Abahluleli
21:1 Manje amadoda akwa-Israyeli ayefungile eMispa, wathi: "Akuyikubakho muntu."
kithi mnike uBenjamini indodakazi yakhe.
2 Base befika abantu endlini kaNkulunkulu, bahlala khona kwaze kwahlwa
phambi kukaNkulunkulu, baphakamisa amazwi abo, bakhala kakhulu;
21:3 Wathi, O Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, kungani lokhu kwenzeke kwa-Israyeli, ukuthi
kufanele kube khona namuhla isizwe esisodwa kwa-Israyeli?
21:4 Kwathi ngangomuso, abantu bavuka ekuseni, bakha
i-altare, wanikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa nangeminikelo yokuthula.
21:5 Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bathi: "Ngubani phakathi kwazo zonke izizwe
U-Israyeli ongakhuphukanga nebandla kuJehova? Ngoba bona
wayenze isifungo esikhulu ngaye ongakhuphukelanga kuJehova
eMispa, ethi: Wobulawa nokubulawa.
21:6 Futhi abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bazisola ngoBhenjamini umfowabo, futhi
wathi: “Kunqunyiwe namuhla esinye isizwe kwa-Israyeli.
21:7 Sizokwenza kanjani kubafazi kulabo abasele, njengoba sifungile
uJehova ukuthi singabaniki amadodakazi ethu abe ngomkakho na?
21:8 Bathi: "Ngubani ezizweni zakwa-Israyeli ongafikanga?"
kuze kufike eMispa kuJehova? bheka, akuphumanga muntu ekamu
IJabeshi Gileyadi ebandleni.
21:9 Ngoba abantu babaliwe, futhi bheka, kwakungekho noyedwa phakathi kwabo
abakhileyo eJabeshi Gileyadi lapho.
21:10 Ibandla lathumela khona amadoda ayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nambili angamaqhawe.
wabayala, wathi: "Hambani nibulale abakhileyo eJabeshi Gileyadi."
ngosiko lwenkemba, kanye nabesifazane nabantwana.
21:11 Futhi nansi into eniyakwenza: Niyokubhubhisa ngokuphelele
owesilisa, nawo wonke owesifazane olale nendoda.
21:12 Futhi bathola phakathi kwabakhileyo eJabeshi Gileyadi abancane abangamakhulu amane
izintombi ezazingazanga muntu ngokulala nowesilisa, zaletha
wabayisa ekamu eShilo elisezweni laseKhanani.
21:13 Futhi lonke ibandla wathumela abanye ukukhuluma kubantwana
uBenjamini edwaleni laseRimoni, wababiza ngokuthula.
21:14 Futhi uBhenjamini wabuya ngaleso sikhathi; babanika abafazi okuthi
abasindisile abesifazane baseJabeshi Gileyadi;
abanele.
21:15 Futhi abantu bazisola ngoBhenjamini, ngoba uJehova wayenakho
wenza ukuhlukana ezizweni zakwa-Israyeli.
21:16 Abadala bebandla bathi: "Siyakwenze njani ngabafazi?
abaseleyo, njengoba abesifazane bechithwa kwaBenjamini?
21:17 Bathi, "Kumelwe kube ifa labo abasindile
Benjamini, ukuze kungachithwa isizwe kwa-Israyeli.
21:18 Nokho ngeke sibanike abafazi emadodakazini ethu, ngenxa yabantwana
U-Israyeli ufungile, ethi: ‘Makaqalekiswe onika uBenjamini umfazi.
21:19 Bathi: “Bheka, kukhona umkhosi kaJehova eShilo iminyaka ngeminyaka eShilo.
indawo engasenyakatho kwaseBethele, ngasempumalanga kuyo
umgwaqo omkhulu okhuphuka usuka eBethele uya eShekemi, naseningizimu ye
Lebonah.
21:20 Ngakho bayala abantwana bakwaBenjamini, wathi: "Hambani nilale
lindani ezivinini;
21:21 Futhi bheka, futhi, bheka, uma amadodakazi aseShilo ephuma ukusina
niyasina, niphume ezivinini, nizibambe, kube yilowo nalowo owakhe
umfazi wamadodakazi aseShilo, uye ezweni lakwaBenjamini.
21:22 Futhi kuyoba, lapho oyise noma abafowabo beza kithi
khononi, ukuze sithi kubo: Yiba nomusa kubo esikhundleni sethu
ngokuba asigodlelanga yilowo nalowo umkakhe empini, ngenxa yenu
awubanikanga ngalesi sikhathi ukuba nibe necala.
21:23 Futhi abantwana bakwaBenjamini benza kanjalo, futhi bazithathela abafazi, ngokuvumelana
inombolo yabo, yabasina, abababambayo;
babuyela efeni labo, bakha imizi, bahlala kuyo
bona.
21:24 Futhi abantwana bakwa-Israyeli basuka lapho ngaleso sikhathi, wonke umuntu ukuya
isizwe sakhe nomndeni wakhe, baphuma lapho, kwaba yilowo nalowo waya
ifa lakhe.
21:25 Ngalezo zinsuku kwakungekho nkosi kwa-Israyeli
ngqo emehlweni akhe.