Isihawu Kwabasindile BakwaBhenjamini
Ngemuva kokufunga ukuthi akukho ndodakazi eyoganela umBenjamini, u-Israyeli ukhala phambi kukaBaba wethu ngokuthi isizwe siyacishwa, asilungise ngodlame olwengeziwe: iJabeshi Gileyadi libulawa ngenxa yezintombi zalo ezingamakhulu amane, futhi abasindile batshelwa ukuba bacathame amantombazane asinayo aseShilo.
21 1Amadoda akwa-Israyeli ayefungile eMispa athi: “Akekho kithi oyakupha indodakazi yakhe kuBhenjamini ibe ngumfazi.” 2Abantu beza eBhetheli bahlala khona phambi kukaBaba wethu kwaze kwahlwa, bememeza bekhala kabuhlungu. 3Bathi: “Kungani, Baba wethu, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, lokhu kwenzekile kwa-Israyeli, kuntuleke isizwe esisodwa kwa-Israyeli namuhla?”
4Abantu bavuka ekuseni kakhulu ngakusasa, bakha i-altare khona, banikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa neyokuthula. 5Khona-ke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babuza bathi: “Yisiphi kuzo zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli esingenyukelanga embuthanweni, kuBaba wethu?” Ngokuba babefunge isifungo esiqinileyo sokuthi noma ngubani ongenyukelanga kuBaba wethu eMispa uyakubulawa nokubulawa. 6Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bamdabukela umfowabo uBhenjamini. Bathi: “Namuhla isizwe esisodwa sinqunyulwe kwa-Israyeli. 7Singabatholela kanjani abafazi abasindileyo, njengoba sifunge ngoBaba wethu ukuthi ngeke sibanike amadodakazi ethu?” 8Base bebuza bathi: “Yisiphi isizwe sakwa-Israyeli esingenyukelanga kuBaba wethu eMispa?” Kwakungekho muntu owayevela eJabeshi-Gileyadi oweza ekanjini, embuthanweni. 9Ngokuba lapho abantu bebalwa, kwakungekho noyedwa kwabakhileyo eJabeshi-Gileyadi khona. 10Umbuthano wathumela khona amaqhawe anesibindi esikhulu ayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nambili, uwayala: “Hambani niyobulala abahlali baseJabeshi-Gileyadi ngenkemba, kanye nabesifazane nabantwana. 11Yenzani lokhu: nibhubhise wonke owesilisa, nabo bonke abesifazane abake balala nowesilisa.” 12Phakathi kwabahlali baseJabeshi-Gileyadi bafumana izintombi ezingamakhulu amane ezazingakaze zilale nowesilisa, baziletha ekanjini eShilo, ezweni laseKhanani.
13Khona-ke lonke ibandla lathumela izwi kubantwana bakwaBhenjamini edwaleni laseRimoni, lamemezela ukuthula kubo. 14UBhenjamini wabuya ngaleso sikhathi; babanika abesifazane ababesindiswe eJabeshi-Gileyadi, kodwa babengabanele bonke. 15Abantu bamdabukela uBhenjamini, ngokuba uBaba wethu wayenze isikhala ezizweni zakwa-Israyeli. 16Amalunga ombuthano athi: “Singabatholela kanjani abafazi abasindileyo, njengoba abesifazane bakwaBhenjamini bebhujisiwe?” 17Bathi: “Abasindileyo bakwaBhenjamini kufanele babe nefa, ukuze isizwe singesulwa kwa-Israyeli. 18Thina ngeke sibanike amadodakazi ethu abe ngabafazi, ngokuba u-Israyeli wayefungile wathi: ‘Uqalekisiwe noma ngubani onika uBhenjamini umfazi.’” 19Bathi: “Kukhona umkhosi waminyaka yonke kaBaba wethu eShilo, enyakatho yeBhetheli, empumalanga yomgwaqo onyuka usuka eBhetheli uye eShekemi, eningizimu yeLebona.” 20Bayala abantwana bakwaBhenjamini bathi: “Hambani niyocatsha ezivinini. 21Bhekani, lapho izintombi zaseShilo ziphuma ziyogida, phumani ngokushesha ezivinini, kube yilowo nalowo athathe umfazi ezintombini zaseShilo, niye ezweni lakwaBhenjamini. 22Lapho oyise noma abafowabo beza kithi ukukhononda, siyakuthi kubo: Babeni nomusa ngenxa yethu, ngokuba asizange sithumbe umfazi kube yilowo nalowo empini, nani ngokwenu anizange nibanike abafazi; uma kungenjalo, ngabe seninecala manje.”
23Ngakho amadodana akwaBhenjamini enza kanjalo: athatha abafazi, kwaba yilowo nalowo nowakhe, kwabagidayo ababathumba, abuyela efeni lawo, akha kabusha imizi, ahlala khona. 24Ngaleso sikhathi abantwana bakwa-Israyeli basuka khona, kwaba yilowo nalowo waya esizweni sakhe nasemndenini wakhe; kwaba yilowo nalowo waphuma khona waya efeni lakhe. 25Ngalezo zinsuku kwakungekho nkosi kwa-Israyeli; wonke umuntu wayenza lokho okulungileyo emehlweni akhe.
