ashithorethi.
And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
14 Ekubathukutheleleni kwakhe uThixo wabanikela ezandleni zababahlaselayo lababaphangayo. Wabanikela ezitheni zabo ezazibahanqile, ababengasenelisi ukumelana lazo.
And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies around them, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
15 Zonke izikhathi lapho abako-Israyeli bephuma ukuyakulwa, isandla sikaThixo samelana labo ukuba behlulwe, njengokufunga kwakhe kubo. Basebephakathi kohlupho olukhulu.
Wherever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn to them: and they were greatly distressed.
16 Kulapho-ke uThixo abeka khona abahluleli ababahlengayo ezandleni zabaphangi laba.
Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, who delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
17 Belo kababalalelanga abahluleli babo kodwa baqhubeka bekhonza abanye onkulunkulu. Kabenzanga njengabokhokho babo, kodwa bona baphanga baphuma endleleni oyise ababehambe ngayo, indlela yokulalela imilayo kaThixo.
And yet they would not hearken to their judges, but they played the harlot with other gods, and bowed themselves to them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.
18 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.
And when the LORD raised up judges for them, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for the LORD repented because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and burdened them.
19 Kodwa lapho umahluleli esefile, abantu babuyela ezindleleni zokuxhwala okwedlula ezaboyise, belandela abanye onkulunkulu, bebasebenzele njalo bebakhonza, besala ukudela izenzo zabo ezimbi lezindlela zobuqholo.
And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down to them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.
20 Ngakho uThixo wamthukuthelela kakhulu u-Israyeli wathi, “Njengoba isizwe lesi sesephule isivumelwano engasimisela okhokho baso njalo kasingilalelanga,
And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened to my voice;
21 kangisayikuxotsha phambi kwaso iloba yisiphi isizwe phakathi kwezatshiywa nguJoshuwa ekufeni kwakhe.
I also will not henceforth drive out from before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died:
22 Ngizasebenzisa zona ukuhlola abako-Israyeli ngibone ukuthi bazayigcina yini indlela kaThixo, bahambe kuyo njengokwenziwa ngokhokho babo.”
That through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk in it, as their fathers kept it, or not.
23 UThixo wayevumele ukuthi lezozizwe zisale; kazixotshanga masinyane ngokuzinikela ezandleni zikaJoshuwa.
Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out speedily; neither did he deliver them into the hand of Joshua.

< Abahluleli 2 >