AbaHlulelii

11 Nje-ke uJafta+ umGiliyadi bekayingorho enamandla; uJafta bekayindodana yengwadla begodu uyise bekunguGiliyadi. 2 Kodwana umkaGiliyadi naye wambelethela amadodana. Kwathi amadodana lawo nasele akhulile, aqotha uJafta athi kuye: “Angeze ube nelifa emzini kababa, ngombana uyindodana yomunye umfazi.” 3 Yeke uJafta wabalekela abafowabo, wahlala enarheni yeThobu. Amadoda avilaphako azihlanganisa noJafta begodu amlandela.

4 Ngemva kwesikhathi, ama-Amoni alwa no-Israyeli.+ 5 Kwathi ama-Amoni nawalwa no-Israyeli, abadala beGiliyadi bakhamba khonokho bayokuthatha uJafta enarheni yeThobu. 6 Bathi kuJafta: “Yiza uzokuba mlawulethu, bona silwe nama-Amoni.” 7 Kodwana uJafta wathi ebadaleni beGiliyadi: “Kghani akusingini enangihloya khulu benangiqotha endlini kababa?+ Kubayini nize kimi nje nasele nigandelelekile?” 8 Abadala beGiliyadi baphendula uJafta bathi: “Kungebangelo sibuyele kuwe nje. Nawungakhamba nathi siyokulwa nama-Amoni, uzokuba mrholi wazo zoke izakhamuzi zeGiliyadi.”+ 9 Yeke uJafta wathi ebadaleni beGiliyadi: “Nange ningibuyisa bona ngizokulwa nama-Amoni begodu uJehova angihlulele wona, kwamambala ngizonirhola!” 10 Abadala beGiliyadi baphendula uJafta bathi: “UJehova akabe ngufakazi phakathi kwethu nange singenzi ngokwamezwakho.” 11 Nje-ke uJafta wakhamba nabadala beGiliyadi, abantu bambeka bona abe mrholi nomlawulabo. UJafta wabuyelela amezwakhe woke phambi kwakaJehova eMitsipha.+

12 Ngemva kwalokho, uJafta wathumela iinthunywa ekosini yama-Amoni,+ wathi: “Ungibangisani bona ungabe uphume ipi uzokusahlela inarhami?” 13 Ikosi yama-Amoni yathi eenthunyweni zakaJafta: “Kungebanga lokuthi u-Israyeli wathatha inarhami nakakhuphuka aphuma eGibhide,+ kusukela e-Arinoni+ ukuya eJabokhi bekuyokufika eJordani.+ Nje-ke ibuyise ngokuthula.” 14 Kodwana uJafta wathumela iinthunywa bona zibuyele ekosini yama-Amoni 15 zithi kiyo:

“Nakhu okutjhiwo nguJafta: ‘U-Israyeli akhenge athathe inarha yamaMowabi+ nenarha yama-Amoni,+ 16 ngombana nakakhuphuka aphuma eGibhide, u-Israyeli wakhamba emmangweni bekwaba seLwandle eliBomvu,+ wafika eKhadetjhi.+ 17 Ngemva kwalokho, u-Israyeli wathumela iinthunywa ekosini yakwa-Edomu,+ wathi: “Sibawa usivumele sidlule enarhenakho,” kodwana ikosi yakwa-Edomu akhenge ilalele. Wathumela nomlayezo ekosini yakwaMowabi,+ kodwana akhenge ivume. Yeke u-Israyeli wasolo ahlala eKhadetjhi.+ 18 Nakakhamba emmangweni wagegeda inarha yakwa-Edomu+ nenarha yakwaMowabi. Wakhamba ngepumalanga yenarha yakwaMowabi+ begodu wahloma ikampa esifundeni se-Arinoni; akhenge eqe umkhawulo angene endaweni yakwaMowabi,+ ngombana i-Arinoni beyimkhawulo wakwaMowabi.

19 “‘Ngemva kwalokho, u-Israyeli wathumela iinthunywa kuSirhoni ikosi yama-Amori, ikosi yeRhetjhibhoni, wathi kuye: “Sibawa usivumele sidlule enarhenakho siye endawenethu.”+ 20 Kodwana uSirhoni akhenge amthembe u-Israyeli begodu akhenge amvumele bona adlule enarhenakhe, yeke uSirhoni wahlanganisa abantu bakhe boke bahloma ikampa eJahatsi, balwa no-Israyeli.+ 21 Ngalokho uJehova uZimu ka-Israyeli wanikela uSirhoni nabantu bakhe boke esandleni saka-Israyeli kangangobana wabahlula begodu u-Israyeli wathatha yoke inarha yama-Amori, okuzizakhamuzi zenarha leyo.+ 22 Ngokunjalo wathatha soke isifunda sama-Amori kusukela e-Arinoni ukuya eJabokhi nokusuka emmangweni ukuya eJordani.+

23 “‘NguJehova uZimu ka-Israyeli owaqotha ama-Amori phambi kwabantu bakhe u-Israyeli,+ alo nje ufuna ukuqotha ama-Israyeli? 24 Kghani awuthathi nanyana yini uzimakho uKemotjhi+ akupha yona? Yeke woke umuntu uJehova uZimethu amqotha phambi kwethu nathi sizomqotha.+ 25 Kghani wena ungcono kunoBhalaki+ indodana kaTsipori ikosi yakwaMowabi? Kghani yena khewaphikisana no-Israyeli namkha walwa naye na? 26 Lokha u-Israyeli nakahlala eRhetjhibhoni nemadorobheni ayibhodileko,+ e-Aroweri nemadorobheni ayibhodileko nakiwo woke amadorobho amagega nomlambo we-Arinoni iminyaka ema-300, kubayini ungakhenge ulinge ukuwathatha ngesikhatheso?+ 27 Angikakoni, kodwana yimbi into oyenzako yokungisahlela. UJehova uMahluleli+ akabe ngumahluleli namhlanjesi phakathi kwabantu bakwa-Israyeli nabantu bakwa-Amoni.’”

28 Kodwana ikosi yama-Amoni akhenge ilalele umlayezo uJafta awuthumela kiyo.

29 Ummoya kaJehova weza phezu kwakaJafta, uJafta+ wadlula eGiliyadi nakwaManase bona atjhinge eMitsiphe yeGiliyadi, wasuka eMitsiphe yeGiliyadi+ waraga watjhinga kuma-Amoni.

30 Ngemva kwalokho, uJafta wenza isifungo+ kuJehova wathi: “Nawunganikela ama-Amoni esandleni sami, 31 nanyana ngubani ophuma emnyango wendlwami azongihlangabeza nangibuya ngokuthula ekulweni nama-Amoni uzokuba ngewakaJehova+ begodu ngizokunikela ngaye bona abe mnikelo otjhiswako.”+

32 Yeke uJafta wakhamba wayokulwa nama-Amoni begodu uJehova wawanikela esandleni sakhe. 33 Wawarhayila, wabulala abantu abanengi kusukela e-Aroweri ukuya eMinithi, amadorobho ama-20, ukuyokufika e-Abela-Keramimi. Ngokunjalo ama-Amoni ahlulwa ma-Israyeli.

34 Ekugcineni uJafta weza kwakhe eMitsipha,+ qala! indodakazakhe yaphuma izomhlangabeza, idlala abosotjherere begodu ijida! Beyiyithorwanakhe. Ngaphandle kwayo bekanganandodana namkha indodakazi. 35 Kwathi nakayibonako, wadabula izambatho zakhe wathi: “Maye! Ndodakazami ungizwise ubuhlungu ngombana ungiloyo engimqothileko. Nje ngivule umlomami kuJehova begodu angikghoni ukubuyela emuva.”+

36 Kodwana wathi kuye: “Baba, nangabe uvule umlomakho kuJehova, yenza kimi njengombana uthembisile,+ ngombana uJehova ukubuyiselele emanabenakho, ama-Amoni.” 37 Wabuye wathi kuyise: “Angenzelwe lokhu: Ngivumela ngibe ngedwa iinyanga ezimbili, ngikhambe ngiye eentabeni begodu ngililele ubuntombi bami nabangani bami babantazana.”*

38 Ngalokho uyise wathi: “Khamba!” Yeke wamkhambisa iinyanga ezimbili, waya eentabeni nabangani bakhe wayokulilela ubuntombi bakhe. 39 Ekupheleni kweenyanga ezimbili, wabuyela kuyise bese uyise waphetha isifungo ebekasenzile malungana naye.+ Azange aye emabhayini nendoda. Lokhu kwaba lisiko kwa-Israyeli: 40 Qobe mnyaka, iintombi zakwa-Israyeli bezikhamba ziyokukhuthaza* indodakazi kaJafta umGiliyadi amalanga amane emnyakeni.