Abahluleli 19 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

UmLevi othile lomfazi wakhe

¹ Ngalezonsuku, kungelankosi koIsrayeli, umLevi othile wayehlala phakathi kwezintaba zakoEfrayimi, wazithathela omunye umfazi eBetlehema koJuda.

² Lowomfazi wamthukuthelela, wasuka wabuyela emzini kayise eBetlehema koJuda, wahlala khona inyanga ezine.

³ Umkakhe wasuka wamlandela ukumncenga ukuba abuye. Wahamba lenceku yakhe labobabhemi ababili, wayafika emzini kayise. Umfazi wamngenisa endlini. Kwathi lapho uyise wentombi embona wamhlangabeza ngokuthokoza.

⁴ Uyisezala wabalibazisa, bahlala khona insuku ezintathu, besidla benatha.

⁵ Ngosuku lwesine bavuka ekuseni kakhulu, balungisela ukuhamba; kodwa uyise wentombi wathi kumkhwenyana wakhe: Ake lidle kuqala lingakahambi.

⁶ Ngakho lawomadoda amabili ahlala adla anatha wonke. Uyise wentombi wasesithi kulowomuntu: Ake ulale khonapha lamhla uzithokozise.

⁷ Lapho lowomuntu esesukuma ukuba ahambe, uyisezala wamncenga waze wabuya walala lapho futhi.

⁸ Ngosuku lwesihlanu wavuka ekuseni kakhulu ukuba ahambe. Uyise wentombi wathi kuye: Akudle kuqala, uhlale ilanga lize likhothame. Basebesidla bobabili.

⁹ Kwathi lapho lowomuntu lomunye umfazi wakhe lenceku yakhe sebesuka ukuba bahambe, uyisezala wathi kuye: Khangela, ilanga selitshona, sekuzakuhlwa; akuhlale lapha ubusuku bonke. Ilanga selitshonile, lala khonapha uthokoze, kusasa uzavuka ekuseni kakhulu, uhamba uye ekhaya.

¹⁰ Kodwa kavumanga lowomuntu ukuhlala lobobusuku. Wasuka wahamba, wayafika maqondana leJebusi okutsho iJerusalema. Wayelabobabhemi ababili abathweleyo, lomunye umfazi wakhe.

¹¹ Sebebanga eJebusi ilanga laselitshonile, inceku yasisithi enkosini yayo: Asiphambuke singene emzini lo wamaJebusi, silale khona.

¹² Inkosi yathi kuyo: Kasiyikuphambukela emzini wabezizwe abantu abangesibo abakoIsrayeli, kodwa sizadlulela eGibeya.

¹³ Woza sidlulele phambili, siyelala eGibeya kumbe eRama.

¹⁴ Basebesedlula behamba; ilanga labatshonela sebebanga eGibeya elakoBenjamini.

¹⁵ Basebephambuka ukuba bayelala eGibeya. UmLevi wangena wahlala phansi emdangeni womuzi, kodwa kwakungekho muntu owabangenisa endlini yakhe ukuba balale khona.

¹⁶ Kwafika ixhegu kusihlwa livela emsebenzini walo ensimini. Leloxhegu lalingelezintabeni zakoEfrayimi lihlala eGibeya. Abantu baleyondawo babe ngabakoBenjamini.

¹⁷ Lakhangela labona lesisihambi emdangeni womuzi, lathi: Uya ngaphi? Uvelaphi?

¹⁸ Yena wathi kulo: Siyedlula sivela eBetlehema koJuda, siya phakathi kwezintaba zakoEfrayimi, lapho ngivela khona. Bengiye eBetlehema koJuda, sengibuyela ekhaya; kakulamuntu ongingenisa endlini yakhe.

¹⁹ Silotshani lokudla kwabobabhemi bethu, silokudla kwami lewayini, lokomfazi wami lokwenceku yami; kasiswelanga lutho.

²⁰ Leloxhegu laselisithi: Ukuthula kakube kuwe. Ngizalidingela konke elikuswelayo. Kuphela nje lingalali emdangeni.

²¹ Ngakhoke laselibasa endlini yalo, lanika obabhemi ukudla. Bageza inyawo zabo, badla banatha.

²² Besathokoza kwasekufika abantu bomuzi, abantu ababi, bayizingelezela indlu, batshaya isivalo besithi kuleloxhegu elingumnikazindlu: Khupha lowomuntu ongene endlini yakho ukuze simenze umfazi.

²³ Umnikazindlu waphuma waya kibo, wathi: Atshi, bafowethu, lingenzi okubi kangaka; lokhu lumuntu uyisethekeli sami, lingenzi linto embi.

²⁴ Khangelani, nansi indodakazi yami eyintombi. Kahleni ngiyikhuphe. Liyidlove, lizenzele elikuthandayo kiyo; kodwa kulumuntu lingayenzi linto embi.

²⁵ Kodwa labobantu kabalilalelanga ixhegu. Ngakho lowomLevi wasebamba omunye umfazi wakhe, wamkhuphela kibo. Bamdlova ubusuku bonke kwaze kwasa. Kwathi emadabukakusa bamyekela bahamba.

²⁶ Ekuphumeni kwelanga owesifazana weza wawela phansi emnyango wendlu yaleloxhegu lapho kwakukhona umkakhe, wahlala khona kwaze kwakhanya.

²⁷ Umkakhe wavuka ekuseni, wavula iminyango yendlu, waphuma ukuba ahambe, wabona omunye umfazi bakhe elele emnyango wendlu, izandla zakhe zisembundwini womnyango.

²⁸ Wathi kuye: Vuka, sihambe. Kodwa kakubanga lampendulo. Wasemkhweza ubabhemi, wasuka wahamba, waya ekhaya.

²⁹ Lapho esefikile ekhaya wathatha ingqamu, wambamba wamqumaquma iziqa ezilitshumi lambili; wazithumela kulo lonke ilizwe lakoIsrayeli.

³⁰ Watshela labobantu ayebathume lazo ukuba bathi kubo bonke abakoIsrayeli: Kwake kwenzeka okunje ingabe kwake kwabonwa kusukela esikhathini uIsrayeli aphuma ngaso eGibithe kuze kube lamhla na? Cabangani phakathi kwenu, likhulumisane. Ngakho bonke abazibonayo bathi: Kakuzanga kwenzeke okunje loba kubonwe ngaphambili.