Isenzo esibi eGibeya
1Kwathi ngalezo zinsuku kungekho inkosi kwa-Israyeli, kwakukhona umLevi othile owayegogobele ohlangothini olungasemuva kwezintaba zakwa-Efrayimi, 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 lowo muntu wasukuma nokho ukuba ahambe; 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 lowo muntu ukuhlala lobo busuku, 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 kulo muzi wamaJebusi, sihlale kuwo.”
12Inkosi yayo yathi kuyo: “Asiyikuphambukela emzini wabafokazi ongesiwo owabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, kepha siyakudlulela eGibeya.” 13Yayisithi encekwini: “Woza, sisondele kwenye yalezi zindawo; 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 zakwa-Efrayimi, lagogobala eGibeya; kepha abantu baleyo ndawo babe ngabakwaBenjamini. 17Waphakamisa amehlo akhe, wabona isihambi esigcawini somuzi; ixhegu lase lithi: “Uyangaphi na? Uvelaphi na?”
18Wathi kulo: “Siyadlula sivela eBetlehema Juda, siya ohlangothini olungasemuva kwezintaba zakwa-Efrayimi; ngivela khona; ngaya eBetlehema Juda; sengiya endlini kaJehova, kepha akukho muntu ongamukela endlini yakhe. 19Kukhona nokho utshani nefoliji* lezimbongolo zethu; mina-ke nginesinkwa newayini, kanjalo nencekukazi yakho nensizwa enathi, izinceku zakho; akusweleke 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 lowo muntu owangena endlini yakho ukuba simazi.”
23Ixhegu, umninindlu, laphumela kubo, lathi kubo: “Hhayi, bafowethu, ngiyanicela, ningenzi okubi okungako; lokhu lo muntu engenile endlini yami, ningenzi lobu buwula. 24Bhekani, nansi indodakazi yami, intombi, nesancinza sakhe; ngiyakubakhipha bona manje, nibone, nenze kubo njengokuthanda kwenu; kepha kulo muntu ningenzi ubuwula obunjalo.”
25Kepha abantu kabavumanga ukumlalela; khona lowo muntu 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 lowo muntu, waya endaweni yakhe.
29Lapho esengenile endlini yakhe, wathatha umese, wabamba isancinza sakhe, wasihlahlela ithambo ngethambo, kwaba yizinqamu eziyishumi nambili, wasithuma emikhawulweni yonke yakwa-Israyeli. 30Kwathi bonke abakubonayo bathi: “Akuzange kwenziwe okunjalo, akuzange kubonwe kusukela osukwini abantwana bakwa-Israyeli abakhuphuka ngalo ezweni laseGibithe kuze kube namuhla; zindlani ngalokho, nilulekane, nikhulume.”
