1 Emva koAbhimeleki kwavela uTola, unyana kaPuwa, unyana kaDodo, umIsakare, ohleli eShamire ezintabeni zakwaEfrayim; wawasindisa amaSirayeli.
2 Wawalawula amaSirayeli iminyaka emashumi mabini anamithathu; wafa, wangcwatyelwa eShamire.
3 Emva kwakhe kwavela uYahire umGiliyadi, wawalawula amaSirayeli iminyaka emashumi mabini anamibini.
4 Wayenoonyana abamashumi mathathu, abakhwela emaesileni amatsha amashumi mathathu, benemizi emashumi mathathu, ekuthiwa yiHavoti-yahire* yona unanamhla, esezweni laseGiliyadi.
5 Wafa uYahire, wangcwatyelwa eKamon.
6 Baphinda oonyana bakaSirayeli benza ububi emehlweni kaYehova bakhonza ooBhahali,* nooAshtaroti,* noothixo bakwa-Aram,* noothixo baseTsidon, noothixo bakwaMowabhi, noothixo boonyana baka-Amon, noothixo bamaFilisti. Bamlahla uYehova, àbamkhonza.
7 Wavutha umsindo kaYehova kumaSirayeli, wathengisa ngawo, wawanikela esandleni samaFilisti, nasesandleni soonyana baka-Amon.
8 Babaguba babacola oonyana bakaSirayeli kwangaloo mnyaka; babacola iminyaka elishumi elinesibhozo bonke oonyana bakaSirayeli, ababephesheya kweYordan ezweni lama-Amori eliseGiliyadi.
9 Oonyana baka-Amon bayiwela iYordan, ukuze balwe namaYuda, namaBhenjamin, nendlu yakwaEfrayim; amaSirayeli abandezeleka kunene.
10 Bakhala oonyana bakaSirayeli kuYehova, bathi, Sikonile, ngokuba simlahlile uThixo wethu, sakhonza ooBhahali.
11 Wathi uYehova koonyana bakaSirayeli, Ndibe ndinganisindisanga na kumaYiputa, nakuma-Amori, nakoonyana baka-Amon, nakumaFilisti,
12 nakumaTsidon, nakuma-Amaleki, nakumaMahon, abenixina; nakhala kum, ndanisindisa esandleni sawo?
13 Nindilahlile nina, nakhonza thixo bambi; ngako oko andiyi kuphinda ndinisindise.
14 Hambani niye kukhala koothixo enibanyulileyo; mabanisindise bona ngexesha lokubandezelwa kwenu.
15 Bathi oonyana bakaSirayeli kuYehova, Sonile; yenza wena kuthi ngokubona kwakho; kodwa khawusihlangule okwanamhla.
16 Babasusa oothixo bolunye uhlanga phakathi kwabo, bakhonza uYehova. Wakhathazeka umphefumlo wakhe ngokwaphuka kwamaSirayeli.
17 Babizeleka ndawonye oonyana baka-Amon, bamisa eGiliyadi. Bahlanganisana oonyana bakaSirayeli, bamisa eMizpa.
18 Bathi abantu, abathetheli baseGiliyadi, omnye komnye, Ngubani na indoda eya kuqala ukulwa noonyana baka-Amon? Yoba yintloko yabemi bonke baseGiliyadi.