Chapter 20
1 Baphuma ke bonke oonyana bakaSirayeli, labizelwa ndawonye lonke ibandla njengandoda-nye, lathabathela kwaDan lesa eBher-shebha, nelizwe laseGiliyadi, laya kuYehova eMizpa.
2 Zema izibonda zabantu bonke, zezizwe zonke zakwaSirayeli, ebandleni labantu bakaThixo, abangamawaka angamakhulu amane amadoda angumqikela arhola ikrele.
3 Beva oonyana bakaBhenjamin, ukuba oonyana bakaSirayeli benyukile beza eMizpa. Bathi oonyana bakaSirayeli, Thethani; itheni na ukubakho le nto inje ukuba mbi?
4 Yaphendula indoda leyo, ingumLevi, indoda yaloo nkazana incinithiweyo, yathi, Ndafika eGibheha ekwaBhenjamin, mna neshweshwe lam, salalisa khona.
5 Abemi baseGibheha bandivunukela, bayirhawula indlu ngenxa yam ebusuku; bagqiba kwelokundibulala; balidlwengula ishweshwe lam, lafa.
6 Ndalibamba ishweshwe lam, ndalityatya, ndalithumela kwilizwe lonke lelifa lakwaSirayeli; ngokuba benze amanyala nobudenge kwaSirayeli.
7 Nanko ke nina nonke, nyana bakaSirayeli; khuphani ilizwi necebo apha.
8 Besuka bonke abantu njengandoda-nye, bathi, Asiyi kuya elowo ententeni yakhe, asiyi kuphambukela elowo endlwini yakhe;
9 ke ngoko, nantsi into esiya kwenza yona kwiGibheha; siya kwenza kuyo ngokweqashiso,
10 sithabathe ishumi lamadoda ekhulwini ezizweni zonke zakwaSirayeli, ikhulu ewakeni, iwaka emawakeni alishumi, ukuya kuthabathela abantu umphako; ukuze ekufikeni kwabo eGibheha yakwaBhenjamin, bohlwaywe njengokobudenge bonke ababenzileyo kwaSirayeli.
11 Ahlanganisana ke onke amadoda akwaSirayeli kuloo mzi, ebandakanyiwe njengandoda-nye.
12 Izizwe zakwaSirayeli zathuma amadoda kwimizalwane yonke yakwaBhenjamin, zisithi, Bububi buni na obu, benziweyo phakathi kwenu?
13 Sinikeleni kalokunje loo madoda angamatshijolo aseGibheha, siwabulale, sibutshayele ububi bungabikho kwaSirayeli. Abavuma ke oonyana bakaBhenjamin ukuliphulaphula izwi labazalwana babo, oonyana bakaSirayeli.
14 Oonyana bakaBhenjamin bahlanganisana eGibheha, bephuma emizini besiya kulwa noonyana bakaSirayeli.
15 Babalwa oonyana bakaBhenjamin ngaloo mhla, bephuma emizini; baba ngamadoda angamashumi amabini anamathandathu amawaka arhola ikrele, ngaphandle kwabemi baseGibheha, ababalwayo baba ngamadoda ahleliweyo angamakhulu asixhenxe.
16 Kwaba bantu bonke bekukho amakhulu asixhenxe amadoda ahleliweyo angamanxele, onke enokusawula ngelitye, achane angaphosi.
17 Ke amadoda akwaSirayeli, ngaphandle kwamaBhenjamin, abebalwe aba ngamawaka angamakhulu amane amadoda arhola ikrele; onke lawo ingamadoda okulwa.
18 Besuka, benyuka baya eBheteli, babuza kuThixo. Bathi oonyana bakaSirayeli, Makunyuke bani na kuthi, aqale ukulwa noonyana bakaBhenjamin? Wathi uYehova, Makuqale uYuda.
19 Besuka oonyana bakaSirayeli kusasa, bayingqinga iGibheha.
20 Aphuma amadoda akwaSirayeli, aya kulwa namaBhenjamin. Amadoda akwaSirayeli akha uluhlu lokulwa nawo ngaseGibheha.
21 Baphuma oonyana bakaBhenjamin eGibheha, bavunela phantsi ngaloo mini kumaSirayeli amashumi amabini anamabini amawaka amadoda.
22 Bazomeleza abantu, amadoda akwaSirayeli, baphinda bakha uluhlu lokulwa, kwasendaweni ababakhe uluhlu kuyo ngomhla wokuqala.
23 Benyuka oonyana bakaSirayeli, balila phambi koYehova, kwada kwahlwa. Babuza kuYehova, bathi, Ndiphinde na ndisondele ekulweni noonyana bakaBhenjamin, umzalwana wam? Wathi uYehova, Nyukani niye kubo.
24 Basondela oonyana bakaSirayeli koonyana bakaBhenjamin ngomhla wesibini.
25 Aphuma amaBhenjamin eGibheha, aya kubahlangabeza ngomhla wesibini, abuya avunela phantsi koonyana bakaSirayeli ishumi elinesibhozo lamawaka amadoda; onke lawo arhola ikrele.
26 Benyuka bonke oonyana bakaSirayeli, bonke abantu, baya eBheteli, balila, bahlala khona phambi koYehova, bazila ukudla loo mini kwada kwahlwa, banyusa amadini anyukayo nemibingelelo yoxolo phambi koYehova.
27 Babuza oonyana bakaSirayeli kuYehova (yayikhona ityeya yomnqophiso kaYehova ngaloo mihla;
28 uPinehasi unyana kaElazare, unyana ka-Aron, emi phambi kwayo ngaloo mihla), besithi, Ndibuye ndiphinde, ndiphume ndiye kulwa noonyana bakaBhenjamin umzalwana wethu, ndiyeke, kusini na? Wathi uYehova, Nyukani, ngokuba ngomso ndiya kumnikela esandleni senu.
29 AmaSirayeli abeka abalaleli eGibheha ngeenxa zonke.
30 Benyuka oonyana bakaSirayeli baya koonyana bakaBhenjamin ngomhla wesithathu, bakha uluhlu lokulwa eGibheha, njengokweminye imihla.
31 Baphuma oonyana bakaBhenjamin, baya kubahlangabeza abantu, beqhawukene nomzi. Baqala ukubulala ebantwini njengokweminye imihla, emendweni, othi omnye unyuke uye eBheteli, uthi omnye uya eGibheha emaphandleni, bahlaba amadoda kwaSirayeli, akumashumi amathathu.
32 Bathi oonyana bakaBhenjamin, Babulewe phambi kwethu, njengasekuqaleni; ke oonyana bakaSirayeli babesithi, Masirhole sibaqhawule kuwo umzi, beze emendweni.
33 Asuka onke amadoda akwaSirayeli endaweni yawo, akha uluhlu eBhahali-tamare; abalaleli bamaSirayeli bathi chithithi endaweni yabo ethafeni laseGebha.
34 Kwavela malungana neGibheha ishumi lamawaka amadoda ahleliweyo kumaSirayeli onke; ukulwa kwashushu; babengazi bona ukuba ububi bubafikele.
35 UYehova wawabulala amaBhenjamin phambi kwamaSirayeli. Oonyana bakaSirayeli batshabalalisa kwaBhenjamin ngaloo mini amashumi amabini anesihlanu amawaka anekhulu lamadoda; lawo onke ngarhola ikrele.
36 Ke kaloku oonyana bakaBhenjamin babona ukuba boyisiwe, ukuba amadoda akwaSirayeli ayehlehla phambi kwamaBhenjamin, ngokuba abekholose ngabalaleli ababebabeke eGibheha.
37 Abalaleli bakhawuleza, bagaleleka eGibheha, batsalela kuyo abalaleli, bawubulala wonke umzi ngohlangothi lwekrele.
38 Ke kaloku ibhunga lamadoda akwaSirayeli nabalaleli laye libe lelokuthi, Qhumisani kakhulu umsi, unyuke kuloo mzi.
39 Ajika ke amadoda akwaSirayeli ekulweni, akuba ebeqalile amaBhenjamin ukubulala iingxwelerha phakathi kwamadoda akwaSirayeli, amodada akumashumi amathathu; ngokuba abesithi, Abethiwe ngenene wona phambi kwethu, njengokulwa kokuqala.
40 Wakuba umsi uqalile ukunyuka emzini, ungumqulu womsi, amaBhenjamin abheka emva kwawo, nango umzi wonke unyuka usiya ezulwini ungumsi.
41 Aphethula amadoda akwaSirayeli, akhwankqiswa amadoda akwaBhenjamin; ngokuba abona ukuba afikelwe bububi.
42 Ajika ke phambi kwamadoda akwaSirayeli, abheka endleleni yentlango. Ukulwa kwathana mbende nawo, besuka nabemi bemizi bawatshabalalisa kuyo.
43 Bawarhawula amaBhenjamin, bawasukela, bawanyathelela phantsi endaweni yokuphumla, besa malunga neGibheha ngecala eliphuma ilanga.
44 Kwawa kumaBhenjamin ishumi elinesibhozo lamawaka amadoda; onke ke lawo ingamadoda anobukroti.
45 Ajika ke, asabela entlango, engxondorheni yeRimon. Bacholachola ke kuwo emendweni amawaka amahlanu amadoda; bathana mbende nawo bada besa eGidiyom, babulala kuwo amawaka amabini amadoda.
46 Athi ke onke awawayo kumaBhenjamin ngaloo mini aba ngamashumi amabini anesihlanu amawaka, ingamadoda arhola ikrele; onke ke lawo ayengamadoda anobukroti.
47 Ke ajika asabela entlango engxondorheni eRimon engamakhulu amathandathu amadoda, ahlala engxondorheni yeRimon apho iinyanga zane.
48 Amadoda akwaSirayeli abuyela koonyana bakaBhenjamin, abulala ngohlangothi lwekrele, ethabathela kumzi, kumadoda ke kwaneenkomo esa kwinto yonke efumanekayo naphi. Kananjalo imizi yonke efunyenweyo ayifaka umlilo.