Tikhulu 11:1-40
11 Jeftha+ umGileyadi abelichawe lelinemandla. Abeyindvodzana yengwadla futsi babe wakhe bekunguGileyadi.
2 Kodvwa umfati waGileyadi naye wamtalela emadvodzana. Ngesikhatsi lamadvodzana akhe asakhulile, acosha Jeftha futsi atsi kuye: “Ngeke ulitfole lifa endlini yababe, ngobe wena uyindvodzana yalomunye umfati.”
3 Ngako Jeftha wabaleka kubomnakabo, wahamba wayohlala eveni laseThobu futsi emadvodza langasebenti atihlanganisa naye, abese ayamlandzela.
4 Ngemuva kwesikhatsi lesitsite, ema-Amoni alwa nema-Israyeli.+
5 Ngalesikhatsi ema-Amoni alwa nema-Israyeli, emadvodza lamadzala akaGileyadi aphutfuma ayolandza Jeftha eveni laseThobu.
6 Atsi kuye: “Wota utewuba yindvuna yetfu, kuze sitewukhona kulwa nema-Amoni.”
7 Kodvwa Jeftha watsi kuwo: “Akusini yini lenangitondza kakhulu kangangekutsi naze nangicosha endlini yababe?+ Kungani-ke nyalo senita kimi ngobe senisenkingeni?”
8 Nakeva loko, lamadvodza lamadzala akaGileyadi atsi kuJeftha: “Nguleso sizatfu lesisente sabuya kuwe. Nangabe uhamba natsi futsi ulwe nema-Amoni, utawuba ngumholi wetfu etikwabo bonkhe bantfu labahlala kaGileyadi.”+
9 Ngako Jeftha watsi kuwo: “Nangabe ningibuyisa kute ngilwe nema-Amoni futsi Jehova angincobele wona, nakanjani ngitawuba ngumholi wenu!”
10 Lamadvodza lamadzala akaGileyadi atsi kuye: “Shengatsi Jehova angaba ngufakazi* emkhatsini wetfu nangabe singakwenti loku lokushoko.”
11 Ngako Jeftha wahamba nalamadvodza lamadzala akaGileyadi futsi bantfu bamenta umholi nendvuna yabo. Jeftha waphindze washo onkhe lamavi akhe embikwaJehova eMispa.+
12 Jeftha wabese utfuma titfunywa enkhosini yema-Amoni+ watsi: “Kukhona yini lengikone ngako* kutsi ungaze utewuhlasela live lami?”
13 Inkhosi yema-Amoni yatsi kuletitfunywa taJeftha: “Kungenca yekutsi ema-Israyeli atsatsa live lami ngesikhatsi aphuma eGibhithe,+ kusukela e-Anoni+ kuye eJabhoki, kuze kuyewufika eJordane.+ Ngako libuyiseni ngekuthula.”
14 Kodvwa Jeftha waphindze watfuma titfunywa enkhosini yema-Amoni
15 kutsi titsi kuyo:
“Naku lokushiwo nguJeftha: ‘Ema-Israyeli akazange alitsatse live lemaMowabi+ nelive lema-Amoni,+
16 ngobe ngesikhatsi ema-Israyeli aphuma eGibhithe, adzabula ehlane ahamba aze ayofika eLwandle Lolubovu+ futsi efika eKhadeshi.+
17 Ngemuva kwaloko, ema-Israyeli atfuma titfunywa enkhosini yaka-Edomu+ atsi: “Sicela kudzabula eveni lakho,” kodvwa inkhosi yaka-Edomu ayizange iwalalele. Atfumela nelivi enkhosini yakaMowabi,+ kodvwa nayo ayiwavumelanga. Ngako ema-Israyeli achubeka ahlala eKhadeshi.+
18 Ngesikhatsi adzabula ehlane, aligega live laka-Edomu+ nelakaMowabi. Ahamba ngasemphumalanga nelive lakaMowabi+ futsi amisa emathende esifundzeni sase-Anoni. Awazange angene emnceleni wakaMowabi+ ngobe i-Anoni beyingumncele wakaMowabi.
19 “‘Ngemuva kwaloko ema-Israyeli atfumela titfunywa kuSihoni inkhosi yema-Amori, lobekayinkhosi yaseHeshboni, atsi kuye: “Sicela usivumele kutsi sidzabule eveni lakho nasiya endzaweni yetfu.”+
20 Kodvwa Sihoni abengawetsembi ema-Israyeli futsi akawavumelanga kutsi adzabule eveni lakhe, ngako wahlanganisa ndzawonye bonkhe bantfu bakhe bemisa emathende eJahasi, babese balwa nema-Israyeli.+
21 Jehova Nkulunkulu wema-Israyeli wanikela Sihoni nabo bonkhe bantfu bakhe esandleni sema-Israyeli. Ngako abancoba futsi atsatsa lonkhe live lema-Amori labehlala kuleyo ndzawo.+
22 Ngaleyo ndlela ema-Israyeli atsatsa lonkhe live lema-Amori laba ngelawo, kusukela e-Anoni kuze kuyewufika eJabhoki, nekusuka ehlane kuze kuyewufika eJordane.+
23 “‘Jehova Nkulunkulu wema-Israyeli nguye lowacosha ema-Amori embikwebantfu bakhe baka-Israyeli,+ manje wena sewufuna kubacosha yini?
24 Tintfo lotiphiwa nguKhemoshi+ nkulunkulu wakho awutitsatsi yini tibe takho? Natsi-ke sitawucosha nobe ngabe ngubani Jehova Nkulunkulu wetfu lamcoshile embikwetfu.+
25 Uncono yini wena kunaBhalaki+ indvodzana yaSiphori, lebekayinkhosi yakaMowabi? Bhalaki wake wamelana yini nema-Israyeli nobe walwa nawo?
26 Ngesikhatsi ema-Israyeli asahlala eHeshboni nasemadolobheni laseceleni* kwayo+ kanye nase-Aroyeri nasemadolobheni laseceleni kwayo nakuwo onkhe emadolobha laselusentseni lwase-Anoni iminyaka lengu-300, kwaya ngani-ke kutsi ningetami kutsatsa lamadolobha ngaleso sikhatsi?+
27 Angikakoni ngalutfo, kodvwa wena wenta kabi ngekutsi ungihlasele. Shengatsi lamuhla Jehova uMehluleli+ angehlulela emkhatsini webantfu baka-Israyeli nebaka-Amoni.’”
28 Kodvwa inkhosi yema-Amoni ayizange iwulalele lomlayeto Jeftha lebekawutfumele kuyo.
29 Umoya waJehova wabese wehlela etikwaJeftha,+ futsi wadzabula kaGileyadi nakaManase kuze aye eMispa yakaGileyadi,+ waphindze wesuka eMispa yakaGileyadi waya kuma-Amoni.
30 Ngemuva kwaloko Jeftha wenta sifungo+ kuJehova watsi: “Nangabe utawunikela ema-Amoni esandleni sami,
31 nobe ngubani lotawuphuma emnyango wendlu yami angihlangabete nangibuya ngekuthula kuma-Amoni utawuba waJehova,+ futsi ngitawunikela ngaye abe ngumnikelo wekushiswa.”+
32 Ngako Jeftha wahamba wayokulwa nema-Amoni, futsi Jehova wawanikela esandleni sakhe.
33 Wawahlasela, wabulala linyenti lawo kusukela e-Aroyeri kuze kuyewufika eMinithi, wahlasela emadolobha langu-20, kuchubeke kuze kuyewufika e-Abela-kheramimu. Ngaleyo ndlela ema-Israyeli awancoba ema-Amoni.
34 Ekugcineni Jeftha wabuyela ekhaya lakhe lebeliseMispa,+ futsi kweta indvodzakati yakhe yatomhlangabeta idlala ithamborine futsi ijayiva. Lendvodzakati yakhe beyikuphela kwayo. Jeftha bekete lenye indvodzana nobe indvodzakati ngaphandle kwayo.
35 Watsi nakayibona, wadzabula tingubo takhe futsi watsi: “Awu ndvodzakati yami! Uyephulile inhlitiyo yami* ngobe sewube ngumuntfu lengimcoshile. Ngente setsembiso kuJehova, futsi ngeke ngisakhona kusishintja.”+
36 Lendvodzakati yakhe yatsi: “Babe, nangabe wente setsembiso kuJehova, yenta kimi loko lokwetsembisile+ ngobe Jehova ukuphindziselele kubaka-Amoni labatitsa takho.”
37 Yabese itsi kubabe wayo: “Naku lengicela kwentelwa kona: Ngicela kuba ngedvwa tinyanga letimbili futsi ngihambe ngiye etintsabeni kuze ngililele butfobhi bami ngikanye nemantfombatana labangani bami.”*
38 Ngako Jeftha watsi: “Hamba!” Wakhulula lendvodzakati yakhe tinyanga letimbili futsi yaya etintsabeni inebangani bayo kuze balilele butfobhi bayo.
39 Kwatsi nakuphela letinyanga letimbili yabuyela kubabe wayo. Ngemuva kwaloko babe wayo wasifeza lesifungo labesentile mayelana nayo.+ Ayizange iye ecansini nemuntfu lomdvuna. Kwabese kuba lisiko* ka-Israyeli kutsi
40 umnyaka ngemnyaka tintfombi taka-Israyeli tiye kulendvodzakati yaJeftha umGileyadi kuze tiyidvumise emalanga lamane ngemnyaka.
Imibhalo lengentansi
^ NgesiHebheru kutsi, “nguloyo lovako.”
^ NgesiHebheru kutsi, “Ngihlangene ngani nawe?”
^ Nobe “lakhelene.”
^ NgesiHebheru kutsi, “Ungente ngativa ngiphansi.”
^ Nobe “ngilile nebangani bami ngenca yekutsi angiyuze ngendze.”
^ Nobe “ngumtsetfo.”
