Judges 2
1 The angel of the Lord went from Gilgal to Bokim and told the people, “I led you out of the land of Egypt and brought you to this land that I promised to your forefathers, and I said I would never break the agreement I made with you.
Ingilosi kaThixo yahamba isuka eGiligali isiya eBhokhimi yathi, “Ngalikhupha eGibhithe ngaliholela elizweni engafunga ukulinika okhokho benu. Ngathi, ‘Angiyikusephula isivumelwano sami lani,
2 I also told you not to make any agreements with the people living in the land and to tear down their altars. But you refused to obey what I said. Why did you do this?
njalo kaliyikwenza isivumelwano labantu balelilizwe, kodwa lizabhidliza ama-alithare abo.’ Kodwa lina kalingilalelanga. Likwenzeleni lokhu na?
3 I also warned you, ‘I will not drive them out before you, and they will be snares for you, and their gods will be traps for you.’”
Ngakho khathesi-ke ngiyalitshela ukuthi angiyikubaxotsha phambi kwenu, bazakuba yizifu kini njalo onkulunkulu babo bazakuba yimijibila kini.”
4 After the angel of the Lord had explained this to all the Israelites, the people wept out loud.
Kwathi ingilosi kaThixo isizikhulumile zonke lezizinto kubo bonke abako-Israyeli, abantu bakhala kakhulu,
5 That's why they named the place Bokim, and they presented sacrifices there to the Lord.
indawo leyo bayibiza ngokuthi yiBhokhimi. Banikela imihlatshelo kuThixo khonapho.
6 After Joshua had dismissed the people, the Israelites went to take possession of the land, each to their allotted land.
Emva kokuba uJoshuwa esebadedele abako-Israyeli, bahamba bayalithatha ilizwe, lowo lalowo endaweni eyilifa lakhe.
7 The people continued to worship the Lord throughout Joshua's life, and throughout the lifetimes of the elders who outlived him, those who had seen all the wonderful things that the Lord had done for Israel.
Abantu bamkhonza uThixo ngezinsuku zokuphila kukaJoshuwa labadala kulaye ababesele bephila njalo beyibonile imisebenzi emikhulu uThixo ayeyenzele abako-Israyeli.
8 Joshua, son of Nun, servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred and ten.
UJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, inceku kaThixo, wafa eseleminyaka elikhulu letshumi.
9 They buried him in Timnath-heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash, the land he had been allocated.
Bamngcwaba emhlabeni oyilifa lakhe, eThimnathi-Heresi, elizweni lezintaba lako-Efrayimi, enyakatho kwentaba iGashi.
10 Once that generation had passed away, the generation that followed did not know the Lord, or what he had done for Israel.
Kwathi emva kokuba sonke isizukulwane leso sesiphelile, kwavela esinye isizukulwane esasingamazi uThixo kanye lalokho ayekwenzele abako-Israyeli.
11 The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight, and they worshiped the Baals.
Lapho-ke abako-Israyeli benza okubi emehlweni kaThixo, bakhonza uBhali.
12 They deserted the Lord, the God of their forefathers, who had led them out of Egypt. They followed other gods, bowing down in worship to the gods of the peoples around them, making the Lord angry.
Bamdela uThixo, uNkulunkulu waboyise, owayebakhuphe eGibhithe. Balandela njalo bakhonza onkulunkulu abehlukeneyo babantu ababehlala phakathi kwabo. Bamthukuthelisa uThixo
13 They deserted the Lord and worshiped Baal and Ashtaroth idols.
ngoba bamdela bakhonza uBhali labo-Ashithorethi.
14 Because the Lord was angry with Israel he handed them over to invaders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around—enemies they could no longer resist.
Ekubathukutheleleni kwakhe uThixo wabanikela ezandleni zababahlaselayo lababaphangayo. Wabanikela ezitheni zabo ezazibahanqile, ababengasenelisi ukumelana lazo.
15 Whenever Israel went into battle, the Lord fought against them and defeated them, just as he had warned them and as he had vowed he would do. They were in a great deal of trouble.
Zonke izikhathi lapho abako-Israyeli bephuma ukuyakulwa, isandla sikaThixo samelana labo ukuba behlulwe, njengokufunga kwakhe kubo. Basebephakathi kohlupho olukhulu.
16 Then the Lord provided them with judges, who saved them from their invaders.
Kulapho-ke uThixo abeka khona abahluleli ababahlengayo ezandleni zabaphangi laba.
17 But even so, they refused to listen to their judges, and prostituted themselves by following other gods, bowing down in worship to them. They quickly abandoned the way their forefathers had followed, and they did not obey the Lord's commandments as their forefathers had.
Belo kababalalelanga abahluleli babo kodwa baqhubeka bekhonza abanye onkulunkulu. Kabenzanga njengabokhokho babo, kodwa bona baphanga baphuma endleleni oyise ababehambe ngayo, indlela yokulalela imilayo kaThixo.
18 When the Lord provided Israel with judges over Israel, he was with each judge and saved the people from their enemies during that judge's lifetime, because the Lord felt sorry for his people, who groaned under their oppressors and persecutors.
Ngasosonke isikhathi lapho uThixo ebabekela khona umahluleli, wayemthungamela umahluleli abahlenge ezandleni zezitha zabo lapho esaphila; ngoba uThixo waba lesihawu kubo lapho bebubula ngaphansi kwalabo ababebancindezele lababebahlukuluza.
19 But when the judge died, the people relapsed, and did worse things even than their forefathers, following other gods and worshiping them. They refused to give up what they were doing and held to their stubborn ways.
Kodwa lapho umahluleli esefile, abantu babuyela ezindleleni zokuxhwala okwedlula ezaboyise, belandela abanye onkulunkulu, bebasebenzele njalo bebakhonza, besala ukudela izenzo zabo ezimbi lezindlela zobuqholo.
20 As a result the Lord became angry with Israel and he told them, “Because this nation has broken the agreement I ordered their forefathers to obey, and has not paid attention to what I said,
Ngakho uThixo wamthukuthelela kakhulu u-Israyeli wathi, “Njengoba isizwe lesi sesephule isivumelwano engasimisela okhokho baso njalo kasingilalelanga,
21 from now on I won't drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died.
kangisayikuxotsha phambi kwaso iloba yisiphi isizwe phakathi kwezatshiywa nguJoshuwa ekufeni kwakhe.
22 This is in order to use them to test Israel to see if they will keep the way of the Lord and follow it as their forefathers did.”
Ngizasebenzisa zona ukuhlola abako-Israyeli ngibone ukuthi bazayigcina yini indlela kaThixo, bahambe kuyo njengokwenziwa ngokhokho babo.”
23 This is the reason why the Lord allowed those nations to remain, and didn't immediately drive them out by handing them over to Joshua.
UThixo wayevumele ukuthi lezozizwe zisale; kazixotshanga masinyane ngokuzinikela ezandleni zikaJoshuwa.
