AbaHlulelii
3 Lezi ziintjhaba uJehova azivumela ukuthi zihlale ukwenzela bona zilinge boke abantu bakwa-Israyeli abangakhenge baqalane nezipi zamaKanana+ 2 (lokho wakwenzela ukuthi iinzukulwana ezilandelako zama-Israyeli ziqalane nepi, lezo ezingakhenge ziqalane nezinto ezinjalo ngaphambilini): 3 amakhosi amahlanu wamaFilista,+ amaKanana woke, amaTsidoni,+ namaRhivi+ ahlala eNtabeni iLibhanoni+ kusukela eNtabeni iBhali-Rherimoni bekube seLebo-Rhamathi.*+ 4 Iintjhabezi bezisilingo kuma-Israyeli bona kubonakale ukuthi ama-Israyeli azoyilalela na imiyalo kaJehova ayinikela abokhokho bawo ngoMosi.+ 5 Yeke ama-Israyeli ahlala hlangana namaKanana,+ amaRhiti, ama-Amori, amaPerizi, amaRhivi namaJebusi. 6 Ama-Israyeli bewasolo athatha amadodakazi weentjhabezi bona abe bomkawo, amadodakazawo bewawanikela amadodana weentjhabezi begodu athoma ukulotjha abozimu bazo.+
7 Ngalokho ama-Israyeli enza okumbi emehlweni kaJehova, akhohlwa uJehova uZimawo, alotjha aboBhali+ neengodo ezicwengileko.*+ 8 Yeke ilaka lakaJehova lavuthela ama-Israyeli, wawathengisela esandleni sakaKutjhana-Ritjhatayimu ikosi yeMesopotamiya.* Ama-Israyeli asebenzela uKutjhana-Ritjhatayimu iminyaka ebunane. 9 Kwathi ama-Israyeli nawabiza uJehova bona awasize,+ uJehova waphakamisa umsindisi bona asindise ama-Israyeli,+ u-Otiniyeli+ indodana kaKhenazi, umfowabo omncani kaKalebi. 10 Ummoya kaJehova wehlela phezu kwakhe,+ u-Otiniyeli waba ngumahluleli wama-Israyeli. Nakaphumako aya epini, uJehova wanikela uKutjhana-Ritjhatayimu ikosi yeMesopotamiya* esandleni sakhe, ngalokho wahlula uKutjhana-Ritjhatayimu. 11 Ngemva kwalokho, inarha yaba nokuthula* iminyaka ema-40. U-Otiniyeli indodana kaKhenazi wahlongakala.
12 Ama-Israyeli athoma phasi godu enza okumbi emehlweni kaJehova.+ Yeke uJehova wavumela u-Egiloni ikosi yakwaMowabi+ bona ahlule ama-Israyeli ngombana enza okumbi emehlweni kaJehova. 13 Ngaphezu kwalokho, waletha ama-Amoni+ nama-Amalekhi+ bona azokulwa nawo. Basahlela ama-Israyeli bebathumba idorobho lemithi yesundu.+ 14 Ama-Israyeli asebenzela u-Egiloni ikosi yakwaMowabi iminyaka eli-18.+ 15 Ama-Israyeli abiza uJehova bona awasize,+ yeke uJehova wawaphakamisela umsindisi,+ u-Ehudi+ indodana kaGera, umBhenjamini+ ogade asincele.+ Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, ama-Israyeli athumela umthelo ngaye ku-Egiloni ikosi yakwaMowabi. 16 U-Ehudi wazenzela isabula esika mahlangothi womabili, ubude bayo bebulingana nekhubhithi* begodu wayibophelela ngaphasi kwesambatho sakhe, enyongenakhe yangesidleni. 17 Wanikela u-Egiloni ikosi yakwaMowabi umthelo. U-Egiloni bekayindoda enone khulu.
18 Kwathi u-Ehudi nakaqeda ukwethula umthelo, wabuyela emuva nabantu ebebathwele umthelo. 19 Kodwana kwathi nakafika eenthombeni ezibaziweko* eGiligali,+ wabuyela emuva ekosini, wathi: “Nginomlayezwakho oyifihlo kosi.” Yeke ikosi yathi: “Thulani!” Ngalokho boke abasizi bayo baphuma. 20 U-Ehudi weza kiyo njengombana ihlezi yodwa ngekumbenayo esephahleni elipholileko. U-Ehudi wathi: “Nginomlayezwakho ovela kuZimu.” Ikosi yasikima esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi. 21 Yeke u-Ehudi wakhupha isabula esenyongenakhe yangesidleni ngesandla sakhe sesincele, wahlaba ikosi ngayo emathunjini. 22 Isabula yangena yoke kuhlanganise nesibambo sayo, yavalwa mafutha ngombana u-Ehudi akhenge ayikhuphe emathunjini wekosi begodu kwaphuma uthuvi. 23 U-Ehudi waphumela ngaphandle,* wavala iminyango yekumba esephahleni ngemva kwakhe bewayilodlhela. 24 Ngemva kobana akhambile, iinsebenzi zabuya zabona ukuthi iminyango yekumba esephahleni ilodlhelwe. Yeke zathi: “Kungenzeka ukuthi usazithuma ngekumbeni engaphakathi epholileko.” 25 Zalinda bezaba neenhloni, kodwana kwathi nazibona ukuthi ikosi ayivuli iminyango yekumba esephahleni, zathatha iinlodlhelo zayivula, zafumana ikosazo iwele phasi ihlongakele!
26 U-Ehudi wabaleka ngesikhathi zisariyada, wadlula eenthombeni ezibaziweko* bewafika ngokuphephileko eSeyira.+ 27 Kwathi nakafikako, wavuthela iphondo+ esifundeni seentaba zakwa-Efrayimu;+ ama-Israyeli ehla esifundeni seentaba, yena awadosa phambili. 28 Wathi kiwo: “Ngilandelani ngombana uJehova unikele amanabenu, bakwaMowabi, esandleni senu.” Yeke amlandela, athumba amazibuko weJordani ukwenzela bona abe namandla kebakwaMowabi begodu akhenge avumele namunye ayame. 29 Ngesikhatheso arhayila abantu bakwaMowabi abangaba zii-10 000,+ woke amadoda anamandla nanesibindi; ayikho nayinye eyaphunyurhako.+ 30 Yeke bakwaMowabi bahlulwa mhlokho ngaphasi kwesandla sama-Israyeli; inarha yaba nokuthula* iminyaka ema-80.+
31 Umahluleli olandelako kwaba nguTjhamgari+ indodana ka-Anathi, owarhayila amadoda wamaFilista+ ama-600 ngesitlhorholojakomo;+ naye wasindisa ama-Israyeli.