ABagwebi
3 Ke kaloku ezi ziintlanga+ uYehova awaziyeka zahlala ukuze avavanye+ uSirayeli ngazo, oko kukuthi, bonke abo bangazange babe namava eemfazwe zakwaKanan;+ 2 kuphela yayikukuze izizukulwana zoonyana bakaSirayeli zibe namava, ukuze zifundiswe imfazwe, oko kukuthi, kuphela abo bangazange babe namava ezinto ezinjalo ngaphambili: 3 Iinkosi ezintlanu ezimanyeneyo+ zamaFilisti,+ nawo onke amaKanan,+ kwanamaSidon+ namaHivi+ awayehlala kwiNtaba yeLebhanon+ ukusuka kwiNtaba yeBhahali-hermon+ ukuya kufikelela ekungeneni eHamati.+ 4 Yaye baqhubeka bengabameli bokuvavanya+ uSirayeli ukuze kwazeke enoba babeya kuyithobela na imiyalelo kaYehova awayiyalela ooyise ngoMoses.+ 5 Kwaye oonyana bakaSirayeli bahlala phakathi kwamaKanan,+ amaHiti nama-Amori namaPerizi namaHivi namaYebhusi.+ 6 Bazithabathela iintombi zawo ukuba zibe ngabafazi babo,+ kwaye ezabo iintombi bazinika oonyana bawo,+ baza bakhonza oothixo bawo.+
7 Ngoko oonyana bakaSirayeli benza okubi emehlweni kaYehova, yaye bamlibala uYehova uThixo+ wabo baza bakhonza ooBhahali+ nezibonda ezingcwele.+ 8 Ngenxa yoko wavutha umsindo kaYehova nxamnye noSirayeli,+ kangangokuba wabathengisa+ kwisandla sikaKushan-rishatayim ukumkani waseMesopotamiya;+ yaye oonyana bakaSirayeli baqhubeka bekhonza uKushan-rishatayim iminyaka esibhozo. 9 Kwaye oonyana bakaSirayeli bamemeza becela uncedo kuYehova.+ Waza uYehova wabavelisela umsindisi+ oonyana bakaSirayeli ukuze abasindise, uOteniyeli+ unyana kaKenazi,+ umninawa kaKalebhi.+ 10 Ngoku umoya+ kaYehova waba naye, kwaye waba ngumgwebi kaSirayeli. Xa waphumayo esiya edabini, uYehova wamnikela+ uKushan-rishatayim ukumkani waseSiriya esandleni sakhe saza isandla sakhe samongamela uKushan-rishatayim. 11 Emva koko ilizwe alizange libe nasiphazamiso iminyaka engamashumi amane. Ekugqibeleni wafa uOteniyeli unyana kaKenazi.
12 Yaye kwakhona oonyana bakaSirayeli babesenza okubi emehlweni kaYehova.+ UYehova wamyeka uEglon ukumkani wakwaMowabhi+ womelela nxamnye noSirayeli,+ ngenxa yokuba wenza okubi emehlweni kaYehova.+ 13 Ngapha koko, wahlanganisa oonyana baka-Amoni+ nabaka-Amaleki+ nxamnye nabo. Baza baya kumxabela uSirayeli yaye basithabatha isixeko semithi+ yesundu saba lilifa labo. 14 Yaye oonyana bakaSirayeli baqhubeka bekhonza uEglon ukumkani wakwaMowabhi iminyaka elishumi elinesibhozo.+ 15 Kwaye oonyana bakaSirayeli bamemeza becela uncedo kuYehova.+ Ngoko uYehova wabavelisela umsindisi, uEhudi+ unyana kaGera, umBhenjamin,+ indoda elinxele.+ Ekuhambeni kwexesha oonyana bakaSirayeli bathumela unikelo ngesandla sakhe kuEglon ukumkani wakwaMowabhi. 16 Ngelo thuba uEhudi wazenzela ikrele, kwaye lalintlangothi mbini,+ ubude balo buyikubhite. Waza walibhinqa phantsi kwesambatho sakhe ethangeni lakhe lasekunene.+ 17 Yaye wasondeza unikelo kuEglon ukumkani wakwaMowabhi.+ Ke uEglon wayeyindoda etyebe kakhulu.
18 Yaye kwathi akugqiba ukusondeza unikelo,+ kwaoko wabandulula abantu, abathwali bonikelo. 19 Kwaye yena wajika kumatye aqingqiweyo awayeseGiligali,+ waza wathi: “Ndinelizwi lasemfihlekweni nawe, Owu kumkani.” Ngoko wathi: “Yithini cwaka!” Ngoko bonke abo babemi ngakuye bemka kuye.+ 20 Kwaye uEhudi weza kuye njengoko wayehleli kwigumbi lakhe elipholileyo eliseluphahleni. Yaye uEhudi wahlabela mgama wathi: “Ndinelizwi lakho elivela kuThixo.” Waphakama etroneni yakhe. 21 Waza uEhudi wolula isandla sakhe sasekhohlo wathabatha ikrele ethangeni lakhe lasekunene waza walifaka esiswini sakhe. 22 Yaye isiphatho saqhubeka singena naso emva kwencakuba kangangokuba amanqatha ayivingcela incakuba, kuba akazange alitsale ikrele esiswini sakhe, yaye kwaqalisa ukuphuma ilindle. 23 Yaye uEhudi waphuma ngomngxuma wokungenisa umoya, kodwa wazivala iingcango zegumbi eliseluphahleni waza wazitshixa. 24 Yena waphuma.+
Abakhonzi bakhe bafika baza baqalisa ukukhangela, yaye iingcango zegumbi eliseluphahleni zazitshixiwe. Ngoko bathi: “Usazithuma+ nje kwigumbi langaphakathi elipholileyo.” 25 Baqhubeka belindile de baba neentloni, yaye, khangela! akuzange kubekho bani uvula iingcango zegumbi eliseluphahleni. Ngoko bathabatha isitshixo baza bazivula, kwaye, khangela! inkosi yabo yayiwele emhlabeni ifile!
26 Ke yena uEhudi, wabaleka ngoxa babezilazila, wadlula ngasematyeni aqingqiweyo+ waza wabalekela eSehira. 27 Wathi akufika apho wavuthela isigodlo+ kummandla weentaba wakwaEfrayim;+ baza oonyana bakaSirayeli behla naye kummandla weentaba, yena ebakhokela. 28 Wathi kubo: “Ndilandeleni,+ ngenxa yokuba uYehova uzinikele esandleni senu+ iintshaba zenu, amaMowabhi.” Bamlandela baza bawathimba amazibuko+ aseYordan nxamnye namaMowabhi, kwaye abazange bavumele nabani na ukuba adlule. 29 Ngelo xesha bamxabela uMowabhi, malunga namadoda angamawaka alishumi,+ bonke bomelele+ yaye bengamakroti; akukho namnye owabalekayo.+ 30 Woyiswa ke ngaloo mini uMowabhi phantsi kwesandla sikaSirayeli; kwaye ilizwe alizange libe nasiphazamiso singakumbi iminyaka engamashumi asibhozo.+
31 Emva kwakhe kwabakho uShamgare+ unyana ka-Anati, kwaye waxabela amaFilisti,+ amadoda angamakhulu amathandathu, ngoviko lweenkomo; naye wamsindisa uSirayeli.+