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.