Judg 11 | NdeIBE | STEP | UJefitha umGileyadi wayelibutho elilamandla. Uyise wayenguGileyadi; unina wayeliwule.

Judges 11

1 UJefitha umGileyadi wayelibutho elilamandla. Uyise wayenguGileyadi; unina wayeliwule. 2 UmkaGileyadi wamzalela lamadodana, okwathi esekhulile asexotsha uJefitha. Athi kuye, “Wena akulalifa ozalithola emulini yakwethu ngoba uyindodana yomunye umfazi.” 3 Ngakho uJefitha wabaleka kubafowabo wayahlala elizweni laseThobi, lapho abuthanelwa khona lixuku lezigebenga zamlandela.

4 Ngesinye isikhathi muva kwalokho, ama-Amoni esilwa impi lo-Israyeli, 5 abadala baseGileyadi bahamba bayathatha uJefitha elizweni laseThobi. 6 Bathi kuye, “Woza ube ngumlawuli wethu ukuze silwe lama-Amoni.”

7 UJefitha wathi kubo, “Kanje kalingizondanga yini langixotsha endlini kababa na? Kungani lisiza kimi khathesi, seliphakathi kohlupho?”

8 Abadala baseGileyadi bathi kuye, “Lanxa kunjalo, khathesi sesiphendukela kuwe; hamba lathi ekulweni lama-Amoni, njalo uzakuba yinduna yabo bonke abahlala eGileyadi.”

9 UJefitha waphendula wathi, “Uma lingabuyela lami emuva ekuyenikulwa lama-Amoni uJehova awanikele kimi – ngizakuba yinduna yenu sibili na?”

10 Abadala baseGileyadi baphendula bathi, “UJehova ungufakazi wethu; sizakwenza njengoba usitsho impela.” 11 Ngakho uJefitha wahamba labadala baseGileyadi, abantu bamenza waba yinduna lomlawuli wabo. Wawaphinda wonke amazwi akhe phambi kukaJehova eMizipha.

12 Emva kwalokho uJefitha wathuma izithunywa enkosini yama-Amoni lombuzo othi: “Kuyini osibangisa khona uze uhlasele ilizwe lethu na?”

13 Inkosi yama-Amoni yaphendula izithunywa zikaJefitha yathi, “Aba-Israyeli sebesukile eGibhithe bathatha ilizwe lami kusukela e-Arinoni kusiya eJabhokhi, ummango wonke kusiya eJodani. Khathesi libuyiseleni ngokuthula.”

14 UJefitha wazibuyisela izithunywa enkosini yama-Amoni, 15 esithi, “Nanku okutshiwo nguJefitha: U-Israyeli kazange athathe ilizwe laseMowabi loba ilizwe lama-Amoni. 16 Kodwa ekusukeni kwakhe eGibhithe, u-Israyeli wadabula enkangala esiya eLwandle oluBomvu laphambili eKhadeshi. 17 U-Israyeli wathuma izithunywa enkosini yase-Edomi esithi, ‘Ake usinike imvumo yokudabula phakathi kwelizwe lakho,’ kodwa inkosi yase-Edomi kayilalelanga. Bathumela lasenkosini yaseMowabi, layo yala. Ngakho u-Israyeli wahlala eKhadeshi.

18 “Emva kwalokho bahamba bedabula phakathi kwenkangala, beceza ilizwe lase-Edomi lelaseMowabi, badlula beseceleni langasempumalanga kwelizwe laseMowabi, bamisa ngakwelinye icele le-Arinoni. Kabangenanga elizweni laseMowabi, ngoba i-Arinoni yayingumngcele walo.

19 “U-Israyeli wasethuma izithunywa kuSihoni inkosi yama-Amori, owayebusa eHeshibhoni, wathi kuye, ‘Akusivumele sidlule phakathi kwelizwe lakho sisiya endaweni yethu.’ 20 Kodwa uSihoni kamthembanga u-Israyeli ukuba adlule phakathi kwelizwe lakhe. Wabutha abantu bakhe bonke wamisa eJahazi walwa lo-Israyeli.

21 “Kwathi uJehova, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, wanikela uSihoni labantu bakhe bonke ezandleni zika-Israyeli wabehlula. U-Israyeli walithatha lonke ilizwe lama-Amori ayehlala kulelolizwe, 22 walithumba lonke kusukela e-Arinoni kusiya eJabhokhi lokusuka enkangala kusiya eJodani.

23 “Njengoba uJehova, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ewaxotshile ama-Amori phambi kwabantu bakhe u-Israyeli, wena ulelungelo bani lokulithatha na? 24 Kawuyikuthatha lokho okuphiwa ngunkulunkulu wakho uKhemoshi na? Ngokunjalo, yiloba yikuphi uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu asiphe khona, sizakuthatha. 25 Wena ungcono yini kuloBhalaki indodana kaZiphori, inkosi yaseMowabi? Kanje wake waxabana lo-Israyeli loba walwa laye na?

26 U-Israyeli wahlala eHeshibhoni iminyaka engamakhulu amathathu, e-Aroweri, lasemizaneni eseduzane kanye lakuyo yonke imizi elinganisane le-Arinoni. Kungani ungazihlangulanga lezondawo ngalesosikhathi?

27 Kangikonelanga, kodwa wena wenza okubi kimi ngokungihlasela ngempi. Akuthi uJehova, uMahluleli, ahlulele umbango ngalolosuku phakathi kwama-Israyeli lama-Amoni.”

28 Kodwa inkosi yama-Amoni kayilinakanga ilizwi eyayilithunyelwe nguJefitha.

29 Lapho-ke uMoya kaJehova wehlela kuJefitha. Wadabula eGileyadi kanye lakoManase, wedlula eMizipha yase-Gileyadi, kuthe esuka lapho waqhubekela kuma-Amoni.

30 Njalo uJefitha wafunga isifungo kuJehova wathi, “Unganikela ama-Amoni ezandleni zami,

31 loba kuyini okuphuma emnyango wendlu yami ukuba kungihlangabeze lapho ngibuya nginqobile ngivela kuma-Amoni kuzakuba ngokukaJehova, njalo ngizakunikela njengomhlatshelo wokutshiswa.”

32 UJefitha waya ngaphetsheya ukuyakulwa lama-Amoni, njalo uJehova wawanikela ezandleni zakhe. 33 Wabhuqa imizi engamatshumi amabili kusukela e-Aroweri kusiya eduze leMinithi, kusiyafika lase-Abheli Kheramimi. U-Israyeli wayinqoba kanjalo i-Amoni.

34 UJefitha esebuyele emzini wakhe eMizipha, ngubani owaphuma wamhlangabeza ngaphandle kwendodakazi yakhe, igida kukhala amagedla! Yayinguye yedwa umntanakhe. Ngaphandle kwakhe wayengelandodana loba indodakazi. 35 Kwathi eyibona wadabula izigqoko zakhe wakhala esithi, “O! Ndodakazi yami! Usungidabule wangenza ngaba lusizi, ngoba ngifunge isifungo kuJehova engingeke ngisephule.”

36 Yona yaphendula yathi, “Baba, wethule ilizwi lakho kuJehova. Kimi yenza njengoba uthembisile, njengoba uJehova esekuphindisele ezitheni zakho, ama-Amoni.” 37 Wasesithi, “Kodwa ngivumela isicelo lesi esisodwa. Nginika izinyanga ezimbili ukuba ngizulazule ezintabeni ngilile labangane bami, ngoba angiyikwenda.”

38 Yena wathi, “Ungahamba.” Wayivumela ukuba ihambe okwezinyanga ezimbili. Yona lamantombazana lawo baya ezintabeni balila ngoba yayingasoze yende.

39 Emva kwezinyanga ezimbili yabuyela kuyise wasesenza kuyo njengoba wayefungile. Yayiyintombi egcweleyo. Kulokhu yikho okuvela khona umkhuba wama-Israyeli 40 wokuthi minyaka yonke izintombi zako-Israyeli ziyaphuma okwezinsuku ezine ukuba zikhumbule indodakazi kaJefitha umGileyadi.