Isono sabantu beGibeya
1Emihleni leyo, lokha nakunganakosi kwa-Israyeli, kwakunomLevi othileko ogade asikhonzi eendaweni ezingenelele ngeentatjaneni zakwa-Efrayimu. Wazithathela intombi njengekhohlo lakhe eBhethe-Lehema kwaJuda. 2Kwaba nokuqabana phakathi kwekhohlwelo nomLevi, nje-ke labaleka layokuhlala ekumbeni kayise eBhethe-Lehema kwaJuda. Ngemva kweenyanga ezine 3indodalo yalilandela kwabo kobana iyolincenga libuye. Gade ikhamba nencekwayo kanye nabodumbana ababili. Lokha nayifikako ikhohlo layisa ngekumbeni kayise. Kwathi uyise lekhohlo nabona indoda leyo, wayamukela ngetokozo. 4Umkhwe wayo, okunguyise lekhohlo, wayikatelela bonyana ihlale amalanga amathathu naye. Yeke yahlala naye, bagoma bebehlisa. 5Elangeni lesine bavuka ngamasa, indoda leyo yazilungiselela ukukhamba, kodwana usomntazana wathi: “Mkhwenyanami, yewubambise amathumbu ngegedzwana lesikwesi, ngemva kwalokho sewungakhamba-ke.” 6Yeke amadoda amabili lawo ahlala phasi, agoma ndawonye abe ehlisa. Usomntazana godu wathi kumkhwenyanakhe: “Hlala godu obunye ubusuku, uthakase.” 7Kuthe lokha nathi uyasikima bona akhambe, umkhwe wakhe wamtomatomela bewavuma, walala ebukhweni bakhapho godu. 8Elangeni lesihlanu, wavuka ngamasa wabhincela ukukhamba, usomntazana wathi kuye: “Yewubambise amathumbu.” Yeke bagoma bobabili, bariyada bekwaphakama ilanga. 9Kuthe lokha indoda leyo nekhohlo layo kanye nencekwayo nabasikima bathi bayakhamba, usomntazana wathi: “Agu, qala sekuhlwile, lalani lapha. Qala ilanga sele liyokutjhinga. Lalani lapha nithakase bese kuthi kusasa-ke nivuke ngesamarimarima, nibe yindlela.”
10Kodwana indoda azange ivume, yasikima, yakhamba beyayokufika malungana neJebusi, okutjho iJerusalema. Gade ikhamba nabodumbana ababili ababotjhelweko kanye nekhohlo layo. 11Kuthe nasele batjhidele eJebusi besele kuhlwile. Inceku yathi kumniniyo: “Bengithi asiphambukeleni edorobheni lamaJebuseli, sikhombele amalalo khona.” 12Umniniyo wathi kiyo: “Asikwazi ukuphambukela edorobheni labantu abatjhili abangasi ngebakwa-Israyeli. Asidluleleni eGibeya.” 13Godu wathi encekwinakhe: “Asikhambeni siye eGibeya namkha eRama, siyokulala kenye yeendawezi.” 14Yeke bayidlula iJebusi baragela phambili ngekhambo labo. Ilanga labatjhingela hlanu kweGibeya yakwaBhenjamini. 15Baphambukela lapho kobana balale eGibeya. Bangena ngedorobheni bafese bahlala etatawini lakhona ngombana akunamuntu owabangenisa kwakhe kobana balale khona.
16Ntambama kwavela iqhegu libuya ukuyosebenza esiminalo. Lona gade lidabuka enarheni yangeentatjaneni zakwa-Efrayimu, lisikhonzi eGibeya. Abantu bendawo leyo bekumaBhenjamini. 17Lathi naliqalako labona isikhambi etatawini ledorobho lathi: “Uphumaphi? Ulibangisephi?” 18Umuntu loyo wathi kilo: “Sisendleleni ebuya eBhethe-Lehema lakwaJuda, silibangise eendaweni ezingenelele ngeentatjaneni zakwa-Efrayimu, lapha ngidabuka khona. Bengithekele eBhethe-Lehema lakwaJuda, nje-ke ngiya ekhaya. Ubona silaphanje, akunamuntu othe siyokulala kwakhe. 19Nokho abodumbana bethu sibaphathele iinhlanga nelusereni, kanti incekwakho nencekukazakho kanye nesokana elikhamba nathi siziphathele isikwa newayini. Angeze sadinga litho.” 20Iqhegu lathi: “Ungakhathazeki, ngizakutjheja zoke iindingo zenu, kwaphela nje ningalali etatawinapha.” 21Lakhamba nabo emzinalo, lafese lapha abodumbana ifuru. Ngemva kwalokho abathekeli balo baqopha iinyawo zabo, bagoma bebehlisa.
22Kuthe basathakasile, qala kwafika iinkhohlakali zamadoda wedorobho zazombeleza ikumba, zaqoqoda umnyango zathi eqhegwini elimninikumba: “Sithi khupha indoda engene kwakho leyo, sifuna ukuyilala.”
23Umninikumba waphuma wathi eenkhohlakalini: “Kahleni bafowethu, ningenzi amanyala. Njengombana indoda le ize kwamapha nje, lisani ukwenza ubuhlola obunjalo. 24Qalani, nginetlawu kanye nekhohlo layo indoda le, anginikhuphele bona kobana nibarhubutjhe, nizikholise ngabo. Kodwana nakuyindoda le yona, awa ningenzi ubuhlola obunjalo kiyo.”
25Kodwana amadoda lawo azange afune ukwazi. Yeke umLevi wasunduzela ikhohlo lakhelo kiwo ngaphandle. Aligagadlhela, alihlukumeza ubusuku boke bekwasa. Kwathi nakudabuka ukusa, alitjhaphulula. 26Kuthe nakusako, ikhohlwelo leza lawela emnyango wekumba lapha bekunendodalo khona bekwathoma ukukhanya.
27Indodalo yavuka ekuseni, yathi nayivula umnyango kobana ikhambe, baba-ke, yabona ikhohlo layo lilele emnyango wekumba izandla zalo zisembunjwaneni womnyango. 28Yathi kilo: “Vuka sikhambe.” Kodwana azange kube nependulo. Yalikhweza kudumbana, yakhamba. 29Kwathi bona ifike emzinayo yathatha umukhwa, yahlahlela ikhohlo layo isitho ngesitho, laba ziinququ ezilitjhumi nambili yazithumela kiyo yoke indawo yakwa-Israyeli. 30Woke owabona iinquqwezo wathi: “Umhlolo onje azange khewenzeke namkha ubonwe soloko abantu bakwa-Israyeli baphuma eGibhide bekube kunamhlanjesi. Akhe nicabange ngalokho, nibonisane bese niyatjho bona kwenziwani-ke nakunje!”
