AbAhluleli 20
20
Abakwa-Israyeli balwa noBenjamini
1 Base bephuma bonke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, inhlangano yahlangana njengomuntu munye, kusukela kwaDani kwaze kwaba seBeri Sheba kanye nezwe lakwaGileyadi kuJehova eMispa. 2Izinhloko zabantu bonke, izizwe zonke zakwa-Israyeli, zafika ebandleni labantu bakaNkulunkulu, abantu abayimigundatshani; abayizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amane, abahlome inkemba. 3Abantwana bakwaBenjamini bezwa ukuthi abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babenyukele eMispa. Bathi abantwana bakwa-Israyeli: “Sitsheleni ukuthi lobu bubi benziwa kanjani na?”
4 UmLevi, umyeni wowesifazane owayebulewe, waphendula wathi: “Ngafika eGibeya lakwaBenjamini, mina nesancinza sami, ukulala khona. 5 Abantu baseGibeya bangivukela, bahaqa indlu nxazonke zami ebusuku; bacabanga ukungibulala mina, nesancinza sami basona; sesifile. 6Ngase ngithatha isancinza sami, ngasihlahlela, ngasithuma ezweni lonke lefa lakwa-Israyeli, ngokuba babesebenzile ukona nobuwula kwa-Israyeli. 7Bhekani nina bantwana bakwa-Israyeli, nina nonke; qondisani, niluleke lapha.”
8Bonke abantu bavuka njengomuntu munye, bathi: “Asiyikuya, sisho namunye etendeni lakhe; asiyikuphambukela sisho namunye endlini yakhe. 9Kepha nakhu esiyakukwenza eGibeya: Siyakulihlasela ngenkatho, 10sithathe abantu abayishumi ekhulwini kuzo zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli, nabayikhulu enkulungwaneni, nabayinkulungwane ezinkulungwaneni eziyishumi, ukuba balande ukudla kwabantu, nalapho sebefike eGibeya lakwaBenjamini benze ngokobuwula ababenzile kwa-Israyeli.” 11Abantu bonke bakwa-Israyeli babehlanganyele umuzi, bebumbene kungathi ngumuntu munye.
12Izizwe zakwa-Israyeli zathuma abantu emindenini yonke yakwaBenjamini, zathi: “Ububi buni lobu obenziwe phakathi kwenu na? 13Ngalokho khiphani labo bantu, abantu ababi, abaseGibeya, ukuba sibabulale, sixoshe ububi kwa-Israyeli.” Kepha uBenjamini kavumanga ukulalela izwi labafowabo, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli. 14Abantwana bakwaBenjamini babuthana eGibeya, bevela emizini, ukuba baphume balwe nabantwana bakwa-Israyeli. 15Abantwana bakwaBenjamini abavela emizini babalwa ngalolo suku baba ngamadoda ayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nesithupha ahlome inkemba ngaphandle kwabakhileyo eGibeya ababalwa baba ngamakhulu ayisikhombisa, amadoda akhethiweyo. 16Phakathi kwabo bonke labo bantu kwakukhona amadoda angamakhulu ayisikhombisa akhethiweyo angamanxele; onke ayekwazi ukuphonsa amatshe ngisho nasonweleni, engageji.
17Abantu bakwa-Israyeli ngaphandle kukaBenjamini babalwa baba yizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amane, amadoda ahlome inkemba; bonke labo babe ngamadoda empi.
18 Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bavuka, bakhuphukela eBethele, babuza kuNkulunkulu, bathi: “Ngubani oyakusikhuphukelela kuqala ukulwa nabantwana bakwaBenjamini na?”
UJehova wathi: “NguJuda kuqala.”
19Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bavuka ekuseni, bamisa malungana neGibeya. 20Abantu bakwa-Israyeli baphuma ukuba balwe noBenjamini; abantu bakwa-Israyeli bazihlelela ukulwa nabo eGibeya. 21Abantwana bakwaBenjamini baphuma eGibeya, babulala kwabakwa-Israyeli ngalolo suku amadoda ayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nambili. 22Abantu, amadoda akwa-Israyeli, baziqinisa, babuye bahlela impi endaweni abazihlela kuyo ngosuku lokuqala. 23 Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bakhuphuka, bakhala phambi kukaNkulunkulu kwaze kwahlwa; babuza kuJehova, bathi: “Siyakuphinda sisondele ukulwa nabantwana bakwaBenjamini umfowethu na?”
UJehova wathi: “Yenyukelani kuye.”
24Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli basondela kubantwana bakwaBenjamini ngosuku lwesibili. 25UBenjamini waphuma eGibeya ukuhlangabezana nabo ngosuku lwesibili, wabuye wabulala kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli amadoda ayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nesishiyagalombili; bonke labo babehlome inkemba.
26 Base bekhuphuka bonke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, abantu bonke, bafika eBethele, bakhala, bahlala khona phambi kukaJehova, bazila ukudla ngalolo suku kwaze kwahlwa; banikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa nangeminikelo yokuthula phambi kukaJehova. 27Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babuza kuJehova ngokuba umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wawulapho ngalezo zinsuku; 28 uFinehasi indodana ka-Eleyazare ka-Aroni wema phambi kwawo ngalezo zinsuku bathi: “Siyakuphinda siphume ukuba silwe nabantwana bakwaBenjamini umfowethu, nokuba siyeke na?”
UJehova wathi: “Khuphukani, ngokuba kusasa ngiyakubanikela esandleni sakho.”
29 U-Israyeli wabeka abaqamekeli kulo iGibeya nxazonke. 30Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bakhuphuka ukulwa nabantwana bakwaBenjamini ngosuku lwesithathu, bazihlelela ukulwa neGibeya njengakwezinye izikhathi. 31Abantwana bakwaBenjamini baphuma ukulwa nabantu, badonswa, baphuma emzini; baqala ukubulala nokuceka abantu njengakwezinye izikhathi emendweni, omunye okhuphukela eBethele, omunye oya eGibeya ensimini, kungathi amadoda angamashumi amathathu kwa-Israyeli.
32Abantwana bakwaBenjamini bathi: “Babulewe phambi kwethu njengakuqala.”
Kepha abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bathi: “Masibaleke, sibadonse, baphume emzini, baye emendweni.”
33Bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli basuka endaweni yabo, bazihlela eBali Tamari; abaqamekeli bakwa-Israyeli bavumbuluka endaweni yabo eMare Geba. 34Kweza malungana neGibeya abantu abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi abakhethiweyo kuye wonke u-Israyeli; ukulwa kwakunzima, kepha babengazi ukuthi ingozi isifikile kubo. 35UJehova wanqoba uBenjamini phambi kuka-Israyeli; abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babulala ngalolo suku kwaBenjamini abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nanhlanu nekhulu; bonke labo babehlome inkemba. 36 Base bebona abantwana bakwaBenjamini ukuthi banqotshiwe; abantu bakwa-Israyeli bamdela uBenjamini lokhu bebebethemba abaqamekeli ababebabekile ngaseGibeya. 37Abaqamekeli bashesha badumela eGibeya; abaqamekeli basuka bachitha umuzi wonke ngosiko lwenkemba. 38Isiboniso esinqunyiweyo phakathi kwabantu bakwa-Israyeli nabaqamekeli sasiyilesi sokuba bathunqise umusi omkhulu wenyuke emzini. 39Abantu bakwa-Israyeli babuyela emuva empini; uBenjamini wayeseqalile ukubulala nokuceka kubantu bakwa-Israyeli kungathi abantu abangamashumi amathathu, ngokuba bathi: “Impela babulewe phambi kwethu njengasekulweni kwakuqala.”
40Kepha lapho sekuqale ukuthunqa insika yomusi emzini, abakwaBenjamini babheka emuva, nanko umuzi wonke uthunqela ngasezulwini. 41Base bephenduka abantu bakwa-Israyeli, nabantu bakwaBenjamini bashaywa luvalo, ngokuba babona ukuthi behlelwe ngububi. 42Ngalokho bafulathela phambi kwabantu bakwa-Israyeli, bahamba ngendlela yasehlane, kepha ukulwa kwabalandela; abaphuma emizini bababulala phakathi kwayo. 43Babahaqa abakwaBenjamini nxazonke, babaxosha, babanyathela phansi endaweni yabo yokuphumula, baze bafika malungana neGibeya ngasempumalanga. 44Kwawa abantu bakwaBenjamini abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nesishiyagalombili; bonke labo babe ngamaqhawe. 45Baphenduka babalekela ehlane edwaleni lakwaRimoni; bakhothoza kubo emendweni abantu abayizinkulungwane eziyisihlanu, babaxosha kwaze kwabaseGideyomu, babulala kubo abantu abayizinkulungwane ezimbili.
46Bonke abawa ngalolo suku kwaBenjamini babe ngabantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nanhlanu abahlome inkemba; bonke labo babe ngamaqhawe. 47Kepha abantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha baphenduka, babalekela ehlane edwaleni lakwaRimoni, bahlala edwaleni lakwaRimoni izinyanga ezine. 48Abantu bakwa-Israyeli babuyela kubantwana bakwaBenjamini, bababulala ngosiko lwenkemba ababesaphila emzini, nezinkomo, yebo, konke okwafunyaniswayo; futhi yonke imizi abayifumanisayo bayithungela ngomlilo.
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AbAhluleli 20: ZUL59
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© Bible Society of South Africa 1959, 1997. Used with permission. All rights reserved.