AbakwaIsrayeli balwa noBenjamini
1Base bephuma bonke abantwana bakwaIsrayeli, inhlangano yahlangana njengomuntu munye, kusukela kwaDani kwaze kwaba-seBeri-Sheba kanye nezwe lakwaGileyadi kuJehova eMispa.
2Izinhlobo zabantu bonke, izizwe zonke zakwaIsrayeli, zafika ebandleni labantu bakaNkulunkulu, abantu abayimigundatshani abayizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amane, abahlomé inkemba.
3Abantwana bakwaBenjamini bezwa ukuthi abantwana bakwaIsrayeli babenyukele eMispa. Bathi abantwana bakwaIsrayeli: Sitsheleni ukuthi lobububi benziwa kanjani na?
4UmLevi, umyeni wowesifazane owayebulewe, waphendula wathi: Ngafika eGibeya lakwaBenjamini, mina nesancinza sami, ukulala khona.
5Abantu baseGibeya bangivukela, bahaqa indlu nxazonke zami ebusuku; bacabanga ukungibulala mina, nesancinza sami basona; sesifile.
6Ngase ngithatha isancinza sami, ngasihlahlela, ngasithuma ezweni lonke lefa lakwaIsrayeli, ngokuba babesebenzile ukona nobuwula kwaIsrayeli.
7Bhekani nina-bantwana bakwaIsrayeli, nina nonke; qondisani, niluleke lapha.
8Bonke abantu bavuka njengomuntu munye, bathi: Asiyikuya, sisho namunye etendeni lakhe; asiyikuphambukela sisho namunye endlini yakhe.
9Kepha nakhu esiyakukwenza eGibeya: Siyakulihlasela ngenkatho,
10sithathe abantu abayishumi ekhulwini kuzo zonke izizwe zakwaIsrayeli, nabayikhulu enkulungwaneni, nabayinkulungwane ezinkulungwaneni eziyishumi, ukuba balande ukudla kwabantu, nalapho sebefiké eGibeya lakwaBenjamini benze ngokobuwula ababenzile kwaIsrayeli.
11Abantu bonke bakwaIsrayeli babehlanganyele umuzi, bebumbene kungathi ngumuntu munye.
12Izizwe zakwaIsrayeli zathuma abantu emindenini yonke yakwaBenjamini, zathi: Ububi buni lobu obenziwe phakathi kwenu na?
13Ngalokho khiphani labobantu, abantu ababi, abaseGibeya, ukuba sibabulale, sixoshe ububi kwaIsrayeli. Kepha uBenjamini kavumanga ukulalela izwi labafowabo, abantwana bakwaIsrayeli.
14Abantwana bakwaBenjamini babuthana eGibeya, bevela emizini, ukuba baphume balwe nabantwana bakwaIsrayeli.
15Abantwana bakwaBenjamini abavela emizini babalwa ngalolosuku babangamadoda ayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nesithupha ahlomé inkemba ngaphandle kwabakhileyo eGibeya ababalwa baba-ngamakhulu ayisikhombisa, amadoda akhethiweyo.
16Phakathi kwabo bonke labobantu kwakukhona amadoda angamakhulu ayisikhombisa akhethiweyo angamanxele; onke ayekwazi ukuphonsa amatshe ngisho nasonweleni, engageji.
17Abantu bakwaIsrayeli ngaphandle kukaBenjamini babalwa baba-yizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amane, amadoda ahlomé inkemba; bonke labo babengamadoda empi.
18Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bavuka, bakhuphukela eBethele, babuza kuNkulunkulu, bathi: Ngubani oyakusikhuphukelela kuqala ukulwa nabantwana bakwaBenjamini na? UJehova wathi: NguJuda kuqala.
19Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bavuka ekuseni, bamisa malungana neGibeya.
20Abantu bakwaIsrayeli baphuma ukuba balwe noBenjamini; abantu bakwaIsrayeli bazihlelela ukulwa nabo eGibeya.
21Abantwana bakwaBenjamini baphuma eGibeya, babulala kwabakwaIsrayeli ngalolosuku amadoda ayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nambili.
22Abantu, amadoda akwaIsrayeli, baziqinisa, babuye bahlela impi endaweni abazihlela kuyo ngosuku lokuqala.
23Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bakhuphuka, bakhala phambi kukaNkulunkulu kwaze kwahlwa; babuza kuJehova, bathi: Siyakuphinda sisondele ukulwa nabantwana bakwaBenjamini umfowethu na? UJehova wathi: Yenyukelani kuye.
24Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli basondela kubantwana bakwaBenjamini ngosuku lwesibili.
25UBenjamini waphuma eGibeya ukuhlangabezana nabo ngosuku lwesibili, wabuye wabulala kubantwana bakwaIsrayeli amadoda ayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nesishiyagalombili; bonke labo babehlomé inkemba.
26Base bekhuphuka bonke abantwana bakwaIsrayeli, abantu bonke, bafika eBethele, bakhala, bahlala khona phambi kukaJehova, bazila ukudla ngalolosuku kwaze kwahlwa; banikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa nangeminikelo yokuthula phambi kukaJehova.
27Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli babuza kuJehova-ngokuba umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wawulapho ngalezozinsuku;
28uFinehasi indodana kaEleyazare kaAroni wema phambi kwawo ngalezozinsuku-bathi: Siyakuphinda siphume ukuba silwe nabantwana bakwaBenjamini umfowethu, nokuba siyeke na? UJehova wathi: Khuphukani, ngokuba kusasa ngiyakubanikela esandleni sakho.
29UIsrayeli wabeka abaqamekeli kulo iGibeya nxazonke.
30Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bakhuphuka ukulwa nabantwana bakwaBenjamini ngosuku lwesithathu, bazihlelela ukulwa neGibeya njengakwezinye izikhathi.
31Abantwana bakwaBenjamini baphuma ukulwa nabantu, badonswa, baphuma emzini; baqala ukubulala nokuceka abantu njengakwezinye izikhathi emendweni, omunye okhuphukela eBethele, omunye oya eGibeya ensimini, kungathi amadoda angamashumi amathathu kwaIsrayeli.
32Abantwana bakwaBenjamini bathi: Babulewe phambi kwethu njengakuqala. Kepha abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bathi: Masibaleke, sibadonse, baphume emzini, baye emendweni.
33Bonke abantu bakwaIsrayeli basuka endaweni yabo, bazihlela eBali-Tamari; abaqamekeli bakwaIsrayeli bavumbuluka endaweni yabo eMare-Geba.
34Kweza malungana neGibeya abantu abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi abakhethiweyo kuye wonke uIsrayeli; ukulwa kwakunzima, kepha babengazi ukuthi ingozi isifikile kubo.
35UJehova wanqoba uBenjamini phambi kukaIsrayeli; abantwana bakwaIsrayeli babulala ngalolosuku kwaBenjamini abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nanhlanu nekhulu; bonke labo babehlomé inkemba.
36Base bebona abantwana bakwaBenjamini ukuthi banqotshiwe; abantu bakwaIsrayeli bamdela uBenjamini lokhu bebebethemba abaqamekeli ababebabekile ngaseGibeya.
37Abaqamekeli bashesha badumela eGibeya; abaqamekeli basuka bachitha umuzi wonke ngosiko lwenkemba.
38Isiboniso esinqunyiweyo phakathi kwabantu bakwaIsrayeli nabaqamekeli sasiyilesi sokuba bathunqise umusi omkhulu wenyuke emzini.
39Abantu bakwaIsrayeli babuyela emuva empini; uBenjamini wayeseqalile ukubulala nokuceka kubantu bakwaIsrayeli kungathi abantu abangamashumi amathathu, ngokuba bathi: Impela babulewe phambi kwethu njengasekulweni kwakuqala.
40Kepha lapho sekuqalé ukuthunqa insika yomusi emzini, abakwaBenjamini babheka emuva, nanko umuzi wonke uthunqela ngasezulwini.
41Base bephenduka abantu bakwaIsrayeli, nabantu bakwaBenjamini bashaywa luvalo, ngokuba babona ukuthi behlelwe ngububi.
42Ngalokho bafulathela phambi kwabantu bakwaIsrayeli, bahamba ngendlela yasehlane, kepha ukulwa kwabalandela; abaphuma emizini bababulala phakathi kwayo.
43Babahaqa abakwaBenjamini nxazonke, babaxosha, babanyathela phansi endaweni yabo yokuphumula, baze bafika malungana neGibeya ngasempumalanga.
44Kwawa abantu bakwaBenjamini abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nesishiyagalombili; bonke labo babengamaqhawe.
45Baphenduka babalekela ehlane edwaleni lakwaRimoni; bakhothoza kubo emendweni abantu abayizinkulungwane eziyisihlanu, babaxosha kwaze kwabaseGideyomu, babulala kubo abantu abayizinkulungwane ezimbili.
46Bonke abawa ngalolosuku kwaBenjamini babengabantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nanhlanu abahlomé inkemba; bonke labo babengamaqhawe.
47Kepha abantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha baphenduka, babalekela ehlane edwaleni lakwaRimoni, bahlala edwaleni lakwaRimoni izinyanga ezine.
48Abantu bakwaIsrayeli babuyela kubantwana bakwaBenjamini, bababulala ngosiko lwenkemba ababesaphila emzini, nezinkomo, yebo, konke okwafunyaniswayo; futhi yonke imizi abayifumanisayo bayithungela ngomlilo.
