ABAGWEBI 20

₁Baphuma ke bonke oonyana bakaSirayeli, labizelwa ndawonye lonke ibandla njengandoda-nye, lathabathela kwaDan lesa eBher-shebha, nelizwe laseGiliyadi, laya kuYehova eMizpa. ₂Zema izibonda zabantu bonke, zezizwe zonke zakwaSirayeli, ebandleni labantu bakaThixo, abangamawaka angamakhulu amané amadoda angumqikela arhola ikrele. ₃Beva oonyana bakaBhenjamin, ukuba oonyana bakaSirayeli benyukile beza eMizpa.

Bathi oonyana bakaSirayeli, Thethani; itheni na ukubakho le nto inje ukuba mbi? ₄Yaphendula indoda leyo, ingumLevi, indoda yaloo nkazana incinithiweyo, yathi, Ndafika eGibheha ekwaBhenjamin, mna neshweshwe lam, salalisa khona. ₅Abemi baseGibheha bandivunukela, bayirhawula indlu ngenxa yam ebusuku; bagqiba kwelokundibulala; balidlwengula ishweshwe lam, lafa. ₆Ndalibamba ishweshwe lam, ndalityatya, ndalithumela kwilizwe lonke lelifa lakwaSirayeli; ngokuba benzé amanyala nobudenge kwaSirayeli. ₇Nanko ke nina nonke, nyana bakaSirayeli; khuphani ilizwi necebo apha.

₈Besuka bonke abantu njengandodanye, bathi, Asiyi kuya elowo ententeni yakhe, asiyi kuphambukela elowo endlwini yakhe; ₉ke ngoko, nantsi into esiya kwenza yona kwiGibheha; siya kwenza kuyo ngokweqashiso, ₁₀sithabathe ishumi lamadoda ekhulwini ezizweni zonke zakwaSirayeli, ikhulu ewakeni, iwaka emawakeni alishumi, ukuya kuthabathela abantu umphako; ukuze ekufikeni kwabo eGibheha yakwaBhenjamin, bohlwaywe njengokobudenge bonke ababenzileyo kwaSirayeli. ₁₁Ahlanganisana ke onke amadoda akwaSirayeli kuloo mzi, ebandakanyiwe njenganoda-nye.

₁₂Izizwe zakwaSirayeli zathuma amadoda kwimizalwane yonke yakwaBhenjamin, zisithi, Bububi buni na obu, benziweyo phakathi kwenu? ₁₃Sinikeleni kalokunje loo madoda angamatshijolo aseGibheha, siwabulale, sibutshayele ububi bungabikho kwaSirayeli. Àbavuma ke oonyana bakaBhenjamin ukuliphulaphula izwi labazalwana babo, oonyana bakaSirayeli.

₁₄Oonyana bakaBhenjamin bahlanganisana eGibheha, bephuma emizini besiya kulwa noonyana bakaSirayeli. ₁₅Babàlwa oonyana bakaBhenjamin ngaloo mhla, bephuma emizini; baba ngamadoda angamashumi amabini anamathandathu amawaka arhola ikrele, ngaphandle kwabemi baseGibheha, ababalwáyo baba ngamadoda ahleliweyo angamakhulu asixhenxe. ₁₆Kwaba bantu bonke bekukho amakhulu asixhenxe amadoda ahleliweyo angamanxele, onke enokusawula ngelitye, achane angaphosi.

₁₇Ke amadoda akwaSirayeli, ngaphandle kwamaBhenjamin, abebalwe aba ngamawaka angamakhulu amané amadoda arhola ikrele; onke lawo ingamadoda okulwa. ₁₈Besuka, benyuka baya eBheteli, babuza kuThixo. Bathi oonyana bakaSirayeli, Makunyùke bani na kuthi, aqale ukulwa noonyana bakaBhenjamin? Wathi uYehova, Makuqale uYuda. ₁₉Besuka oonyana bakaSirayeli kusasa, bayingqinga iGibheha.

₂₀Aphuma amadoda akwaSirayeli, aya kulwa namaBhenjamin. Amadoda akwaSirayeli ákha uluhlu lokulwa nawo ngaseGibheha. ₂₁Baphuma oonyana bakaBhenjamin eGibheha, bavunela phantsi ngaloo mini kumaSirayeli amashumi amabini anamabini amawaka amadoda. ₂₂Bazomeleza abantu, amadoda akwaSirayeli, baphinda bákha uluhlu lokulwa, kwasendaweni ababakhé uluhlu kuyo ngomhla wokuqala. ₂₃Benyuka oonyana bakaSirayeli, balila phambi koYehova, kwada kwahlwa. Babuza kuYehova, bathi, Ndiphínde na ndisondele ekulweni noonyana bakaBhenjamin, umzalwana wam? Wathi uYehova, Nyukani niye kubo.

₂₄Basondela oonyana bakaSirayeli koonyana bakaBhenjamin ngomhla wesibini. ₂₅Aphuma amaBhenjamin eGibheha, aya kubahlangabeza ngomhla wesibini, abuya avunela phantsi koonyana bakaSirayeli ishumi elinesibhozo lamawaka amadoda; onke lawo arhola ikrele. ₂₆Benyuka bonke oonyana bakaSirayeli, bonke abantu, baya eBheteli, balila, bahlala khona phambi koYehova, bazila ukudla loo mini kwada kwahlwa, banyusa amadini anyukayo nemibingelelo yoxolo phambi koYehova. ₂₇Babuza oonyana bakaSirayeli kuYehova (yayikhona ityeya yomnqophiso kaYehova ngaloo mihla; ₂₈uPinehasi unyana kaElazare, unyana ka-Aron, emi phambi kwayo ngaloo mihla), besithi, Ndibùye ndiphinde, ndiphume ndiye kulwa noonyana bakaBhenjamin umzalwana wethu, ndiyeke, kusini na? Wathi uYehova, Nyukani, ngokuba ngomso ndiya kumnikela esandleni senu. ₂₉AmaSirayeli abeka abalaleli eGibheha ngeenxa zonke.

₃₀Benyuka oonyana bakaSirayeli baya koonyana bakaBhenjamin ngomhla wesithathu, bákha uluhlu lokulwa eGibheha, njengokweminye imihla. ₃₁Baphuma oonyana bakaBhenjamin, baya kubahlangabeza abantu, beqhawukene nomzi. Baqala ukubulala ebantwini njengokweminye imihla, emendweni, othi omnye unyuke uye eBheteli, uthi omnye uya eGibheha emaphandleni, bahlaba amadoda kwaSirayeli, akumashumi amathathu. ₃₂Bathi oonyana bakaBhenjamin, Babulewe phambi kwethu, njengasekuqaleni; ke oonyana bakaSirayeli babesithi, Masirhole sibaqhawule kuwo umzi, beze emendweni. ₃₃Asuka onke amadoda akwaSirayeli endaweni yawo, ákha uluhlu eBhahali-tamare; abalaleli bamaSirayeli bathi chithithi endaweni yabo ethafeni laseGebha. ₃₄Kwavela malungana neGibheha ishumi lamawaka amadoda ahleliweyo kumaSirayeli onke; ukulwa kwashushu; babengazi bona ukuba ububi bubafikele. ₃₅UYehova wawabulala amaBhenjamin phambi kwamaSirayeli. Oonyana bakaSirayeli batshabalalisa kwaBhenjamin ngaloo mini amashumi amabini anesihlanu amawaka anekhulu lamadoda; lawo onke ngárhola ikrele.

₃₆Ke kaloku oonyana bakaBhenjamin babona ukuba boyisiwe, ukuba amadoda akwaSirayeli ayehlehla phambi kwamaBhenjamin, ngokuba abekholose ngabalaleli ababebabeke eGibheha. ₃₇Abalaleli bakhawuleza, bagaleleka eGibheha, batsalela kuyo abalaleli, bawubulala wonke umzi ngohlangothi lwekrele.

₃₈Ke kaloku ibhunga lamadoda akwaSirayeli nabalaleli laye libe lelokuthi, Qhumisani kakhulu umsi, unyuke kuloo mzi. ₃₉Ajika ke amadoda akwaSirayeli ekulweni, akuba ebeqalile amaBhenjamin ukubulala iingxwelerha phakathi kwamadoda akwaSirayeli, amodada akumashumi amathathu; ngokuba abesithi, Abethiwe ngenene wona phambi kwethu, njengokulwa kokuqala. ₄₀Wakuba umsi uqalile ukunyuka emzini, ungumqulu womsi, amaBhenjamin abheka emva kwawo, nango umzi wonke unyuka usiya ezulwini ungumsi. ₄₁Aphethula amadoda akwaSirayeli, akhwankqiswa amadoda akwaBhenjamin; ngokuba abona ukuba afikelwe bububi. ₄₂Ajika ke phambi kwamadoda akwaSirayeli, abheka endleleni yentlango. Ukulwa kwathana mbende nawo, besuka nabemi bemizi bawatshabalalisa kuyo.

₄₃Bawarhawula amaBhenjamin, bawasukela, bawanyathelela phantsi endaweni yokuphumla, besa malunga neGibheha ngecala eliphuma ilanga. ₄₄Kwawa kumaBhenjamin ishumi elinesibhozo lamawaka amadoda; onke ke lawo ingamadoda anobukroti. ₄₅Ajika ke, asabela entlango, engxondorheni yeRimon. Bacholachola ke kuwo emendweni amawaka amahlanu amadoda; bathana mbende nawo bada besa eGidiyom, babulala kuwo amawaka amabini amadoda. ₄₆Athi ke onke awawáyo kumaBhenjamin ngaloo mini aba ngamashumi amabini anesihlanu amawaka, ingamadoda arhola ikrele; onke ke lawo ayengamadoda anobukroti. ₄₇Ke ajika asabela entlango engxondorheni eRimon engamakhulu amathandathu amadoda, ahlala engxondorheni yeRimon apho iinyanga zané. ₄₈Amadoda akwaSirayeli abuyela koonyana bakaBhenjamin, abulala ngohlangothi lwekrele, ethabathela kumzi, kumadoda ke kwaneenkomo esa kwinto yonke efumanekayo naphi. Kananjalo imizi yonke efunyenweyo ayifaka umlilo.