Abehluleli 3

3 ¹Lezi yizizwe uBaba wethu azishiyayo ukuze avivinye u-Israyeli—bonke ababengakaze bazi lutho ngezimpi zaseKhanani. ²(Wakwenza lokhu kuphela ukuze izizukulwane zakwa-Israyeli ezazingakaze ziyibone impi zifunde ukulwa.). ³Izizwe yilezi: ababusi abahlanu bamaFilisti, wonke amaKhanani, amaSidoni, namaHivi ayehlala ezintabeni zaseLebanoni, kusukela eNtabeni iBhali-Hermoni kuze kufike eLebo-Hamathi. ⁴Ayezokuvivinya u-Israyeli—ukubona ukuthi uyakuyilalela yini imiyalo kaBaba wethu, ayeyinike okhokho babo ngoMose. ⁵Ngakho abakwa-Israyeli bahlala phakathi kwamaKhanani, amaHeti, ama-Amori, amaPherizi, amaHivi, namaJebusi. ⁶Bathatha amadodakazi alezi zizwe, banika amadodana azo amadodakazi abo, bakhonza onkulunkulu bazo.

UBaba Uvusa U-Othiniyeli

⁷U-Israyeli wenza okubi emehlweni kaBaba wethu, wamkhohlwa uBaba wabo, wakhonza oBhali no-Ashera. ⁸Ngakho intukuthelo kaBaba wethu yavutha ngaku-Israyeli; wabathengisa kuKhushani-Rishathayimi inkosi yase-Aramu-Naharayimi, u-Israyeli amkhonza iminyaka eyisishiyagalombili. ⁹Kwathi lapho abakwa-Israyeli bekhala kuBaba wethu, wabavusela umsindisi—u-Othiniyeli indodana kaKhenazi, umnawakhe kaKhalebi—owabasindisayo. ¹⁰UMoya kaBaba wethu wehlela phezu kwakhe, wahlulela u-Israyeli. Waphuma waya empini, uBaba wethu wanikela uKhushani-Rishathayimi inkosi yase-Aramu esandleni sakhe, isandla sakhe sanqoba uKhushani-Rishathayimi. ¹¹Izwe laba nokuthula iminyaka engamashumi amane, kwaze kwafa u-Othiniyeli indodana kaKhenazi.

UBaba Uvusa U-Ehudi

¹²Abakwa-Israyeli baphinda benza okubi emehlweni kaBaba wethu, futhi ngenxa yokwenza kwabo lokhu okubi, uBaba wethu waqinisa u-Egiloni inkosi yakwaMowabi ukuba amelane no-Israyeli. ¹³U-Egiloni wabutha ama-Amoni nama-Amaleki, wahamba washaya u-Israyeli, bathatha uMuzi WamaSundu. ¹⁴Abakwa-Israyeli bakhonza u-Egiloni inkosi yakwaMowabi iminyaka eyishumi nesishiyagalombili. ¹⁵Abakwa-Israyeli baphinda bakhala kuBaba wethu; wavusa u-Ehudi indodana kaGera, umuntu wakwaBhenjamini onxele, ukuba abe umsindisi. Bathumela ngaye intela ku-Egiloni inkosi yakwaMowabi. ¹⁶U-Ehudi wazenzela inkemba esika nhlangothi zombili, ubude bayo cishe izintshi eziyishumi nesishiyagalombili, wayibophela ngaphansi kwezingubo zakhe ethangeni lakhe lesokunene. ¹⁷Wethula intela ku-Egiloni inkosi yakwaMowabi, owayeyindoda ekhuluphele kakhulu. ¹⁸Kwathi u-Ehudi eseqedile ukwethula intela, wabamukisa abantu ababeyithwele. ¹⁹Yena waphenduka ezithombeni ezaziseduze neGiligali, wathi: “Nginomlayezo oyimfihlo kuwe, nkosi.” Inkosi yathi: “Thula!” Zonke izinceku zayo zamshiya.

²⁰U-Ehudi wasondela kuye, ehlezi yedwa ekamelweni lakhe eliphezulu elipholile. U-Ehudi wathi: “Nginezwi elivela kuNkulunkulu kuwe.” Inkosi yasukuma esihlalweni sayo. ²¹U-Ehudi welula isandla sakhe sobunxele, wathatha inkemba ethangeni lakhe lesokunene, wayigwaza esiswini sika-Egiloni. ²²Isibambo sayo sangena silandela udlamvu; amanoni avala phezu kwayo. Njengoba u-Ehudi engayihoshanga inkemba esiswini sakhe, amathumbu akhe aphuma. ²³U-Ehudi waphumela empheme, wavala iminyango yekamelo eliphezulu ngemuva kwakhe, wayikhiya.

²⁴Emva kokuhamba kwakhe, izinceku zakhe zafika zathola iminyango yekamelo eliphezulu ikhiyiwe, zathi: “Mhlawumbe uyazikhulula ekamelweni elipholile.” ²⁵Zalinda zaze zaba namahloni, kodwa wayelokhu engakayivuli iminyango yekamelo eliphezulu. Ngakho zathatha ukhiye, zavula, zathola inkosi yazo iwele phansi, ifile.

²⁶Ngesikhathi zisalibele, u-Ehudi wabaleka. Wedlula izithombe, wabalekela eSeyira. ²⁷Wafika, wabetha uphondo lwenqama ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi, abakwa-Israyeli behla naye bevela ezintabeni, u-Ehudi ehamba phambili. ²⁸Wathi: “Ngilandeleni, ngokuba uBaba wethu uzinikele izitha zenu amaMowabi esandleni senu.” Behla bemlandela, bathatha amazibuko aseJordani ukumelana namaMowabi, abavumela muntu ukuba awele. ²⁹Ngaleso sikhathi babulala amaMowabi acishe abe izinkulungwane eziyishumi, onke ayemadoda anamandla, aqinile; akuphunyukanga noyedwa. ³⁰Ngakho amaMowabi ehlulwa ngalolo suku ngaphansi kwesandla sakwa-Israyeli, izwe laba nokuthula iminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalombili.

³¹Emva kwakhe kweza uShamgari indodana ka-Anathi, wabulala amaFilisti angamakhulu ayisithupha ngenduku yokuqhuba izinkabi; naye wamsindisa u-Israyeli.