Abahluleli 21 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

AbakoBenjamini bazithathela abafazi

¹ AbakoIsrayeli babefungile eMizipa bathi: Kakukho lamunye wethu ozakwendisela indodakazi yakhe koBenjamini.

² Abantu beza eBetheli, bahlala phambi kweNkosi kwaze kwahlwa, baphakamisa amazwi abo bakhala kakhulu.

³ Bathi: Nkosi, Nkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, kubangelwe yini lokhu koIsrayeli ukuba kuphele esinye isizwe koIsrayeli na?

⁴ Kusasa abantu bavuka ekuseni, bakha ialtare lapho, banikela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yokuthula.

⁵ AbakoIsrayeli bathi: Yisiphi phakathi kwazo zonke izizwe zakoIsrayeli esingezanga emhlanganweni eNkosini na? Ngoba babefungile ngesifungo esikhulu ngalowo ongayikuza eNkosini eMizipa bathi: Uzakubulawa.

⁶ AbakoIsrayeli baba lesihawu ngabakoBenjamini abafowabo bathi: Esinye isizwe siphelile koIsrayeli lamuhla.

⁷ Sizakwenza njani ukuba labo abaseleyo babe labafazi, lokhu sifungile ngeNkosi ukuthi kasiyikubendisela amadodakazi ethu na?

⁸ Bathi: Yisiphi kuzo zonke izizwe zakoIsrayeli esingezanga eNkosini eMizipa na? Kwakungezanga loyedwa kwabaseJabeshi‐Gileyadi emhlanganweni.

⁹ Ngoba kwathi lapho abantu behlanganiswa, kwakungekho muntu waseJabeshi‐Gileyadi lapho.

¹⁰ Ngakho ibandla laselithumela khona abantu abangamaqhawe abazinkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili, babalaya bathi: Hambani liyebulala abaseJabeshi‐Gileyadi kanye labesifazana labantwana.

¹¹ Lizakwenza lokhu; bonke abesilisa labo bonke abesifazana asebake balala lendoda lizababulala, kodwa liyekele izintombi. Benza njalo.

¹² Bafumanisa kwabaseJabeshi‐Gileyadi izintombi ezingamakhulu amane ezingazanga zilale lendoda, baziletha ezihonqweni eShilo elizweni laseKanani.

¹³ Lonke ibandla lathumela ilizwi kwabakoBenjamini ababesedwaleni laseRimoni, bamemezela ukuthula kibo.

¹⁴ AbakoBenjamini babuya ngalesosikhathi, babanika abesifazana ababebathethe kwabaseJabeshi‐Gileyadi, kodwa kababanelanga.

¹⁵ Abantu bamhawukela uBenjamini ngoba iNkosi yayenzile ukwehlukana ezizweni zakoIsrayeli.

¹⁶ Abadala bebandla basebesithi: Sizakwenza njani ukuba abaseleyo babe labafazi, lokhu abesifazana babulewe koBenjamini na?

¹⁷ Bathi: Kufanele ukuba kube khona indlalifa kwabaseleyo koBenjamini, ukuba isizwe singapheli koIsrayeli.

¹⁸ Kanti kasilakwendisela amadodakazi ethu abe ngomkabo, ngoba abakoIsrayeli babefungile bathi: Kaqalekiswe lowo owendisela uBenjamini umfazi.

¹⁹ Basebesithi: Khangelani, kukhona umkhosi weNkosi weminyaka yonke eShilo elingasenyakatho kweBetheli, ngasempumalanga kwendlela esuka eBetheli isiya eShekema, ngaseningizimu kweLebona.

²⁰ Basebesithi kwabakoBenjamini: Hambani liyecathama ezivinini liqaphele;

²¹ lapho amadodakazi eShilo esephuma ukuzagida, liphume ezivinini lonke lizibambele abafazi, beselibaleka lisiya ekhaya elizweni lakoBenjamini.

²² Kuzakuthi nxa oyise loba abanewabo befika besola kini, lina lithi kibo: Ake lisivumele siwathathe, ngoba kasibathumbelanga bonke abantu abafazi ekulweni; lani kalisinikanga bona, ngakho kalilacala.

²³ AbakoBenjamini benza njalo, bazibambela abafazi abalingana lobunengi babo phakathi kwabagidayo, bahamba labo, babuyela elizweni lakibo, bayivusa imizi, bahlala kiyo.

²⁴ AbakoIsrayeli basuka lapho ngalesosikhathi, bonke babuyela ezizweni zabo lezindlini zabo lezindaweni zabo.

²⁵ Ngalezonsuku kwakungelankosi koIsrayeli. Bonke abantu babezenzela abakuthandayo.