ABagwebi 20:1-48
-
Kuliwa namaBhenjamin (1-48)
20 Onke amaSirayeli aphuma ukusuka kwaDan+ ukuya eBher-shebha naseGiliyadi+ esiya kudibana phambi koYehova emanyene* eMizpa.+
2 Ngoko iinkosi zabantu nazo zonke izizwe zakwaSirayeli zema ezindaweni zazo kwibandla labantu bakaThixo, ingamadoda ayi-400 000 ahamba ngeenyawo axhobe ngamakrele.+
3 AmaBhenjamin eva ukuba amaSirayeli anyuke aya eMizpa.
AmaSirayeli athi: “Khanitsho, yenzeke njani le nto imasikizi kangaka?”+
4 Yaphendula yathi le ndoda ingumLevi+ ibulawelwe umfazi: “Mna nomfazi wam* besize kulala eGibheya+ yakwaBhenjamin.
5 Abantu* bakwaBhenjamin eGibheya baye bandihlasela, barhangqa indlu ebendikuyo ebusuku. Bebefuna ukubulala mna, kodwa badlwengula umfazi wam,* wafa.+
6 Ngoko ke ndiye ndawunqunqa umzimba womfazi wam,* ndaza ndawuthumela kuzo zonke iindawo ezililifa likaSirayeli,+ ngenxa yokuba benze eli nyala limasikizi kwaSirayeli.
7 Ngoku bantu bakwaSirayeli, khanicebise apha nize nitsho ukuba makwenziwe ntoni.”+
8 Baphakama bonke abantu ngaxeshanye,* besithi: “Akukho namnye kuthi uza kubuyela ententeni okanye endlini yakhe.
9 Nantsi into emasiyenze kwiGibheya: Masenzeni amaqashiso size siye kulwa nayo.+
10 Siza kuthatha amadoda ayi-10 kwayi-100 kuzo zonke izizwe zakwaSirayeli, ayi-100 kwayi-1 000, nayi-1 000 kwayi-10 000, afunele umkhosi ukutya, ukuze uhlasele iGibheya yakwaBhenjamin, ngenxa yenyala elenzileyo kwaSirayeli.”
11 Ngaloo ndlela, onke amadoda akwaSirayeli aya kulwa neso sixeko emanyane.*
12 Emva koko izizwe zakwaSirayeli zathumela amadoda kubo bonke abantu bezizwe zakwaBhenjamin, zisithi: “Linyala lantoni na eli lenzeke phakathi kwenu?
13 Zisani aba ngantweni bamadoda aseGibheya+ apha sibabulale, size sitshayele obu bubi kwaSirayeli.”+ Kodwa amaBhenjamin awazange abamamele abantakwabo amaSirayeli.
14 AmaBhenjamin aqokelelana eGibheya ngaphandle kwesixeko, esiya kulwa noSirayeli.
15 Ngolo suku, amaBhenjamin akhupha ezixekweni zawo amadoda ayi-26 000 axhobe ngamakrele, ngaphandle kwamadoda aseGibheya akhethiweyo ayi-700.
16 Kulo mkhosi kwakunyulwe amadoda ayi-700 angamanxele. Onke la madoda ayeziincutshe ekuchaneni ngesilingi, engaphosi nakancinci.
17 Amadoda akwaSirayeli, ngaphandle kwamaBhenjamin, aqokelela amadoda ayi-400 000 axhobe ngamakrele,+ nganye kuwo iligorha eliqhele ukulwa edabini.
18 AmaSirayeli aya kubuza kuThixo eBheteli,+ athi: “Ngubani apha kuthi omele asikhokele xa sisiya kulwa noBhenjamin?” UYehova wathi: “NguYuda omakakhokele.”
19 Emva koko amaSirayeli avuka kusasa aza amisa inkampu ngaseGibheya.
20 Amadoda akwaSirayeli aya kulwa noBhenjamin; ema ngeendawo zawo, elungele idabi eGibheya.
21 Ngoko amaBhenjamin aya eGibheya, aza abulala amadoda akwaSirayeli ayi-22 000 ngaloo mini.
22 Kodwa umkhosi wamaSirayeli waba nesibindi, waza waphinda wema ngeendawo zawo, ulungele ukulwa njengakusuku lokuqala.
23 Emva koko, amaSirayeli enyuka aya kulila phambi koYehova de kwangokuhlwa, ambuza uYehova, esithi: “Siphinde na siyokulwa nabantakwethu amaBhenjamin?”+ UYehova wathi: “Hambani niyokulwa nabo.”
24 Ngoko amaSirayeli aya kumaBhenjamin ngosuku lwesibini.
25 NamaBhenjamin aphuma eGibheya eyokulwa nawo ngosuku lwesibini aza abulala amanye amaSirayeli ayi-18 000,+ onke exhobe ngamakrele.
26 Kusakwenzeka loo nto, amadoda akwaSirayeli enyuka aya eBheteli. Ahlala apho alila phambi koYehova,+ azila ukutya+ ngaloo mini de kwangokuhlwa, aza enza umnikelo otshiswayo+ nomnikelo wobuhlobo+ phambi koYehova.
27 Emva koko abuza kuYehova,+ kuba yayilapho ityeya yesivumelwano* kaThixo wokwenene ngaloo mihla.
28 UFinehasi+ unyana kaEleyazare, unyana ka-Aron, wayesebenza apho ngaloo mihla. Abuza: “Siphinde siyokulwa na nabantakwethu amaBhenjamin, okanye siyeke?”+ UYehova wathi: “Nyukani, kuba ngomso ndiza kubanikela kuni.”
29 Emva koko, amaSirayeli abeka amadoda ukuze alalele+ eGibheya macala onke.
30 AmaSirayeli enyuka aya kulwa namaBhenjamin ngosuku lwesithathu, ema elungele ukulwa neGibheya njengamanye amaxesha.+
31 Xa amaBhenjamin aphuma eyokulwa naloo mkhosi, atsalelwa kude nesixeko.+ Emva koko, njengamanye amaxesha, aqala ukuhlasela nokuxabela abantu koohola bendlela abanyukela eBheteli naseGibheya, eshiya malunga namadoda ayi-30 akwaSirayeli edunduluze ethafeni.+
32 Ngoko amaBhenjamin athi: “Siyaboyisa kwakhona njengakuqala.”+ Kodwa amaSirayeli athi: “Siza kurhoxa, size sibalobele koohola bendlela, kude nesixeko.”
33 Ngoko onke amadoda akwaSirayeli asuka kwiindawo zawo eza kulungela idabi eBhahali-tamare, namaSirayeli awayelalele aphuma kwiindawo awayezimele kuzo eGibheya.
34 Ngaloo ndlela, amadoda ayi-10 000 awayekhethwe kuSirayeli wonke eza ngaphambi kweGibheya, ibe idabi lalinzima. Kodwa amaBhenjamin ayengazi ukuba alindelwe yintlekele.
35 UYehova wawoyisa amaBhenjamin+ phambi kwamaSirayeli, ibe ngaloo mini amaSirayeli abulala amadoda akwaBhenjamin ayi-25 100, onke exhobe ngamakrele.+
36 AmaBhenjamin ayecinga ukuba amaSirayeli ayeza koyiswa xa arhoxayo kwaBhenjamin,+ kodwa arhoxa kuba ayelithembile ukuba liza kusebenza icebo lokulalela iGibheya.+
37 La madoda ayelalele akhawuleza aleqa ngaseGibheya. Athi saa, aza abulala sonke isixeko ngekrele.
38 Amadoda akwaSirayeli ayevumelene nalawo ayelalele ukuba xa engena esixekweni aza kunyusa umsi.
39 Xa amaSirayeli ajikayo edabini, amadoda akwaBhenjamin ahlasela, abulala amadoda akwaSirayeli amalunga ne-30,+ aza athi: “Kucacile ukuba siyawoyisa, kanye njengakwidabi elidluleyo.”+
40 Kodwa umsi waqalisa ukunyuka esixekweni. Athi xa amadoda akwaBhenjamin ejika ejonga ngasemva, abona sonke isixeko silidangatye elinyukela esibhakabhakeni.
41 Amadoda akwaSirayeli ajika, aza amadoda akwaBhenjamin othuswa yile nto, kuba abona ukuba ayefikelwe yintlekele.
42 Ngoko arhoxa phambi kwamadoda akwaSirayeli aya ngakwicala lasentlango, kodwa idabi lawalandela; amadoda avela ngaphandle kwezixeko ancedisa ekuwabulaleni.
43 Awarhangqa amaBhenjamin aza awaleqa kanobom. Awanyathela kanye ngaphambi kweGibheya ngasempuma.
44 Ekugqibeleni kwawa amadoda akwaBhenjamin ayi-18 000, onke engamagorha.+
45 Amadoda akwaBhenjamin ajika aza abalekela entlango kwiliwa laseRimon,+ yaye amaSirayeli abulala i-5 000 kuwo koohola bendlela, awaleqa ayokutsho eGidom; ngoko abulala amanye amadoda ayi-2 000.
46 Kwafa amadoda akwaBhenjamin ayi-25 000 ngaloo mini, onke exhobe ngamakrele,+ engamagorha.
47 Kodwa i-600 kula madoda yajika yabalekela entlango kwiliwa laseRimon, yaza yahlala apho kwiliwa laseRimon iinyanga ezine.
48 Amadoda akwaSirayeli abuya aza ahlasela amaBhenjamin, abulala abantu ababesesixekweni ngekrele, ukususela kumadoda kuye kwizilwanyana zasekhaya, abulala kwanto eyayishiyekile. Azitshisa zonke izixeko ezazisendleleni yawo.
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Ngokoqobo, “njengamntu-mnye.”
^ Okanye “neshweshwe lam.”
^ Okanye kusenokwenzeka, “Abanini-mhlaba.”
^ Okanye “ishweshwe lam.”
^ Okanye “weshweshwe lam.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “njengamntu-mnye.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “njengamntu-mnye.”
^ Okanye “ityeya yomnqophiso.”
