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1 Ke kaloku amadoda akwaSirayeli abefungile eMizpa, esithi, Akukho kuthi uya kunika umBhenjamin intombi yakhe ibe ngumfazi.

2 Baya abantu eBheteli, bahlala khona kwada kwahlwa phambi koThixo, baliphakamisa izwi labo, batsho ngesililo esikhulu.

3 Bathi, Kungani na, Yehova, Thixo kaSirayeli, ukuthi kuhle oku kwaSirayeli, ukuba esinye isizwe singabikho namhla kwaSirayeli?

4 Kwathi ngengomso, bavuka kusasa abantu, bakha isibingelelo khona, benyusa amadini anyukayo nemibingelelo yoxolo.

5 Bathi oonyana bakaSirayeli, Ngubani na ezizweni zonke zakwaSirayeli onganyukanga eze ebandleni kuYehova? Ngokuba ubefungelwe kakhulu onganyukanga eze kuYehova eMizpa, ngokuthi, Makabulawe afe.

6 Babezohlwaya oonyana bakaSirayeli ngenxa kaBhenjamin umninawa wabo, besithi, Namhla sinqanyulwe esinye isizwe kwaSirayeli;

7 siya kubathini na abaseleyo ngabo abafazi, sifunge uYehova nje thina, ukuba asiyi kubanika ezintombini zethu zibe ngabafazi?

8 Bathi ke, Sisiphi na isizwe sakwaSirayeli esinganyukanga size kuYehova eMizpa? Nanko ke eYabheshe yaseGiliyadi kungezanga ndoda eminqubeni ebandleni.

9 Babalwa abantu, nanko kungabangakho nanye indoda yabemi beYabheshe yaseGiliyadi khona.

10 Ibandla lathumela khona ishumi elinamabini lamawaka amadoda kubafo abanobukroti, lawawisela umthetho, lisithi, Hambani niye kubulala abemi baseYabheshe yaseGiliyadi ngohlangothi lwekrele, abafazi nabantwana.

11 Nantsi into enoyenza: yonke into eyindoda, nento yonke eyinkazana eyazene nendoda ngokulalwa yiyo, noyisingela phantsi.

12 Afumana kubemi baseYabheshe yaseGiliyadi amankazana angamakhulu amane aziintombi, angazani nandoda ngokulala nayo, awazisa eminqubeni eShilo, eselizweni lamaKanan.

13 Lathumela lonke ibandla, lathetha noonyana bakaBhenjamin ababesengxondorheni yeRimon, lamemeza kubo lathi lixolile.

14 Abuya ke amaBhenjamin ngelo xesha; lawanika amankazana ebeliwasindisile kumankazana aseYabheshe yaseGiliyadi; akawalingana, noko angako.

15 Abantu bazohlwaya ngenxa kaBhenjamin; ngokuba uYehova ebenze uthanda ezizweni zakwaSirayeli.

16 Athi amadoda amakhulu ebandla, Siya kubathini na abaseleyo ngabafazi, etshabalele nje amankazana kwaBhenjamin?

17 Athi, Ilifa labasindileyo malibe lelakwaBhenjamin, kungacinywa sizwe kwaSirayeli.

18 Ke thina asinakubanika bafazi ezintombini zethu; ngokuba oonyana bakaSirayeli bafungile besithi, Uqalekisiwe onika umBhenjamin umfazi.

19 Athi, Niyabona, kukho umthendeleko kaYehova iminyaka ngeminyaka eShilo, engasentla yeBheteli, ngasempumalanga komendo ovela eBheteli, onyuka uye kwaShekem, nangasezantsi kweLebhona.

20 Abawisela oonyana bakaBhenjamin umthetho, esithi, Hambani niye kulalela ezidiliyeni;

21 yabonani, nikhangele; ukuba zithe zaphuma iintombi zaseShilo, zingqungqa, zibetha ingqongqo, ze niphume ezidiliyeni, nizithele hlasi elowo umkakhe ezintombini zaseShilo, niye ezweni lakwaBhenjamin.

22 Kothi, xa ooyise nabanakwazo baze kubambana nathi, sithi kubo, Sibabaleni ngazo; ngokuba singabathabathelanga elowo umkakhe ekulweni; ngokuba anibanikanga nina, okanye beniya kuba netyala.

23 Benjenjalo oonyana bakaBhenjamin, bazeka abafazi ngokwenani labo kwezo zazingqungqa, bazixhakamfulayo; bahamba babuyela elifeni labo, bakha imizi, bahlala kuyo.

24 Bemka apho oonyana bakaSirayeli ngelo xesha, elowo waya esizweni sakowabo, nasemzalwaneni wakowabo. Baphuma ke apho, waya elowo elifeni lakhe.

25 Ngaloo mihla kwakungekho kumkani kwaSirayeli; elowo wenza ngokubona kwakhe.