1 Emva koAbhimeleki amaSirayeli akhululwa nguTola unyana kaPuwa umzukulwana kaDodo. Yena wayengowendlu kaIsakare, emi eShamire kweleentaba kwaEfrayim.
2 Wayeyinkokheli kwaSirayeli iminyaka engamashumi amabini nantathu. Akusweleka wangcwatyelwa eShamire.
3 Emva koTola kwalandela uJayire waseGiliyadi. Wayeyinkokheli kwaSirayeli amashumi amabini anambini eminyaka.
4 Wayenoonyana abangamashumi amathathu, bonke bekhwele iidonki. Babenezixeko ezimashumi mathathu kwelo laseGiliyadi; nangoku ke kusathiwa ziidolophu zikaJayire.
5 UJayire wasweleka, waza wangcwatywa eKamon.
6 Kwakhona amaSirayeli aphinda amona *uNdikhoyo ngokusuka akhonze ooBhali nooAshtarte, ngokunjalo nezithixo zamaSiriya, amaSidon, ezamaMowabhi, ama-Amon, namaFilistiya. Amfulathela, ayeka ukumkhonza uNdikhoyo.
7 Ngoko ke wavutha ngumsindo uNdikhoyo, amaSirayeli wawayekela oyiswa ngamaFilistiya nama-Amon.
8 Yaba yiminyaka esibhozo ezi zizwe ziwatshutshisa ziwacinezela amaSirayeli awayehlala phesheya kweJordan eGiliyadi kwelama-Amori.
9 Ama-Amon ada ayiwela iJordan, ahlasela kwelakwaJuda, kwaBhenjamin, nakwaEfrayim. AmaSirayeli ayekwenkulu inkxwaleko.
10 AmaSirayeli ke ada azibika kuNdikhoyo, athi: “Sikonile; sisuke sakufulathela, wena Thixo wethu, sanqula ooBhali.”
11 UNdikhoyo wawaphendula wenjenje: “Nangaphambili koku amaJiputa, ama-Amori, ama-Amon, amaFilistiya,
12 amaSidon, ama-Amaleki, namaMawoni, anicinezela, naza nazibika kum. Andithi na kanene ndanihlangula kuwo?
13 Nakuba kunjalo naphinda nandishiya, nakhonza thixo bambi; ngoko ke ngoku unakanye ukuba ndiphinde ndinihlangule.
14 Hambani niye kuzibika kwabo thixo nizikhethela bona. Mabanihlangule kaloku nakungena ezingxakini.”
15 AmaSirayeli ke athi kuNdikhoyo: “Siyasivuma isono sethu. Yenza kuthi ngokubona kwakho; kambe ke nceda usihlangule namhlanje.”
16 Asuke ke amaSirayeli abalahla oothixo basemzini, akhonza uNdikhoyo; waza ke yena wahlabeka ngenxa yokubandezeleka kwamaSirayeli.
17 Ke ama-Amon axhobela imfazwe, aza ahlanganisana eGiliyadi. Ke wona amaSirayeli ahlanganisana aza emisa eMizpa.
18 Ke kaloku amadoda amakhulu aseGiliyadi afakana imilomo esithi: “Ngaba ngubani oza kusikhokela silwe nala ma-Amon? Lowo uya kuba yintloko yethu sonke apha eGiliyadi.”