AbaHluleli 21:1-25
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Isizwe sakwaBhenjamini siyasinda ekuqothulweni (1-25)
21 Amadoda akwa-Israyeli ayenze lesi sifungo eMispa: + “Akekho kithi ozothatha indodakazi yakhe ayiganisele indoda yakwaBhenjamini.” +
2 Ama-Israyeli eza eBhethele + ahlala lapho phambi kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso kwaze kwahlwa, ekhala kakhulu, elusizi.
3 Ayethi: “Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, kungani kwenzeke into enje kwa-Israyeli? Kungani esinye isizwe sibhuqiwe namuhla kwa-Israyeli?”
4 Ngosuku olulandelayo abantu bavuka ekuseni bakha i-altare lapho banikela iminikelo eshiswayo neminikelo ehlanganyelwayo. +
5 Abantu bakwa-Israyeli bathi: “Yisiphi isizwe ezizweni zakwa-Israyeli esingazange sibuthane kanye nathi phambi kukaJehova ngesikhathi siseMispa?” ngoba babenze isifungo sokuthi noma ubani ongazange akhuphukele kuJehova eMispa kufanele abulawe nakanjani.
6 Abantu bakwa-Israyeli badabuka ngalokho okwakwenzeke kwabakwaBhenjamini abafowabo. Bathi: “Namuhla isizwe esisodwa sinqunyiwe kwa-Israyeli.
7 Sizokwenzenjani ukuze sitholele labo abasele kwaBhenjamini abafazi, njengoba thina sifunge uJehova + ukuthi ngeke sibaganisele amadodakazi ethu?” +
8 Babuza bathi: “Yisiphi isizwe ezizweni zakwa-Israyeli esingazange sikhuphukele kuJehova eMispa?” + Kwatholakala ukuthi akukho muntu owayevela eJabeshi-gileyadi owayefike ekamu lapho ibandla lalikhona.
9 Lapho kubalwa abantu, baqaphela ukuthi kwakungekho muntu lapho ovela kubantu baseJabeshi-gileyadi.
10 Ngakho inhlangano yathumela amadoda angamaqhawe angu-12 000 khona. Yawayala yathi: “Hambani niyobulala abantu baseJabeshi-gileyadi ngenkemba, ngisho nabesifazane nabantwana. +
11 Nakhu okufanele nikwenze: Kufanele nibulale bonke abesilisa nabo bonke abesifazane, nishiye kuphela abesifazane abangakaze balale nendoda.”
12 Kubantu baseJabeshi-gileyadi bathola amantombazane angu-400 ayizintombi nto, ayengakaze alale nendoda. Ngakho bawaletha ekamu eShilo, + ezweni laseKhanani.
13 Ngemva kwalokho yonke inhlangano yakwa-Israyeli yathumela umyalezo kubantu bakwaBhenjamini entabeni yaseRimoni + yabathembisa ukuthula.
14 Ngaleso sikhathi abakwaBhenjamini babuyela ezweni labo. Yabanika abesifazane baseJabeshi-gileyadi + eyayingababulalanga, kodwa babenganele.
15 Abantu badabuka ngalokho okwakwenzeke kubantu bakwaBhenjamini + ngoba uJehova wayebangele uqhekeko phakathi kwezizwe zakwa-Israyeli.
16 Amadoda amadala enhlangano athi: “Yini okufanele siyenze ukuze sitholele amadoda asele abafazi, njengoba bonke abesifazane beqothuliwe kwaBhenjamini?”
17 Athi: “Kufanele kube nefa lalabo abasindile bakwaBhenjamini, ukuze kungaqothulwa sizwe kwa-Israyeli.
18 Kodwa asivunyelwe ukubaganisela amadodakazi ethu, ngoba abantu bakwa-Israyeli bafungile, bathi: ‘Uqalekisiwe umuntu oganisela abakwaBhenjamini ngendodakazi yakhe.’ ” +
19 Ngemva kwalokho athi: “Kukhona umkhosi kaJehova owenziwa unyaka nonyaka eShilo, + elisenyakatho yeBhethele, ngasempumalanga yomgwaqo omkhulu osuka eBhethele ukhuphukele eShekemi, eningizimu yeLebona.”
20 Ngakho athi emadodeni akwaBhenjamini: “Hambani nifike nicashe emasimini amagilebhisi.
21 Lapho nibona izintombi* zaseShilo ziphuma ziyodansa, ngamunye wenu kufanele aphume emasimini amagilebhisi azithwalele umfazi ezintombini zaseShilo, bese nibuyela ezweni lakwaBhenjamini.
22 Uma kwenzeka oyise noma abafowabo beza bezokhalaza, siyobe sesithi kubo, ‘Siboniseni umusa ngokuthi nibasize, ngoba asikwazanga ukubatholela abafazi abenele empini. + Ngaphezu kwalokho, beningeke nikwazi ukubanikeza abafazi kodwa ningabi nacala.’ ” +
23 Ngakho amadoda akwaBhenjamini enza ngayo kanye leyo ndlela, ngayinye yazithwalela umfazi kwabesifazane ababedansa. Ngemva kwalokho, abuyela efeni lawo afike akha kabusha amadolobha awo + ayesehlala kuwo.
24 Ngaleso sikhathi ama-Israyeli ahlakazeka esuka lapho, yilowo nalowo waya esizweni sakubo nasemndenini wakubo; ahamba lapho, yilowo nalowo waya efeni lakhe.
25 Ngalezo zinsuku kwakungenankosi kwa-Israyeli. + Yilowo nalowo wayenza okulungile emehlweni akhe.*
