AmaBhenjamin afunelwa abafazi
1Ke kaloku ngethuba amaSirayeli ayehlanganisene eMizpa ayebhambathisile phambi *koNdikhoyo athi: “Asisoze sendisele iintombi zethu kumaBhenjamin.” 2Ngoku ke amaSirayeli suke ahlanganisana phambi koThixo eBhetele; ahlala apho kwada kwahlwa, ehlahlamba ebindekile, 3esithi: “Ndikhoyo, Thixo kaSirayeli, ngani ukuba sihlelwe yinto enje? Ngani ukuba esinye isizwe sezizwe zakwaSirayeli sitshabalale siphele tu?”
4Ngentsasa elandelayo ke amaSirayeli akha iqonga apho, aza enza amadini atshiswayo kunye namadini obudlelwane. 5Abuzana athi: “Ngaba kukho indlu na yakwaSirayeli engazange iye kwimbizo esasinayo phambi koNdikhoyo eMizpa?” (Kaloku amaSirayeli ayenze isifungo esingqongqo, athi: “Nabani na ongayanga embizweni eMizpa uya kubulawa.”)
6Ngoku ke amaSirayeli ayenxubile ngenxa yabazalwana bawo amaBhenjamin. Avakala esithi: “Namhlanje uSirayeli ulahlekelwe yenye yezindlu zakhe. 7Nithi makuthiweni ukuze la maBhenjamin aseleyo azuze abafazi? Kaloku sabhambathisa phambi koNdikhoyo sathi asisoze siwendisele iintombi zethu.”
8Abuza ke amaSirayeli athi: “Ngaba kukho ndlu na ingazange iye eMizpa?” Afumanisa ukuba kwakungekho mntu waseJabheshe yaseGiliyadi. 9Ngexesha lokuhlelwa komkhosi akubangakho mntu wayevela eJabheshe. 10Ngoko ke ibandla lakhupha ishumi elinambini lamawaka amajoni angoompondo-zihlanjiwe, lawayalela ukuba aye eJabheshe, afike abulale wonke umntu nomfazi nomntwana lo wembala. 11Kwathiwa: “Wabulaleni amadoda nabafazi, nisindise iintombi nto.” 12Ke apho eJabheshe afumana amakhulu amane eentombi ezingazananga nandoda, aza azithatha aya nazo esikhululweni eShilo kumhlaba waseKanana.
13Ke ibandla lathumela kumaBhenjamin awayekumawa aseRimon, lawanikezela imiqathango yoxolo. 14Ke amaBhenjamin abuya, aza amaSirayeli awanikezela ezo ntombi zaseJabheshe eGiliyadi zazisindile; kambe ke zange ziwanele amaBhenjamin lawo.
15AmaSirayeli avelana namaBhenjamin, kuba uNdikhoyo enze umsantsa phakathi kwezindlu zikaSirayeli. 16Ngoko ke amadoda amakhulu athi: “Njengokuba betshatyalalisiwe nje abafazi kwaBhenjamin, sothini ukuyifumanela abafazi inxalenye yawo?” 17Aza athi: “Ingayinto embi ukuba kubekho indlu enqanyulwayo kwaSirayeli ngokungabi nazindlalifa. Makufunwe indlela yokuba indlu kaBhenjamin ingatshitshi. 18Kodwa thina ngokwethu asinako ukuyendisela iintombi zethu, njengoko senze isifungo sathi: ‘Nabani na owendisela intombi yakhe kwaBhenjamin uqalekisiwe.’ 19Kambe ke umbhiyozo waminyaka le kaNdikhoyo eShilo sowusondele.” Ke iShilo yayingasentla kweBhetele, ngezantsi kweLebhona, kwimpuma yendlela ephakathi kweBhetele neShekem.
20Ke ayalela amaBhenjamin athi: “Ze nihambe nifike nizímele ezidiliyeni, 21nilalele. Nakuphawula ukuba ziphumile iintombi zaseShilo, zingqungqa, phumani ezidiliyeni, ibe ngulowo nalowo azithathele umfazi apho kuzo, aye naye kwaBhenjamin. 22Ukuba ooyise okanye abanakwazo beze kuxambulisana nathi, sothi kubo: ‘Siyanibongoza, baveleni. Kaloku asibafumanelanga abafazi emfazweni. Kambe ke nina nimsulwa – kaloku bazithwele; abazinikwanga nini iintombi zenu.’ ”
23Ngenene ke amaBhenjamin ayenza loo nto; indoda nganye kuwo yazikhethela umfazi kwezo ntombi zazingqungqa eShilo, yayithwala, yagoduka nayo. Egodukile ke amaBhenjamin abuya azakha iidolophu zawo, abuya ema kuzo. 24Nawo ke amaSirayeli agoduka. Indoda nganye yaya kuxhamla ilifa layo emzini wayo kwisizwe sakowayo.
25Ke kaloku ngelo thuba kwakungekho kumkani kwaSirayeli; umntu ngamnye ke wayesenza unothanda.
