Isizwe sakwaBenjamini sibuye simiswe
1Abantu bakwaIsrayeli babefungile eMispa, bethi: Akuyikubakho-muntu oyakunika owakwaBenjamini indodakazi yakhe ibe-ngumkakhe.
2Abantu base befika eBethele, bahlala khona kwaze kwahlwa phambi kukaNkulunkulu, baphakamisa izwi labo, bakhala kakhulu.
3Bathi: Jehova Nkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, lokhu kwenzelweni kwaIsrayeli ukuba kusilale namuhla esinye isizwe sakwaIsrayeli na?
4Kwathi ngakusasa abantu bavuka ekuseni, bakha khona ialtare, banikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa neminikelo yokuthula.
5Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bathi: Yisiphi phakathi kwazo zonke izizwe zakwaIsrayeli esingakhuphukelanga ebandleni kuJehova na? Ngokuba bebefungile isifungo esikhulu ngaye ongakhuphukeli kuJehova eMispa ukuthi wobulawa nokubulawa.
6Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bamhawukela uBenjamini umfowabo, bathi: Kunqunyiwe namuhla esinye isizwe kwaIsrayeli.
7Siyakwenze-njani ukuba abaseleyo babe-nabafazi, lokhu sifungile uJehova ukuthi asiyikubanika amadodakazi ethu abe-ngomkabo, na?
8Bathi: Yisiphi kuzo izizwe zakwaIsrayeli esingakhuphukelanga kuJehova eMispa na? Bheka, akufikanga-muntu ekamu* ovela eJabeshi-Gileyadi ukuya ebandleni.
9Sebebalwa abantu; bheka, kwakungekho-muntu kwabakhile eJabeshi-Gileyadi lapho.
10Inhlangano yathuma khona abantu abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nambili abangamaqhawe amakhulu, yabayala yathi: Hambani nibabulale abakhé eJabeshi-Gileyadi ngosiko lwenkemba kanye nabesifazane nezingane.
11Yilokhu eniyakukwenza: Niyakuchitha nokuchitha bonke abesilisa nabo bonke abesifazane abake balala nendoda.
12Bafumana phakathi kwabakhileyo eJabeshi-Gileyadi izintombi ezintsha ezingamakhulu amane ezingazanga-ndoda ngokulala nayo; baziyisa ekamu* eShilo elisezweni laseKhanani.
13Yonke inhlangano yathuma yakhuluma kubantwana bakwaBenjamini ababasedwaleni lakwaRimoni, yamemezela ukuthula kubo.
14UBenjamini wabuya ngalesosikhathi; babanika abesifazane ababebasindisile kwabesifazane baseJabeshi-Gileyadi; kepha ababanelanga.
15Abantu bamhawukela uBenjamini, ngokuba uJehova wayenzé ukwahlukana ezizweni zakwaIsrayeli.
16Amalunga enhlangano ayesethi: Siyakwenze-njani ukuba abaseleyo babenabafazi, lokhu abesifazane bechithiwe kwaBenjamini, na?
17Athi: Nga liba-khona ifa labaphunyukileyo bakwaBenjamini, ukuze kungesulwa-sizwe kwaIsrayeli.
18Kepha asinakubanika nokho amadodakazi ethu abe-ngomkabo, ngokuba abantwana bakwaIsrayeli babefungile bethi: Makaqalekiswe onika owakwaBenjamini umfazi.
19Athi: Bheka, kukhona umkhosi kaJehova iminyaka ngeminyaka eShilo elingasenyakatho kwaseBethele ngasempumalanga komendo okhuphuka eBethele uya eShekemi nangaseningizimu kwaseLebona.
20Abayala abantwana bakwaBenjamini, athi: Hambani niqamekele ezivinini,
21nibone: bhekani, uma amadodakazi aseShilo ephuma ukusina lapho kusinwa khona, anophuma ezivinini, nizibambele, kube-yilowo nalowo umkakhe kuwo amadodakazi aseShilo, niye ezweni lakwaBenjamini.
22Kuyakuthi lapho oyise noma abanewabo befika ukuphikisana nathi, sithi kubo: Sinikeni wona ngomusa, ngokuba asithathanga, kwaba-yilowo nalowo umkakhe empini, futhi anibanikanga wona; khona ngabe nitholile icala.
23Abantwana bakwaBenjamini benze njalo, bazithathela abafazi njengenani labo kwabasinayo, ababaqhwagayo; bahamba, babuyela efeni labo, bakha imizi, bahlala kuyo.
24Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bamuka khona ngalesosikhathi, yilowo nalowo waya esizweni sakhe nasemndenini wakhe, baphuma lapho, yilowo nalowo waya efeni lakhe.
25Ngalezozinsuku kwakungekho-nkosi kwaIsrayeli; yilowo nalowo wenza okulungile emehlweni akhe.
