Abahluleli 2
1 Ingilosi yeNkosi yasisenyuka isuka eGiligali isiya eBokimi, yathi: Ngalenyusa lisuka eGibhithe, ngaliletha elizweni engalifungela oyihlo, njalo ngathi: Kangiyikwephula isivumelwano sami lani kuze kube sephakadeni.
The angel of the Lord went from Gilgal to Bokim and told the people, “I led you out of the land of Egypt and brought you to this land that I promised to your forefathers, and I said I would never break the agreement I made with you.
2 Lani-ke kaliyikwenza isivumelwano labahlali balelilizwe, lizadiliza amalathi abo. Kodwa kalililalelanga ilizwi lami. Kuyini lokhu elikwenzileyo?
I also told you not to make any agreements with the people living in the land and to tear down their altars. But you refused to obey what I said. Why did you do this?
3 Ngakho lami ngathi: Kangiyikuzixotsha elifeni phambi kwenu, kodwa zizakuba njengameva enhlangothini zenu, labonkulunkulu bazo babe ngumjibila kini.
I also warned you, ‘I will not drive them out before you, and they will be snares for you, and their gods will be traps for you.’”
4 Kwasekusithi lapho ingilosi yeNkosi isikhulume lamazwi kubo bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli, abantu baphakamisa ilizwi labo bakhala inyembezi.
After the angel of the Lord had explained this to all the Israelites, the people wept out loud.
5 Basebebiza ibizo laleyondawo ngokuthi yiBokimi, bayihlabela iNkosi lapho.
That's why they named the place Bokim, and they presented sacrifices there to the Lord.
6 Kwathi uJoshuwa esebayekele abantu bahamba, abantwana bakoIsrayeli bahamba, ngulowo lalowo waya elifeni lakhe ukudla ilifa lelizwe.
After Joshua had dismissed the people, the Israelites went to take possession of the land, each to their allotted land.
7 Abantu basebeyikhonza iNkosi kuzo zonke izinsuku zikaJoshuwa, lazo zonke izinsuku zabadala abasala bephila emva kukaJoshuwa, ababewubonile wonke umsebenzi omkhulu weNkosi eyayiwenzele uIsrayeli.
The people continued to worship the Lord throughout Joshua's life, and throughout the lifetimes of the elders who outlived him, those who had seen all the wonderful things that the Lord had done for Israel.
8 UJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, inceku yeNkosi, wafa-ke, eleminyaka elikhulu letshumi.
Joshua, son of Nun, servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred and ten.
9 Basebemngcwabela emngceleni welifa lakhe eThiminathi-Heresi entabeni yakoEfrayimi, enyakatho kwentaba iGahashi.
They buried him in Timnath-heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash, the land he had been allocated.
10 Njalo lalesosizukulwana sabuthelwa kuboyise. Kwasekusukuma esinye isizukulwana emva kwabo esasingayazi iNkosi njalo lomsebenzi eyayiwenzele uIsrayeli.
Once that generation had passed away, the generation that followed did not know the Lord, or what he had done for Israel.
11 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi, bakhonza oBhali.
The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight, and they worshiped the Baals.
12 Batshiya iNkosi, uNkulunkulu waboyise, eyabakhupha elizweni leGibhithe, balandela abanye onkulunkulu, kubonkulunkulu bezizwe ezazibazingelezele, bakhothama kibo, bayithukuthelisa iNkosi.
They deserted the Lord, the God of their forefathers, who had led them out of Egypt. They followed other gods, bowing down in worship to the gods of the peoples around them, making the Lord angry.
13 Bayidela iNkosi, bakhonza uBhali laboAshitarothi.
They deserted the Lord and worshiped Baal and Ashtaroth idols.
14 Ngakho ulaka lweNkosi lwavutha kuIsrayeli, yabanikela esandleni sabaphangi ababaphangayo; yabathengisa esandleni sezitha zabo inhlangothi zonke, ukuze bangabe besaba lakho ukuma phambi kwazo.
Because the Lord was angry with Israel he handed them over to invaders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around—enemies they could no longer resist.
15 Loba bephuma besiya ngaphi, isandla seNkosi samelana labo ngokubi, njengokutsho kweNkosi lanjengokufunga kweNkosi kibo, njalo bacindezeleka kakhulu.
Whenever Israel went into battle, the Lord fought against them and defeated them, just as he had warned them and as he had vowed he would do. They were in a great deal of trouble.
16 INkosi yasimisa abahluleli ababophula esandleni salabo ababaphangayo.
Then the Lord provided them with judges, who saved them from their invaders.
17 Kanti kababalalelanga labahluleli babo, kodwa baphinga ngokulandela abanye onkulunkulu, bakhothama kibo; baphambuka masinyane endleleni oyise ababehamba kuyo, belalela imilayo yeNkosi. Bona kabenzanga njalo.
But even so, they refused to listen to their judges, and prostituted themselves by following other gods, bowing down in worship to them. They quickly abandoned the way their forefathers had followed, and they did not obey the Lord's commandments as their forefathers had.
18 Lalapho iNkosi ibamisela abahluleli, iNkosi yayilomahluleli, yabophula esandleni sezitha zabo zonke izinsuku zikamahluleli; ngoba iNkosi yazisola ngenxa yokububula kwabo ngenxa yalabo ababacindezelayo lababahlukuluzayo.
When the Lord provided Israel with judges over Israel, he was with each judge and saved the people from their enemies during that judge's lifetime, because the Lord felt sorry for his people, who groaned under their oppressors and persecutors.
19 Kwasekusithi ekufeni kukamahluleli, babuyela emuva baxhwala okwedlula oyise, ngokulandela abanye onkulunkulu, ngokubakhonza langokubakhothamela; kabalahlanga okwemisebenzi yabo lokwendlela yabo yenkani.
But when the judge died, the people relapsed, and did worse things even than their forefathers, following other gods and worshiping them. They refused to give up what they were doing and held to their stubborn ways.
20 Ngakho ulaka lweNkosi lwavutha kuIsrayeli, yathi: Ngoba lesisizwe seqe isivumelwano sami engasilaya oyise, kasilalelanga ilizwi lami,
As a result the Lord became angry with Israel and he told them, “Because this nation has broken the agreement I ordered their forefathers to obey, and has not paid attention to what I said,
21 lami kangisayikuxotsha loba ngubani elifeni phambi kwabo ezizweni uJoshuwa azitshiya ekufeni kwakhe,
from now on I won't drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died.
22 ukuze ngihlole ngazo uIsrayeli ukuthi bazagcina yini indlela yeNkosi ukuhamba kuyo njengaboyise bayigcina, kumbe hatshi.
This is in order to use them to test Israel to see if they will keep the way of the Lord and follow it as their forefathers did.”
23 Ngakho iNkosi yaziyekela lezozizwe, ukuze ingazixotshi elifeni masinyane, njalo kayizinikelanga esandleni sikaJoshuwa.
This is the reason why the Lord allowed those nations to remain, and didn't immediately drive them out by handing them over to Joshua.
