Abahluleli 3
1 Nanzi izizwe ezatshiywa nguThixo ukuze abahlole bonke abako-Israyeli ababengazibonanga izimpi eKhenani
The following are the nations the Lord left and used to test all those Israelites who had not known what it was like to be part of any of the wars in Canaan.
2 (wenza lokhu ukuba azifundise izizukulwane zako-Israyeli ukulwiwa kwezimpi lezo ezazingazange zikubone ukulwa ngaphambilini):
(He did so to teach warfare to the later generations of Israel, particularly to those who had not previously experienced it.)
3 ababusi abahlanu bamaFilistiya, amaKhenani wonke, amaSidoni, lamaHivi ahlala ezintabeni zaseLebhanoni kusukela eNtabeni iBhali-Hemoni kusiya eLebho Hamathi.
They are: the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living 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.
They were left there be to a test for the Israelites, to find out whether the Israelites would keep the Lord's commandments which he had given their forefathers through Moses.
5 Abako-Israyeli babehlala phakathi kwamaKhenani, lamaHithi, lama-Amori, lamaPherizi, lamaHivi kanye lamaJebusi.
They lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
6 Bathatha amadodakazi awo aba ngomkabo njalo bendisela amadodakazi abo emadodaneni awo, bakhonza labonkulunkulu bawo.
The Israelites intermarried with them, marrying their daughters, giving their own daughters to their sons, and worshiped their gods.
7 Abako-Israyeli benza okubi emehlweni kaThixo; bamkhohlwa uThixo uNkulunkulu wabo bakhonza oBhali labo-Ashera.
The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight. They ignored the Lord their God and worshiped the images of Baals and 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.
The Lord became angry with Israel, so he sold them to Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram Naharaim. The Israelites were subject to Cushan-Rishathaim for 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 to help them, he provided someone to rescue them, Othniel, son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, and he saved 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 on him, and he became Israel's judge. He went to war with Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram, and the Lord handed the king over to Othniel, who was victorious.
11 Ngakho ilizwe laba lokuthula iminyaka engamatshumi amane, u-Othiniyeli indodana kaKhenazi waze wafa.
As a result, the country was a peace 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.
But once again the Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight, and because they did this the Lord gave power to Eglon, king of Moab, to conquer Israel.
13 Esenze ama-Amoni lama-Amaleki amanyana laye, u-Egiloni wayahlasela u-Israyeli, basebethumba idolobho laMalala.
Eglon had the Ammonites and the Amalekite join him, and then 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 were subject to Eglon, king of Moab, for 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.
Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord to help them, and he provided someone to rescue them, Ehud, son of Gera the Benjamite, a left-handed man. The Israelites sent him to pay the 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.
Ehud had made for himself a cubit long double-edged sword, and he strapped it to his right thigh under his clothes.
17 Wasethula isipho ku-Egiloni inkosi yaseMowabi, owayengumuntu oqatha kakhulu.
He came and presented the tribute to Eglon, king of Moab, who was a very fat man.
18 Emva kokuba u-Ehudi esesethule isipho, walaya abantu ababesithwele ukuba bazihambele.
Then after delivering the tribute he sent home those who had helped carry it.
19 Ezithombeni eduze leGiligali yena uqobo wabuyela emuva, wathi, “Oh nkosi, ngilelizwi lakho eliyimfihlo.” Inkosi yathi, “Thula!” Zonke izikhonzi zayo zasuka kuyo.
But when he reached the stone idols near Gilgal, he turned back. He went to see Eglon, and told him, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.” The king told his attendants, “Silence!” and they all left.
20 U-Ehudi wayilanda isihlezi yodwa ekamelweni langaphezulu elipholileyo endlini yayo yobukhosi wathi, “Ngilelizwi lakho elivela kuNkulunkulu.” Kwathi inkosi isukuma esihlalweni sayo,
Ehud then went over to where Eglon was sitting alone in his cool upstairs room, and told him, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king got up from his seat,
21 u-Ehudi wafinyelela ngesandla sakhe senxele, wahwatsha inkemba ethangazini lakhe kwesokudla wayithela esiswini senkosi.
Ehud grabbed his sword with his left hand from his right thigh and drove it into Eglon's belly.
22 Inkemba yatshona yasala ngesilanda, amathumbu akhe agcwala phansi. U-Ehudi kayingcothulanga inkemba, idanga layemboza.
The handle went in with the blade and the fat closed over it. So Ehud didn't pull the sword out, and the king defecated.
23 U-Ehudi waphuma phandle, wavala iminyango yekamelo langaphezulu wayihluthulela.
Then Ehud closed and locked the doors, and escaped through the toilet.
24 Esehambile kweza izinceku zathola iminyango yekamelo langaphezulu ihluthulelwe. Zathi, “Kutsho ukuthi iye ngaphandle ekamelweni elingaphakathi kwendlu.”
After he had left, the servants came and saw that the doors of the room were locked. “He must be using the toilet,” they concluded.
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 couldn't stand it any more, and since he still hadn't opened the doors of the room, they went and found the key and opened the doors. There was their lord, lying dead on the floor.
26 Zisalindile, u-Ehudi wasuka wahamba. Wedlula eduzane lezithombe wabalekela eSeyira.
While the servants delayed acting, Ehud escaped, passing the stone idols and on to Seirah.
27 Esefike lapho wakhalisa icilongo elizweni lezintaba lako-Efrayimi, abako-Israyeli basebesehla laye ezintabeni, yena ebakhokhele.
When he got there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites joined him. They went down from the hills, with Ehud leading them.
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.
He told them, “Follow me, for the Lord has handed Moab, your enemy, over to you.” So they followed him down and took control of the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab. They didn't let anyone cross.
29 Ngalesosikhathi babulala amaMowabi ayengaba zinkulungwane ezilitshumi, wonke ayeqinile elamandla; akukho muntu owaphunyukayo.
Then they attacked the Moabites and killed around 10,000 of their best and strongest fighting men. Not a single one escaped.
30 Ngalolosuku iMowabi yanqotshwa yi-Israyeli, ilizwe laselisiba lokuthula iminyaka engamatshumi ayisificaminwembili.
Moab was conquered that day and made subject to Israel, and the country was at peace for eighty years.
31 Emva kuka-Ehudi kwaba loShamigari indodana ka-Anathi owabulala amaFilistiya angamakhulu ayisithupha ngesijujo senkabi. Laye wamkhulula u-Israyeli.
After Ehud was Shamgar, son of Anath, who killed six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He also rescued Israel.
