Abahluleli 20 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

AbakoIsrayeli balwa labakoBenjamini

¹ Bonke abakoIsrayeli baphuma kusukela eDani kusiya eBerisheba kanye lelizwe leGileyadi, ibandla lonke labuthana njengamuntu munye eNkosini eMizipa.

² Izinduna zabo bonke abantu lezizwe zonke zakoIsrayeli zazikhona emhlanganweni wabantu bakaNkulunkulu, izinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amane zamabutho ahlomileyo ahamba ngenyawo.

³ AbakoBenjamini bezwa kuthiwa abakoIsrayeli babuthene eMizipa. AbakoIsrayeli bathi: Sitsheleni ukuba lobububi benziwe kanjani.

⁴ UmLevi indoda yalowowesifazana owayebulewe waphendula wathi: Ngafika eGibeya elakoBenjamini mina lomunye umfazi wami ukuba silale khona.

⁵ Amadoda aseGibeya angivukela, azingelezela indlu engangikuyo ebusuku efuna ukungibulala, amdlova omunye umfazi wami, khathesi usefile.

⁶ Ngamthatha, ngamquma iziqa, ngazithumela kulo lonke ilizwe lakoIsrayeli, ngoba lawomadoda enza amanyala lobubi koIsrayeli.

⁷ Ngakhoke lina bantu bakoIsrayeli, lina lonke ake likhuphe ilizwi lenu lokweluleka.

⁸ Abantu bonke basuka njengamuntu munye bathi: Kakukho loyedwa wethu ozabuyela ethenteni lakhe, lozabuyela emzini wakhe.

⁹ Nankuke esizakukwenza eGibeya. Sizakwenza inkatho yokuhlasela,

¹⁰ sithathe abantu abalitshumi kuwo wonke amakhulu ezizwe zakoIsrayeli, lekhulu kuzo zonke inkulungwane, lenkulungwane kuzo zonke inkulungwane ezilitshumi, ukuba badinge umphako ebantwini owalabo abaphumele ukuhlasela iGibeya koBenjamini, ukuba kuphindiselwe ububi obenziwe koIsrayeli.

¹¹ Ngakhoke wonke amadoda akoIsrayeli awuhlasela umuzi, ehlangene njengamuntu munye.

¹² Izizwe zakoIsrayeli zathuma abantu kuso sonke isizwe sakoBenjamini zisithi: Yibubi bani lobu obenzeke phakathi kwenu na?

¹³ Ngakhoke banikeleni labobantu ababi baseGibeya ukuze sibabulale, siqede okubi koIsrayeli. Kodwa abakoBenjamini kabalilalelanga ilizwi labafowabo, abantu bakoIsrayeli.

¹⁴ AbakoBenjamini babuthana eGibeya bevela emizini yonke, ukuba balwe labakoIsrayeli.

¹⁵ AbakoBenjamini babutha emizini yabo ngalolosuku abantu abahlomileyo abazinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili lesithupha ngaphandle kwabaseGibeya.

¹⁶ Phakathi kwabo bonke laba kwakukhona abantu abakhethiweyo ababengamakhulu ayisikhombisa bengamanxele; bonke babekwazi ukujikijela ilitshe bengakhuthi ngitsho lonwele.

¹⁷ AbakoIsrayeli bodwa babutha amadoda ahlomileyo azinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amane; wonke ayengamadoda empi.

¹⁸ Basuka baya eBetheli, babuza uNkulunkulu bathi: Ngubani ozakuhamba kuqala ukulwa labakoBenjamini na? INkosi yathi: NguJuda ozahamba kuqala.

¹⁹ AbakoIsrayeli basebevuka ekuseni, bamisa ngaseGibeya.

²⁰ Baphuma ukuyakulwa labakoBenjamini, bazihlelela ukulwa labo eGibeya.

²¹ AbakoBenjamini baphuma eGibeya, babulala ngalolosuku abantu bakoIsrayeli abazinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili lambili.

²³ AbakoIsrayeli basuka bayakhala phambi kweNkosi kwaze kwahlwa. Babuza eNkosini bathi: Sibuyele yini ukulwa labafowethu abakoBenjamini na? INkosi yathi: Yebo, hambani liyekulwa labo.

²² AbakoIsrayeli basebeziqunga isibindi, bahlela impi kuleyondawo ababekuyo ngosuku lokuqala.

²⁴ AbakoIsrayeli basondela kwabakoBenjamini ngosuku lwesibili.

²⁵ AbakoBenjamini baphuma eGibeya ngosuku lwesibili, babulala kwabakoIsrayeli abantu abazinkulungwane ezilitshumi lezificaminwembili, bonke bengabantu abahlomileyo.

²⁶ Ngakho bonke abantu bakoIsrayeli, yonke impi, basuka baya eBetheli, bakhala behlezi phambi kweNkosi, bazila ukudla kwaze kwahlwa, banikela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yokuthula phambi kweNkosi.

²⁷ Babuza eNkosini ngoba umtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wawulapho ngalezonsuku,

²⁸ loFiniyasi indodana kaEleyazare kaAroni nguye owayewuphethe ngalezonsuku. Abantu bathi: Siphinde yini ukuyakulwa labafowethu abakoBenjamini, loba siyekele na? INkosi yathi: Hambani, ngoba kusasa ngizabanikela ezandleni zenu.

²⁹ Ngakho abakoIsrayeli bacathamisa abantu inxa zonke zeGibeya.

³⁰ Basuka ukuyahlasela abakoBenjamini ngosuku lwesithathu, bazihlelela ukulwa labo njengakwezinye izikhathi.

³¹ AbakoBenjamini baphuma ukulwa labo, badonswa baphuma emzini; njengezikhathi eziphambili baqala ukubatshaya, babulala abalutshwana abaphosa baba ngamatshumi amathathu ezindleleni ezingasemagcekeni, enye yazo isiya eBetheli lenye isiya eGibeya.

³² AbakoBenjamini bathi: Sibaqedile njengakuqala. Kodwa abakoIsrayeli bathi: Asibalekeni, sibakhuphe emzini, sibadonsele emigwaqweni engaphandle.

³³ Basebevuka bonke abakoIsrayeli endaweni zabo, babuthana eBali‐Tamari; abakoIsrayeli abacathameyo bavumbuluka endaweni yabo ngasentshonalanga kweGibeya.

³⁴ Alihlasela iGibeya amadoda akhethiweyo azinkulungwane ezilitshumi evela kubo bonke abakoIsrayeli ngokulwa okunzima. Kodwa abakoBenjamini babengazi ukuthi ingozi ifikile kubo.

³⁵ INkosi yamnqoba uBenjamini phambi kukaIsrayeli. AbakoIsrayeli babulala abantu bakoBenjamini abazinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili lanhlanu lekhulu elilodwa ngalolosuku, bonke labo bengabantu abahlomileyo.

³⁶ AbakoBenjamini basebebona ukuthi sebenqotshiwe. AbakoIsrayeli bamdedela uBenjamini, ngoba bathemba abantu ababecatheme ababebabeke ngaseGibeya.

³⁷ Labo ababecatheme basuka masinyane, balihlasela iGibeya inxa zonke, babulala bonke abakhona ngomkhonto.

³⁸ Isibonakaliso esasimisiwe phakathi kwabakoIsrayeli labantu abacathemeyo sasingesokuba lapho sekuthunqa intuthu enkulu phakathi komuzi

³⁹ abakoIsrayeli baphenduke balwe. AbakoBenjamini baqalisa ukubabulala, babulala abakoIsrayeli abaphosa baba ngamatshumi amathathu, bathi: Impela sibaqedile njengasempini yakuqala.

⁴⁰ Kwathi lapho intuthu isiqalisa ukuthunqa phakathi komuzi, abakoBenjamini banyemukula bakubona bacabanga ukuthi umuzi wonke uyatsha.

⁴¹ Basebephenduka abakoIsrayeli, abakoBenjamini batshaywa luvalo, ngoba babona ukuba ingozi isibehlele.

⁴² Basebebabalekela, baqonda enkangala; kodwa ukulwa kwafinyelela kubo, lalabo abaphuma phakathi komuzi bangena phakathi kwabo, bababulala.

⁴³ Babahanqa abakoBenjamini, baxotshana labo bengabayekeli, babafica endaweni yasempumalanga kweGibeya.

⁴⁴ Kwabulawa abakoBenjamini abazinkulungwane ezilitshumi lezificaminwembili, bonke bengamaqhawe.

⁴⁵ Abaseleyo baphenduka babalekela enkangala edwaleni laseRimoni. AbakoIsrayeli babulala abantu abazinkulungwane ezinhlanu ezindleleni, baxotshana labo baze babafica, babulala futhi abazinkulungwane ezimbili.

⁴⁶ Ngakho bonke abakoBenjamini ababulawayo mhlalokho babezinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili lanhlanu zamadoda ahlomileyo, bonke bengamaqhawe.

⁴⁷ Kodwa abantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha babaleka, baqonda enkangala edwaleni laseRimoni, bahlala khona inyanga ezine.

⁴⁸ AbakoIsrayeli babuyela babahlasela futhi abakoBenjamini, babulala abantu lezinyamazana lakho konke abakufumanayo. Imizi yonke abayifumanayo bayitshisa ngomlilo.