1 Kwaye kwenzekile ekuqalekeni kowesihlanu unyaka wolawulo lwabo kwaqalisa ubukho bembambano phakathi kwabantu; kuba indoda ethile, ebizwa ngokuba nguAmlisayi, yena ke eyindoda enobuqhetseba, ewe, indoda elumkileyo ngokobulumko behlabathi, yena ke engokohlobo lwendoda eyathi yabulala ^auGidiyon ngekrele, eyayigwetyelwe ukufa ngokwasemthethweni—

2 Ngoku lo Amlisayi waye, ngobuqhetseba bakhe, watsala abantu abaninzi emva kwakhe; abaninzi kangangokuba baqalisa ukuba namandla; baza baqalisa ukuzama ukumisa uAmlisayi ukuba abe ngukumkani phezu kwabantu.

3 Ngoku oku kwakusothusa kubantu bebandla, kananjalo nakubo bonke abo babengatsalelwanga emva kweempembelelo zika-Amlisayi; kuba babesazi okokuba ngokomthetho wabo izinto ezinjalo kufuneka zimiswe ^angezwi labantu.

4 Ke ngoko, ukuba bekunokwenzeka okokuba uAmlisayi azuze izwi labantu, yena, ekubeni eyindoda ekhohlakeleyo, ^aangabahlutha iimfanelo zabo namalungelo awodwa ebandla; kubo yaye iyinjongo yakhe ukuba alitshabalalise ibandla likaThixo.

5 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba abantu bahlanganisana kunye kulo lonke ilizwe, wonke umntu ngokwengqondo yakhe, nokokuba yayingakuAmlisayi okanye ngokuchasene naye uAmlisayi, ngokwamaqela ahlukeneyo, benempikiswano eninzi ^aneembambano ezingumangaliso omnye nomnye.

6 Kwaye njalo bahlanganisana kunye ukuze baphose amazwi abo ngokunxulumene nalo mba; aze athiwa thaca phambi kwabagwebi.

7 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba izwi labantu lachasana noAmlisayi, ukuze angenziwa ukumkani phezu kwabantu.

8 Ngoku oku kwabangela uvuyo olukhulu ezintliziyweni zabo abo babechasene naye; kodwa uAmlisayi waye wabaxhokonxela emsindweni abo babekholiwe nguye ngokuchasene nabo babengakholwa nguye.

9 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba bahlanganisana kunye, baza bammisela uAmlisayi ukuba abe ngukumkani wabo.

10 Ngoku akuba uAmlisayi enziwe ukumkani phezu kwabo wabayalela ukuba mabathabathe izikhali ngokuchasene nabazalwana babo; kwaye oku wakwenza ukuze abe nokubazisa phantsi kolawulo lwakhe.

11 Ngoku abantu baka-Amlisayi babephawulwa ngegama lika-Amlisayi, bebizwa ngokuba ^angama-Amlisayithi; yaza intsalela yabizwa ngokuba ^bngamaNifayithi, okanye abantu bakaThixo.

12 Ke ngoko abantu bamaNifayithi babeyiqonda injongo yama-Amlisayithi, aza ke ngoko azilungiselela ukudibana nawo; ewe, baye bazixhobisa ngamakrele, namakrelana, nangezaphetha, nangeentolo, nangamatye, nangezilingi, nangazo zonke iintlobo ^azezikhali zemfazwe, zalo lonke udidi.

13 Kwaye babezilungisele njalo ukuba bahlangane nama-Amlisayithi ngexesha lokufika kwawo. Kwaye kwakukho abaphathi-mikhosi abanyuliweyo, nabaphathi-mikhosi abangentla, nabaphathi-mikhosi abaziintloko, ngokwamanani abo.

14 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba uAmlisayi waye wawaxhobisa amadoda akhe ngazo zonke iintlobo zezikhali zemfazwe zalo lonke udidi; kananjalo wonyula abalawuli neenkokheli phezu kwabantu bakhe, ukuba babakhokele ukuba balwe ngokuchasene nabazalwana babo.

15 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba ama-Amlisayithi eza phezu kwenduli eyiAmnihu, eyaye isempuma ^ayomlambo iTsidon, owawubaleka ^bngakwilizwe laseZarahemla, baza apho baqalisa ukwenza imfazwe namaNifayithi.

16 Ngoku uAlma, ekubeni inguye ^aumgwebi oyintloko nomlawuli wabantu bakaNifayi, ke ngoko wenyuka kunye nabantu bakhe, ewe, kunye nabaphathi-mikhosi bakhe, nabaphathi-mikhosi abaziintloko, ewe, entloko yemikhosi yakhe, ngokuchasene nama-Amlisayithi ukuya kulwa imfazwe.

17 Kwaye baqalisa ukuwabulala ama-Amlisayithi phezu kwenduli esempuma yeTsidon. Kwaye ama-Amlisayithi aye alwa namaNifayithi ngokomelela okukhulu, kangangokuba amaNifayithi amaninzi aye awa phambi kwama-Amlisayithi.

18 Nangona kunjalo iNkosi yaye yasomeleza isandla samaNifayithi, kangangokuba bawabulala ama-Amlisayithi ngendyikityha enkulu, kangangokuba baqalisa ukwesaba phambi kwabo.

19 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba amaNifayithi aye awasukela ama-Amlisayithi yonke loo mini, aze awabulala ngendyikityha enkulu, kangangokuba ^aababebulewe bama-Amlisayithi babe ngamawaka alishumi elinambini anamakhulu amahlanu anamashumi amathathu anesibini emiphefumlo; baza ababuleweyo bamaNifayithi baba ngamawaka amathandathu anamakhulu amahlanu anamashumi amathandathu anesibini emiphefumlo.

20 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba akuba uAlma engenakho ukuba angabe sawasukela ama-Amlisayithi wenza ukuba abantu bakhe bagxumeke iintente zabo ^akwintlambo kaGidiyon, intlambo leyo yayibizwa ngalaa Gidiyon owayebulewe ngesandla ^bsikaNehore ngekrele; kwaye kuyo le ntlambo amaNifayithi aye agxumeka iintente zawo ngobo busuku.

21 Kwaye uAlma wathumela iintlola ukuba zilandele intsalela yama-Amlisayithi, ukuze zibe nokwazi ngamacebo awo namayelenqe awo, anokuthi ngawo azikhusele kuwo, ukuze abe nokubakhusela abantu bakhe ekutshatyalalisweni.

22 Ngoku abo wabathumayo ukuba baphume bayokuhlola inkampu yama-Amlisayithi babebizwa ngokuba nguZerami, noAmnori, noManti, noLimheri; aba ke ngabo babephume kunye namadoda abo ukuya kuhlola inkampu yama-Amlisayithi.

23 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba ngengomso babuyela kuyo inkampu yamaNifayithi bengxame kakhulu, bekhwankqiseke kakhulu, kwaye bebethwa luloyiko olukhulu, besithi:

24 Qaphelani, siyilandele inkampu ^ayama-Amlisayithi, kwaye ngokukhwankqiseka okukhulu, elizweni likaMinoni, ngentla kwelizwe laseZarahemla, endleleni eya kwilizwe ^blikaNifayi, sibone intlaninge yezihlwele zamaLeymenayithi; kwaye qaphelani, ama-Amlisayithi azibandakanye nawo;

25 Kwaye baphezu kwabazalwana bethu kwelo lizwe; kwaye bayasaba phambi kwabo nemihlambi yabo, nabafazi babo, nabantwana babo, bebhekisa ngasesixekweni sethu; kwaye ngaphandle kokuba singakhawuleza baya kusithabatha isixeko sethu, noobawo, nabafazi bethu, nabantwana bethu baze bababulale.

26 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba abantu bakaNifayi bathabatha iintente zabo, baza bemka baphuma kwintlambo kaGidiyon babheka ngakwisixeko sabo, esaye isisixeko ^asaseZarahemla.

27 Kwaye qaphelani, bathe xa benqumla umlambo iTsidon, amaLeymenayithi nama-Amlisayithi, ^aabazizihlwele phantse, ngokungathi, bayintlabathi yolwandle, beza phezu kwabo ukuba babatshabalalise.

28 Nangona kunjalo, amaNifayithi ^aesomelezwa sisandla seNkosi, bethandaze ngamandlakazi kuyo ukuze ibahlangule baphume ezandleni zeentshaba zabo, ke ngoko iNkosi yaye yaziva izikhalo zabo, yaza yabomeleza, aza amaLeymenayithi nama-Amlisayithi awa phambi kwabo.

29 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba uAlma walwa kunye noAmlisayi ngekrele, ubuso ngobuso; kwaye baye balwa ngamandlakazi, omnye komnye.

30 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba uAlma, ekubeni eyindoda kaThixo, esetyenziswa ^alukholo olukhulu, wadanduluka, esithi: Owu Nkosi, yiba nenceba uze usindise ubomi bam, ukuze ndibe nokuba sisixhobo ezandleni zakho sokusindisa nokukhusela aba bantu.

31 Ngoku akuba uAlma ethethe la mazwi walwa kwakhona kunye noAmlisayi; waza womelezwa, kangangokuba wambulala uAmlisayi ngekrele.

32 Kwaye walwa kanjalo kunye nokumkani wamaLeymenayithi; kodwa ukumkani wamaLeymenayithi wasaba wabuya umva phambi koAlma waza wathumela abalindi bakhe ukuba balwe noAlma.

33 Kodwa uAlma, kunye nabakhe abalindi, balwa kunye nabalindi bakakumkani wamaLeymenayithi wada wababulala kwaye wabadudulela emva.

34 Kwaye njalo wawuvula umhlaba, okanye ngamanye amazwi udonga, olwaye lungasentshona komlambo iTsidon, wayiphosa imizimba yamaLeymenayithi awaye ebulewe emanzini eTsidon, ukuze ngaloo ndlela abantu bakhe babe nokufumana umhlaba wokuwela baze balwe kunye namaLeymenayithi nama-Amlisayithi ngakwicala lasentshona lomlambo iTsidon.

35 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba bakuba bonke bewuwelile umlambo iTsidon amaLeymenayithi nama-Amlisayithi aqalisa ukusaba phambi kwabo, nangona babeyintlaninge kangangokuba babengenako nokubalwa.

36 Kwaye basaba phambi kwamaNifayithi babheka ngakwintlango eyaye ingasentshona nasemantla, kude ngaphaya kwemida yelizwe; aza amaNifayithi awasukela ngamandlakazi awo, aza awabulala.

37 Ewe, afunyanwa kuwo onke amacala, aza abulawa aza aqhutywa, ada achithachithwa ngasentshona, nasemantla, ada aba afika entlango, eyayibizwa ngokuba yiHermawuntsi; kwaye yayilelo cala lentlango elaye lizaliswe zizilo zasendle nezinoburhalarhume.

38 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba abaninzi bafa entlango ngenxa yamanxeba abo, baza babimbithwa zezo zilo namaxhalanga omoya kanjalo; aze amathambo abo afunyanwa, kwaye afunjwa emhlabeni.