Abanye abantwana bakoIsrayeli balwa labakoBhenjamini

20Khona bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli baphuma, inhlangano yonke yabuthana njengamuntu munyea, kusukela eDani kusiya eBherishebha lelizwe leGileyadib, eNkosini eMizipac. 2 Njalo induna zabo bonke abantu, zazo zonke izizwe zakoIsrayeli, zazimisa ebandleni labantu bakaNkulunkulud, izinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amane zamadoda ahamba ngenyawo, ahwatsha inkembae. 3 (Abantwana bakoBhenjamini basebesizwa ukuthi abantwana bakoIsrayeli babenyukele eMizipa.) Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesithi: Tshono, lobububi benziwa njani? 4 Indoda engumLevi, indoda yalowo owesifazana owayebulewe, yasiphendula yathi: Ngafika eGibeya engeyakoBhenjamini, mina lomfazi wami omncane, ukuze silale khonaf. 5 Abahlalig beGibeya basebengivukela, bazingelezela indlu bemelene lami ebusuku, befuna ukungibulala, bamdlova umfazi wami omncane, waze wafah. 6 Ngasengimbamba umfazi wami omncane, ngamquma iziqa, ngamthumela elizweni lonke lelifa lakoIsrayelii, ngoba benza amanyala lobuwula koIsrayelij. 7 Khangelani, lina lonke lingabantwana bakoIsrayeli, phanini ilizwi leseluleko senu laphak.

8 Abantu bonke basebesukuma njengamuntu munye besithi: Asiyikuya, ngulowo ethenteni lakhe, njalo asiyikuphambukela, ngulowo endlini yakhe. 9 Kodwa khathesi, nansi into esizayenza kuyo iGibeya. Sizamelana layo ngenkathol, 10 sithathe abantu abalitshumi phakathi kwekhulu ezizweni zonke zakoIsrayeli, lekhulu phakathi kwenkulungwane, lenkulungwane phakathi kwenkulungwane ezilitshumi, ukuze bathathele abantu umphako, ukuze, nxa sebefike eGibeya koBhenjamini, benze ngokobuwula bonke ababenze koIsrayeli. 11 Ngakho wonke amadoda akoIsrayeli ahlanganyela umuzi, njengamuntu munye emoya munye.

12 Izizwe zakoIsrayeli zasezithuma amadoda esizweni sonke sakoBhenjamini zisithi: Yibubi bani lobu obenzeke phakathi kwenum? 13 Ngakho-ke anikeleni lawomadoda, abantwana bakaBheliyali, abaseGibeya ukuze siwabulalen, sisuse ububi koIsrayelio. Kodwa abakoBhenjamini kabafunanga ukulalela ilizwi labafowabo, abantwana bakoIsrayeli. 14 Kodwa abantwana bakoBhenjamini babuthana bevela emizini baya eGibeya, ukuze baphume ukuya empini labantwana bakoIsrayeli. 15 Abantwana bakoBhenjamini basebebalwa ngalolosuku bevela emizini, amadoda azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili lesithuphap ahwatsha inkembaq, ngaphandle kwabahlali beGibeya, ababalwa baba ngamadoda angamakhulu ayisikhombisa akhethiweyo. 16 Phakathi kwabo bonke lababantu kwakulamadoda akhethiweyo angamakhulu ayisikhombisa angamanxele; wonke la ayejikijela ilitshe ngesavutha enweleni engakhuthir. 17 Amadoda akoIsrayeli asebalwa, ngaphandle kukaBhenjamini, amadoda azinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amanes ahwatsha inkembat; wonke la ayengamadoda empi.

18 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesukuma benyukela eBhetheliu, babuza uNkulunkulu bathi: Ngubani phakathi kwethu ozakwenyukela kuqala empini labantwana bakoBhenjaminiv? INkosi yasisithi: NguJuda kuqalaw. 19 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebevuka ekuseni, bamisa inkamba maqondana leGibeya. 20 Amadoda akoIsrayeli asephuma ukuya empini loBhenjamini; amadoda akoIsrayeli azihlelela ukumelana labo empini eGibeya. 21 Abantwana bakoBhenjamini basebephuma eGibeya, babhubhisela emhlabathini koIsrayeli ngalolosuku amadoda azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili lambili. 22 Abantu, amadoda akoIsrayeli, basebeziqinisa bahlela futhi impi kuleyondawo ababezihlelele khona ngosuku lokuqala. 23 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesenyuka bakhala inyembezi phambi kweNkosi kwaze kwahlwa. Babuza eNkosini bathi: Ngisondele yini futhi empini ngimelane labantwana bakoBhenjamini umfowethu? INkosi yasisithi: Yenyukani limelane layex. 24 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesondela ebantwaneni bakoBhenjamini ngosuku lwesibili. 25 UBhenjamini wasephuma eGibeya emelene labo ngosuku lwesibili, babuya babhubhisela emhlabathini ebantwaneni bakoIsrayeli amadoda azinkulungwane ezilitshumi leziyisificaminwembili; bonke labo bahwatsha inkembay.

26 Ngakho bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli labo bonke abantu benyuka bafika eBhetheli, bakhala inyembezi bahlala lapho phambi kweNkosi, bazila ukudla ngalolosuku kwaze kwahlwa, banikela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yokuthula phambi kweNkosiz. 27 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebebuza eNkosini (ngoba umtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wawulapho ngalezonsukua, 28 loPhinehasi indodana kaEleyazare indodana kaAronib wema phambi kwawo ngalezonsukuc) besithi: Ngibuye ngiphinde yini ukuphuma impi ngimelene labantwana bakoBhenjamini umfowethu, loba ngiyekele? INkosi yasisithi: Yenyukani, ngoba kusasa ngizabanikela esandleni sakho. 29 Ngakho uIsrayeli wamisa abacathami maqondana leGibeya inhlangothi zonked. 30 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesenyuka ukumelana labantwana bakoBhenjamini ngosuku lwesithathu, bazihlelela ukumelana leGibeya njengakwezinye izikhathi. 31 Abantwana bakoBhenjamini basebephuma ukumelana labantu, badonswa besuka emzini, baqala ukutshaya ebantwini, ukubulala njengakwezinye izikhathi, emigwaqweni emikhulu, enye yazo eyenyukela eBhetheli lenye eya eGibeya emagcekeni, phose amadoda angamatshumi amathathu akoIsrayeli. 32 Abantwana bakoBhenjamini basebesithi: Sebetshayiwe phambi kwethu njengakuqalae. Kodwa abantwana bakoIsrayeli bathi: Asibalekeni, sibadonse besuka emzini baye emigwaqweni emikhulu. 33 Wonke amadoda akoIsrayeli asevuka endaweni zawo, azihlela eBhali-Tamari, labacathami bakoIsrayeli bavumbuluka endaweni yabo emadlelweni eGibeya. 34 Kwasekusiza kuvela maqondana leGibeya amadoda akhethiweyo azinkulungwane ezilitshumi evela kuIsrayeli wonke; lempi yaba nzima. Kodwa bona babengazi ukuthi ububi buzatshaya phezu kwabof. 35 INkosi yasimtshaya uBhenjamini phambi kukaIsrayeli. Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebebhubhisa koBhenjamini amadoda azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili lanhlanu lekhulu elilodwa ngalolosuku; bonke laba bahwatsha inkemba.

36 Abantwana bakoBhenjamini basebebona ukuthi sebetshayiwe, ngoba amadoda akoIsrayeli amdedela uBhenjamini, ngoba bethembe abacathami ababebamise maqondana leGibeya. 37 Labacathami baphangisag bahlasela iGibeya baqhubeka batshaya umuzi wonke ngobukhali benkembah. 38 Kwasekusiba lesiboniso esimisiweyo phakathi kwamadoda akoIsrayeli labacathami sokuthunqisa insika yentuthu enkulu evela emzini. 39 Kwathi amadoda akoIsrayeli aphenduka empini, uBhenjamini waqalisa ukuwatshaya ukubulala emadodeni akoIsrayeli phose amadoda angamatshumi amathathu, ngoba bathi: Isibili atshayiwe lokutshaywa phambi kwethu njengempini yakuqalai. 40 Kwathi iyezi liqalisa ukuthunqa liphuma emzini, insika yentuthuj, uBhenjamini enyemukula, khangela-ke ilangabi lomuzi lenyukela emazulwinik. 41 Lapho amadoda akoIsrayeli etshibilika, amadoda akoBhenjamini atshaywa luvalo, ngoba abona ukuthi ububi sebuwehlele. 42 Ngakho afulathela phambi kwamadoda akoIsrayeli esiya endleleni yenkangala; kodwa impi yawanamathela, lalabo abaphuma emizini bawabhubhisa phakathi kwabol. 43 Bamhanqa uBhenjamini, baxotshana labo, babanyathelela phansi lula, kwaze kwaba maqondana leGibeya lapho okuphuma khona ilangam. 44 Kwasekusiwa koBhenjamini amadoda azinkulungwane ezilitshumi leziyisificaminwembili; wonke la ayengamaqhawe. 45 Basebephenduka babalekela enkangalan edwaleni leRimonio. Bakhothoza kibo emigwaqweni emikhulu abantu abazinkulungwane ezinhlanu, babanamathela kwaze kwaba seGideyomu, batshaya futhi kibo abantu abazinkulungwane ezimbilip. 46 Ngakho bonke abawayo koBhenjamini mhlalokho babeyizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili lanhlanu, amadoda ahwatsha inkemba; bonke labo babengamaqhaweq. 47 Kodwa amadoda angamakhulu ayisithupha aphenduka abalekelar enkangala edwaleni leRimoni; ahlala edwaleni leRimoni inyanga ezines. 48 Amadoda akoIsrayeli asebuyela ebantwaneni bakoBhenjamini, abatshaya ngobukhali benkemba, kusukela emzini wonke kusiya ezinyamazaneni, njalo kusiya kukho konke okwaficwayo. Layo yonke imizi abayificayo bayithungela ngomlilo.