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 amane 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 benze amanyala nobudenge kwaSirayeli.

⁷Nanko ke nina nonke, nyana bakaSirayeli; khuphani ilizwi necebo apha.

⁸Besuka bonke abantu njengandoda-nye, 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 njengandoda-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. Abavuma ke oonyana bakaBhenjamin ukuliphulaphula izwi labazalwana babo, oonyana bakaSirayeli.

¹⁴Oonyana bakaBhenjamin bahlanganisana eGibheha, bephuma emizini besiya kulwa noonyana bakaSirayeli.

¹⁵Babalwa oonyana bakaBhenjamin ngaloo mhla, bephuma emizini; baba ngamadoda angamashumi amabini anamathandathu amawaka arhola ikrele, ngaphandle kwabemi baseGibheha, ababalwayo 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 amane amadoda arhola ikrele; onke lawo ingamadoda okulwa.

¹⁸Besuka, benyuka baya eBheteli, babuza kuThixo. Bathi oonyana bakaSirayeli, Makunyuke 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 akha uluhlu lokulwa nawo ngaseGibheha.

²¹Baphuma oonyana bakaBhenjamin eGibheha, bavunela phantsi ngaloo mini kumaSirayeli amashumi amabini anamabini amawaka amadoda.

²²Bazomeleza abantu, amadoda akwaSirayeli, baphinda bakha uluhlu lokulwa, kwasendaweni ababakhe uluhlu kuyo ngomhla wokuqala.

²³Benyuka oonyana bakaSirayeli, balila phambi koYehova, kwada kwahlwa. Babuza kuYehova, bathi, Ndiphinde 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, Ndibuye 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, bakha 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, akha 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 ngarhola 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 awawayo 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 zane.

⁴⁸Amadoda akwaSirayeli abuyela koonyana bakaBhenjamin, abulala ngohlangothi lwekrele, ethabathela kumzi, kumadoda ke kwaneenkomo esa kwinto yonke efumanekayo naphi. Kananjalo imizi yonke efunyenweyo ayifaka umlilo.