1 Kwaye ngoku kwenzekile okokuba ndafumana incwadi evela kuAmoroni, ukumkani, exela okokuba ukuba ndingawanikezela loo mabanjwa emfazwe esasiwathabathile angasinikezela isixeko saseAntiphara kuthi.

2 Kodwa ndathumela incwadi kuye ukumkani, ethi sasiqinisekile okokuba imikhosi yethu yayanele ukuba ingasithabatha isixeko saseAntiphara ngomkhosi wethu; kwaye ngokunikezela amabanjwa ngeso sixeko esazibona singenabulumko, nokuthi siya kunikezela amabanjwa ethu ngokutshintshisa.

3 Waza uAmoroni wayala incwadi yam, kuba wayengazi kutshintshisa ngamabanjwa; ke ngoko saqalisa ukwenza amalungiselelo okuhlasela ngokuchasene nesixeko saseAntiphara.

4 Kodwa abantu baseAntiphara baye basishiya isixeko, basabela kwezinye izixeko zabo, ababenolawulo lwazo, ukuba bazinqabise; saza njalo isixeko saseAntiphara sawela ezandleni zethu.

5 Waza njalo waphela owamashumi amabini anesibhozo unyaka wolawulo lwabagwebi.

6 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba ekuqalekeni konyaka wamashumi amabini anesithoba, safumana izibonelelo zokutya, kananjalo nokongezwa kumkhosi wethu, zivela kwilizwe laseZarahemla, kwaye nakwilizwe elirhangqileyo, ukongeza inani elingamawaka amathandathu amadoda, ngaphandle kwamashumi amathandathu oonyana bama-Amonayithi abezayo ukuza kuhlangana nabazalwana babo, igqiza elincinane lam lamawaka amabini. Kwaye ngoku qaphela, sasomelele, ewe, kananjalo sasinezibonelelo ezininzi ezaziziswe kuthi.

7 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba yaba ngumnqweno wethu ukuqhuba idabi kunye nomkhosi lowo wawubekiwe ukuba ukhusele isixeko iKhumenayi.

8 Kwaye ngoku qaphela, ndiza kukubonisa okokuba kwakamsinyane sawufezekisa umnqweno wethu, ewe, ngomkhosi wethu owomeleleyo, okanye ngenxalenye yomkhosi wethu owomeleleyo, saye sasirhangqa, ngobusuku, isixeko saseKhumenayi, kancinane phambi kokuba babeza kufumana isibonelelo sokutya.

9 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba saye samisa inkampu macala onke esixeko kangangobusuku obuninzi; kodwa saye salala phezu kwamakrele ethu, kwaye saba nabalindi, ukuze amaLeymenayithi angabinako ukusihlasela ngobusuku aze asibulale, nto leyo awayeyizama amaxesha amaninzi; njengokuba akuzamayo oku amaxesha amaninzi igazi lawo lachithwa.

10 Ethubeni izibonelelo zawo zaye zafika, kwaye ayesele eza kungena esixekweni ngobusuku. Kwaye thina, endaweni yokuba ngamaLeymenayithi, saba ngamaNifayithi; ke ngoko; saye sawathabatha kwakunye nezibonelelo zawo.

11 Kwaye nangona amaLeymenayithi enqanyulelwe izixhaso zawo ngolu hlobo, ayesazimisele ukusigcina isixeko; ke ngoko kwaye kwayimfuneko okokuba sizithabathe ezo zibonelelo size sizithumele kwaYuda, nakumabanjwa ethu kwilizwe laseZarahemla.

12 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba akuzange kudlule ntsuku zininzi phambi kokuba amaLeymenayithi aqalise ukuphelelwa ngawo onke amathemba oncedo; ke ngoko asinikezela isixeko ezandleni zethu; kwaye njalo sazizalisekisa iinjongo zethu zokuzuza isixeko saseKhumenayi.

13 Kodwa kwenzekile okokuba amabanjwa ethu ayemaninzi kangangokuba, nangona sinamanani amakhulukazi, sasinyanzelekile ukuba sisebenzise yonke imikhosi yethu ukuwagcina, okanye siwabulale.

14 Kuba qaphela, ayeya kuqhawula ngamanani amakhulu, kwaye alwe ngamatye, nangamagqudu, okanye nangantonina ayenokuyifumana ezandleni zawo, kangangokuba saye sabulala ngaphezu kwamawaka amabini awo emva kokuba ezinikezele njengamabanjwa emfazwe.

15 Ke ngoko kwaba yimfuneko kuthi, okokuba sibuphelise ubomi bawo, okanye alindwe, ikrele lisesandleni, ezantsi kwilizwe laseZarahemla; kananjalo nezibonelelo zethu zazingenelanga nabantu bethu, nangona sasithabathe nezamaLeymenayithi.

16 Kwaye ngoku, kwezo meko zinzima, yaba ngumcimbi onobungozi ukuwugqiba ngokunxulumene nala mabanjwa emfazwe; nangona kunjalo, saye sagqiba ukuba siwathumele ezantsi kulo ilizwe laseZarahemla; ke ngoko sakhetha inxalenye yamadoda ethu, saza sawawisela umthetho phezu kwamabanjwa ethu ukuba ehle aye kulo ilizwe lazeZarahemla.

17 Kodwa kwenzekile okokuba ngengomso aye abuya. Kwaye ngoku qaphela, asizange siwabuze malunga namabanjwa; kuba qaphela, amaLeymenayithi ayephezu kwethu, kwaye abuya ngethuba ukuba asisindise ekuweni ezandleni zawo. Kuba qaphela, uAmoroni wayethumele ukuwaxhasa ngesibonelelo esitsha sokutya kananjalo nentlaninge yomkhosi wamadoda.

18 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba loo madoda esasiwathumele kunye namabanjwa aye afika ngethuba ukuze awabambezele, njengokuba ayesele eza kusongamela.

19 Kodwa qaphela, iqela lam lamawaka amabini namashumi amathandathu lalwa ngoburhalarhume obukhulu; ewe, lalizinzile phambi kwamaLeymenayithi, kwaye aye azisa ukufa kubo bonke abo babechasene nabo.

20 Kwaye njengokuba intsalela yomkhosi wethu yayisele iza kunikezela phambi kwamaLeymenayithi, qaphela, loo mawaka mabini namashumi amathandathu ayezinzile kwaye engoyiki.

21 Ewe, kwaye aye athobela kwaye azama ukulenza lonke ilizwi lomyalelo ngokuthe ncam; ewe, kwaye kwanangokokholo lwawo kwenzeka kuwo; kwaye ndaye ndawakhumbula amazwi awawathethayo kum awathi oonina awo awafundisa wona.

22 Kwaye ngoku qaphela, yayingaba nyana bam, naloo madoda onyuliweyo ukuba ahambise amabanjwa, esinombulelo kuwo ngolu loyiso lukhulu; kuba yayingawo awawabethayo amaLeymenayithi; ke ngoko adudulelwa emva kuso isixeko saseManti.

23 Saza sasigcina isixeko sethu saseKhumenayi, kwaye sasingatshatyalaliswanga sonke ngekrele; nangona kunjalo, sahlungiswa yilahleko enkulu.

24 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba emva kokuba amaLeymenayithi esabile, ndaye ngoko nangoko ndanika imiyalelo yokokuba amadoda am awayengxwelerhekile mawasuswe phakathi kwabafileyo, ndaza ndabangela okokuba amanxeba awo anyangwe aze abotshwe.

25 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba kwakukho amakhulu amabini, kumawaka amabini am anamashumi amathandathu, awathi ayoba ngenxa yokopha; nangona kunjalo, ngoko kulunga kukaThixo, nasekukhwankqisekeni kwethu okukhulu, kananjalo novuyo lomkhosi wethu wonke, kwakungekho nomphefumlo omnye wabo owathi watshabalala; ewe, kwaye kwakungekho namnye umphefumlo phakathi kwabo owawungafumananga manxeba maninzi.

26 Kwaye ngoku, ulondolozo lwabo lwalumangalisa kumkhosi wethu wonke, ewe, ukuba basindiswe ngeli lixa kwakukho iwaka labazalwana bethu ababebulewe. Kwaye sikubalela ngokufanelekileyo kumandla kaThixo amangalisayo, ngenxa yokholo lwabo olugqithileyo kuloo nto ebabeyifundisiwe ukuba bayikholelwe—yokokuba kwakukho uThixo olilungisa, kwaye nabani na owayengathandabuzi, okokuba bangalondolozwa ngaloo mandla akhe amangalisayo.

27 Ngoku olu yayilukholo lwaba endikhe ndathetha ngabo; baselula, kwaye neengqondo zabo zizinzile, kwaye bayalibeka ithemba labo kuThixo ngamaxesha onke.

28 Kwaye ngoku kwenzekile okokuba emva kokuba sithe njalo sawakhathalela amadoda angxwelerhekileyo ethu, saza sabangcwaba nabafileyo bethu kananjalo nabafileyo bamaLeymenayithi, ababe baninzi, qaphela, saye sabuza kuGidi malunga namabanjwa ababeqalise ukuhamba nawo ukusehlela kulo ilizwe laseZarahemla.

29 Ngoku uGidi waye engumphathi-mkhosi oyintloko phezu kweqela elaye lonyuliwe ukuba awalinde ukwehla ukuya elizweni.

30 Kwaye ngoku, la ngamazwi awathi uGidi wawathetha kum: Qaphela, saye saqalisa ukuhamba sehlele kulo ilizwe laseZarahemla kunye namabanjwa ethu. Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba saye sahlangana neentlola zomkhosi wethu, ezazithunyelwe ukuba zilinde inkampu yamaLeymenayithi.

31 Kwaye bamemeza kuthi, besithi: Qaphelani, imikhosi yamaLeymenayithi imatshela ngakwilizwe laseKhumenayi; kwaye qaphelani, iya kubahlasela, ewe, ize ibatshabalalise abantu bethu.

32 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba amabanjwa ethu aye aziva izimemezo zabo, zawenza abanenkalipho; aza avukela ngemvukelo ngokuchasene nathi.

33 Kwaye kwenzekile ngenxa yemvukelo yawo saye sawenza amakrele ethu ukuba akhwele kubo. Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba laye iqela labalekela kumakrele ethu, ekwathi ngawo, inani elikhulu kakhulu lawo labulawa; yaza intsalela yawo yaphumela ngaphaya yaza yasaba kuthi.

34 Kwaye qaphela, akuba ebalekile kwaye singenakho ukuwafumana, saye samatsha ngokungxama sibhekisa ngakuso isixeko saseKhumenayi; kwaye qaphela, saye safika ngexesha ukuze sibe nokuncedisa abazalwana bethu ekukhuseleni isixeko.

35 Kwaye qaphela, sihlangulwe kwakhona saphuma ezandleni zeentshaba zethu. Kwaye malingcwaliswe igama likaThixo wethu; kuba qaphela, nguye osihlanguleyo; ewe, osenzele le nto ibaluleke kangaka.

36 Ngoku kwenzekile okokuba ndakuba mna, Hilamani, ndiwavile la mazwi kaGidi, ndazala luvuyo olugqithileyo ngenxa yokulunga kukaThixo ngokusikhusela kwakhe, ukuze singabi nakutshabalala sonke; ewe, kwaye ndiyathemba okokuba imiphefumlo yabo babuleweyo ingenile ekuphumleni koThixo wabo.