AbaHlulelii

20 Nje-ke woke ama-Israyeli aphuma kusukela kwaDani+ kwehle kuyokufika eBheritjheba nenarheni yeGiliyadi+ begodu yoke ihlangano yabuthana ngasuthi mumuntu munye* phambi kwakaJehova eMitsipha.+ 2 Yeke iinduna zabantu nazo zoke iinkoro zakwa-Israyeli zajama eendaweni zazo ebandleni labantu bakaZimu, amasotja akhamba ngeenyawo azii-400 000 ahlome ngeensabula.+

3 BakwaBhenjamini bezwa bona amadoda wakwa-Israyeli akhuphukele eMitsipha.

Amadoda wakwa-Israyeli athi: “Akhenisitjele, amanikelela la enzeke njani?”+ 4 UmLevi,+ umyeni womfazi obuleweko, waphendula wathi: “Ngafika eGibeya+ yakwaBhenjamini nekhohlo lami bona ngilale khona. 5 Izakhamuzi zeGibeya* zalwisana nami bezabhoda indlu ebusuku. Bezifuna ukungibulala kodwana zagagadlhela ikhohlo lami begodu lahlongakala.+ 6 Yeke ngathatha isidumbu sekhohlo lami ngasihlahlela begodu ngathumela iintokana zaso kizo zoke iingcenye zelifa lakwa-Israyeli+ ngombana benze into ephathisa iinhloni nehlazisako kwa-Israyeli. 7 Nje-ke noke nina bantu bakwa-Israyeli, hlanganisani iinhloko begodu nikhuphe iseluleko+ endabeni le.”

8 Ngemva kwalokho, boke abantu basikima kanyekanye, bathi: “Akekho namunye wethu ozokuya etendenakhe namkha abuyele endlinakhe. 9 Nje-ke nakhu esizokwenza ngeGibeya: Asenzeni ifumbe+ sikhuphuke siyokulwa nayo. 10 Sizokuthatha amadoda ali-10 emadodeni ali-100 avela kizo zoke iinkoro zakwa-Israyeli namadoda ali-100 emadodeni ayi-1 000 namadoda ayi-1 000 emadodeni azii-10 000 bona ayokubuthelela umphako webutho bona lijezise iGibeya yakwaBhenjamini ngebanga lehlazo elilenze kwa-Israyeli.” 11 Ngalokho boke abantu bakwa-Israyeli babuthana baba yinyanda yinye bona balwe nedorobheli.

12 Nje-ke iinkoro zakwa-Israyeli zathumela abantu emadodeni wekoro yakwaBhenjamini, zathi: “Manikelela bani lawa enzeke hlangana nani? 13 Nje-ke khuphani amadoda angazisiko weGibeya+ sizowabulala, sisuse okumbi kwa-Israyeli.”+ Nanyana kunjalo, bakwaBhenjamini babhala ukulalela abafowabo abama-Israyeli.

14 Yeke bakwaBhenjamini babuthana ngaphandle kwamadorobho baya eGibeya bona baphume bayokulwa namadoda wakwa-Israyeli. 15 Mhlokho bakwaBhenjamini babuthelela emadorobhenabo amadoda azii-26 000 ahlome ngeensabula, ngaphandle kwamadoda weGibeya akhethiweko ama-700. 16 Ebuthweneli bekunamadoda akhethiweko ama-700 ebewaziincele. Ngayinye yawo beyingaphosa ilitje ngesarwayi ingakhuthi ngitjho nangobubanzi besihluthu.

17 Amadoda wakwa-Israyeli ngaphandle kwakaBhenjamini abuthelela amadoda azii-400 000 ahlome ngeensabula,+ ngayinye beyiyingorho enelemuko. 18 Asikima akhuphukela eBhetheli ayokubuza uZimu. Amadoda wakwa-Israyeli athi: “Ngubani hlangana nathi ozokukhuphuka qangi nasiyokulwa nebakwaBhenjamini?” UJehova wathi: “NguJuda ozokudosa phambili.”

19 Ngemva kwalokho, ama-Israyeli avuka ekuseni ahloma ikampa ayokulwa neGibeya.

20 Nje-ke amadoda wakwa-Israyeli aphuma ayokulwa noBhenjamini; ajama ngendlela ehlelekileko njengeenqhema zamasotja eGibeya bona alwe noBhenjamini. 21 Yeke bakwaBhenjamini baphuma eGibeya barhayila amadoda wakwa-Israyeli azii-22 000 ngelangelo. 22 Nanyana kunjalo, ibutho lamadoda wakwa-Israyeli laba nesibindi, godu lajama ngendlela ehlelekileko njengeenqhema zamasotja endaweni ebelijame kiyo ngelanga lokuthoma. 23 Nje-ke ama-Israyeli akhuphuka begodu alila phambi kwakaJehova bekwaba sentambama, abuza uJehova athi: “Sibuyele na siyokulwa nabafowethu, abantu bakwaBhenjamini?”+ UJehova waphendula wathi: “Khuphukani niyokulwa nabo.”

24 Ngalokho ama-Israyeli atjhidela eduze nebakwaBhenjamini ngelanga lesibili. 25 UBhenjamini naye waphuma eGibeya wayokuhlangana nawo ngelanga lesibili begodu warhayila amanye ama-Israyeli azii-18 000,+ woke bewahlome ngeensabula. 26 Yeke woke amadoda wakwa-Israyeli akhuphukela eBhetheli. Alila begodu ahlala lapho phambi kwakaJehova,+ azila ukudla+ mhlokho bekwaba sentambana, anikela iminikelo etjhiswako+ neminikelo yetjhebiswano+ phambi kwakaJehova. 27 Ngemva kwalokho, amadoda wakwa-Israyeli abuza uJehova+ ngombana umfaji wesivumelwano kaZimu weqiniso bewulapho emihleni leyo. 28 UFiniyasi,+ indodana ka-Elazara, indodana ka-Aroni, bekalotjha phambi komfaji emihleni leyo. Ambuza athi: “Siphume godu na siyokulwa nabafowethu, amadoda wakwaBhenjamini namkha silise?”+ UJehova waphendula wathi: “Khuphukani ngombana kusasa ngizobanikela esandleni senu.” 29 Nje-ke u-Israyeli wabeka amadoda bona akhukhuthele+ iGibeya mahlangothi woke.

30 Ama-Israyeli akhuphuka ayokulwa nebakwaBhenjamini ngelanga lesithathu, ajama ngokwerhemo bona alwe neGibeya njengombana bewenzile eenkhathini ezidlulileko.+ 31 Kwathi bakwaBhenjamini nabaphumako bayokuqalana nebutho, badoswa bona baphume edorobheni.+ Yeke, njengakwezinye iinkhathi, bathoma ukusahlela begodu babulala amanye amadoda eendleleni ezikulu, enye yazo beyikhuphukela eBhetheli enye eGibeya, batjhiya amadoda wakwa-Israyeli angaba ma-30 ahlongakele emmangweni.+ 32 Ngalokho bakwaBhenjamini bathi: “Siyawahlula njengaphambilini.”+ Ama-Israyeli wona athi: “Sizokubuyela emva, siwadose bona aphume edorobheni aye eendleleni ezikulu.” 33 Nje-ke woke amadoda wakwa-Israyeli asikima eendaweni zawo begodu ajama ngokwerhemo eBhali-Tamari, kukulapho ibutho lakwa-Israyeli elizifihlileko liphuma eendaweni zalo magega neGibeya. 34 Ngokunjalo amadoda akhethiweko azii-10 000 avela ku-Israyeli woke afika phambi kweGibeya begodu ipi beyitjhisa. NakungebakwaBhenjamini bona, bebangazi ukuthi bakhasela eziko.

35 UJehova wahlula uBhenjamini+ phambi kwaka-Israyeli, ngelangelo ama-Israyeli arhayila amadoda wakwaBhenjamini azii-25 100, woke ahlome ngeensabula.+

36 Nanyana kunjalo, bakwaBhenjamini nababona ukuthi amadoda wakwa-Israyeli abuyela emva, bacabanga ukuthi bazowahlula+ kodwana ama-Israyeli bewabuyela emva ngombana bewathembe ibutho elikhukhuthele iGibeya bona ilisahlele.+ 37 Ibutho elizifihlileko lenza msinyana lagijimela eGibeya. Ngemva kwalokho, ibuthwelo larhatjheka begodu larhayila idorobho loke ngesabula.

38 Nje-ke amadoda wakwa-Israyeli bewahlele bona amadoda ebewakhukhuthele idorobho azokwenza intuthu lapho ibe litshwayo.

39 Kwathi ama-Israyeli nawajikako epini, amadoda wakwaBhenjamini athoma ukusahlela begodu abulala amadoda wakwa-Israyeli ama-30,+ athi: “Kusebaleni ukuthi siyawahlula godu, njengepini edlulileko.”+ 40 Kodwana intuthu enjengesika ebeyilitshwayo yathoma ukukhuphuka edorobheni. Kwathi amadoda wakwaBhenjamini nawajikako aqala, abona idorobho livutha amalangabi begodu intuthu ikhuphukela emkayini. 41 Yeke amadoda wakwa-Israyeli nawajikako athoma ukusahlela, amadoda wakwaBhenjamini angenwa mamanzi emadolweni ngombana abona ukuthi ihlekelele iwafikele. 42 Nje-ke abaleka emadodeni wakwa-Israyeli atjhinga ngemmangweni, kodwana ipi yawalandela; amadoda aphuma emadorobheni ahlanganyela ekurhayileni amadoda wakwaBhenjamini. 43 Abungelela bakwaBhenjamini begodu abagijimisa bangaphumuli. Abahlula phambi kweGibeya ngehlangothini langepumalanga. 44 Ekugcineni kwahlongakala amadoda wakwaBhenjamini azii-18 000, woke bewaziingorho.+

45 Amadoda wakwaBhenjamini ajika abalekela emmangweni edwaleni leRimoni,+ ama-Israyeli abulala abazii-5 000 emadodeni wakwaBhenjamini eendleleni ezikulu, asolo awagijimisa bewayokufika eGidomu; yeke arhayila amanye amadoda azii-2 000. 46 Boke abantu bakwaBhenjamini abahlongakala mhlokho bekumadoda azii-25 000 ahlome ngeensabula,+ woke bewaziingorho. 47 Kodwana amadoda ama-600 abalekela emmangweni edwaleni leRimoni, ahlala edwaleni lakaRimoni iinyanga ezine.

48 Amadoda wakwa-Israyeli abuyela emva ayokulwa nebakwaBhenjamini begodu abulala koke okusedorobheni ngesabula, kusukela emuntwini kuya efuyweni, koke okwasalako. Godu atjhisa woke amadorobho afika kiwo.