Intlekele eyahlela umLevi
1Ngethuba eliphambi kokuba uSirayeli abe nokumkani kwakukho mLevi uthile owayehlala kude kweleentaba kwaEfrayim. Lo mfo wathatha intombi yaseBhetelehem kwelakwaJuda, wahlalisana nayo. 2Kambe ke yambambela, yaza yagoduka yaya eBhetelehem kwelakwaJuda, yahlala khona iinyanga zane. 3Lo mLevi ke wayilanda ngezicengo, khon' ukuze babuyelane. Wayehamba nesicaka sakhe kunye needonki ezimbini. Le ntombi ke yamazisa kowayo umLevi lowo, waza ke uyise akumbona wamamkela ngezishushu. 4Uyise wentombi leyo wamnyanzelisa ukuba akhe ahlale umLevi lowo, waza ke wahlala iintsuku zantathu, besitya besela kunye.
5Ngentsasa yosuku lwesine bavuka sebelungele ukuhamba. Ke uyise wentombi wathetha nomkwenyana, wathi: “Qala utye, uhlaziyeke, uze ke uhambe kamva.”
6Bahlala ke umntu nomkhwenyana, batya basela. Usontombi lowo ke waphinda wacela umkhwenyana wathi: “Sowulala apha ngokuhlwanje, uzonwabise.”
7Wathi umLevi lowo akufuna ukuhamba, uyise lowo wamcenga ukuba aselala apho ngobo busuku. 8Ngentsasa yosuku lwesihlanu umLevi wavuka ezimisele ukuhamba, kodwa usontombi wathi: “Khawutye, ulinde kude kube semini noko.” Wahlala ke, batya bobabini.
9Wathi ke umLevi nentombi leyo ngokunjalo nesicaka sebezimisele ukunduluka, uyise wabanqanda, esithi: “Amathunzi anabile, nokuhlwa sekusondele; masenilala. Hlalani nizonwabise, nize ninduluke kusasa ngomso ukugoduka.”
10Ngesi ke isihlandlo umfo lowo akavumanga ukuphinda alale. Wanduluka, ehamba enezo donki zimbini ezineesali kwakunye nomasihlalisane lowo, waya kugaleleka ngaseJebhusi. (IJebhusi ke yile iyiJerusalem namhla.) 11Bakusondela eJebhusi imimi yayiselithambekile, saza isicaka sathi enkosini yaso: “Masesihlala apha eJebhusi, silalise khona.”
12-13Kambe ke inkosi yaso leyo yathi: “Hayi, kaloku asinakulala apha kwisixeko sabantu basemzini abangengawo amaSirayeli. Masigqithele phambili, siye kulala eGibheya okanye eRama.” 14Ngoko ke badlula apho eJebhusi. Kwathi xa lithi ndithenge, bagaleleka eGibheya kummandla wamaBhenjamin. 15Baphambuka ke endleleni, besiya kulala khona. Bangena ke, baya kutsho ebaleni lembutho, kungekho mntu ubanika indawo yokulala.
16Bathe beselapho kwathi gqi ixhego, livela emasimini. Lalingumngeneleli apho eGibheya, kodwa inkaba yalo ikweleentaba kwaEfrayim. Phofu ke abantu balapho yayingamaBhenjamin. 17Lathi ke lakubabona abahambi abo belapho ebaleni lembutho, labuza lathi: “Kuvelwa ngaphi, kusiyiwa phi?”
18UmLevi uphendule wathi: “Siphuma eBhetelehem kwelakwaJuda. Ukwenjenje oku siyagoduka, siya kummandla othe qelele kweleentaba kwaEfrayim. Kambe ke akukho mntu usinika ndawo yakulala. 19Sinako ukutya kweedonki zethu, ngokunjalo mna sicaka sakho kunye nesicakakazi sakho nomfana ohamba nathi sinaso isonka newayini. Hayi, asixakekanga kwelo cala.”
20Ixhego ke lathi: “Namkelekile kwam; aninakude nilale apha phandle. Yizani; ndiza kunilungiselela.” 21Lagoduka nabo ke, lazityisa iidonki zabo. Bahlamba iinyawo, baza batya basela.
22Kwathi besonwabile apho, kwafika iindlavini ezithile, zayirhawula indlu leyo, zabetha ucango, zabhekisa kumnini-ndlu lowo zisithi: “Mkhuphe loo mfo umngenise endlwini yakho. Sifuna ukulala naye.”
23Kambe ke umninimzi waphuma, wathetha nazo, wathi: “Hayi, mawethu, ndiyanibongoza, sanukulenza elo nyala; lundwendwe lwam olu! 24Ndaweni yaloo nto thathani intombi yam kwanomfazi walo mfo. Mandinikhuphele bona, nenze ukuthanda kwenu kubo. Kodwa sanukuyenza into embi kangaka kulo mfo.”
25Kambe ke azivumanga ezo zibhoja. Ngoko ke umLevi lowo wakhupha loo masihlalisane wakhe, zaza ke zadlalisa ngaye zazenzela apho kuye kwada kwasa.
26Kwathi ekuseni umfazi lowo wabuya, wafika wawa ngasemnyango kuloo ndlu yexhego apho yayikhona indoda yakhe. Walala apho kwada kwasa. 27Kusasa yathi yakuvula umnyango indoda yakhe, iphuma iza kuhamba, yamfumana elele apho ngasemnyango, izandla zakhe zisembundwini. 28Yathetha naye, yathi: “Vuka sihambe!” Kwathi cwaka. Yaza ke yamthatha, yamxhoma edonkini, yagoduka naye.
29UmLevi lowo ke uthe akufika ekhaya wathatha imela. Umzimba waloo mfazi ke wawunqunqa waziziqwenga ezilishumi elinambini, waza ke isiqwenga ngasinye wasithumela kwenye yezindlu zikaSirayeli. 30Wonke ke umntu owayibonayo le nto wavakala esithi: “Zange siyive siyibone into enje! Into enje zange ihle okoko uSirayeli waphumayo eJiputa! Mayiqwalaselwe, kubonwe into emayenziwe!”
