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.”