< Abahluleli 3 >

1 Nanzi izizwe ezatshiywa nguThixo ukuze abahlole bonke abako-Israyeli ababengazibonanga izimpi eKhenani
And these [are] the nations which YHWH left, to try Israel by them, all who have not known all the wars of Canaan;
2 (wenza lokhu ukuba azifundise izizukulwane zako-Israyeli ukulwiwa kwezimpi lezo ezazingazange zikubone ukulwa ngaphambilini):
(only for the sake of the generations of the sons of Israel knowing, to teach them war, only those who formerly have not known them)—
3 ababusi abahlanu bamaFilistiya, amaKhenani wonke, amaSidoni, lamaHivi ahlala ezintabeni zaseLebhanoni kusukela eNtabeni iBhali-Hemoni kusiya eLebho Hamathi.
five princes of the Philistines, and all the Canaanite, and the Zidonian, and the Hivite inhabiting Mount Lebanon, from Mount Ba‘al-Hermon to the entering in of Hamath;
4 Babetshiyelwe ukuhlola abako-Israyeli ukuba kubonakale ukuthi bayayilalela na imilayo kaThixo, ayeyinike okhokho babo ngoMosi.
and they are to prove Israel by them, to know whether they obey the commands of YHWH that He commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
5 Abako-Israyeli babehlala phakathi kwamaKhenani, lamaHithi, lama-Amori, lamaPherizi, lamaHivi kanye lamaJebusi.
And the sons of Israel have dwelt in the midst of the Canaanite, the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite,
6 Bathatha amadodakazi awo aba ngomkabo njalo bendisela amadodakazi abo emadodaneni awo, bakhonza labonkulunkulu bawo.
and take their daughters to them for wives, and have given their daughters to their sons, and they serve their gods;
7 Abako-Israyeli benza okubi emehlweni kaThixo; bamkhohlwa uThixo uNkulunkulu wabo bakhonza oBhali labo-Ashera.
and the sons of Israel do evil in the eyes of YHWH, and forget their God YHWH, and serve the Ba‘alim and the Asheroth.
8 Ulaka lukaThixo lwavuthela abako-Israyeli waze wabanikela ezandleni zikaKhushani-Rishathayimi inkosi yase-Aramu Naharayimu, lapho abantu bako-Israyeli ababangaphansi kombuso wayo iminyaka eyisificaminwembili.
And the anger of YHWH burns against Israel, and He sells them into the hand of Chushan-Rishathaim king of Aram-Naharaim, and the sons of Israel serve Chushan-Rishathaim eight years;
9 Kodwa ekukhaleni kwabo kuThixo, wabalethela umhlengi, u-Othiniyeli indodana kaKhenazi, umnawakhe kaKhalebi, owabakhululayo.
and the sons of Israel cry to YHWH, and YHWH raises a savior to the sons of Israel, and he saves them—Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother;
10 Umoya kaThixo wehlela kuye, wasesiba ngumahluleli wako-Israyeli waya empini. UThixo wanikela uKhushani-Rishathayimi inkosi ye-Aramu ezandleni zika-Othiniyeli, wamnqoba.
and the Spirit of YHWH is on him, and he judges Israel, and goes out to battle, and YHWH gives Chushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into his hand, and his hand is strong against Chushan-Rishathaim;
11 Ngakho ilizwe laba lokuthula iminyaka engamatshumi amane, u-Othiniyeli indodana kaKhenazi waze wafa.
and the land rests forty years. And Othniel son of Kenaz dies,
12 Abako-Israyeli baphinda benza okubi emehlweni kaThixo, kwathi ngenxa yokuthi babenze lobububi uThixo wanika u-Egiloni inkosi yaseMowabi amandla phezu kuka-Israyeli.
and the sons of Israel add to do evil in the eyes of YHWH; and YHWH strengthens Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because that they have done evil in the eyes of YHWH;
13 Esenze ama-Amoni lama-Amaleki amanyana laye, u-Egiloni wayahlasela u-Israyeli, basebethumba idolobho laMalala.
and he gathers the sons of Ammon and Amalek to himself, and goes and strikes Israel, and they possess the city of palms;
14 Abako-Israyeli babangaphansi kombuso ka-Egiloni inkosi yaseMowabi iminyaka elitshumi layisificaminwembili.
and the sons of Israel serve 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 the sons of Israel cry to YHWH, and YHWH raises a savior to them, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite (a man [with] his right hand bound), and the sons of Israel send a present by his hand 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.
and Ehud makes a sword for himself, and it has two mouths (its length [is] a cubit), and he girds it under his long robe on his right thigh;
17 Wasethula isipho ku-Egiloni inkosi yaseMowabi, owayengumuntu oqatha kakhulu.
and he brings the present near to Eglon king of Moab, and Eglon [is] a very fat man.
18 Emva kokuba u-Ehudi esesethule isipho, walaya abantu ababesithwele ukuba bazihambele.
And it comes to pass, when he has finished to bring the present near, that he sends the people carrying the present away,
19 Ezithombeni eduze leGiligali yena uqobo wabuyela emuva, wathi, “Oh nkosi, ngilelizwi lakho eliyimfihlo.” Inkosi yathi, “Thula!” Zonke izikhonzi zayo zasuka kuyo.
and he himself has turned back from the carved images which [are] at Gilgal and says, “I have a secret word for you, O king”; and he says, “Hush!” And all those standing by him go out from him.
20 U-Ehudi wayilanda isihlezi yodwa ekamelweni langaphezulu elipholileyo endlini yayo yobukhosi wathi, “Ngilelizwi lakho elivela kuNkulunkulu.” Kwathi inkosi isukuma esihlalweni sayo,
And Ehud has come to him, and he is sitting in the cool upper chamber which he has for himself, and Ehud says, “I have a word of God for you”; and he rises from off the throne;
21 u-Ehudi wafinyelela ngesandla sakhe senxele, wahwatsha inkemba ethangazini lakhe kwesokudla wayithela esiswini senkosi.
and Ehud puts forth his left hand, and takes the sword from off his right thigh, and thrusts it into his belly;
22 Inkemba yatshona yasala ngesilanda, amathumbu akhe agcwala phansi. U-Ehudi kayingcothulanga inkemba, idanga layemboza.
and the hilt also goes in after the blade, and the fat shuts on the blade, that he has not drawn the sword out of his belly, and he goes out [through] the antechamber [[or and the dung came out]].
23 U-Ehudi waphuma phandle, wavala iminyango yekamelo langaphezulu wayihluthulela.
And Ehud goes out at the porch, and shuts the doors of the upper chamber on him, and has bolted [it];
24 Esehambile kweza izinceku zathola iminyango yekamelo langaphezulu ihluthulelwe. Zathi, “Kutsho ukuthi iye ngaphandle ekamelweni elingaphakathi kwendlu.”
and he has gone out, and his servants have come in, and look, and behold, the doors of the upper chamber are bolted, and they say, “He is surely covering his feet, [relieving himself, ] in the cool inner chamber.”
25 Zalinda zaze zakhathazeka, kodwa ngoba ingasavulanga iminyango yekamelo lelo, zathatha ikhiye zayivula. Lapho-ke zabona inkosi yazo iwele phansi, isifile.
And they stay until confounded, and behold, he is not opening the doors of the upper chamber, and they take the key, and open, and behold, their lord is fallen to the earth—dead.
26 Zisalindile, u-Ehudi wasuka wahamba. Wedlula eduzane lezithombe wabalekela eSeyira.
And Ehud escaped during their lingering, and has passed by the images, and escapes to Seirath.
27 Esefike lapho wakhalisa icilongo elizweni lezintaba lako-Efrayimi, abako-Israyeli basebesehla laye ezintabeni, yena ebakhokhele.
And it comes to pass, in his coming in, that he blows with a horn in the hill-country of Ephraim, and the sons of Israel go down with him from the hill-country, and he before 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.
and he says to them, “Pursue after me, for YHWH has given your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand”; and they go down after him, and capture the passages of the Jordan toward Moab, and have not permitted a man to pass over.
29 Ngalesosikhathi babulala amaMowabi ayengaba zinkulungwane ezilitshumi, wonke ayeqinile elamandla; akukho muntu owaphunyukayo.
And they strike Moab at that time, about ten thousand men, all robust, and everyone a man of valor, and no man has escaped,
30 Ngalolosuku iMowabi yanqotshwa yi-Israyeli, ilizwe laselisiba lokuthula iminyaka engamatshumi ayisificaminwembili.
and Moab is humbled in that day under the hand of Israel; and the land rests [for] eighty years.
31 Emva kuka-Ehudi kwaba loShamigari indodana ka-Anathi owabulala amaFilistiya angamakhulu ayisithupha ngesijujo senkabi. Laye wamkhulula u-Israyeli.
And after him has been Shamgar son of Anath, and he strikes the Philistines—six hundred men—with an ox-goad, and he also saves Israel.

< Abahluleli 3 >