Abagwebi
3:1 Zizo ke ezi iintlanga awazishiyayo uYehova, ukuze awalinge ngazo amaSirayeli;
kwanamaSirayeli amaninzi awayengazazi zonke iimfazwe zakwaKanan;
3:2 Kuphela ukuze zazi izizukulwana zoonyana bakaSirayeli, ukufundisa
balwa, noko babengazi nto ngaphambili;
3:3 ezizezi, iinkosi ezihlanu zamaFilisti, namaKanan onke, namaYiputa
namaTsidon, namaHivi abehleli entabeni yeLebhanon, entabeni
eBhahali-hermon, wesa ekungeneni eHamati.
3:4 Aye ke aya kuwalinga amaSirayeli, ukuze kwaziwe ukuba athanda na
yiphulaphuleni imithetho kaYehova, awayinimiselayo
ooyise ngesandla sikaMoses.
3:5 Bahlala oonyana bakaSirayeli phakathi kwamaKanan, namaHeti, namaHeti
ama-Amori, namaPerizi, namaHivi, namaYebhusi;
3:6 Bazizeka iintombi zabo zaba ngabafazi babo, bandisa
iintombi zoonyana bazo, zakhonza oothixo bazo.
3:7 Oonyana bakaSirayeli benza ububi emehlweni kaYehova, balibala ke
uYehova uThixo wabo, bakhonza ooBhahali nooAshera.
3:8 Wavutha ke umsindo kaYehova kumaSirayeli, wathengisa ngawo
esandleni sikaKushan-rishatayim ukumkani wakwa-Aram phakathi kweMilambo, noonyana
UKushan-rishatayim wakhonza iminyaka esibhozo.
3:9 Bakhala oonyana bakaSirayeli kuYehova;
umhlanguli koonyana bakaSirayeli, wabahlangula, uOteniyeli
unyana kaKenazi, umninawa kaKalebhi.
3:10 Wafikelwa nguMoya kaYehova phezu kwakhe, wawalawula amaSirayeli, wahamba
+ yaye uYehova wamnikela uKushan-rishatayim + ukumkani wakwa-Aram phakathi kweMilambo
esandleni sakhe; saba namandla isandla sakhe kuKushan-rishatayim.
3:11 Lazola ilizwe iminyaka emashumi mane. Wafa uOteniyeli unyana kaKenazi.
3:12 Baphinda oonyana bakaSirayeli benza ububi emehlweni kaYehova
UYehova wamomeleza uEglon ukumkani wakwaMowabhi, ukuba awachase amaSirayeli;
benze ububi emehlweni kaYehova.
3:13 Wabahlanganisela kuye oonyana baka-Amon nama-Amaleki, wahamba
wawaxabela amaSirayeli, wawuhlutha uMzi wamaSundu.
3:14 Bamkhonza ke oonyana bakaSirayeli uEglon, ukumkani wakwaMowabhi, iminyaka elishumi elinesibhozo.
3:15 Bakhala oonyana bakaSirayeli kuYehova, wabavusa uYehova
wabakhuphela umhlanguli, uEhudi unyana kaGera, indoda yakwaBhenjamin
oonyana bakaSirayeli bathumela umnikelo ngesandla sakhe kuEglon
ukumkani wakwaMowabhi.
3:16 UEhude wazenzela ikrele elintlangothi mbini, liyikubhite ubude balo; kwaye
Wayibhinqa phantsi kwengubo yakhe ethangeni lakhe lasekunene.
3:17 Wawusondeza umnikelo kuEglon ukumkani wakwaMowabhi
umntu otyebileyo.
3:18 Kwathi, akugqiba ukuwusondeza umnikelo, wabandulula
abantu abakhoyo namhlanje.
3:19 Wabuya yena emifanekisweni eqingqiweyo eseGiligali
wathi, Ndinelizwi lasentsithelweni nawe, kumkani.
Baphuma bemka kuye bonke ababemi ngakuye.
3:20 Waya uEhude kuye; waye ehleli kwigumbi eliphezulu lasehlotyeni, abe lithetha yena
wayenaye yedwa. Wathi uEhude, Ndinelizwi likaThixo
wena. Wesuka esihlalweni.
3:21 Wasolula uEhude isandla sakhe sasekhohlo, wathabatha ikrele ngasekunene kwakhe
ethangeni, wamfaka esiswini;
3:22 Sangena nesiphatho, emva kwencakuba; amanqatha avingca phezu kwesibingelelo
nencakuba, ngokokude alirhole ikrele esiswini sakhe; kwaye i
kwaphuma ubumdaka.
3:23 Waphuma uEhude waya evarandeni, wazivala iingcango zetempile
wahlala phezu kwakhe, wazitshixa.
3:24 Ephumile ke yena, bafika abakhonzi bakhe; bakubona, nanko!
zitshixiwe iingcango zegumbi eliphezulu;
iinyawo egumbini lakhe lasehlotyeni.
3:25 Baphola ke bada baneentloni; nanko akalivulanga
iingcango zegumbi lokuhlambela; bathabatha isitshixo, bazivula;
nantso inkosi yabo iwe phantsi ifile.
3:26 UEhude wasaba, besazilazila, wagqitha emifanekisweni eqingqiweyo
wabalekela eSehira.
3:27 Kwathi, yakufika, yavuthela isigodlo ethafeni.
Behla naye oonyana bakaSirayeli, besuka ezintabeni zakwaEfrayim
intaba, yena ephambi kwayo.
3:28 Wathi kubo, Ndilandeleni, ngokuba uYehova unihlangule;
iintshaba zamaMowabhi esandleni senu. Behla bamlandela
bawabamba amazibuko aseYordan kwaMowabhi, akwavumela mntu ukuba awele
ngaphaya.
3:29 Babulala kwaMowabhi ngelo xesha, amadoda angathi angamawaka alishumi, onke etyebile;
nawo onke amadoda anobukroti; akwasinda mntu.
3:30 Woyiswa ke ngaloo mini uMowabhi phantsi kwesandla samaSirayeli. Nelizwe laba nako
iminyaka emashumi asibhozo.
3:31 Emva kwakhe nguShamgare, unyana ka-Anati, owabulala umlindi
AmaFilistiya amadoda angamakhulu amathandathu enoviko lweenkomo;
Sirayeli.