Inceba kwabaseleyo bakwaBhenjamin
Emva kokufunga ukuba akukho ntombi iya kwendela kumBhenjamin, amaSirayeli alila phambi koBawo wethu ngokuba isizwe sinqunyulwa, aze akulungise ngogonyamelo olungakumbi: iYabheshe yaseGiliyadi iyabulawa ngenxa yamankazana ayo angamakhulu amane aziintombi, baze abasindileyo baxelelwe ukuba balalele amantombazana adanisayo aseShilo.
21 1Amadoda akwaSirayeli ayefungile eMizpa, athi: “Akukho namnye kuthi oya kunika intombi yakhe kumaBhenjamin ibe ngumfazi.” 2Beza abantu eBheteli, bahlala khona phambi koBawo wethu kwada kwahlwa, bedanduluka belila ngokukrakra. 3Bathi: “Yini na, Bawo wethu, Thixo kaSirayeli, ukuba kwenzeke oku kwaSirayeli—kulahleke isizwe esinye kwaSirayeli namhlanje?”
4Bavuka kusasa ngengomso abantu, bakha isibingelelo khona, banikela ngamadini anyukayo namadini oxolo. 5Babuza ke oonyana bakaSirayeli, bathi: “Sisiphi na kuzo zonke izizwe zakwaSirayeli esingenyukanga saya entlanganisweni, kuBawo wethu?” Kuba babefunge isifungo esikhulu sokuba lowo ungenyukanga weza kuBawo wethu eMizpa inene wobulawa afe. 6Baba buhlungu oonyana bakaSirayeli ngenxa kaBhenjamin umnakwabo. Bathi: “Namhlanje kunqunyulwe isizwe esinye kwaSirayeli. 7Singabazuza njani na abafazi abaseleyo, ekubeni sifunge ngoBawo wethu ukuba asiyi kubanika iintombi zethu?” 8Babuza ke, bathi: “Sisiphi na isizwe sakwaSirayeli esingenyukanga saya kuBawo wethu eMizpa?” Kwakungekho namnye waseYabheshe yaseGiliyadi oweza eminqubeni, entlanganisweni. 9Kuba babalwa abantu, bekungekho namnye wabemi baseYabheshe yaseGiliyadi apho. 10Lathumela ibandla khona amadoda anobukroti alishumi elinamawaka amabini, aliwisela umthetho lisithi: “Hambani niye kubulala abemi baseYabheshe yaseGiliyadi ngohlangothi lwekrele, nabafazi nabantwana. 11Yenzani oku: nisingele phantsi yonke into eyindoda, nawo onke amankazana ayazileyo indoda ngokulala nayo.” 12Bafumana phakathi kwabemi baseYabheshe yaseGiliyadi amantombazana angamakhulu amane aziintombi ezingazanga zalala nandoda, bawazisa eminqubeni eShilo, ezweni lamaKanan.
13Lathumela ke ibandla lonke ilizwi koonyana bakaBhenjamin abeliweni laseRimon, labaxelela uxolo. 14Wabuya uBhenjamin ngelo xesha; babanika abafazi ababesindisiwe baseYabheshe yaseGiliyadi—noko bengabalingananga bonke. 15Baba buhlungu abantu ngenxa kaBhenjamin, ngokuba uBawo wethu wayenza ithuba ezizweni zakwaSirayeli. 16Athi amadoda amakhulu ebandla: “Singabazuza njani na abafazi abaseleyo, ekubeni betshatyalalisiwe abafazi bakaBhenjamin?” 17Bathi: “Abaseleyo bakaBhenjamin bafanele babe nelifa, ukuze singacinywa isizwe kwaSirayeli. 18Thina asinako ukubanika iintombi zethu zibe ngabafazi, kuba amaSirayeli abefungile esithi: ‘Uqalekisiwe lowo unika uBhenjamin umfazi.’” 19Bathi: “Kukho umthendeleko womnyaka kaBawo wethu eShilo, ngasentla kweBheteli, ngasempumalanga kwendlela enyuka eBheteli isiya eShekem, ngasezantsi kweLebhona.” 20Bawawisela umthetho oonyana bakaBhenjamin, besithi: “Hambani niye kuzimela ezidiliyeni. 21Yabonani—xa amantombazana aseShilo ephuma esiya kungqungqa, niphume ngobungxamo ezidiliyeni, elowo axhakamfule umfazi emantombazaneni aseShilo, nize niye ezweni lakwaBhenjamin. 22Kothi xa ooyise nabazalwana babo besiza kuthi ukuza kukhalaza, sithi kubo, Babaleni ngenxa yethu, kuba asibathabathelanga mfazi ngamnye emfazweni, nani anibanikanga bafazi ngokwenu—kungenjalo ngeninetyala ngoku.”
23Benjenjalo ke oonyana bakaBhenjamin: bathabatha abafazi, umntu emnye, kubangqungqi ababaxhakamfulayo, babuyela elifeni labo, bayakha imizi, bahlala kuyo. 24Ngelo xesha oonyana bakaSirayeli bemka khona, elowo waya esizweni sakowabo nasemzalwaneni wakowabo; elowo waphuma khona waya elifeni lakhe. 25Ngaloo mihla kwakungekho kumkani kwaSirayeli; elowo wayesenza oko kulungileyo emehlweni akhe.
