Tikhulu 20

₁Ngako sonkhe sive sema-Israyeli kusukela kaDani kuze kuyewufika eBherisheba, nekusukela kulakaGileyadi babophana baba ngumuntfu munye, bashulungana bayawubutsana eMispa embikwaSimakadze. ₂Baholi bato tonkhe tive tema-Israyeli batsatsa tindzawo tabo enhlanganweni yesive saNkulunkulu, bekubantfu labangema-400 000, emabutfo odvwa ahlome aphelele. ₃BakaBhenjamini beva kutsi ema-Israyeli asakhuphukele eMispa. Ema-Israyeli abuta atsi: “Sitjeleni kutsi lentfo lembi kangaka yenteke kanjani.”

₄LomLevi, indvodza yalomfati lobulewe, yatsi: “Mine nalesingani sami sefika eGibeya kulakaBhenjamini singenisele kulala khona busuku bunye. ₅Kwatsi ebusuku emadvodza aseGibeya angivimbetela kulendlu lengangilele kuyo afuna kungibulala. Ase adlwengula lesingani sami, saze safa. ₆Ngibese-ke ngitsatsa lesingani sami ngasicoba ticucu, ngatfumela sitfo ngasinye, kuleso nakuleso sigodzi kuleli lelilifa laka-Israyeli, ngobe bente sento sebudlundlulu nalesilihlazo ka-Israyeli. ₇Manje-ke nonkhe ningema-Israyeli; khulumani nikhiphe sigwebo senu ngalesento.”

₈Sonkhe sive sasukuma sema ngetinyawo saba ngumuntfu munye, satincumela satsi: “Kute namunye wetfu lotawuncandzeka abuyele ethendeni lakhe. Cha, kute nome munye wakitsi lotawuncandzeka abuyele ekhaya lakhe. ₉Kodvwa naku lesitakwenta eGibeya. Sitawukhuphukela kuyo siyihlasele njengekukhomba kwenkatho. ₁₀Sitawukhetsa emadvodza lalishumi kuwo onkhe lalikhulu kuto tonkhe tive tema-Israyeli, sibuye sitsatse emadvodza lalikhulu kulayinkhulungwane, sitsatse layinkhulungwane kulatinkhulungwane letilishumi, kuze silungiselele emabutfo kudla. Kutawutsi-ke imphi nayitseleka eGibeya kulakaBhenjamini, ifike ibanike loko lokubafanele ngalesento lesibi kangaka labasente ka-Israyeli.” ₁₁Ngako onkhe emadvodza aka-Israyeli abutsana ndzawonye, ahlangana aba yintfo yinye, ayawuhlasela lelidolobha.

₁₂Tive tema-Israyeli tatfumela emadvodza kulo lonkhe lakaBhenjamini tatsi: “Nitsini ngalesibhuku lesingaka lesenteka lapha kini? ₁₃Ngako khiphani lawo madvodza aseGibeya lanebulwane kuze siwabulale, sikhiphe bubi esiveni sema-Israyeli.”

Kodvwa bakaBhenjamini abazange sebanake nekunaka kutsi batsini labomnakabo, ema-Israyeli. ₁₄Besuka bonkhe emadolobheni abo bayawubutsana eGibeya, kuyakulwa nema-Israyeli. ₁₅Masinyane nje ngalona lelo langa bakaBhenjamini bahlanganisa emabutfo abo abati-26 000 laphuma emadolobheni awo, bahlanganiswa nalabo bebavele bahlala khona eGibeya lababengema-700, tingwazi cobo lwato. ₁₆Emkhatsini walamabutfo bekukhona tingwazi telikhetselo letatingemancele tingema-700, tingageji lutfo; tatinganemba ngisho nelunwele lunye, tingalugeji.

₁₇Baka-Israyeli sebabonkhe, ngaphandle kwebakaBhenjamini, babutsa emabutfo lati-400 000, tingwazi todvwana.

₁₈Baka-Israyeli bakhuphukela eBetheli, bayawubuta kuNkulunkulu, batsi: “Ngubani kitsi lotawuphuma kucala kuyawulwa nebakaBhenjamini?”

Simakadze wabaphendvula watsi: “BakaJuda labatawuphuma kucala.”

₁₉Ngakusasa ekuseni, baka-Israyeli bavuka bayawumisa babhekana neGibeya. ₂₀Emadvodza aka-Israyeli aphuma ayawuhlasela bakaBhenjamini, ema ngetinhlu tawo tekulwa imphi, abhekana neGibeya. ₂₁BakaBhenjamini baphuma eGibeya babulala bantfu baka-Israyeli, labati-22 000, bababulalela khona lapho enkhundleni yemphi ngalelo langa. ₂₂Kodvwa laba baka-Israyeli bakhutsatana bodvwana; baphindza bema tinhlu ngetinhlu njengaloku babehlomile ngelilanga lekucala. ₂₃Baka-Israyeli bakhuphuka bayawukhala embikwaSimakadze laze layawushona, solomane babuta kuSimakadze, batsi: “Siphindze yini sikhuphuke siyekulwa nabomnaketfu bakaBhenjamini?”

Simakadze wabaphendvula watsi: “Khuphukani niyekulwa nabo.”

₂₄Ngako baka-Israyeli basondzela kubakaBhenjamini ngelilanga lesibili. ₂₅Ngalelo langa bakaBhenjamini batsi kube baphume eGibeya, kuyakulwa nebaka-Israyeli, bafike babulala lamanye emavodza aka-Israyeli lati-18 000, labehlome aphelele.

₂₆Ngako ema-Israyeli, sonkhe sive, akhuphukela eBetheli, afika lapho ahlala, akhala embikwaSimakadze. Ngalelo langa azila lilanga lonkhe laze layawushona, etfula iminikelo yekushiswa neyebudlelwane kuSimakadze. ₂₇Baka-Israyeli babebuta kuSimakadze. Ngalawo malanga libhokisi lesivumelwane saSimakadze lalisemkhatsini wabo, ₂₈likuFinehasi, umsa wa-Eleyazare, labetalwa ngu-Aroni. Nguye labekhonta embikwalo. Babuta kuSimakadze, batsi: “Sikhuphuke yini njalo kuyakulwa nebanaketfu bakaBhenjamini, nome cha?”

Simakadze wabaphendvula watsi: “Hambani, ngobe kusasa ngitabanikela esandleni senu.”

₂₉Ngako baka-Israyeli babhacisa emadvodza, atungeleta iGibeya. ₃₀Bakhuphuka bayawuhlasela bakaBhenjamini ngelilanga lesitsatfu, bema ngetinhlu tabo, bahlasela iGibeya, njengaloku bebavele benta ngaphambili. ₃₁BakaBhenjamini baphuma bayawuhlangabetana nabo, badvonseka baphuma edolobheni. Bacala bagadla, kwafa labanye baka-Israyeli njengakucala, kwafa bantfu labangema-30, bafela enkhundleni yekulwa, nasemigwacweni leya eBetheli, naleya eGibeya.

₃₂BakaBhenjamini batsi basalibele kutsi: “Siyabehlula njengakucala,” baka-Israyeli babe bona batsi: “Asihlehlele emuva, sibadvonsele ngaphandle kwelidolobha, babe lapha emigwacweni.”

₃₃Onkhe emadvodza aka-Israyeli aphuma etindzaweni tawo, ayakuma ngetindzawo tawo eBhali Thamari nalaba bebabhacile baka-Israyeli baphuma endzaweni yabo ngasenshonalanga neGeba. ₃₄Kwase kutsi ti-10 000 tebaka-Israyeli, tihlabani cobo lwato, tayichamukela ngembili iGibeya. Imphi yayimatima kakhulu ngalelo langa, bakaBhenjamini babesolo bangaboni kutsi ingoti isedvute kangakanani. ₃₅Simakadze wabehlula bakaBhenjamini embikwa-Israyeli, ngalelo langa baka-Israyeli babhubhisa ti-25 100 temabutfo akaBhenjamini labehlome onkhe aphelele. ₃₆BakaBhenjamini base bayabona kutsi sebayehlulwa.

Lamadvodza aka-Israyeli abebavulele indlela laba bakaBhenjamini, ngobe abetsembe laba bakubo lababebhacile emvakweGibeya. ₃₇Lamadvodza labebhacile aphutfuma aya eGibeya, ahlakaka, ayihlamahlama iGibeya, abulala lonkhe lidolobha ngelusiko lwenkemba. ₃₈Lamadvodza aka-Israyeli abelungise nalawa labebhacile kutsi kufanele esuse lenkhulu imbutfuma yelifu lelimnyama lentfutfu kulelidolobha, ₃₉kutawube sekutsi laba labanye baka-Israyeli bagucuke balwe.

BakaBhenjamini bese bacalile kugadla nekubulala baka-Israyeli, sekufe ema-30 bakhuluma batsi: “Siyabehlula njengakuleyamphi yakucala.” ₄₀Kodvwa kwatsi kube kucale kukhuphuka lelifu lelimnyama lentfutfu lena emuva edolobheni labo, bakaBhenjamini batsi bayagucuka babona lelifu lentfutfu yalo lonkhe lidolobha ikhuphuka itsintsa sibhakabhaka. ₄₁Laba baka-Israyeli base bayabagucukela laba bakaBhenjamini, betfuka batfutfumela bakaBhenjamini nababona kutsi sebavelelwe. ₄₂Ngako bacela empunzini, sebabalekela baka-Israyeli, babaleka bacondza ngasehlane; kodvwa noko abazange baphunyuke kuleyomphi. Kwatsi lamadvodza aka-Israyeli lavumbuka emadolobheni abacoba, abacedzela khona lapho. ₄₃Abavimbetela bakaBhenjamini abacosha abakhandza kalula nje, basesemacentselweni aseGibeya ngasemphumalanga. ₄₄Kwafa tingwazi telikhetselo takaBhenjamini, emadvodza lati-18 000. ₄₅Batsi ngesikhatsi bagucuka babaleka bacondze ngasehlane edvwaleni iRimoni, baka-Israyeli babulala emadvodza lati-5 000, bawabulalela etindleleni. Bachubeka babacosha laba bakaBhenjamini, baze bayawubabeka eGidomu, babulala ti-2 000 ngetulu.

₄₆Ngalelo langa kwafa bakaBhenjamini labati-25 000, onkhe kungemadvodza labetingwazi cobo lwato. ₄₇Kodvwa emadvodza langema-600 wona agucuka abalekela edvwaleni iRimoni ehlane, lapho ahlala khona tinyanga letine. ₄₈Lamabutfo aka-Israyeli ancandzeka ayawuhlasela bakaBhenjamini, efika abhubhisa lonkhe lidolobha lakhona ngelusiko lwenkemba; abulala bantfu, netifuyo, nako konkhe labakukhandza khona. Onkhe emadolobha labefika kuwo babewokhela ngemlilo, ashe.