Tikhulu 3

₁Leti-ke tive letashiywa nguSimakadze, kuze avivinye ngato ema-Israyeli labengazange atibone timphi taseKhenani. ₂Loko wakwenta khona atewufundzisa kulwa timphi etitukulwaneni tema-Israyeli letatingazange tiyilwe imphi, ₃kwakunguletive: emakhosi lasihlanu emaFilisti, nawo onkhe emaKhenani, nemaSidoni, nemaHivi labehlala etintsabeni taseLebanoni, kusukela eNtsabeni iBhali Hemoni kuze kuyewufika eLebo Hamathi. ₄Tatishiyelwe kutsi tivivinye ema-Israyeli, kuze kubonakale kutsi atawuyilalela yini imiyalo yaSimakadze labeyinike bokhokho bawo ngaMosi.

₅Ema-Israyeli abehlala emkhatsini wemaKhenani, nemaHethi, nema-Amori, nemaPheresi, nemaHivi, nemaJebhusi. ₆Atsatsa emadvodzakati aletive ashada nawo, atsatsa nemadvodzakati awo awendzisela emadvodzana aletive, akhonta nabonkulunkulu bato.

₇Ema-Israyeli enta lokubi embikwaSimakadze; akhohlwa Simakadze Nkulunkulu wawo, akhonta boBhali nabo-Ashera. ₈Intfukutselo yaSimakadze yavutsela bema-Israyeli kangangekutsi wawatsengisa etandleni taKhushani Rishathayimu, inkhosi yaseMesophothamiya, lowagcilata ema-Israyeli iminyaka lesiphohlongo. ₉Kodvwa atsi ema-Israyeli nakakhala kuSimakadze, Simakadze wawavusela umkhululi lekwakungu-Othniyeli, umsa waKhenazi, umnakaboKhalebi lomncane, longuyena abasindzisa. ₁₀Moya waSimakadze wehlela kuye, ngako waba sikhulu sema-Israyeli; wabahola baya emphini. Simakadze wanikela Khushani Rishathayimu, inkhosi yaseMesophothamiya, esandleni sa-Othniyeli lowamehlula.

₁₁Ngako live laba nekuthula iminyaka lengema-40, kwaze kwafa Othniyeli, umsa waKhenazi.

₁₂Aphindza futsi ema-Israyeli enta lokubi emehlweni aSimakadze; kwatsi ngobe bente lokubi, Simakadze wanika Egloni, inkhosi yakaMowabi, emandla ekubusa ema-Israyeli. ₁₃Watsi kube Egloni atihlanganise nema-Amoni nema-Amaleki, wase uhlasela ema-Israyeli; balidla Lidolobha Lemasundvu. ₁₄Ema-Israyeli abuswa ngu-Egloni, inkhosi yakaMowabi, iminyaka leli-18.

₁₅Aphindza futsi ema-Israyeli akhala kuSimakadze, wase ubapha umkhululi, Ehudi, labelancele, umsa waGera, wesive sakaBhenjamini. Ema-Israyeli amtfumela netetfulo ku-Egloni, inkhosi yakaMowabi. ₁₆Ehudi abetentele inkemba lekhalipha tinhlangotsi totimbili leyayingaba yincenye yelimitha budze, abeyibophele etimphahleni takhe, ngasetsangeni langesekudla. ₁₇Ehudi waletsa tetfulo ku-Egloni, inkhosi yakaMowabi, labekhuluphele kakhulu. ₁₈Kwatsi kube Ehudi etfule tipho, wase uyawahambisa lamadvodza labetfwele letetfulo. ₁₉Watsi nakefika etithicweni ngaseGilgali, yena wancandzeka wafike wakhuluma ku-Egloni, inkhosi, watsi: “E, nkhosi! Nginemlayeto wakho loyimfihlo.”

Inkhosi yakhuluma yatsi: “Thulani!” Tonkhe tinceku tayo taphuma ngekushesha.

₂₀Ehudi wasondzela kuyo isahleti yodvwa ekamelweni layo lekuphola lelalisetulu, wafike watsi: “Nginemlayeto wakho lophuma kuNkulunkulu.” Yatsi inkhosi isasukuma esihlalweni sayo, ₂₁Ehudi wahoshula inkemba yakhe ngesandla sakhe sangesancele, ayihoshula ngasetsangeni lakhe langesekudla, inkhosi wayigwaza esiswini; ₂₂inkemba yangena kanye nesibambo sayo, yaze yaphumela ngale kwemhlane wayo. Ehudi akazange ayikhiphe, ngako-ke emanoni ayisibekela. ₂₃Ehudi waphumela emhubheni; wavala iminyango kulendlu yenkhosi lesetulu, wayikhiya.

₂₄Emvakwekuhamba kwakhe tisebenti tenkhosi teta takhandza iminyango yaleyondlu ikhiyiwe. Takhuluma todvwana tatsi: “Mhlawumbe usemthoyi.” ₂₅Tema taze tadzinwa, kodvwa tatsi kube tibone kutsi iminyango akayivuli, tatsatsa sikhiya tayivula. Takhandza inkhosi yato iwele phansi ifile.

₂₆Batsi ngesikhatsi basemile balindzile, Ehudi washaya wacitsa. Wendlula etithicweni wabalekela eSeyira. ₂₇Watsi kube efike lapho, washaya licilongo eveni letintsaba laka-Efrayimu, onkhe ema-Israyeli ehla naye etintsabeni, awahola.

₂₈Wakhuluma kuwo, watsi: “Landzelani mine, ngobe Simakadze unikele Mowabi, sitsa senu, etandleni tenu.” Ngako amlandzela ehla naye, atfumba onkhe ematubuko emfula iJordane lewelela kaMowabi, avimbela bonkhe labewelako. ₂₉Ngaleso sikhatsi abulala emaMowabi lati-10 000 asawonkhe labenguwona acinile anemandla; kute nome munye lowasindza. ₃₀Kusukela ngalelo langa emaMowabi aba ngaphansi kwesive sema-Israyeli, live laba nekuthula iminyaka lengema-80.

₃₁Emvakwa-Ehudi kwavela Shamgari, umsa wa-Anathi, lona lowabulala emaFilisti langema-600 ngeluphondvo lwenkhabi. Naye futsi wawakhulula ema-Israyeli.