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 Yahweh went up from Gilgal to Bokim, and said, “I brought you up from Egypt, and have brought you to the land I swore to give to your fathers. I said, 'I will never break my covenant with you.
2 Lani-ke kaliyikwenza isivumelwano labahlali balelilizwe, lizadiliza amalathi abo. Kodwa kalililalelanga ilizwi lami. Kuyini lokhu elikwenzileyo?
You must make no covenant with those who live in this land. You must tear down their altars.' But you have not listened to my voice. What is this that you have done?
3 Ngakho lami ngathi: Kangiyikuzixotsha elifeni phambi kwenu, kodwa zizakuba njengameva enhlangothini zenu, labonkulunkulu bazo babe ngumjibila kini.
So now I say, 'I will not drive the Canaanites out before you, but they will become thorns in your sides, and their gods will become a trap for you.'”
4 Kwasekusithi lapho ingilosi yeNkosi isikhulume lamazwi kubo bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli, abantu baphakamisa ilizwi labo bakhala inyembezi.
When the angel of Yahweh spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people shouted and wept.
5 Basebebiza ibizo laleyondawo ngokuthi yiBokimi, bayihlabela iNkosi lapho.
They called that place Bokim. There they offered sacrifices to Yahweh.
6 Kwathi uJoshuwa esebayekele abantu bahamba, abantwana bakoIsrayeli bahamba, ngulowo lalowo waya elifeni lakhe ukudla ilifa lelizwe.
Now when Joshua had sent the people on their way, the people of Israel each went to the place assigned, to take ownership of their 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 served Yahweh during the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him, those who had seen all of Yahweh's great deeds he had done for Israel.
8 UJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, inceku yeNkosi, wafa-ke, eleminyaka elikhulu letshumi.
Joshua son of Nun the servant of Yahweh, died at the age of 110 years old.
9 Basebemngcwabela emngceleni welifa lakhe eThiminathi-Heresi entabeni yakoEfrayimi, enyakatho kwentaba iGahashi.
They buried him within the border of the land he was assigned in Timnath Heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
10 Njalo lalesosizukulwana sabuthelwa kuboyise. Kwasekusukuma esinye isizukulwana emva kwabo esasingayazi iNkosi njalo lomsebenzi eyayiwenzele uIsrayeli.
All that generation was also gathered to their fathers. Another generation grew up after them who did not know Yahweh or what he had done for Israel.
11 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi, bakhonza oBhali.
The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh and they served the Baals.
12 Batshiya iNkosi, uNkulunkulu waboyise, eyabakhupha elizweni leGibhithe, balandela abanye onkulunkulu, kubonkulunkulu bezizwe ezazibazingelezele, bakhothama kibo, bayithukuthelisa iNkosi.
They broke away from Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, the very gods of the peoples who were around them, and they bowed down to them. They provoked Yahweh to anger because
13 Bayidela iNkosi, bakhonza uBhali laboAshitarothi.
they broke away from Yahweh and worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths.
14 Ngakho ulaka lweNkosi lwavutha kuIsrayeli, yabanikela esandleni sabaphangi ababaphangayo; yabathengisa esandleni sezitha zabo inhlangothi zonke, ukuze bangabe besaba lakho ukuma phambi kwazo.
The anger of Yahweh burned against Israel, and he gave them to the raiders who stole their possessions from them. He sold them as slaves who were held by the strength of their enemies around them, so they could no longer defend themselves against their enemies.
15 Loba bephuma besiya ngaphi, isandla seNkosi samelana labo ngokubi, njengokutsho kweNkosi lanjengokufunga kweNkosi kibo, njalo bacindezeleka kakhulu.
Wherever Israel went out to fight, Yahweh's hand was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them and they were in terrible distress.
16 INkosi yasimisa abahluleli ababophula esandleni salabo ababaphangayo.
Then Yahweh raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who were stealing their possessions.
17 Kanti kababalalelanga labahluleli babo, kodwa baphinga ngokulandela abanye onkulunkulu, bakhothama kibo; baphambuka masinyane endleleni oyise ababehamba kuyo, belalela imilayo yeNkosi. Bona kabenzanga njalo.
Yet they would not listen to their judges. They were unfaithful to Yahweh and gave themselves like prostitutes to other gods and worshiped them. They soon turned aside from the way their fathers had lived—those who had obeyed the commandments of Yahweh—but they themselves did not do so.
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 Yahweh raised up judges for them, Yahweh helped the judges and rescued them from the hand of their enemies all the days the judge lived. Yahweh had pity on them as they groaned because of those who oppressed them and afflicted them.
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, they would turn away and do things that were even more corrupt than their fathers had done. They would go after other gods to serve them and worship them. They refused to give up any of their evil practices or their stubborn ways.
20 Ngakho ulaka lweNkosi lwavutha kuIsrayeli, yathi: Ngoba lesisizwe seqe isivumelwano sami engasilaya oyise, kasilalelanga ilizwi lami,
The anger of Yahweh burned against Israel; he said, “Because this nation has broken the terms of my covenant that I had set in place for their fathers—because they have not listened to my voice—
21 lami kangisayikuxotsha loba ngubani elifeni phambi kwabo ezizweni uJoshuwa azitshiya ekufeni kwakhe,
I will not, from now on, drive out from before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died.
22 ukuze ngihlole ngazo uIsrayeli ukuthi bazagcina yini indlela yeNkosi ukuhamba kuyo njengaboyise bayigcina, kumbe hatshi.
I will do this so that I may test Israel, whether or not they will keep the way of Yahweh and walk in it, as their fathers kept it.”
23 Ngakho iNkosi yaziyekela lezozizwe, ukuze ingazixotshi elifeni masinyane, njalo kayizinikelanga esandleni sikaJoshuwa.
That is why Yahweh left those nations and did not drive them out quickly and give them into the hand of Joshua.
