ABAGWEBI 21

₁Ke kaloku amadoda amadoda akwaSirayeli abefungile eMizpa, esithi, Akukho kúthi uya kunika umBhenjamin intombi yakhe ibe ngumfazi. ₂Baya abantu eBheteli, bahlala khona kwada kwahlwa phambi koThixo, baliphakamisa izwi labo, batsho ngesililo esikhulu. ₃Bathi, Kungani na, Yehova, Thixo kaSirayeli, ukuthi kuhle oku kwaSirayeli, ukuba esinye isizwe singabikho namhla kwaSirayeli? ₄Kwathi ngengomso, bavuka kusasa abantu, bakha isibingelelo khona, benyusa amadini anyukayo nemibingelelo yoxolo.

₅Bathi oonyana bakaSirayeli, Ngubani na ezizweni zonke zakwaSirayeli onganyukanga eze ebandleni kuYehova? Ngokuba ubefungelwe kakhulu onganyukanga eze kuYehova eMizpa, ngokuthi, Makabulawe afe. ₆Babezohlwaya oonyana bakaSirayeli ngenxa kaBhenjamin umninawa wabo, besithi, Namhla sínqanyulwe esinye isizwe kwaSirayeli; ₇sìya kubathini na abaseleyo ngabo abafazi, sifungé uYehova nje thina, ukuba asiyi kubanika ezintombini zethu zibe ngabafazi?

₈Bathi ke, Sisiphi na isizwe sakwaSirayeli esinganyukanga size kuYehova eMizpa? Nanko ke eYabheshe yaseGiliyadi kungezanga ndoda eminqubeni ebandleni. ₉Babàlwa abantu, nanko kungabangakho nanye indoda yabemi beYabheshe yaseGiliyadi khona. ₁₀Ibandla lathumela khona ishumi elinamabini lamawaka amadoda kubafo abanobukroti, lawawisela umthetho, lisithi, Hambani niye kubulala abemi baseYabheshe yaseGiliyadi ngohlangothi lwekrele, abafazi nabantwana. ₁₁Nantsi into enoyenza: yonke into eyindoda, nento yonke eyinkazana eyazene nendoda ngokulalwa yiyo, noyisingela phantsi.

₁₂Afumana kubemi baseYabheshe yaseGiliyadi amankazana angamakhulu amané aziintombi, angazani nandoda ngokulala nayo, awazisa eminqubeni eShilo, eselizweni lamaKanan.

₁₃Lathumela lonke ibandla, lathetha noonyana bakaBhenjamin ababesengxondorheni yeRimon, lamemeza kubo lathi lixolile. ₁₄Abuya ke amaBhenjamin ngelo xesha; lawanika amankazana ebeliwasindisile kumankazana aseYabheshe yaseGiliyadi; akawalingana, noko angako. ₁₅Abantu bazohlwaya ngenxa kaBhenjamin; ngokuba uYehova ebenze uthanda ezizweni zakwaSirayeli.

₁₆Athi amadoda amakhulu ebandla, Siya kubathini na abaseleyo ngabafazi, etshabalele nje amankazana kwaBhenjamin? ₁₇Athi, Ilifa labasindileyo malibe lelakwaBhenjamin, kungacinywa sizwe kwaSirayeli. ₁₈Ke thina asinakubanika bafazi ezintombini zethu; ngokuba oonyana bakaSirayeli bafungile besithi, Uqalekisiwe onika umBhenjamin umfazi.

₁₉Athi, Niyabona, kukho umthendeleko kaYehova iminyaka ngeminyaka eShilo, engasentla yeBheteli, ngasempumalanga komendo ovela eBheteli, onyuka uye kwaShekem, nangasezantsi kweLebhona. ₂₀Abawisela oonyana bakaBhenjamin umthetho, esithi, Hambani niye kulalela ezidiliyeni; ₂₁yabonani, nikhángele; ukuba zithe zaphuma iintombi zaseShilo, zingqungqa, zibetha ingqongqo, ze niphume ezidiliyeni, nizithele hlasi elowo umkakhe ezintombini zaseShilo, niye ezweni lakwaBhenjamin. ₂₂Kothi, xa ooyise nabanakwazo bazé kubambana nathi, sithi kubo, Sibabaleni ngazo; ngokuba singàbathabathelanga elowo umkakhe ekulweni; ngokuba anibanikanga nina, okanye beniya kuba netyala.

₂₃Benjenjalo oonyana bakaBhenjamin, bazeka abafazi ngokwenani labo kwezo zazingqungqa, bazixhakamfuláyo; bahamba babuyela elifeni labo, bákha imizi, bahlala kuyo. ₂₄Bemka apho oonyana bakaSirayeli ngelo xesha, elowo waya esizweni sakowabo, nasemzalwaneni wakowabo. Baphuma ke apho, waya elowo elifeni lakhe.

₂₅Ngaloo mihla kwakungekho kumkani kwaSirayeli; elowo wenza ngokubona kwakhe.