< Abahluleli 3 >
1 Lalezi yizizwe iNkosi eyazitshiyayo ukuze ihlole uIsrayeli ngazo, bonke abangazazanga zonke izimpi zeKhanani;
2 kuphela ukuze izizukulwana zabantwana bakoIsrayeli zazi, ukuzifundisa impi, kuphela abangazazanga phambili:
3 Amakhosi amahlanu amaFilisti, lawo wonke amaKhanani, lamaSidoni, lamaHivi ayehlala entabeni yeLebhanoni, kusukela entabeni yeBhali-Hermoni kuze kube sekungeneni kweHamathi.
4 Zazingezokuhlola uIsrayeli ngazo ukwazi ukuthi bazayilalela yini imilayo yeNkosi eyabalaya yona oyise ngesandla sikaMozisi.
5 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli bahlala-ke phakathi kwamaKhanani, amaHethi, lamaAmori, lamaPerizi, lamaHivi, lamaJebusi.
6 Basebethatha amadodakazi awo ukuba ngomkabo, lamadodakazi abo bawanika amadodana awo, bakhonza onkulunkulu bawo.
7 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi, bayikhohlwa iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo, bakhonza oBhali lezixuku.
8 Ngakho ulaka lweNkosi lwavutha kuIsrayeli, yabathengisa esandleni sikaKushani-Rishathayimi inkosi yeMesopotamiya. Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebeyisebenzela inkosi uKushani-Rishathayimi iminyaka eyisificaminwembili.
9 Kwathi abantwana bakoIsrayeli bekhala eNkosini, iNkosi yabavusela abantwana bakoIsrayeli umkhululi owabakhululayo, uOthiniyeli indodana kaKenazi umfowabo kaKalebi ongumnawakhe.
10 Njalo uMoya weNkosi wayephezu kwakhe, wahlulela uIsrayeli, waphuma impi, iNkosi yanikela esandleni sakhe uKushani-Rishathayimi inkosi yeSiriya, lesandla sakhe saba lamandla phezu kukaKushani-Rishathayimi.
11 Lelizwe laba lokuthula iminyaka engamatshumi amane. UOthiniyeli indodana kaKenazi wasesifa.
12 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebebuya besenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi. INkosi yasimqinisa uEgiloni inkosi yakoMowabi ukumelana loIsrayeli, ngenxa yokuthi babenzile okubi emehlweni eNkosi.
13 Wasezibuthela abantwana bakoAmoni loAmaleki, waya wamtshaya uIsrayeli, badla ilifa lomuzi wamalala.
14 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesebenzela uEgiloni inkosi yakoMowabi iminyaka elitshumi leyisificaminwembili.
15 Kwathi abantwana bakoIsrayeli bekhala eNkosini, iNkosi yabavusela umkhululi, uEhudi indodana kaGera, umBhenjamini owayelinxele. Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebethumela ngesandla sakhe isipho kuEgiloni inkosi yakoMowabi.
16 UEhudi wasezenzela inkemba ebukhali inhlangothi ezimbili, ubude bayo buyingalo, wayibophela ngaphansi kwezigqoko zakhe ethangazini lakhe lokunene.
17 Wasondeza isipho kuEgiloni inkosi yakoMowabi. Njalo uEgiloni wayengumuntu okhulupheleyo kakhulu.
18 Kwasekusithi eseqedile ukusondeza isipho, wasephelekezela abantu ababethwele isipho.
19 Kodwa yena wabuyela emuva ezithombeni ezibaziweyo ezaziseGiligali, wathi: Nkosi, ngilendaba eyimfihlo kuwe. Yasisithi: Thula. Bonke ababemi laye basebephuma.
20 UEhudi wasesiza kuye ehlezi endlini ephezulu epholileyo eyayingeyakhe yedwa. UEhudi wathi: Ngilendaba kaNkulunkulu kuwe. Wasesukuma esihlalweni.
21 UEhudi waseselula isandla sakhe sokhohlo, wathatha inkemba ethangazini lakhe lokunene, wayithela esiswini sakhe,
22 kwaze kwangena lesilanda emva kobukhali, amahwahwa agubuzela ubukhali, ngoba kayingcothulanga inkemba esiswini sakhe, kwasekuphuma umswane.
23 UEhudi wasephuma ekhulusini, wavala iminyango yendlu ephezulu emva kwakhe, wayikhiya.
24 Yena esephumile, kwafika izinceku zakhe; kwathi zibona, khangela-ke, iminyango yendlu ephezulu yayikhiyiwe, zathi: Sibili wembese inyawo zakhe endlini epholileyo.
25 Njalo zalinda zaze zaba lenhloni; khangela-ke kavulanga iminyango yendlu ephezulu; ngakho zathatha isihluthulelo zavula, khangela-ke, inkosi yazo yayiwele phansi ifile.
26 UEhudi wasephunyuka zisalibele, yena wedlula ezithombeni ezibaziweyo, waphunyuka waya eSeyira.
27 Kwasekusithi ekufikeni kwakhe wavuthela uphondo entabeni yakoEfrayimi. Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesehla laye ezintabeni, yena ephambi kwabo.
28 Wasesithi kibo: Landelani emva kwami, ngoba iNkosi inikele izitha zenu amaMowabi esandleni senu. Ngakho behla bamlandela, bathumba amazibuko eJordani aye koMowabi, kabavumelanga muntu ukuchapha.
29 Basebebulala amaMowabi ngalesosikhathi angaba zinkulungwane ezilitshumi, amadoda wonke aqatha lawo wonke amadoda alamandla, njalo kakuphunyukanga muntu.
30 Ngalokho uMowabi wehliselwa phansi mhlalokho ngaphansi kwesandla sikaIsrayeli. Lelizwe laba lokuthula iminyaka engamatshumi ayisificaminwembili.
31 Lemva kwakhe kwaba loShamigari indodana kaAnathi, owatshaya amaFilisti amadoda angamakhulu ayisithupha ngocijo lwenkabi; laye wasemkhulula uIsrayeli.
