UmLevi nesingani sakhe
1Ngaleso sikhatsi sive saka-Israyeli sasite inkhosi. Lomunye-ke umLevi labehlala endzaweni lesemaphandleni, eveni letintsaba kulaka-Efrayimu, waganwa watitsatsela nesingani saseBhetlehema kulakaJuda. 2Kodvwa lesingani sakhe sasingaketsembeki kuye. Samshiya sabuyela ekhaya kubo eBhetlehema kulakaJuda. Sahlala lapho kwaze kwaphela tinyanga letine, 3waze lomLevi wahamba wayakusincenga kutsi sibuye. Abehamba nesisebenti sakhe netimbongolo letimbili. Safike samngenisa endlini yeyise; uyise watsi nakambona, wamemukela ngekujabula. 4Uyisetala, uyise walentfombi, wamncenga kutsi ahlale; ngako wahlala naye emalanga lamatsatfu, badla, banatsa naye, walala khona lapho.
5Kwatsi ngelilanga lesine bavuka ekuseni, watilungiselela kuhamba, kodvwa loyise walesingani wakhuluma kulomkhwenyane wakhe, watsi: “Ticabule ngalokudliwako kucala, bese-ke uyahamba.” 6Ngako base bahlala phansi bobabili, badla, banatsa ndzawonye. Emvakwaloko loyise walentfombatana watsi: “Ngiyacela, sale ulala kulobusuku balamuhla, khona utetijabulisa.” 7Watsi lomLevi nakatsi uvukela kutsi asale ahamba, uyisetala wamncenga; ngako wase uyahlala ngalobo busuku. 8Ekuseni ngelilanga lesihlanu lomLevi watsi uyavuka asatilungiselela kutsi ahambe, uyisetala wakhe watsi: “Ase uticabule, sewuhlale kuze kusuluke lilanga!” Ngako baphindza bahlala phansi bobabili badla.
9Lendvodza nalesingani sayo nalesisebenti batsi nabatilungiselela kuhamba, uyisetala, uyise walesingani, watsi: “Buka la, manje sekuyahwalala, sale senilala, ngobe vele selishonile. Hlala phansi utijabulise, kutawutsi kusasa ekuseni uvuke-ke uhambe indlela leya ekhaya.” 10Kodvwa lendvodza ngobe yayingasafuni kuphindze ilale lobunye busuku, yesuka yacondza eJebhusi, lekuyiJerusalema, yahamba kanye nalesingani sayo netimbongolo tayo letimbili letatiboshelwe.
11Batsi nase basedvutane neJebhusi nelilanga lase liyawumbamba unina, lesisebenti sakhuluma kulomnumzane waso satsi: “Buyani siphambukele kulelidolobha lemaJebhusi, silale khona busuku bunye.”
12Umnumzane waso wasiphendvula watsi: “Cha; singeke singenise edolobheni lebetive, bantfu labangesiwo ema-Israyeli. Sitakwendlula siye eGibeya.” 13Wachubeka watsi: “Buyani setame kuyawufika eGibeya nome-ke eRama, sifike silale kulenye yaleto tindzawo.” 14Ngako-ke bachubeka bahamba; lilanga labashonela nabayawungena eGibeya kulakaBhenjamini. 15Befika lapho bema, sebatawulala khona. Bahamba bayawuhlala enkhundleni yelidolobha, kwabate namunye lowabanaka kutsi abatsatse ayekubangenisa kakhe, bayewulala khona.
16Ngaleyo ntsambama kwachamuka likhehla, lelalilaseveni letintsaba laka-Efrayimu, lalihlala lapha eGibeya, bantfu bakuleyo ndzawo bekubakaBhenjamini. Lelikhehla lalitibuyela emasimini alo. 17Latsi nalibuka labona letihambi tihleti lapha enkhundleni yelidolobha, labuta lelikhehla latsi: “Nilibangisephi? Nilichamukisaphi?”
18Lendvodza yaliphendvula yatsi: “Ngekwetfu siyendlula, silichamukisa lena eBhetlehema kulakaJuda, silibhekise khashane kulela letintsaba laka-Efrayimu, lapho ngakhe khona. Bengilena eBhetlehema kulakaJuda, manje sengiya ekhaya kami. Kute namunye longitsetse wangingenisa endlini yakhe. 19Sinetinhlanga netjani baletimbongolo tetfu, nesinkhwa neliwayini letfu, tsine tinceku takho: mine nceku yakho, nalencekukati yakho, nalensizwa lesihamba nayo. Asidzingi lutfo.”
20Lelikhehla lakhuluma kubo, latsi: “Kuthula akube kini! Nemukelekile endlini yami. Ngitaninika konkhe lenikudzingako. Mane nje ningacali nilale lapha enkhundleni yelidolobha ebusuku.” 21Ngako labatsatsa layawubangenisa endlini kalo; lapha naletimbongolo tabo tjani, tadla. Batsi nase bacedzile kugeza tinyawo tabo, base bahlala phansi, badla banatsa.
22Batsi basachubeka nekudla, batijabulisa, lamanye emadvodza labetidlova takulelo dolobha atseleka, abavimbetela kulendlu. Agunkluta lesivalo salendlu, abememeta lelikhehla, umnikati walendlu, atsi: “Khipha lendvodza lengenise lapha kakho, sifuna kulala nayo.”
23Lomnikati walendlu waphumela ngaphandle wakhuluma nawo, watsi: “Hhayi, bangani bami, ningayenti intfo leluhlata kangaka. Njengobe lendvodza isivakashi sami, ningayenti lentfo lelihlazo kangaka. 24Bukani la, nansi indvodzakati yami lengayati indvodza ikanye nalesingani salendvodza. Ngitanikhiphela bona masinyane, ningasebentisa bona, nente nome ngabe yini kubo leniyifunako, kodvwa kulendvodza ningabenti lobubi lobulihlazo kangaka.”
25Kodvwa lamadvodza latidlova akazange amlalele kutsi utsini. Ngako lomnumzane wakhipha lesingani sakhe, wawanika; asidlwengula, asigilisa tonkhe tiga, kwaze kwasa, ase ayasiyekela. 26Kwatsi nasekusile lesingani sabuyela emuva kulendlu lapho bebangenise khona nalendvodza yaso, safike satijika emnyango, salala, satsi dzalakaca, kwaze kwaphuma lilanga.
27Lendvodza yaso yatsi nayivuka ekuseni seyilungele kuchubeka neluhambo lwayo, yavula umnyango yakhandza lesingani sayo silele, sise dzalakaca ngasemnyango, tandla taso telulekele ngasesivalweni. 28Yakhuluma kuso lesingani, yatsi: “Vuka sambe.” Kodvwa kwabate imphendvulo. Lendvodza yase isetjatsisa lapha embongolweni lesingani sayo, yangenela indlela yayo yaya kayo.
29Yatsi kube ifike ekhaya lendvodza yatsatsa umukhwa, yahlinza sidvumbu salesingani sayo ikhipha sitfo ngasinye ngasinye, saze saba titfo letili-12, yatfumela letitfo kuto tonkhe tigodzi kulaka-Israyeli. 30Bonkhe lababetibona babekhuta bababate batsi: “Yehheni! Intfo lenje ayizange seyibonwe, futsi akuzange sekwenteke, seloku sive sema-Israyeli sakhuphuka nasiphuma eGibhithe. Cabangisisangi ngalokhu! Kufanele kutsatselwe tinyatselo! Sifuna kuva kahle kutsi kufanele sente njani!”
