Isenzo esibi eGibeya
1Kwathi ngalezozinsuku kungekho inkosi kwaIsrayeli, kwakukhona umLevi othile owayegogobele ohlangothini olungasemuva kwezintaba zakwaEfrayimi, owazithathela isancinza eBetlehema-Juda.
2Isancinza sakhe samgilela ubufebe, sasuka kuye, saya endlini kayise eBetlehema-Juda, sahlala khona isikhathi esiyizinyanga ezine.
3Umyeni waso wasuka, wasilandela ukuba akhulume kuyo inhliziyo yaso, asibuyise, enenceku yakhe nezimbongolo ezimbili; samngenisa endlini kayise; lapho uyise wentombi embona, wathokoza ukuhlangana naye.
4Umukhwe wakhe, uyise wentombi, wambambezela, wahlala kuye izinsuku ezintathu; badla, baphuza, bahlala khona.
5Kwathi ngosuku lwesine bavuka ekuseni kakhulu, wasuka ukuba ahambe; uyise wentombi wathi kumkhwenyana wakhe: Hlumelela inhliziyo yakho ngocezu lwesinkwa, andukuba nihambe.
6Bahlala phansi, badla, baphuza bobabili kanyekanye; uyise wentombi wathi kuyo indoda: Ake udele, ulale ubusuku, ithokoze inhliziyo yakho.
7Kepha lowomuntu wasukuma nokho ukuba azohamba; wayesemncengisisa umukhwe wakhe, wabuye walala khona.
8Wavuka ekuseni kakhulu ngosuku lwesihlanu ukuba ahambe; uyise wentombi wathi: Ake uhlumelele inhliziyo yakho, nihlale lize lithambame ilanga; badla-ke bobabili.
9Lapho umuntu esesukuma ukuba ahambe, yena nesancinza sakhe nenceku yakhe, umukhwe wakhe, uyise wentombi, wathi kuye: Bheka, ilanga seliyathambama, sekuzakuhlwa; ake uhlale ubusuku bonke; yebo, ilanga seliyakuphela; hlala lapha ukuba inhliziyo yakho ithokoze, nivuke kusasa ekuseni kakhulu, nihambe indlela yenu ukuba ufike etendeni lakho.
10Kepha akavumanga lowomuntu ukuhlala lobobusuku, kodwa wavuka wahamba, wafika malungana neJebusi eliyiJerusalema; kwakukhona naye izimbongolo ezimbili ziboshelwe izihlalo; nesancinza sakhe sasinaye.
11SebengaseJebusi, ilanga lase lidlulile kakhulu; inceku yathi enkosini yayo: Ake uze, siphambukele kulomuzi wamaJebusi, sihlale kuwo.
12Inkosi yayo yathi kuyo: Asiyikuphambukela emzini wabafokazi ongesiwo owabantwana bakwaIsrayeli, kepha siyakudlulela eGibeya.
13Yayisithi encekwini: Woza, sisondele kwenye yalezizindawo; siyakulala eGibeya noma eRama.
14Base bethula bahamba; ilanga lashona bengaseGibeya elingelakwaBenjamini.
15Baphambukela lapho ukuba bangene, balale eGibeya; wangena, wahlala phansi esigcawini somuzi; ngokuba kwakungekho-muntu owabamukela endlini yakhe ukuba balale khona.
16Bheka, kwafika ixhegu livela emsebenzini walo ensimini kusihlwa; lalingumuntu wasezintabeni zakwaEfrayimi, lagogobala eGibeya; kepha abantu baleyondawo babengabakwaBenjamini.
17Waphakamisa amehlo akhe, wabona isihambi esigcawini somuzi; ixhegu lase lithi: Uyangaphi na? Avelaphi na?
18Wathi kulo: Siyadlula sivela eBetlehema-Juda, siya ohlangothini olungasemuva kwezintaba zakwaEfrayimi; ngivela khona; ngaya eBetlehema-Juda; sengiya endlini kaJehova, kepha akukhomuntu ongamukela endlini yakhe.
19Kukhona nokho utshani nefoliji* lezimbongolo zethu; mina-ke nginesinkwa newayini, kanjalo nencekukazi yakho nensizwa enathi, izinceku zakho; akusweleké-lutho.
20Lase lithi ixhegu: Ukuthula makube-kuwe; kepha konke okuswelayo makube-phezu kwami; kepha ungalali esigcawini.
21Lase limngenisa endlini yalo, lazinika izimbongolo ifoliji*; bageza izinyawo zabo, badla, baphuza.
22Besajabulisa izinhliziyo zabo, bheka, abantu bomuzi, abantu ababi, bahaqa indlu nxazonke, bangqongqotha emnyango; basho kumninindlu, ixhegu, bathi: Khipha lowomuntu owangena endlini yakho ukuba simazi.
23Ixhegu, umninindlu, laphumela kubo, lathi kubo: Hayi, bafowethu, ngiyanicela, ningenzi okubi okungako; lokhu lomuntu engenile endlini yami, ningenzi lobubuwula.
24Bhekani, nansi indodakazi yami, intombi, nesancinza sakhe; ngiyakubakhipha bona manje, nibone, nenze kubo njengokuthanda kwenu; kepha kulomuntu ningenzi ubuwula obunjalo.
25Kepha abantu kabavumanga ukumlalela; khona lowomuntu wasibamba isancinza sakhe, wasikhiphela kubo; basazi, basona ubusuku bonke kwaze kwaba-sekuseni; ekuthatheni kokusa basiyeka.
26Owesifazane wayesefika ngovivi lokusa, wawa ngasemnyango wendlu yomuntu, lapho yayikhona inkosi yakhe, kwaze kwakhanya.
27Inkosi yakhe yavuka ekuseni, yavula iminyango yendlu, yaphuma ukuba ihambe indlela yayo; bheka, owesifazane, isancinza sakhe, wayewile ngasemnyango wendlu, izandla zakhe ziphezu kombundu.
28Yathi kuye: Vuka sihambe; kepha akuphendulanga-muntu; yayisimbeka embongolweni yayo; wasuka lowomuntu, waya endaweni yakhe.
29Lapho esengenile endlini yakhe, wathatha umese, wabamba isancinza sakhe, wasihlahlela ithambo ngethambo, kwaba-yizinqamu eziyishumi nambili, wasithuma emikhawulweni yonke yakwaIsrayeli.
30Kwathi bonke abakubonayo bathi: Akuzange kwenziwe okunjalo, akuzange kubonwe kusukela osukwini abantwana bakwaIsrayeli abakhuphuka ngalo ezweni laseGibithe kuze kube-namuhla; zindlani ngalokho, nilulekane, nikhulume.
