Abahluleli 3
1 Nanzi izizwe ezatshiywa nguThixo ukuze abahlole bonke abako-Israyeli ababengazibonanga izimpi eKhenani
These are the nations that the LORD left to test all the Israelites who had not known any of the wars in Canaan,
2 (wenza lokhu ukuba azifundise izizukulwane zako-Israyeli ukulwiwa kwezimpi lezo ezazingazange zikubone ukulwa ngaphambilini):
if only to teach warfare to the subsequent generations of Israel, especially to those who had not known it formerly:
3 ababusi abahlanu bamaFilistiya, amaKhenani wonke, amaSidoni, lamaHivi ahlala ezintabeni zaseLebhanoni kusukela eNtabeni iBhali-Hemoni kusiya eLebho Hamathi.
the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.
4 Babetshiyelwe ukuhlola abako-Israyeli ukuba kubonakale ukuthi bayayilalela na imilayo kaThixo, ayeyinike okhokho babo ngoMosi.
These nations were left to test the Israelites, to find out whether they would keep the commandments of the LORD, which He had given their fathers through Moses.
5 Abako-Israyeli babehlala phakathi kwamaKhenani, lamaHithi, lama-Amori, lamaPherizi, lamaHivi kanye lamaJebusi.
Thus the Israelites continued to live among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
6 Bathatha amadodakazi awo aba ngomkabo njalo bendisela amadodakazi abo emadodaneni awo, bakhonza labonkulunkulu bawo.
And they took the daughters of these people in marriage, gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
7 Abako-Israyeli benza okubi emehlweni kaThixo; bamkhohlwa uThixo uNkulunkulu wabo bakhonza oBhali labo-Ashera.
So the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.
8 Ulaka lukaThixo lwavuthela abako-Israyeli waze wabanikela ezandleni zikaKhushani-Rishathayimi inkosi yase-Aramu Naharayimu, lapho abantu bako-Israyeli ababangaphansi kombuso wayo iminyaka eyisificaminwembili.
Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram-naharaim, and the Israelites served him eight years.
9 Kodwa ekukhaleni kwabo kuThixo, wabalethela umhlengi, u-Othiniyeli indodana kaKhenazi, umnawakhe kaKhalebi, owabakhululayo.
But when the Israelites cried out to the LORD, He raised up Othniel son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz as a deliverer to save them.
10 Umoya kaThixo wehlela kuye, wasesiba ngumahluleli wako-Israyeli waya empini. UThixo wanikela uKhushani-Rishathayimi inkosi ye-Aramu ezandleni zika-Othiniyeli, wamnqoba.
The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against him.
11 Ngakho ilizwe laba lokuthula iminyaka engamatshumi amane, u-Othiniyeli indodana kaKhenazi waze wafa.
So the land had rest for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.
12 Abako-Israyeli baphinda benza okubi emehlweni kaThixo, kwathi ngenxa yokuthi babenze lobububi uThixo wanika u-Egiloni inkosi yaseMowabi amandla phezu kuka-Israyeli.
Once again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD. So He gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.
13 Esenze ama-Amoni lama-Amaleki amanyana laye, u-Egiloni wayahlasela u-Israyeli, basebethumba idolobho laMalala.
After enlisting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join forces with him, Eglon attacked and defeated Israel, taking possession of the City of Palms.
14 Abako-Israyeli babangaphansi kombuso ka-Egiloni inkosi yaseMowabi iminyaka elitshumi layisificaminwembili.
The Israelites served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.
15 Abako-Israyeli bakhala futhi kuThixo, wasebapha umhlengi u-Ehudi, indoda eyayilinxele indodana kaGera owakoBhenjamini. Abako-Israyeli bamthuma lesipho ku-Egiloni inkosi yaseMowabi.
And again they cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.
16 U-Ehudi wayenze inkemba esika inxa zombili eyayingaba yingalo lengxenye ubude bayo, ayibophela ethangazini lakhe lwesokudla ngaphansi kwezigqoko zakhe.
Now Ehud had made for himself a double-edged sword a cubit long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his cloak
17 Wasethula isipho ku-Egiloni inkosi yaseMowabi, owayengumuntu oqatha kakhulu.
and brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was an obese man.
18 Emva kokuba u-Ehudi esesethule isipho, walaya abantu ababesithwele ukuba bazihambele.
After Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he ushered out those who had carried it.
19 Ezithombeni eduze leGiligali yena uqobo wabuyela emuva, wathi, “Oh nkosi, ngilelizwi lakho eliyimfihlo.” Inkosi yathi, “Thula!” Zonke izikhonzi zayo zasuka kuyo.
But upon reaching the idols near Gilgal, he himself turned back and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” “Silence,” said the king, and all his attendants left him.
20 U-Ehudi wayilanda isihlezi yodwa ekamelweni langaphezulu elipholileyo endlini yayo yobukhosi wathi, “Ngilelizwi lakho elivela kuNkulunkulu.” Kwathi inkosi isukuma esihlalweni sayo,
Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in the coolness of his upper room. “I have a word from God for you,” Ehud said, and the king rose from his seat.
21 u-Ehudi wafinyelela ngesandla sakhe senxele, wahwatsha inkemba ethangazini lakhe kwesokudla wayithela esiswini senkosi.
And Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly.
22 Inkemba yatshona yasala ngesilanda, amathumbu akhe agcwala phansi. U-Ehudi kayingcothulanga inkemba, idanga layemboza.
Even the handle sank in after the blade, and Eglon’s fat closed in over it, so that Ehud did not withdraw the sword from his belly. And Eglon’s bowels emptied.
23 U-Ehudi waphuma phandle, wavala iminyango yekamelo langaphezulu wayihluthulela.
Then Ehud went out through the porch, closing and locking the doors of the upper room behind him.
24 Esehambile kweza izinceku zathola iminyango yekamelo langaphezulu ihluthulelwe. Zathi, “Kutsho ukuthi iye ngaphandle ekamelweni elingaphakathi kwendlu.”
After Ehud was gone, Eglon’s servants came in and found the doors of the upper room locked. “He must be relieving himself in the cool room,” they said.
25 Zalinda zaze zakhathazeka, kodwa ngoba ingasavulanga iminyango yekamelo lelo, zathatha ikhiye zayivula. Lapho-ke zabona inkosi yazo iwele phansi, isifile.
So they waited until they became worried and saw that he had still not opened the doors of the upper room. Then they took the key and opened the doors—and there was their lord lying dead on the floor.
26 Zisalindile, u-Ehudi wasuka wahamba. Wedlula eduzane lezithombe wabalekela eSeyira.
Ehud, however, had escaped while the servants waited. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah.
27 Esefike lapho wakhalisa icilongo elizweni lezintaba lako-Efrayimi, abako-Israyeli basebesehla laye ezintabeni, yena ebakhokhele.
On arriving in Seirah, he blew the ram’s horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites came down with him from the hills, and he became their leader.
28 Wabalaya wathi, “Ngilandelani, ngoba uThixo usenikele uMowabi, isitha senu, ezandleni zenu.” Ngakho behlela laye phansi bemlandela, kwathi sebethumbe amazibuko eJodani ayewelela eMowabi, kabaze bavumela muntu ukuba achaphele ngaphetsheya.
“Follow me,” he told them, “for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they followed him down and seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over.
29 Ngalesosikhathi babulala amaMowabi ayengaba zinkulungwane ezilitshumi, wonke ayeqinile elamandla; akukho muntu owaphunyukayo.
At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all robust and valiant men. Not one of them escaped.
30 Ngalolosuku iMowabi yanqotshwa yi-Israyeli, ilizwe laselisiba lokuthula iminyaka engamatshumi ayisificaminwembili.
So Moab was subdued under the hand of Israel that day, and the land had rest for eighty years.
31 Emva kuka-Ehudi kwaba loShamigari indodana ka-Anathi owabulala amaFilistiya angamakhulu ayisithupha ngesijujo senkabi. Laye wamkhulula u-Israyeli.
After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath. And he too saved Israel, striking down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad.
