Abahluleli
20:1 Khona-ke bonke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli baphuma, futhi inhlangano
babuthana njengomuntu munye, kusukela kwaDani kwaze kwaba seBeri Sheba kanye nezwe
laseGileyadi kuJehova eMispa.
20:2 Izinduna zabo bonke abantu, yezizwe zonke zakwa-Israyeli,
beza ebandleni labantu bakaNkulunkulu, amakhulu amane
amadoda ahamba ngezinyawo ayizinkulungwane ezihosha inkemba.
20:3 Manje abantwana bakwaBenjamini bezwa ukuthi abantwana bakwa-Israyeli
wenyukela eMispa.) Base bethi abantwana bakwa-Israyeli: "Sitsheleni ukuthi bekunjani."
lobu bubi?
20:4 Futhi umLevi, indoda yowesifazane owayebulewe, waphendula futhi
yathi: “Ngafika eGibeya yakwaBenjamini, mina nesancinza sami;
ukuhlala.
20:5 Futhi amadoda aseGibeya bangivukela, futhi bazungeza indlu nxazonke
phezu kwami ebusuku, wacabanga ukungibulala, nesancinza sami
bamphoqa ukuthi ufile.
20:6 Ngase ngithatha isancinza sami, futhi wasihlahlela izicucu, futhi ngathumela kuye yonke
lonke izwe lefa lakwa-Israyeli, ngokuba benzile
amanyala nobuwula kwa-Israyeli.
20:7 Bhekani, nonke nina ningabantwana bakwa-Israyeli; nikeza lapha iseluleko sakho futhi
iseluleko.
20:8 Bonke abantu basukuma njengamuntu munye, bathi: "Asiyikuya noyedwa wethu
etendeni lakhe, futhi ngeke siphambukele endlini yakhe.
20:9 Kodwa manje lokhu kuyakuba yilokho esizokwenza kulo iGibeya; sizohamba
nikhuphukele kulo ngenkatho;
20:10 Futhi sizothatha amadoda ayishumi kwekhulu kuzo zonke izizwe
Israyeli, nekhulu enkulungwaneni, nenkulungwane kwabayishumi
abayizinkulungwane, ukukhiphela abantu ukudla, ukuba bakwenze, lapho bekwenza
niye eGibeya lakwaBenjamini, njengakho konke ubuwula abanabo
okwenziwa kwa-Israyeli.
20:11 Ngakho wonke amadoda akwa-Israyeli babuthana emzini, behlangene ndawonye
njengomuntu oyedwa.
20:12 Izizwe zakwa-Israyeli zathuma amadoda kuso sonke isizwe sakwaBenjamini;
esithi: Bububi bani lobu obenziwe phakathi kwenu?
20:13 Manje khulula us amadoda, amadodana kaBheliyali, okuyinto in
eGibeya, ukuze sibabulale, sisuse ububi kwa-Israyeli.
Kodwa abantwana bakoBhenjamini kabavumanga ukulalela ilizwi labo
bazalwane bakoIsrayeli.
20:14 Kodwa abantwana bakwaBhenjamini babuthana ndawonye kusukela
imizi efika eGibeya, ukuphuma ukulwa nabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.
20:15 Futhi abantwana bakwaBhenjamini babalwa ngaleso sikhathi kusukela
imizi amadoda ayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nesithupha ahloma inkemba ngaphandle kwemizi
abakhileyo eGibeya, ababalwayo kubo baba ngamadoda akhethiweyo angamakhulu ayisikhombisa.
20:16 Phakathi kwabo bonke laba bantu kwakukhona amadoda angamakhulu ayisikhombisa akhethiwe angamanxele;
bonke babekwazi ukujikijela amatshe ububanzi bezinwele, bengageji.
20:17 Futhi amadoda akwa-Israyeli, ngaphandle Benjamin, babalelwa amakhulu amane
amadoda ayinkulungwane ahloma inkemba, bonke labo babengamadoda empi.
20:18 Futhi abantwana bakwa-Israyeli basukuma, bakhuphukela endlini kaNkulunkulu, futhi
wabuza kuNkulunkulu, wathi: “Ngumuphi kithi ozokhuphukela kuqala kuJehova
ukulwa nabantwana bakwaBenjamini na? UJehova wathi: "UJuda uyakwenza."
khuphuka kuqala.
20:19 Futhi abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bavuka ekuseni, futhi bamisa ngokumelene
eGibeya.
20 Amadoda akwa-Israyeli aphuma ukulwa noBenjamini; namadoda
bakwa-Israyeli bazihlelela ukulwa nabo eGibeya.
20:21 Futhi abantwana bakwaBenjamini baphuma eGibeya, futhi babhubhisa
phansi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli ngalolo suku izinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nambili
amadoda.
20:22 Futhi abantu, amadoda akwa-Israyeli, baziqinisa, futhi wamisa zabo
futhi impi ihleleke endaweni lapho ezihlele khona
ngosuku lokuqala.
20:23 Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bakhuphuka, bakhala phambi kukaJehova kwaze kwahlwa.
wabuza kuJehova, wathi: “Ngibuye ngenyukele ukulwa na?
kubantwana bakwaBenjamini umfowethu na? Yathi iNKOSI: Yenyuka
ngokumelene naye.)
20:24 Futhi abantwana bakwa-Israyeli basondela ngokumelene nabantwana bakwaBhenjamini
ngosuku lwesibili.
20:25 UBenjamini waphuma ukulwa nabo eGibeya ngosuku lwesibili, futhi
waphinda wachitha phansi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli ishumi nesishiyagalombili
amadoda ayinkulungwane; bonke laba babehosha inkemba.
20:26 Khona-ke bonke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, futhi bonke abantu, bakhuphuka, bafika
endlini kaNkulunkulu, wakhala, wahlala lapho phambi kukaJehova, futhi
wazila ukudla ngalolo suku kwaze kwahlwa, wanikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa nangokuthula
iminikelo phambi kukaJehova.
27 Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babuza kuJehova ngomphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova
isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu sasikhona ngalezo zinsuku,
20:28 UFinehasi, indodana ka-Eleyazare, indodana ka-Aroni, wayemi phambi kwalo.
ngalezo zinsuku), ethi: “Ngisaphuma futhi ukulwa impi na?
bantwana bakwaBenjamini umfowethu, noma ngiyeke na? Yathi iNKOSI: Hamba
phezulu; ngoba kusasa ngizawanikela esandleni sakho.
20:29 U-Israyeli wabeka abaqamekeli eGibeya nxazonke.
20:30 Futhi abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bakhuphuka ukuhlangabezana nabantwana bakwaBenjamini
ngosuku lwesithathu, bazihlelela ukulwa neGibeya njengakwelinye
izikhathi.
20:31 Futhi abantwana bakwaBenjamini baphuma ukuhlangabezana abantu, futhi badonswa
kude nomuzi; futhi baqala ukushaya abantu, nokubulala, njengoba
ngezinye izikhathi emigwaqweni emikhulu, lapho umuntu ekhuphukela endlini ka
uNkulunkulu, nelinye eGibeya endle, kungathi amadoda angamashumi amathathu kwaSirayeli.
20:32 Futhi abantwana bakwaBenjamini bathi: "Banqotshiwe phambi kwethu, njengoba nje."
ekuqaleni. Kepha abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bathi: "Masibaleke, sidonse."
kusukela emzini kuze kufike emigwaqweni emikhulu.
20:33 Futhi wonke amadoda akwa-Israyeli asuka endaweni yawo, futhi wazibeka
abaqamekeli bakwa-Israyeli baphuma eBali Tamari
izindawo zabo, kusukela emadlelweni aseGibeya.
20:34 Kwase kufika eGibeya amadoda ayizinkulungwane eziyishumi abakhethiweyo kuye wonke u-Israyeli.
impi yayinzima, kepha babengazi ukuthi ububi buphezu kwabo.
20:35 Futhi uJehova washaya uBhenjamini phambi kuka-Israyeli, futhi abantwana bakwa-Israyeli
kwabulawa kwaBenjamini ngalolo suku izinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nanhlanu ananye
amadoda alikhulu: wonke lawo ahwasha inkemba.
20:36 Ngakho abantwana bakwaBenjamini babona ukuthi banqotshiwe
U-Israyeli wabayeka abakwaBenjamini, ngokuba babethembele kwabaqamba amanga
ababeqamekele ngaseGibeya.
20:37 Abaqamekeli bashesha, batheleka eGibeya; nabalele ngaphakathi
abalindile basondela, bachitha umuzi wonke ngomkhawulo
inkemba.
20:38 Manje kwakukhona isibonakaliso esimisiwe phakathi kwamadoda akwa-Israyeli kanye amanga
beqamekele, ukuze benze ilangabi elikhulu kuphume intuthu
Idolobha.
20:39 Futhi lapho amadoda akwa-Israyeli umhlalaphansi empini, Benjamin waqala
wabulala amadoda akwa-Israyeli kungathi abantu abangamashumi amathathu, ngokuba bathi:
Impela banqotshiwe phambi kwethu njengasempini yokuqala.
20:40 Kodwa lapho ilangabi waqala ukuvuka emzini ngensika
umusi, abakwaBenjamini babheka emva kwabo, bheka, ilangabi likaJehova
umuzi wenyukela ezulwini.
20:41 Futhi lapho amadoda akwa-Israyeli ephenduka, amadoda akwaBhenjamini
bamangala, ngokuba babona ukuthi ububi bubehlele.
20:42 Ngakho bafulathela phambi kwamadoda akwa-Israyeli, endleleni
ehlane; kodwa impi yabafica; lalabo abaphumayo
yemizi bayichitha phakathi kwayo.
20:43 Kanjalo babavimbezela abakwaBenjamini nxazonke, futhi babaxosha, futhi
wabanyathela ngokukhululeka malungana neGibeya ngasempumalanga.
20:44 Kwawa kwaBhenjamini amadoda ayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nesishiyagalombili; bonke laba babengamadoda
ubuqhawe.
20:45 Baphenduka, babalekela ehlane edwaleni lakwaRimoni.
basebekhothoza kubo emendweni amadoda azinkulungwane ezinhlanu; futhi baphishekelwa
kalukhuni emva kwabo kwaze kwaba seGidomi, babulala kubo abantu abayizinkulungwane ezimbili.
20:46 Ngakho bonke abawa ngalolo suku kwaBhenjamini baba ngamashumi amabili nanhlanu
amadoda ayinkulungwane ahloma inkemba; bonke labo babengamadoda anamandla.
20:47 Kodwa amadoda angamakhulu ayisithupha aphenduka abalekela ehlane edwaleni
eRimoni, wahlala edwaleni laseRimoni izinyanga ezine.
20:48 Futhi amadoda akwa-Israyeli aphendukela phezu kwabantwana bakwaBenjamini, futhi
wabatshaya ngosiko lwenkemba, kanye lamadoda emizi yonke, njalo
isilo, nakho konke okwafikayo; bathungela ngomlilo konke
imizi abafika kuyo.