Abehluleli 19

19 ¹Ngalezo zinsuku kwakungekho nkosi kwa-Israyeli. UmLevi owayehlala ezweni lezintaba elikude lakwa-Efrayimi wathatha isancinza saseBhetlehema kwaJuda. ²Isancinza sakhe saba ngesingathembekile kuye, sambalekela saya endlini kayise eBhetlehema kwaJuda, sahlala khona izinyanga ezine. ³Umyeni waso wasuka wasilandela, ukuze akhulume nenhliziyo yaso asibuyise, ehamba nenceku yakhe nezimbongolo ezimbili. Samngenisa endlini kayise, uyise wentombi wajabula ukumhlangabeza. ⁴Umukhwe wakhe, uyise wentombi, wamncenga ukuba ahlale, wahlala naye izinsuku ezintathu; badla, baphuza, balala khona.

⁵Ngosuku lwesine bavuka ekuseni kakhulu, yena wasukuma ukuba ahambe. Kodwa uyise wentombi wathi kumkhwenyana wakhe: “Dla ucezu lwesinkwa, bese uhamba.” ⁶Bobabili bahlala phansi, badla, baphuza ndawonye. Uyise wentombi wathi kuleyo ndoda: “Ake uhlale namuhla ebusuku, inhliziyo yakho ijabule.” ⁷Indoda yasukuma ukuba ihambe, kodwa umukhwe wayo wayincenga, ngakho yaphinda yalala khona ebusuku. ⁸Ngosuku lwesihlanu wavuka ekuseni kakhulu ukuba ahambe; uyise wentombi wathi: “Ake uziqinise, ulinde kuze kube ntambama.” Ngakho bobabili badla. ⁹Kwathi lapho indoda isukuma ukuba ihambe, kanye nesancinza sayo nenceku yayo, umukhwe wayo, uyise wentombi, wathi: “Bheka, usuku selusondele ukuphela; lala ebusuku. Buka, ilanga seliyashona; lala lapha uzijabulise. Kusasa uvuke ekuseni, uqhubeke nohambo lwakho, ugoduke.” ¹⁰Kodwa indoda yenqaba ukulala ebusuku; yasukuma, yahamba, yafika malungana neJebusi (okuyiJerusalema), inezimbongolo zayo ezimbili ezifakwe izihlalo nesancinza sayo. ¹¹Lapho sebeseduze neJebusi, ilanga seliphose lashona, inceku yathi enkosini yayo: “Woza, ake siphambukele kulo muzi wamaJebusi silale khona.”

¹²Inkosi yayo yaphendula yathi: “Ngeke siphambukele emzini wabezizwe, ongewona owakwa-Israyeli; sizoqhubekela phambili siye eGibeya.” ¹³Wathi encekwini yakhe: “Woza, sifinyelele kwenye yalezi zindawo silale eGibeya noma eRama.” ¹⁴Ngakho baqhubeka nohambo lwabo, ilanga labashonela lapho beseduze neGibeya kwaBhenjamini. ¹⁵Baphambukela ukuba balale eGibeya. Wangena wahlala enkundleni yomuzi, kodwa akubangakho muntu owabangenisa endlini yakhe ukuba balale.

¹⁶Kwafika ikhehla livela emsebenzini wasensimini kusihlwa. Lalivela ezweni lezintaba lakwa-Efrayimi, lihlala eGibeya njengowezizwe; amadoda akuleyo ndawo ayengamaBhenjamini. ¹⁷Ikhehla laphakamisa amehlo, labona umhambi enkundleni yomuzi, labuza lathi: “Uyaphi? Uvelaphi?”

¹⁸Wathi kulo: “Sihamba sivela eBhetlehema kwaJuda siya ezweni lezintaba elikude lakwa-Efrayimi—yilapho ekhaya lami khona. Ngaya eBhetlehema kwaJuda, manje sengiya endlini kaBaba wethu, kodwa akukho muntu ongingenisa endlini yakhe. ¹⁹Sinawo womabili utshani nokudla kwezimbongolo zethu, kanye nesinkwa newayini kimina, nencekukazi yakho, nensizwa ekanye nezinceku zakho. Asisweli lutho.”

²⁰Ikhehla lathi: “Ukuthula makube kuwe. Ngizokunika konke okudingayo; kuphela ungalali enkundleni.” ²¹Lamngenisa ekhaya lakhe, laziphakela izimbongolo, bageza izinyawo zabo, badla, baphuza.

²²Kuthe besazijabulisa, kungazelelwe amadoda axhwalile omuzi azungeza indlu, agqogqoza emnyango. Amemeza ekhehleni elalingumnikazi wendlu, athi: “Khipha indoda engene endlini yakho, ukuze silale nayo!”

²³Umnikazi wendlu waphumela kuwo wathi: “Cha, bafowethu, ngiyanicela ningenzi okubi, njengoba le ndoda ingene endlini yami; ningenzi lokhu kunyanyekayo. ²⁴Nansi indodakazi yami eyintombi nto nesancinza sakhe—ake ngibakhiphele kini. Baphuleni, nenze kubo noma yini elungele emehlweni enu, kodwa ningayenzi le nto enyanyekayo kule ndoda.”

²⁵Kodwa amadoda enqaba ukulalela. Ngakho indoda yabamba isancinza sayo yasiphushela ngaphandle kuwo; asidlwengula asihlukumeza ubusuku bonke kwaze kwaba sa, abe esesiyeka sahamba. ²⁶Ekuntweleni kokusa owesifazane wafika wawa emnyango wendlu yendoda, lapho inkosi yakhe yayikhona, kwaze kwasa. ²⁷Ekuseni inkosi yakhe yavuka, yavula iminyango yendlu, yaphuma ukuba iqhubeke nohambo—nanko isancinza sayo silele emnyango wendlu, izandla zaso ziphezu kombundu womnyango. ²⁸Wathi kuso: “Vuka, sihambe.” Kwaba akukho mpendulo. Ngakho wasikhweza embongolweni, wagoduka.

²⁹Esefikile ekhaya wathatha ummese, wabamba isancinza sakhe, wasijuba isitho ngesitho saba yizingcezu eziyishumi nambili, wazithumela kuwo wonke umhlaba wakwa-Israyeli. ³⁰Bonke abakubonayo bathi: “Akukaze kwenzeke futhi akukaze kubonwe into enjalo kusukela mhla u-Israyeli ekhuphuka eGibhithe kuze kube namuhla. Kucabangeleni, nikhulumisane ngakho, nikhulume.”