Ukuhlunguphazwa kwabantu beGibeya nebakwaBhenjamini
1Boke abantu bakwa-Israyeli baphuma ukusukela kwaDani ngetlhagwini ukuya eBheritjheba ngesewula ngitjho nenarheni yakwaGiliyadi, umkhambathi woke wahlangana ngahliziyonye phambi kwakaSomnini eMitsipha. 2Iinsika zabo boke abantu, okutjho zoke iinkoro zakwa-Israyeli, zaziveza ehlanganweni yabantu bakaZimu. Kwaba madoda aziinkulungwana ezimakhulu amane akhamba ngeenyawo akwazi ukulwa ngesabula. 3AmaBhenjamini gade avele ezwile bonyana abantu bakwa-Israyeli bakhuphukele eMitsipha. Ama-Israyeli athi: “Akhe nitjho-ke, into embi kangaka yenzeke njani?” 4UmLevi oyindoda yomfazi obuleweko waphendula wathi: “Ngifike eGibeya lakwaBhenjamini, mina nekhohlo lami sabawa amalalo khona. 5Amadoda abaphathi beGibeya angivukela, azombeleza ikumba ebe ngilele kiyo ebusuku ahlose ukungibulala. Nje-ke agagadlhele ikhohlo lami belahlongakala. 6Ngathatha ikhohlo lami ngaliqobelela iinququ ngazithumela enarheni yoke yakwa-Israyeli ngombana isenzwesi besisinyenyiso nobuhlola kwa-Israyeli. 7Yelelani noke ma-Israyeli njengombana nilapha nje, khulumani beniveze amazizo wenu ngendaba le.”
8Boke abantu bagugeka banyandanye bathi: “Akakho kithapha ozakuya etendeni lakhe, akakho ozakuya ekumbenakhe. 9Nakhu esizakwenza phezu kwamaGibeya: Sizowasahlela! Ngefumbe 10sizokukhupha kizo zoke iinkoro zakwa-Israyeli amadoda alitjhumi kalikhulu, alikhulu kayikulungwana nayikulungwana kaziinkulungwana ezilitjhumi kobana alethele ibutho umphako lokha naliyozibuyiselela kumaGibeya kwaBhenjamini ngobuhlola abenze kwa-Israyeli.” 11Yeke woke amadoda wakwa-Israyeli abuthana ajamelana nedorobhelo, ahlangene ngahliziyonye.
12Iinkoro zakwa-Israyeli zathumela amadoda kiyo yoke imindeni yakwaBhenjamini zathi: “Buhlola bani obenzeke phakathi kwenobu? 13Nje-ke khuphani amadoda weGibeya aziinkhohlakali lawo kobana siwabulale ukuze sithanyele ubumbi hlangana nama-Israyeli.” Kodwana amaBhenjamini azange alalele ilizwi labafowabo, ama-Israyeli. 14AmaBhenjamini aphuma emizinawo ahlangana eGibeya kobana ayokulwa nama-Israyeli ngepi. 15Mhlokho amaBhenjamini akhupha emizinawo amadoda aziinkulungwana ezimatjhumi amabili nantandathu akwazi ukulwa ngesabula ngaphandle kwabahlali beGibeya. Godu kwakhutjhwa amadoda akhethekileko amakhulu alikhomba. 16Amadoda akhethekileko amakhulu alikhomba lawo akhethwa kilo loke ibutho. Gade aziincele begodu anekghono lokujikijela ngesarwayi anembe ngitjho nento engangesihluthu sinye angageji. 17Ngaphandle kwamaBhenjamini, amadoda wakwa-Israyeli azihlelako gade aziinkulungwana ezimakhulu amane. Woke amadoda lawo gade aziingorho ezikwazi ukulwa ngesabula.
18Ama-Israyeli abhinca akhuphukela eBhethe-Eli, abuza kuZimu bona ngubani phakathi kwawo ozakuphuma qangi ayokulwa namaBhenjamini. USomnini wathi kuzakuphuma uJuda. 19Yeke avuka ngesamarimarima, avimbezela iGibeya. 20Amadoda wakwa-Israyeli aphuma ipi, azihlela eGibeya kobana ahlangane ngeemfuba namaBhenjamini. 21AmaBhenjamini aphuma eGibeya, amadlha phasi iinkulungwana ezimatjhumi amabili nambili zamadoda wakwa-Israyeli mhlokho. 22Kodwana abantu, okutjho amadoda wakwa-Israyeli, baqina idolo, godu bazihlela lapha bebazihlele khona ngelanga lokuthoma, 23ngombana gade bakhuphuke bayokulila phambi kwakaSomnini bekwahlwa. Babuza uSomnini bathi: “Sibuyele godu siyokulwa nabafowethu amaBhenjamini na?” USomnini wathi: “Tjhingani khona.” 24Ngebangelo ama-Israyeli atjhidela godu ajamelana namaBhenjamini elangeni lesibili. 25NamaBhenjamini aphuma eGibeya ahlangana nawo ngeemfuba elangeni lesibili. Amadlha phasi iinkulungwana ezilitjhumi nabunane zamadoda wakwa-Israyeli. Woke lawo bekumadoda akwazi ukulwa ngesabula. 26Woke ama-Israyeli, okutjho loke ibutho, akhuphukela eBhethe-Eli bona ayokulila. Ahlala lapho phambi kwakaSomnini azila ukugoma mhlokho bekwahlwa. Emva kwalokho enzela uSomnini imihlabelo yokutjhiswa neyetjhebiswano 27ukuze abuze kuSomnini. Emihleni leyo umfaji wesivumelwano sakaSomnini gade useBhethe-Eli. 28UFiniyasi umsa ka-Elazara omsa ka-Aroni gade kunguye olotjha phambi komfaji wesivumelwano. Amadoda wakwa-Israyeli abuza-ke kuSomnini athi: “Siphume godu siyokulwa nabafowethu amaBhenjamini namkha silise na?” USomnini wathi: “Tjhingani khona, kusasa ngizabanikela ezandleni zenu.”
29Ama-Israyeli abadalalisa amadoda magegana neGibeya. 30Elangeni lesithathu ibutho lama-Israyeli lakhuphuka layokulwa namaBhenjamini. Lazihlela njengemihleni layokusahlela iGibeya. 31AmaBhenjamini adoselwa kude nedorobho lokha naphuma bona alwe nama-Israyeli. Njengesiqhelo athoma ukumadlha abulala amanye wama-Israyeli emmangweni lapha kuhlukana khona indlela yeBhethe-Eli neyeGibeya. Mhlokho kwabulawa amadoda wakwa-Israyeli apheze abe matjhumi amathathu. 32AmaBhenjamini adlumbana bona azakuhlula ama-Israyeli njengemihleni, kodwana ama-Israyeli gade avumelene bona azakwenza inga ayahlehla. Ngokwenza njalo bekahlose ukudosela amaBhenjamini kude nedorobho eendleleni ezikulu. 33Nje-ke woke amadoda wakwa-Israyeli ahlehla eendaweni zawo, azihlela eBhali-Tamari. Amadoda wakwa-Israyeli agade abadalele ngehlangothini ledorobho elingakavikelwa, avuka agijimela 34endaweni engaphambi kwesango. Gade kumadoda aziinkulungwana ezilitjhumi akhethwe kilo loke lakwa-Israyeli. Ipi eBhali-Tamari beyimanzima, kodwana amaBhenjamini bekangazi bonyana asemlonyeni wehlekelele. 35USomnini wenza bona ama-Israyeli ahlule amaBhenjamini. Amadoda wakwa-Israyeli amadlha iinkulungwana ezimatjhumi amabili nahlanu nekhulu zamadoda wakwaBhenjamini mhlokho. Woke lawo gade kumadoda akwazi ukulwa ngesabula. 36AmaBhenjamini abona bonyana ahluliwe.
Ipi leyo yenzeka ngalendlela: Amadoda wakwa-Israyeli gade ahlehle phambi kewakwaBhenjamini ngombana bekathembele kilawo agade abadalele hlanu kweGibeya. 37Amadoda agade abadalele lawo, avumbuka agijimela ngeGibeya, athumba abe amadlha loke idorobho ngesabula. 38Isivumelwano esabekwa phakathi kwama-Israyeli namadoda agade abadalele lawo, bekukukuthi wona azokwenza intuthu ekulu ngedorobheni. 39Kungebangelo ibutho elikhulu lahlehla, kwaba kulapha amaBhenjamini abulala khona amadoda wakwa-Israyeli apheze abe matjhumi amathathu, adlumbana bonyana nakanjani azawahlula njengehlandleni lokuthoma lepi. 40Kodwana kwathi lokha amaBhenjamini naqala ngemva kwawo, abona bonyana idorobho loke liyatjha. Ngesikhatheso kwathoma ukuqubuka isikhatha sentuthu ngedorobheni ebekulitshwayo, 41nje-ke amadoda wakwa-Israyeli ajika. Amadoda wakwaBhenjamini aba sevalweni ngombana alemuka bonyana asemlonyeni wehlekelele. 42Yeke afulathela ibutho elikhulu lakwa-Israyeli abalekela tjhuba langerhalawumbeni. Kodwana avinjezelwa yipi ngombana amadoda wakwa-Israyeli agade angedorobheni aphuma bonyana awamadlhe phasi. 43Ama-Israyeli aminyezela amaBhenjamini, awagijimisa angawaphumuza. Awatshidlha ukuyokufika ngale kweGibeya ngepumalanga. 44Amadoda wakwaBhenjamini aziinkulungwana ezilitjhumi nabunane asala epini. Lawo bekumadoda akwazi ukulwa ngesabula. 45Inengi lamaBhenjamini laphenduka labalekela ngerhalawumbeni emadwaleni weRimoni, kodwana ama-Israyeli akghedlha iinkulungwana ezihlanu zawo eendleleni ezikulu. Awahlala eenthendeni bekwaba seGidomu, abulala ezinye iinkulungwana ezimbili. 46Sele awoke amadoda wakwaBhenjamini abulawa mhlokho gade pheze aziinkulungwana ezimatjhumi amabili nahlanu. Woke lawo bekumadoda akwazi ukulwa ngesabula begodu aziingorho. 47Kwaphunyurha amadoda amakhulu asithandathu kwaphela. Abalekela tjhuba langerhalawumbeni emadwaleni weRimoni, ahlala lapho iinyanga ezine. 48Amadoda wakwa-Israyeli abuyela kwaBhenjamini, afese abhubhisa ngesabula koke akufumanako ukuthoma ngedorobho, abantu ngitjho nefuyo. Woke amadorobho abadlula kiwo bawathungela ngomlilo.
