AbaHluleli

11 UJefta + waseGileyadi wayeyiqhawe elinamandla; wayeyindodana yesifebe, uyise kunguGileyadi. 2 Kodwa umkaGileyadi naye wamzalela amanye amadodana. Lapho amadodana omkakhe ekhula, amxosha uJefta athi kuye: “Ngeke ube nafa endlini kababa, ngoba uyindodana yomunye umama.” 3 Ngakho uJefta wabaleka kubafowabo wayohlala ezweni laseThobi. Amadoda angomahlalela azihlanganisa noJefta, ayehamba naye ukuyohlasela isitha.

4 Ngemva kwesikhathi esithile abakwa-Amoni balwa no-Israyeli. + 5 Kwathi lapho abakwa-Amoni belwa no-Israyeli, ngokushesha amadoda amadala aseGileyadi ahamba ayolanda uJefta ezweni laseThobi. 6 Athi kuJefta: “Woza uzoba ngumkhuzi webutho lethu, ukuze silwe nabakwa-Amoni.” 7 Kodwa uJefta wathi emadodeni amadala aseGileyadi: “Akunina yini enangizonda naze nangixosha endlini kababa? + Kungani niza kimi manje lapho senisosizini?” 8 Amadoda amadala aseGileyadi amphendula uJefta athi: “Yingakho manje sesibuyele kuwe. Uma uhamba nathi siyolwa nabakwa-Amoni, uzoba umholi wabo bonke abantu baseGileyadi.” + 9 Ngakho uJefta wathi emadodeni amadala aseGileyadi: “Uma ningibuyisa ukuze ngilwe nabakwa-Amoni, bese uJehova engisiza ngibanqobe, khona-ke nakanjani ngizoba umholi wenu!” 10 Amadoda amadala aseGileyadi athi kuJefta: “UJehova makabe ufakazi* phakathi kwethu, asahlulele uma singenzi njengoba usho.” 11 Ngakho uJefta wahamba namadoda amadala aseGileyadi, abantu bambeka waba umholi nomkhuzi webutho labo. UJefta wakhuluma wonke amazwi ababevumelane ngawo phambi kukaJehova eMispa. +

12 Ngemva kwalokho, uJefta wathumela izithunywa enkosini yakwa-Amoni, + wathi: “Ungibangisani* njengoba uzohlasela izwe lami?” 13 Ngakho inkosi yakwa-Amoni yathi ezithunyweni zikaJefta: “Yingoba u-Israyeli wathatha izwe lami lapho ephuma eGibhithe, + kusukela e-Arinoni + kuya eJabhoki kuze kufike eJordani. + Manje libuyise ngokuthula.” 14 Kodwa uJefta waphinde wathumela izithunywa enkosini yakwa-Amoni 15 zathi kuyo:

“Yilokhu uJefta akushoyo, ‘U-Israyeli akazange alithathe izwe lakwaMowabi + nezwe lakwa-Amoni, + 16 ngoba lapho u-Israyeli ephuma eGibhithe, wahamba wanqamula ehlane wadlula oLwandle Olubomvu + waze wafika eKadeshi. + 17 U-Israyeli wabe esethumela izithunywa enkosini yakwa-Edomi, + wathi: “Sicela usivumele sinqamule ezweni lakho,” kodwa inkosi yakwa-Edomi ayivumanga. Wathumela nasenkosini yakwaMowabi, + kodwa nayo ayizange ivume. Ngakho u-Israyeli waqhubeka ehlala eKadeshi. + 18 Lapho enqamula ehlane, wahambela kude nezwe lakwa-Edomi + nelakwaMowabi. Wadlula ngasempumalanga yezwe lakwaMowabi + wafike wamisa amatende e-Arinoni; akazange angene ngaphakathi kwemingcele yakwaMowabi, + ngoba i-Arinoni laliwumngcele wakwaMowabi.

19 “ ‘Ngemva kwalokho u-Israyeli wathumela izithunywa kuSihoni inkosi yama-Amori, inkosi yaseHeshibhoni, u-Israyeli wathi kuye: “Sicela ukunqamula ezweni lakho siye endaweni yethu.” + 20 Kodwa uSihoni wayengamethembi u-Israyeli ukuba amvumele anqamule endaweni yakhe, ngakho uSihoni wabuthela bonke abantu bakhe ndawonye waya eJahazi wayolwa no-Israyeli. + 21 UJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli wanikela uSihoni nabo bonke abantu bakhe esandleni sika-Israyeli, u-Israyeli wamnqoba, wayithatha yonke indawo yama-Amori ayehlala kulelo zwe. + 22 Wayithatha kanjalo yonke indawo yama-Amori kusukela e-Arinoni kuya eJabhoki nokusukela ehlane kuze kufike eJordani. +

23 “ ‘NguJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli owaxosha ama-Amori phambi kwabantu bakhe u-Israyeli, + manje ingabe wena usufuna ukubaxosha? 24 Akubi yini okwakho konke lokho unkulunkulu wakho uKemoshi + akunika kona? Ngakho wonke umuntu uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu amxoshayo phambi kwethu nguye esizomxosha. + 25 Manje, wena ungcono yini kunoBhalaki + indodana kaZipori, inkosi yakwaMowabi? Wake waphikisana yini no-Israyeli, noma wake walwa yini naye? 26 Lapho u-Israyeli ehlala eHeshibhoni nasemizini eyakhelene nalo *+ nase-Aroweri nasemizini eyakhelene nalo nakuwo wonke amadolobha agudle i-Arinoni iminyaka engu-300, kungani ningazange nizame ukuzithatha ngaleso sikhathi lezi zindawo? + 27 Angizange ngikone, kodwa wena unephutha ngokulwa nami. UJehova uMahluleli + makahlulele namuhla phakathi kwabantu bakwa-Israyeli nabantu bakwa-Amoni.’ ”

28 Kodwa inkosi yakwa-Amoni ayifunanga ukuwulalela umyalezo uJefta ayewuthumele kuyo.

29 Umoya kaJehova wehlela kuJefta, + wadabula eGileyadi nakwaManase elibangise eMispe laseGileyadi, + ukusuka eMispe laseGileyadi wadlulela kwabakwa-Amoni.

30 UJefta wafunga + kuJehova wathi: “Uma unikela abakwa-Amoni esandleni sami, 31 noma ubani oyophuma kuqala emnyango wendlu yami ezongihlangabeza lapho ngibuya ngokuthula kwabakwa-Amoni, uyoba ngokaJehova, + ngizomnikela abe ngumnikelo oshiswayo.” +

32 Ngakho uJefta wahamba wayokulwa nabakwa-Amoni, uJehova wabanikela esandleni sakhe. 33 Wababulala kwalala uyaca kusukela e-Aroweri kwaze kwafika eMiniti—amadolobha angu-20—kwaze kwafika nase-Abela-keramimi. Ngaleyo ndlela ama-Israyeli abanqoba abakwa-Amoni.

34 Ekugcineni uJefta wafika emzini wakhe eMispa, + kwaphuma indodakazi yakhe izomhlangabeza, idlala ithamborini futhi idansa! Yayiwukuphela komntwana ayenaye. Ngaphandle kwayo, wayengenandodana nandodakazi. 35 Lapho eyibona, waklebhula izingubo zakhe wathi: “Awu, ndodakazi yami! Waze wangizwisa ubuhlungu,* ngoba uwena lo engimdingisile. Manje sengize ngafunga kuJehova, futhi angikwazi ukushintsha.” +

36 Kodwa yona yathi kuye: “Baba, uma ufungile kuJehova, yenza kimi ngokwalokho okuthembisile, + njengoba uJehova ekuphindiselele ezitheni zakho, abakwa-Amoni.” 37 Yabe isithi kuyise: “Nginesicelo esisodwa nje: Ngivumele ngihambe ngiye ezintabeni izinyanga ezimbili, ngiyokhalela ubuntombi bami kanye namantombazane angabangani bami.”*

38 Waphendula wathi: “Kulungile ungahamba.” Ngakho wayidedela yahamba izinyanga ezimbili yaya ezintabeni nabangani bayo iyokhalela ubuntombi bayo. 39 Ekupheleni kwezinyanga ezimbili yabuyela kuyise, okwathi ngemva kwalokho wafeza isifungo ayesenzile ngokuqondene nayo. + Ayizange ilale nendoda ukuphila kwayo konke. Kwaba nale nqubo* kwa-Israyeli: 40 Unyaka nonyaka, izintombi zakwa-Israyeli zazihamba ziyoncoma indodakazi kaJefta waseGileyadi, izinsuku ezine ngonyaka.