Tikhulu
20 Ngaleso sizatfu, onkhe ema-Israyeli aphuma kaDani+ ehlela eBherisheba futsi aphuma ngisho naseveni lakaGileyadi.+ Sonkhe lesive sahlangana saba munye* embikwaJehova eMispa.+ 2 Ngako tindvuna talesive kanye nato tonkhe tive tema-Israyeli tema etindzaweni tato ebandleni lebantfu baNkulunkulu, bekungemasotja lahamba ngetinyawo langu-400 000 futsi labehlome ngetinkemba.+
3 Sive sakaBhenjamini seva kutsi emadvodza aka-Israyeli akhuphukele eMispa.
Ngemuva kwaloko emadvodza aka-Israyeli atsi: “Ase usitjele, yenteke kanjani lentfo lembi kanjena?”+ 4 Ngako lomLevi+ lobekayindvodza yalomfati lobulewe watsi: “Ngifike lapha eGibeya+ yakaBhenjamini ngikanye nemfati wami lomncane kuze sicitse busuku khona. 5 Bantfu labahlala* eGibeya bebamelene nami futsi kutsite nasekungusebusuku batungeleta lendlu. Bebahlose kubulala mine kodvwa babese badlwengula umfati wami lomncane, futsi wafa.+ 6 Ngako ngibese ngitsatsa sidvumbu sakhe ngasijuba saba ticucu, futsi leticucu ngatiyisa kuto tonkhe tindzawo letilifa laka-Israyeli+ ngobe bente intfo lelihlazo naleyenyanyekako ka-Israyeli. 7 Manje nonkhe nine bantfu baka-Israyeli cebisanani ngalendzaba bese niyasho kutsi ningeluleka nitsini.”+
8 Ngemuva kwaloko, bonkhe labantfu basukuma baba munye* batsi: “Kute ngisho namunye kitsi lotakuya ethendeni lakhe nobe abuyele endlini yakhe. 9 Naku-ke lesitakwenta ngeGibeya: Sitakwenta inkatho, bese siyakhuphuka siyohlasela iGibeya.+ 10 Sitawutsatsa emadvodza langu-10 kulangu-100 kuto tonkhe tive taka-Israyeli, sitsatse emadvodza langu-100 kulangu-1 000 kanye nemadvodza langu-1 000 kulangu-10 000 kuze aphatse kudla kwalamasotja, khona atewuhlasela iGibeya yakaBhenjamini ngenca yalesento lesilihlazo bantfu bakhona labasente ka-Israyeli.” 11 Ngako onkhe emadvodza aka-Israyeli abutsana ndzawonye kuze ahlasele lelidolobha, aba munye* futsi asitana.
12 Tive taka-Israyeli tabese titfumela emadvodza kubo bonkhe bantfu bakaBhenjamini tatsi: “Yini lentfo lembi kangaka leyenteke emkhatsini wenu? 13 Ngako letsani lamadvodza langenangcondvo aseGibeya+ kuze siwabulale futsi sisuse lokubi ka-Israyeli.”+ Kodvwa bantfu bakaBhenjamini abazange babalalele bomnakabo labangema-Israyeli.
14 Ngemuva kwaloko, bantfu bakaBhenjamini babutsana ndzawonye baphuma emadolobheni baya eGibeya kuze balwe nemadvodza aka-Israyeli. 15 Ngalelolanga, bantfu bakaBhenjamini bahlanganisa ndzawonye emadvodza langu-26 000 lavela emadolobheni abo futsi labehlome ngetinkemba, ngaphandle kwemadvodza lakhetsiwe aseGibeya langu-700. 16 Kulelibutfo bekunemadvodza lakhetsiwe langu-700 lalencele. Ngamunye wawo abengakhona kudubula litje ngesidubulelo anembe ngisho nelunwele futsi angageji.
17 Emadvodza aka-Israyeli ahlanganisa ndzawonye emadvodza langu-400 000 labehlome ngetinkemba,+ ngaphandle kwemadvodza akaBhenjamini. Ngayinye yawo beyilichawe lelinelikhono. 18 Esuka akhuphukela eBetheli ayobuta kuNkulunkulu.+ Ngemuva kwaloko ema-Israyeli atsi: “Ngubani kitsi lokufanele ahambe embili nasiyokulwa nebakaBhenjamini?” Jehova wawaphendvula watsi: “Sive sakaJuda ngiso lokufanele sihambe embili.”
19 Ngemuva kwaloko ema-Israyeli esuka ekuseni ayomisa emathende kuze ahlasele iGibeya.
20 Ema-Israyeli abese ayahamba ayokulwa nebantfu bakaBhenjamini; ahleleka aba ticheme temasotja kuze abahlasele eGibeya. 21 Ngako bakaBhenjamini baphuma eGibeya futsi ngalelolanga babulala emadvodza aka-Israyeli langu-22 000. 22 Kodvwa libutfo laka-Israyeli laba nesibindzi, laphindze lahleleka laba ticheme temasotja endzaweni lefanako njengobe belentile ngelilanga lekucala. 23 Ema-Israyeli ase ayakhuphuka afike akhala embikwaJehova kwaze kwahlwa futsi abuta Jehova, atsi: “Siphindze sibuyele yini kuyokulwa nebantfu bakaBhenjamini, lababanaketfu?”+ Jehova wawaphendvula watsi: “Khuphukani niyokulwa nabo.”
24 Ngako ema-Israyeli asondzela kubantfu bakaBhenjamini ngelilanga lesibili. 25 Bantfu bakaBhenjamini nabo baphuma eGibeya ngelilanga lesibili kuze baye kuwo, baphindze babulala lamanye ema-Israyeli langu-18 000+ lebekahlome ngetinkemba. 26 Nakabona loko, onkhe emadvodza aka-Israyeli akhuphukela eBetheli. Afike akhala futsi ahlala kuleyo ndzawo embikwaJehova,+ azila kudla+ kwaze kwaba kusihlwa aphindze enta iminikelo yekushiswa+ kanye neminikelo yekuthula+ embikwaJehova. 27 Ngemuva kwaloko, lamadvodza aka-Israyeli abuta kuJehova+ ngobe ngalawo malanga libhokisi lesivumelwane saNkulunkulu weliciniso belikuleyo ndzawo. 28 Finehasi+ indvodzana ya-Eliyezeri loyindvodzana ya-Aroni bekenta umsebenti* wakhe embikwalelibhokisi ngalawo malanga. Ngako lama-Israyeli abuta atsi: “Siphindze siye yini kuyokulwa nebantfu bakaBhenjamini lababanaketfu, nobe singayi?”+ Jehova wawaphendvula watsi: “Khuphukani, ngoba kusasa ngitabanikela esandleni senu.” 29 Ngemuva kwaloko, ema-Israyeli abeka emadvodza kutsi abhace+ kuto tonkhe tinhlangotsi taseGibeya.
30 Ngelilanga lesitsatfu, ema-Israyeli akhuphuka ayohlasela bantfu bakaBhenjamini, futsi ahleleka aba ticheme temasotja njengobe bekentile etikhatsini letendlulile kuze alwe neGibeya.+ 31 Ngesikhatsi bantfu bakaBhenjamini baphuma baya kulelibutfo laka-Israyeli, bakhwesha kulelidolobha.+ Njengobe bebentile kuleletinye tikhatsi, bakaBhenjamini bahlasela lamanye alamadvodza futsi bawabulala emigwacweni lemikhulu, lomunye walemigcwaco bewenyukela eBetheli kantsi lomunye bewuya eGibeya. Bashiya emadvodza aka-Israyeli langaba ngu-30 afile esigangeni.+ 32 Ngako bantfu bakaBhenjamini batsi: “Siyabehlula njengobe sentile ekucaleni.”+ Kodvwa ema-Israyeli atsi: “Sitawuhlehlela emuva futsi sibente baphume kulelidolobha baye emigwacweni lemikhulu.” 33 Onkhe emadvodza aka-Israyeli esuka etindzaweni tawo ahleleka aba ticheme temasotja eBhali-thamari, kantsi lama-Israyeli labekabhacile aphuma etindzaweni labekabhace kuto edvute naseGibeya. 34 Ngako emadvodza lakhetsiwe langu-10 000 laphuma kuto tonkhe tive taka-Israyeli asondzela embikweGibeya, futsi imphi yaba matima. Kodvwa bantfu bakaBhenjamini bebangati kutsi kusondzela inhlekelele.
35 Jehova wabancoba bantfu bakaBhenjamini+ embikwema-Israyeli. Ngalelolanga, ema-Israyeli abulala emadvodza akaBhenjamini langu-25 100, futsi onkhe lamadvodza akaBhenjamini bekahlome ngetinkemba.+
36 Kodvwa bantfu bakaBhenjamini bebacabanga kutsi batawehlula emadvodza aka-Israyeli ngesikhatsi ahlehlela emuva,+ kepha ema-Israyeli abehlehlela emuva ngobe beketsembe lamadvodza lebekabhace eGibeya.+ 37 Lamadvodza lebekabhacile ahlasela ngekushesha futsi aphuma aya eGibeya. Ngemuva kwaloko aya kulo lonkhe lelidolobha, alihlasela ngenkemba.
38 Emadvodza aka-Israyeli abehlele kutsi lamadvodza labhace kulelidolobha ashuncise intfutfu kuleyo ndzawo kuze ibe luphawu.
39 Ngesikhatsi ema-Israyeli ahlehlela emuva, emadvodza akaBhenjamini ahlasela emadvodza aka-Israyeli langaba ngu-30 futsi awabulala,+ ase atsi: “Sesiphindze siyawehlula njengobe sentile ekucaleni.”+ 40 Kodvwa lentfutfu lemnyama lebeyiluphawu yacala kushunca isuka kulelidolobha. Ngesikhatsi emadvodza akaBhenjamini agucuka futsi abuka, abona lonkhe lelidolobha lingemalangabi, nentfutfu yalo yenyukela esibhakabhakeni. 41 Ngemuva kwaloko emadvodza aka-Israyeli ajika, futsi emadvodza akaBhenjamini esaba ngobe bekabona kutsi asafikelwe yinhlekelele. 42 Ngako bantfu bakaBhenjamini babalekela emadvodza aka-Israyeli baya ehlane, kodvwa lelibutfo lawalandzela. Emadvodza labekabhace kulamadolobha nawo efika ahlasela bakaBhenjamini. 43 Ema-Israyeli atungeleta bantfu bakaBhenjamini futsi abagijimisa angabayekeli. Abagcobagcoba aze ayofika embikweGibeya ngasemphumalanga. 44 Ekugcineni kwafa emadvodza akaBhenjamini langu-18 000, futsi onkhe abengemachawe lanemandla.+
45 Emadvodza akaBhenjamini ajika ase abalekela ehlane edvwaleni laseRimona,+ futsi ema-Israyeli abulala* langu-5 000 kuwo emigwacweni lemikhulu. Achubeka agijimisa bakaBhenjamini aze ayofika eGidomu, ngako aphindze abulala lamanye emadvodza langu-2 000. 46 Emadvodza akaBhenjamini lafa ngalelolanga abengu-25 000 futsi abehlome ngetinkemba.+ Onkhe bekangemachawe lanemandla. 47 Kodvwa emadvodza langu-600 abalekela ehlane aya edvwaleni laseRimona, ahlala lapho tinyanga letine.
48 Emadvodza aka-Israyeli ajika ahlasela bakaBhenjamini futsi abulala ngenkemba labo lebebahlala kulelidolobha, kusukela kubantfu kuya emfuyweni, abulala konkhe lobekusele. Ngetulu kwaloko awokhela ngemlilo onkhe emadolobha labendlula kuwo.