UmLevi Nesancinza Sakhe
1Ngalezo zinsuku, kwakungekho nkosi kwa-Israyeli. Kwasuka umLevi othile owayegogobele endaweni ekude kwelezintaba kwa-Efrayimi, wazithathela isancinza eBhethlehema kwaJuda. 2Kepha isancinza safeba, samshiya, sabuyela endlini kayise eBhethlehema kwaJuda, sahlala lapho izinyanga ezine. 3Umyeni waso wasuka, wasilandela ukuze akhulume naso, asibuyise. Wayehamba nenceku yakhe, nezimbongolo ezimbalwa; samngenisa endlini kayise, lapho umukhwe wakhe embona, wathokoza ukuhlangana naye. 4Umukhwe wakhe, uyise wentombi, wambambezela, ngakho-ke wahlala izinsuku ezintathu; bedla, bephuza, behlala lapho.
5Ngosuku lwesine bavuka kusempondozankomo ukuze umkhwenyana ahambe, kodwa uyise wentombi wathi kuye: “Misa insika ngocezu lwesinkwa, emveni kwalokho ningahamba.”
6Lawo madoda amabili ahlala, adla, aphuza ndawonye, umukhwe wathi kumkhwenyana: “Ake uvume ukulala namuhla uthokozise inhliziyo yakho.”
7Lapho indoda ivuka ngakusasa ukuba ihambe, umukhwe wayo waqhubeka eyincenga, yalala futhi lapho. 8Ngosuku lwesihlanu yavuka ngovivi ukuze ihambe, umukhwe wayo wathi: “Ake uncenge inhliziyo yakho, nilinde lize lithambame.”
Bahlala laze lathambama, omabili lawo madoda adla, aphuza. 9Lapho indoda nesancinza sayo, nenceku yayo, besukuma ukuba bahambe, umukhwe wayo, uyise wentombi wathi kuyo: “Bheka, ilanga seliyashona, sekuzakuhwalala; ake nilale lapha ngalobu busuku. Uyabona ilanga seliyashona. Hlala lapha ukuba inhliziyo yakho ithokoze, nivuke ngovivi kusasa ningene indlela, nibuyele ekhaya.”
10Indoda yenqaba ukuphinde ilale ngalobo busuku, yasukuma yahamba, yaze yafika maqondana neJebusi, okuyiJerusalema. Yayihamba nesancinza sayo nezimbongolo ezimbili eziboshelwe. 11Sebeseduze neJebusi, ilanga lase lishonile; inceku yathi enkosini yayo: “Woza, ake siphambukele kulo muzi wamaJebusi, silale ubusuku kuwo.”
12Kepha inkosi yayo yathi kuyo: “Asiyukuphambuka singenise emzini wabezizwe, okungesiwo owabakwa-Israyeli, kunalokho siyakuqhubeka siye eGibheya.”
13Yayisithi encekwini yayo: “Woza, masizame ukufinyelela kwenye yalezi zindawo, ukuze silale eGibheya noma eRama.”
14Base bedlula, baqhubeka nohambo lwabo, ilanga labashonela beseduze neGibheya kwaBhenjamini. 15Baphambuka ukuba bangene, balale eGibheya. Wangena wayohlala esigcawini somuzi, kodwa abangeniswanga muntu ukuba balale.
16Kusihlwa kwaqhamuka ikhehla livela emsebenzini walo ensimini. Lelo khehla lalidabuka kwelezintaba kwa-Efrayimi, kodwa lase ligogobele eGibheya. Abantu bakule ndawo kwakungabakwaBhenjamini. 17Lapho leli khehla liphakamisa amehlo, labona isihambi sihleli esigcawini somuzi, lathi: “Uyaphi, futhi uvelaphi, na?”
18Indoda yaphendula yathi: “Siyedlula, sivela eBhethlehema kwaJuda, siya endaweni ekude kwelezintaba kwa-Efrayimi, lapho ngingowakhona. Bengiye eBhethlehema kwaJuda, manje sengibuyela endlini kaSimakade. Akukho muntu ongingenisile kwakhe. 19Sinabo utshani nefolishi lezimbongolo zethu; nginezinkwa newayini okungokwami nencekukazi yakho nensizwa nezinceku zakho. Asiswele lutho.”
20Ikhehla lathi: “Ukuthula makube kuwe. Ngizokunakekela kukho konke okudingayo, kuphela nje ungalali lapha esigcawini ngalobu busuku.”
21Lase limngenisa endlini yalo, lanika izimbongolo utshani, bageza izinyawo zabo, badla, baphuza.
22Besazijabulisa, kwatheleka abantu bakulowo muzi, ababekhohlakele kakhulu, bazungeza indlu, baqala ukungqongqotha emnyango, bethi ekhehleni elingumninindlu: “Khiphela phandle umuntu ongenise endlini yakho ukuze silale naye.”
23Ikhehla, umninindlu laphumela kubo, lathi: “Qha, bafowethu, ningabenzi lobu bubi obungaka. Njengoba le ndoda ingenise endlini yami, ningabenzi lobu buwula obuyihlazo. 24Bhekani, nansi indodakazi yami, eyintombi, nesancinza sale ndoda, ngizakukhipha bona, nenze kubo noma yini eniyibona ilungile emehlweni enu, kodwa kule ndoda, aniyukubenza lobu buwula obuyihlazo.”
25Kepha abantu abafunanga ukulilalela. Leyo ndoda yabamba isancinza sayo, yasikhiphela kubo phandle. Basidlwengula, basihlukumeza ubusuku bonke kwaze kwasa. Ekuthatheni kokusa basidedela sahamba. 26Ekuseni ngovivi lona wesifazane wafike wawela ngasemnyango wendlu yalelo khehla, lapho inkosi yakhe yayikhona, kwaze kwasa.
27Ekuseni inkosi yakhe yavuka, yavula iminyango yendlu, lapho iphuma ukuze ihambe; bheka, nasiya isancinza sayo siwile ngasemnyango wendlu, izandla zaso ziphezu kombundu. 28Yathi kuso: “Vuka, sihambe,” kodwa kasiphendulanga. Yase isigibelisa embongolweni, yasuka, yaya endaweni yayo.
29Lapho isifikile endlini yayo, yathatha ummese, yabamba isancinza sayo, yasiqoba izinqamu ezili-12, isitho ngesitho, yazithumela kuzo zonke izindawo zakwa-Israyeli. 30Bonke abakubonayo lokhu bathi: “Lokhu kakukaze kwenzeke futhi akuzange kubonwe kusukela ngosuku abantu bakwa-Israyeli abakhuphuka ngalo eGibhithe kuze kube namhlanje. Zindlani ngakho, nelulekane, nibonisane ukuthi kwenziwenjani.”
