Abahluleli 1
1 Kwasekusithi emva kokufa kukaJoshuwa abantwana bakoIsrayeli babuza iNkosi besithi: Ngubani ozasenyukelela ukuyamelana lamaKhanani kuqala ukulwa emelene labo?
After the death of Joshua, the Israelites inquired of the LORD, “Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?”
2 INkosi yasisithi: UJuda uzakwenyuka; khangelani, ngilinikele ilizwe esandleni sakhe.
“Judah shall go up,” answered the LORD. “Indeed, I have delivered the land into their hands.”
3 UJuda wasesithi kuSimeyoni umfowabo: Yenyuka lami enkathweni yami ukuze silwe simelene lamaKhanani; lami-ke ngizahamba lawe enkathweni yakho. USimeyoni wasehamba laye.
Then the men of Judah said to their brothers the Simeonites, “Come up with us to our allotted territory, and let us fight against the Canaanites. And we likewise will go with you to your territory.” So the Simeonites went with them.
4 UJuda wasesenyuka, njalo iNkosi yanikela amaKhanani lamaPerizi esandleni sabo; bawatshaya eBezeki, amadoda azinkulungwane ezilitshumi.
When Judah attacked, the LORD delivered the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek.
5 Basebefica uAdoni-Bezeki eBezeki, balwa bemelene laye, bawatshaya amaKhanani lamaPerizi.
And there they found Adoni-bezek and fought against him, striking down the Canaanites and Perizzites.
6 Kodwa uAdoni-Bezeki wabaleka, baxotshana laye, bambamba, baquma izithupha zezandla zakhe lamazwane akhe amakhulu.
As Adoni-bezek fled, they pursued him, seized him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.
7 UAdoni-Bezeki wasesithi: Amakhosi angamatshumi ayisikhombisa aqunywe izithupha zezandla zawo lezenyawo zawo ayedobha ngaphansi kwetafula lami. Njengokwenza kwami, ngokunjalo uNkulunkulu ungiphindisele. Basebemusa eJerusalema, wafela khona.
Then Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have gathered the scraps under my table. As I have done to them, so God has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, where he died.
8 Abantwana bakoJuda balwa-ke bemelene leJerusalema, bayithumba, bayitshaya ngobukhali benkemba, lomuzi bawuthungela ngomlilo.
Then the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.
9 Emva kwalokho-ke abantwana bakoJuda behla ukuyakulwa bemelene lamaKhanani ayehlala entabeni leningizimu lesihotsheni.
Afterward, the men of Judah marched down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, in the Negev, and in the foothills.
10 UJuda wasehamba wamelana lamaKhanani ayehlala eHebroni; lebizo leHebroni kuqala kwakuyiKiriyathi-Arba; batshaya uSheshayi loAhimani loTalimayi.
Judah also marched against the Canaanites who were living in Hebron (formerly known as Kiriath-arba), and they struck down Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
11 Basuka lapho baya bamelana labahlali beDebiri. Lebizo leDebiri kuqala kwakuyiKiriyathi-Seferi.
From there they marched against the inhabitants of Debir (formerly known as Kiriath-sepher).
12 UKalebi wasesithi: Ozatshaya iKiriyathi-Seferi, ayithumbe, ngizamnika uAkisa indodakazi yami ibe ngumkakhe.
And Caleb said, “To the man who strikes down Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage.”
13 UOthiniyeli indodana kaKenazi umfowabo kaKalebi, owayemncane kulaye, waseyithumba; wasemnika uAkisa indodakazi yakhe ukuba ngumkakhe.
So Othniel son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz captured the city, and Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage.
14 Kwasekusithi ekufikeni kwakhe wamkhuthaza ukuthi acele kuyise insimu; wasesehla kubabhemi, uKalebi wasesithi kuye: Ulani?
One day Acsah came to Othniel and urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you desire?”
15 Wasesithi kuye: Ngipha isibusiso. Njengoba ungiphe ilizwe leningizimu, ngipha njalo imithombo yamanzi. UKalebi wasemnika imithombo engaphezulu lemithombo engaphansi.
“Give me a blessing,” she answered. “Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me springs of water as well.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs.
16 Abantwana bomKeni, uyisezala kaMozisi, basebesenyuka besuka emzini wamalala, belabantwana bakoJuda, baya enkangala yakoJuda, eseningizimu kweAradi; baya bahlala phakathi kwabantu.
Now the descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenite, went up with the men of Judah from the City of Palms to the Wilderness of Judah in the Negev near Arad. They went to live among the people.
17 UJuda wasehamba loSimeyoni umfowabo, bawatshaya amaKhanani ayehlala eZefathi, bayitshabalalisa. Ngakho ibizo lomuzi lathiwa yiHorma.
Then the men of Judah went with their brothers the Simeonites, attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and devoted the city to destruction. So it was called Hormah.
18 UJuda wasethumba iGaza lomngcele wayo, leAshikeloni lomngcele wayo, leEkhironi lomngcele wayo.
And Judah also captured Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron—each with its territory.
19 INkosi yasisiba loJuda, wadla ilifa lezintaba, kodwa wayengelakubaxotsha elifeni abahlali besigodi, ngoba babelezinqola zensimbi.
The LORD was with Judah, and they took possession of the hill country; but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the plains because they had chariots of iron.
20 Basebenika uKalebi iHebroni, njengokutsho kukaMozisi; wasexotsha elifeni esuka lapho amadodana amathathu kaAnaki.
Just as Moses had promised, Judah gave Hebron to Caleb, who drove out the descendants of the three sons of Anak.
21 Kodwa abantwana bakoBhenjamini kabawaxotshanga elifeni amaJebusi ayehlala eJerusalema; ngakho amaJebusi ahlala labantwana bakoBhenjamini eJerusalema kuze kube lamuhla.
The Benjamites, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the Benjamites.
22 Lendlu kaJosefa, labo benyukela eBhetheli; njalo iNkosi yayilabo.
The house of Joseph also attacked Bethel, and the LORD was with them.
23 Indlu kaJosefa yasithuma inhloli eBhetheli; lebizo lomuzi kuqala laliyiLuzi.
They sent spies to Bethel (formerly known as Luz),
24 Abalindi basebebona umuntu ephuma emzini, bathi kuye: Akusitshengise indlela yokungena emzini, besesikwenzela umusa.
and when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, “Please show us how to get into the city, and we will treat you kindly.”
25 Esebatshengise indlela yokungena emzini, bawutshaya umuzi ngobukhali benkemba, kodwa lowomuntu losapho lwakhe lonke babayekela bahamba.
So the man showed them the entrance to the city, and they put the city to the sword but released that man and all his family.
26 Lowomuntu wasesiya elizweni lamaHethi, wakha umuzi, wabiza ibizo lawo ngokuthi yiLuzi; yilelo ibizo lawo kuze kube lamuhla.
And the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called it Luz, which is its name to this day.
27 UManase kaxotshanga-ke iBeti-Sheyani lemizana yayo, leThahanakhi lemizana yayo, labahlali beDori lemizana yayo, labahlali beIbileyamu lemizana yayo, labahlali beMegido lemizana yayo; kodwa amaKhanani afuna ukuhlala kulelolizwe.
At that time Manasseh failed to drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and their villages; for the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land.
28 Kwasekusithi uIsrayeli eselamandla wawamisa amaKhanani kusibhalo, kodwa kawaxotshanga lokuwaxotsha elifeni.
When Israel became stronger, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor, but they never drove them out completely.
29 UEfrayimi kawaxotshanga-ke elifeni amaKhanani ayehlala eGezeri, kodwa amaKhanani ahlala eGezeri phakathi kwabo.
Ephraim also failed to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer; so the Canaanites continued to dwell among them in Gezer.
30 UZebuluni kabaxotshanga elifeni abahlali beKitroni labahlali beNahaloli, kodwa amaKhanani ahlala phakathi kwabo, aba yizibhalwa.
Zebulun failed to drive out the inhabitants of Kitron and Nahalol; so the Canaanites lived among them and served as forced laborers.
31 UAsheri kabaxotshanga elifeni abahlali beAko labahlali beSidoni leAhilabi leAkizibi leHeliba leAfiki leRehobi;
Asher failed to drive out the inhabitants of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob.
32 kodwa abakoAsheri bahlala phakathi kwamaKhanani abahlali belizwe, ngoba kabawaxotshanga elifeni.
So the Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, because they did not drive them out.
33 UNafithali kabaxotshanga elifeni abahlali beBeti-Shemeshi labahlali beBeti-Anathi, kodwa wahlala phakathi kwamaKhanani, abahlali belizwe; kodwa abahlali beBeti-Shemeshi labeBeti-Anathi baba yizibhalwa kubo.
Naphtali failed to drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath. So the Naphtalites also lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, but the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath served them as forced laborers.
34 AmaAmori asebafuqela abantwana bakoDani entabeni, ngoba kawabavumelanga ukwehlela esigodini.
The Amorites forced the Danites into the hill country and did not allow them to come down into the plain.
35 Kodwa amaAmori ayefuna ukuhlala entabeni yeHeresi eAjaloni leShahalibimi, kodwa isandla sendlu kaJosefa saba nzima, aba yizibhalwa.
And the Amorites were determined to dwell in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim. But when the house of Joseph grew in strength, they pressed the Amorites into forced labor.
36 Umngcele wamaAmori wawusukela emqansweni weAkirabimi, uvela edwaleni usiya phezulu.
And the border of the Amorites extended from the Ascent of Akrabbim to Sela and beyond.
