1Kekaloku amadoda akwa‐Sirayeli ebefungile e‐Mitsipa, ngokuti: Akuko mntu wakuti oya kunika intombi yake ku‐Benjamine ibe ngumfazi. 2Baza abantu beza endlwini katixo, bahlala kona kwada kwahlwa ebusweni bukatixo, bapakamisa ilizwi labo, balila ngokulila okukulu, bati: 3Kunganina, Yehova, Tixo wo‐Sirayeli! ukuba oku kuhlile kwa‐Sirayeli, okokuba isizwe sinye singabiko namhla kwa‐Sirayeli? 4Kwaye kute ngomnye umhla, bavuka abantu kusasa, baka kona isibingelo, banikela amadini okutshiswa neminikelo yoxolo.
5Lwaza usapo luka‐Sirayeli lwati: Ngubanina onganyukanga pakati kwomhlambi, kuzo zonke izizwe zo‐Sirayeli, ukuza kuyehova? Ngokuba bekwenziwe isifungo esikulu ngalowo onganyukeli kuyehova e‐Mitsipa, kusitwa: Uya kufiswa ngenyaniso. 6Lwandula usapo luka‐Sirayeli lwanosizi pezu kwo‐Benjamine umzalwana walo, lwati: Kunqunyulwe namhla isizwe sinye kwa‐Sirayeli: 7siya kubenzela nto nina ukuba abaseleyo babe nabafazi? ngokuba tina sifungile uyehova, ukuba singabaniki intombi zetu zibe ngabafazi. 8Lwaza lwati: Sisipina kuzo izizwe zo‐Sirayeli esinganyukelanga kuyehova e‐Mitsipa?
Kekaloku bona ke, bekungezanga mntu emnqubeni evela e‐Yabeshe‐gileyadi ukuza emhlambini. 9Ngokuba abantu bebebalwa, kekaloku bona ke, bekungeko kona namnye wabemi base‐Yabeshe‐gileyadi. 10Yandula intlanganiso yatumela kona amadoda angamawaka alishumi linamabini, kuwo amadoda obuṙoti, yawayalela ngokuti: Hambani, nibabete abemi base‐Yabeshe‐gileyadi ngohlangoti lweṙele, kwa nabafazi nabantwana. 11Yiyo le indawo eniya kuyenza: onke amadoda, nabo bonke abafazi abakwazileyo ukulala nendoda, nobalahlela ekutshatyalalisweni. 12Aza afumana pakati kwabemi base‐Yabeshe‐gileyadi intomb ezimakulu mane, ezazizintombi zipela, ezazingayazanga indoda ngokulala noyindoda; asuka azizisa emnqubeni e‐Shilo, esezweni le‐Kanane.
13Yandula yatuma yonke intlanganiso, yateta kulo usapo luka‐Benjamine olube luseweni le‐Rimone, yashumayela kulo uxolo. 14Aza ama‐Benjamine abuya ngeloxesha; baye bewanika abafazi, ababebalondolozile ebomini kuwo amankazana ase‐Yabeshe‐gileyadi; kodwa nangokunjalo bebengawaneli. 15Bandula abantu banosizi pezu kwo‐Benjamine, ngokuba uyehova enzile utanda ezizweni zo‐Sirayeli.
16Baza abadala bentlanganiso bati: Siya kwenza nto nina ukuba abaseleyo babe nabafazi? ngokuba amankazana etshatyalalisiwe kwa‐Benjamine. 17Babuya bati: Ilifa malibe lelabasindileyo bakwa‐Benjamine, ukuze kungacitwa isizwe kwa‐Sirayeli: 18kodwa tina asingenike kubo abafazi kwintombi zetu; ngokuba lufungile usapo luka‐Sirayeli, ngokuti: Makaqalekiswe onikayo umfazi ku‐Benjamine!
19Bandula bati: Bona ke, kuko umtendeleko kayehova e‐Shilo, iminyaka ngeminyaka, endaweni engasenode ye‐Betele, ngasecaleni lipuma ilanga lomendo onyukayo e‐Betele ukuya e‐Shekeme, nangasesuyide ye‐Lebona. 20Baza bayalela usapo luka‐Benjamine, besiti: Hambani niye nilalele ezitiyeni zemiti yeveyine: 21nize nikangele, niti, bona ke, ukuba intombi zase‐Shilo ziyapuma ukududa ngemidudo, nandule nipume ezitiyeni zemiti yeveyine, nizibambele abanye ngabanye umfazi wabo kwintombi zase‐Shilo; nize nihambe niye ezweni lakwa‐Benjamine. 22Kwakuya kuti, nxa oyise bazo, umhlaumbi abazalwana bazo, baya kuza ukumangala kuti, siya kwandula siti kubo: Sipate ngofefe ngabo; ngokuba singatabatelanga abanye ngabanye umfazi wabo ekulweni: ngokuba kungenini enibanikileyo, ukuba ngelixesha nibe netyala. 23Lwati usapo luka‐Benjamine lwenje njalo, lwatabata abafazi, ngenani lalo, kwababeduda, abo lwabapangayo: lwaza lwahamba, lwabuyela elifeni lalo, lwaka izixeko, lwahlala kuzo. 24Lwandula usapo luka‐Sirayeli lwemka kona ngeloxesha, lwaya olunye ngolunye kwisizwe salo nakwisizalwane salo; lwaye lupuma kona lwaya olunye ngolunye elifeni lalo.
25Ngalomihla bekungeko ukumkani kwa‐Sirayeli: abanye ngabanye bakwenza okufaneleyo emehlweni abo.
