Abahluleli 18 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

UMika labakoDani

¹ Ngalezonsuku kwakungelankosi koIsrayeli; isizwe sakoDani sazifunela indawo yokuhlala, ngoba kuze kube ngalesosikhathi babengelandawo phakathi kwezizwe zakoIsrayeli.

² Ngakho abakoDani basebethuma amadoda amahlanu angamaqhawe phakathi kwaso sonke isizwe sabo, beseZora leEshitawoli, ukuhlola ilizwe. Afika entabeni zakoEfrayimi, emzini kaMika, angenisa khona.

³ Kwathi esemzini kaMika alazi ilizwi lensizwa engumLevi; asesondela kuyo athi: Ngubani owakuletha lapha na? Wenzani kulindawo na? Ufunani lapha?

⁴ Yona yathi kibo: Ngumsebenzi kaMika lo; ungiqatshile, sengingumpristi wakhe.

⁵ Asesithi kuyo: Ake ubuze uNkulunkulu ukuze sazi ukuba uhambo lwethu luzaphumelela yini.

⁶ Umpristi wathi kibo: Hambani kuhle. Uhambo lwenu lusesandleni seNkosi.

⁷ Asehamba lawomadoda amahlanu, ayafika eLayishi, abona ukuthi abantu bakhona behlezi kuhle njengamaSidoni, belokuthula, bengethuki lutho, bengasweli lutho, benothile lokuthi babekhatshana lamaSidoni, bengasebenzelani lamaAramu.

⁸ Esebuyele eZora leEshitawoli abakibo bathi kuwo: Lingabikani?

⁹ Athi: Wozani siyebahlasela, ngoba sibonile ilizwe elivundileyo kakhulu. Kaliyikwenza lutho na? Lingaphuzi ukusuka liyelithatha ilizwe.

¹⁰ Ekufikeni kwenu khona lizafumanisa abantu abangethuki lutho; ilizwe likhulu, uNkulunkulu ulinikele ezandleni zenu; yindawo lapho kungasweleki lutho khona.

¹¹ Amadoda esizwe sakoDani angamakhulu ayisithupha ehlomile izikhali zempi aphuma eZora leEshitawoli,

¹² ayamisa eKiriyathi‐Jeyarimi koJuda. Ngenxa yalokho leyondawo ibizwa ngokuthi yiMahane‐Dani kuze kube lamuhla, ingasentshonalanga kweKiriyathi‐Jeyarimi.

¹³ Adlula lapho, aya entabeni zakoEfrayimi, afika emzini kaMika.

¹⁴ Amadoda amahlanu ayehambile ukuhlola ilizwe laseLayishi athi kubafowabo: Liyazi nje ukuthi kulezizindlu kukhona ingubo yamahlombe lezithombe ezathiwa ngamaterafi lesithombe sesiliva na? Ake licabange ukuba lizakwenzani.

¹⁵ Basebephambuka, baya endlini yomLevi emzini kaMika, bambuza ukuphila.

¹⁶ Amadoda akoDani angamakhulu ayisithupha ayehlomile ema esangweni.

¹⁷ Lawomadoda amahlanu ayehambile ukuhlola ilizwe angena, athatha isithombe sesiliva, lezithombe ezithiwa ngamaterafi, lezinye izithombe, umpristi esemi esangweni lamadoda angamakhulu ayisithupha ahlomileyo izikhali zempi.

¹⁸ Labo abahlanu sebengenile endlini kaMika bathatha isithombe sesiliva, lezithombe ezithiwa ngamaterafi, lezinye izithombe, umpristi wathi kibo: Lenzani na?

¹⁹ Bona bathi kuye: Thula! Vala umlomo wakho, usilandele, ube ngubaba kithi lompristi wethu. Kungcono yini kuwe ukuba ube ngumpristi emzini womuntu oyedwa kulokuba ube ngumpristi wesizwe lowosendo lwakoIsrayeli na?

²⁰ Kwamthokozisa lokhu umpristi; wasethatha ingubo yamahlombe lezithombe ezithiwa ngamaterafi lesithombe sesiliva, wangena phakathi kwabo.

²¹ Basebesuka behamba, babeka abantwana lenkomo lempahla ngaphambi kwabo.

²² Sebekhatshana lomuzi kaMika, abantu ababesemizini eseduze lokaMika babizwa ukuba baphume, babalandele babafica abakoDani.

²³ Babamemeza abakoDani abaphenduka bathi kuMika: Uhlutshwa yini ukuze usilandele lexuku elingaka na?

²⁴ Yena wathi: Lithethe onkulunkulu bami engabenzayo, lompristi, lahamba labo; ngisaselelani na? Lingibuzelani lisithi: Uhlutshwa yini na?

²⁵ AbakoDani bathi kuye: Ungasibangeli umsindo, ngoba kukhona amadoda alolaka phakathi kwethu, angakusukela, akubulale wena labendlu yakho.

²⁶ Basebezihambela abakoDani. Lapho uMika esebonile ukuthi balamandla kulaye, waphenduka wabuyela emzini wakhe.

²⁷ AbakoDani bathatha lokho uMika ayekwenzile lompristi wakhe, baya eLayishi ebantwini ababehlala ngokuthula bengethuki lutho, babachitha, batshisa umuzi ngomlilo.

²⁸ Kwakungekho owayengabalamulela, ngoba umuzi wabo wawukhatshana leSidoni, bengasebenzelani lamaAramu. Wawusesihotsheni saseBeti‐Rehobi. AbakoDani bawuvusa umuzi, bahlala kiwo.

²⁹ Basebewutha ibizo lokuthi yiDani ngebizo likakhokho wabo uDani owazalwa koIsrayeli. Kodwa lona ibizo lalowomuzi kuqala laliyiLayishi.

³⁰ AbakoDani bazimisela isithombe. UJonathani indodana kaGereshoma, kaMose, lamadodana akhe baba ngabapristi esizweni sakoDani kwaze kwaba lusuku lokuthunjwa kwelizwe.

³¹ Basebemisa isithombe uMika ayesenzile, sahlala sonke isikhathi indlu kaNkulunkulu iseShilo.