USirayeli uza kuhlasela iGibheya
1USirayeli ephela, ukusuka kwaDan kuye kuqhina ngeBheshebha, ngokunjalo nomhlaba waseGiliyadi, ewe, lonke ibandla likaSirayeli lahlanganisana limoya mnye phambi *koNdikhoyo eMizpa. 2Zonke iinkulu zezindlu zikaSirayeli zazikho kwelo bandla labantu bakaThixo, ingamakhulu amane amawaka amajoni aphatha ikrele. 3NamaBhenjamin eva ukuba kudityenwe ngamaSirayeli eMizpa.
AmaSirayeli athi: “Yitshoni; yenzeke kanjani na le ntlekele?”
4UmLevi omfazi wayegetyengiwe wachaza wathi: “Ndihambe nowakwam, ndaya kutsho kwaBhenjamin eGibheya, ndisiya kulalisa khona. 5Ke izikhulu zaseGibheya zaphuma ngobusuku, zarhawula indlu endandikuyo, zifuna mna. Zona zazizimisele ukundibulala, kodwa ke zasuka zamhlasela owakwam, zamdlwengula wada wafa. 6Ke mna ndawuthatha umzimba wakhe, ndawunqunqa, ndathumela isiqwenga kwindlu nganye kwezo zikaSirayeli. Kaloku aba bantu benze isikizi lenyala kwaSirayeli. 7Khanitsho, maSirayeli, nithi makuthiweni? Lithini icebo lenu?”
8AmaSirayeli ke atsho ngazwi-nye athi: “Xa sisonke akukho bani uza kugoduka namhlanje; ewe, akukho bani uya kubuyela endlwini yakhe. 9Nantsi into esiza kuyenza ngeGibheya: Siza kukhangela ukuba liya kuphuma nabani na iqashiso, aze ke loo madoda asikhokele ekuyihlaseleni. 10Isishumi samadoda akwaSirayeli siya kuthwala ukutya komkhosi, aze ke amanye la aye kohlwaya iGibheya ngenxa yesi senzo sayo sobuyatha isenzileyo kwaSirayeli.” 11Ngoko ke amaSirayeli ahlanganisana emoya mnye, efuna ukohlwaya iGibheya.
12Izizwe zakwaSirayeli zathumela izigidimi kuwo wonke ummandla wesizwe sakwaBhenjamin, zisithi: “Buyatha buni obu nibenzileyo? 13Ngoko ke zikhupheni ezo ndlavini zaseGibheya, sizibulale, silihlambe eli nyala kwaSirayeli.” Kambe ke amaBhenjamin zange awahoye amazwi athethwa ngamawabo amaSirayeli. 14Ndaweni yaloo nto amaBhenjamin aphuma kuzo zonke izixeko zawo, ahlangana eGibheya, aza aya kulwa namaSirayeli. 15Ngaloo mini akhupha amashumi amabini anesithandathu amajoni kuzo zonke izixeko zawo. Ngaphezu koko abemi baseGibheya bakhupha amajoni akhethiweyo angamakhulu asixhenxe, 16onke engamanxele. La manxele onke ayeziincutshe zokusawula *ngenkwitshi atsho khona. 17Amajoni amaSirayeli, ngaphandle kwamaBhenjamin, ayengamakhulu amane amawaka, onke engoompondo-zihlanjiwe.
Idabi
18Ke amaSirayeli aya eBhetele, aza abuza kuThixo athi: “Yiyiphi na indlu emayiqale ukuhlasela uBhenjamin?”
*UNdikhoyo ke wathi: “Mayibe nguJuda.”
19Anduluka ke amaSirayeli ngentsasa elandelayo, aya kumisa ngaseGibheya. 20Aphuma amajoni amaSirayeli, esiya kulwa namaBhenjamin, akha uhlelo phambi kweGibheya. 21Wacombuluka ke umkhosi wamaBhenjamin, waphuma apho esixekweni, waza ngaloo mini wageqa amashumi amabini anambini amawaka amajoni amaSirayeli.
22Kambe ke ngengomso amaSirayeli omelezana; aphinda amajoni awo awamisa kwangalaa ndlela ayewamise ngayo ngezolo. 23Kaloku amaSirayeli ayeye kuzibika kuNdikhoyo, alila iinyembezi kwada kwahlwa. Abuzisa kuye kwakhona, athi: “Ngaba masiye na ukuya kulwa namawethu amaBhenjamin?”
UNdikhoyo ke waphendula wathi: “Yiyani nilwe nawo.”
24Ngosuku olulandelayo amaSirayeli aphinda amhlasela uBhenjamin. 25Nangesi ke isihlandlo amaBhenjamin aphuma eGibheya, aza ageqa ishumi elinesibhozo lamawaka oompondo-zihlanjiwe bamaSirayeli.
26Aphuma ke onke amaSirayeli, aya kulila eBhetele. Ahlala apho phambi koNdikhoyo, akuzila ukutya kwada kwahlwa. Enza amadini atshiswayo, ngokunjalo nawobudlelwana, esenzela uNdikhoyo.
27-28Ngelo xesha ke ityesi yomnqophiso yayilapho eBhetele. Ke uPineyasi unyana kaElazare umzukulwana ka-Aron yayinguye umbingeleli apho. AmaSirayeli ke aphinda abuzisa kuNdikhoyo, athi: “Ngaba masiye ukuya kulwa namawethu amaBhenjamin, okanye masincame?”
UNdikhoyo ke waphendula wathi: “Phakathi! Ngomso ndiza kunithi jize ngoloyiso!”
29Ngoko ke amaSirayeli afihla amanye amajoni, axhwarha kufuphi neGibheya. 30Nangolu lwesithathu usuku amaSirayeli amhlasela uBhenjamin, amajoni akha uhlelo ekhangele iGibheya njenga-ngaphambili. 31AmaBhenjamin aphuma ukuhlangabeza, ada asishiya isixeko. Njengezolo ke akhe ageqa apho kumaSirayeli kuloo mathafa nakwindlela eya eBhetele neya eGibheya. Kwafa amashumi amathathu amaSirayeli.
32AmaBhenjamin athi: “Isesesezolo; siwafumene!”
Ke wona amaSirayeli athi: “Masihlehle, khon' ukuze siwatsalele ezindleleni kude nesixeko.” 33Wathi ke umkhosi wamaSirayeli waqokelelana eBhali-tamare, waza lowa wawulalele ngaseGibheya wadyulukudela ukuphuma kwezo ziwana zingqonge isixeko. 34IGibheya ke yahlaselwa lishumi lamawaka angoompondo-zihlanjiwe, bekhethwe kuSirayeli ephela. Hayi ke, yaba yinkwa nenkwa, phofu yena uBhenjamin engaqondi ukuba namhlanje ihlile intlekele. 35UNdikhoyo wamoyisa uBhenjamin ngamaSirayeli. AmaSirayeli atshabalalisa amashumi amabini anantlanu amawaka anekhulu ngaloo mini, onke eziincutshe zekrele, 36waza ke uBhenjamin waqonda ukuba woyisiwe.
Ukuphumelela kwamaSirayeli
Umkhosi wamaSirayeli wahlehla, kuba ukholose ngalowo wawulalele kufuphi neGibheya uzimele. 37Lo ke umkhosi wakhawuleza wangena eGibheya, wanwenwa apho esixekweni, wabulala konke nje. 38Indili yomkhosi kaSirayeli nalo uzimeleyo wawuvumelene ngokuthi xa ubona umsi uthuquza unyuka apho esixekweni, 39umkhosi osedabini uya kubuya nawo ungene uhlasele. Ngeli thuba ke amaBhenjamin ayeselewabulele amaSirayeli amalunga namashumi amathathu. Ayesezincoma esithi: “Sesezolo nanamhlanje; siwafumene!” 40Kweso sithuba ke wasuka wavela umqondiso; suka kwavela umpokophela womsi, wathunquza uphuma apho esixekweni. Athi ke akujonga amaBhenjamin abona isixeko sawo singamalangatye nje! 41Suka ke amaSirayeli aguquka, ke wona amaBhenjamin asuka azizithwanga-thwanga, kuba eqonda ukuba ihlile intlekele. 42Azama ukuhlehla abalekele entlango, kodwa ke umkhosi wathi mbende emva kwabo. Axinwa atyakatywa nangamanye amadoda awayephuma ezidolophini. 43AmaSirayeli awarhawula amaBhenjamin, awasukela, aza awoyisa lula kude kufuphi neGibheya empumalanga. 44Kwafa ishumi elinesibhozo lamawaka koompondo-zihlanjiwe bamaBhenjamin. 45Amanye asabela entlango, esinga kumawa aseRimon, kwaza kwabulawa amawaka amahlanu ezindleleni. AmaSirayeli athi mbende emva kwawo ukuya kutsho eGidiyon, aza abulala amawaka amabini.
46Ngaloo mini yodwa kwafa amashumi amabini anantlanu amawaka amaBhenjamin, onke engoompondo-zihlanjiwe bamajoni. 47Kambe ke amakhulu amathandathu abalekela entlango, aya kutsho kuloo mawa aseRimon, ahlala apho iinyanga zane.
48AmaSirayeli ke abuya awatshabalalisa onke amaBhenjamin, ebulala konke: ndoda, mfazi, mntwana, nemfuyo le yembala. Azitshisa zonke iidolophu zaloo mmandla.
