¹ Kwathi ngalezo zinsuku kungekho inkosi kwa-Israyeli, kwakukhona umLevi othile owayegogobele ohlangothini olungasemuva kwezintaba zakwa - Efrayimi, owazithathela isancinza eBetlehema Juda. ² Isancinza sakhe samgilela ubufebe , sasuka kuye , saya endlini kayise eBetlehema Juda, sahlala khona isikhathi esiyizinyanga ezine. ³ Umyeni waso wasuka, wasilandela ukuba akhulume kuyo inhliziyo yaso , asibuyise, enenceku yakhe nezimbongolo ezimbili; samngenisa endlini kayise; lapho uyise wentombi embona, wathokoza ukuhlangana naye. ⁴ Umukhwe wakhe, uyise wentombi, wambambezela, wahlala kuye izinsuku ezintathu; badla, baphuza, bahlala khona. ⁵ Kwathi ngosuku lwesine bavuka ekuseni kakhulu , wasuka ukuba ahambe ; uyise wentombi wathi kumkhwenyana wakhe : Hlumelela inhliziyo yakho ngocezu lwesinkwa, andukuba nihambe. ⁶ Bahlala phansi, badla, baphuza bobabili kanyekanye; uyise wentombi wathi kuyo indoda: Ake udele, ulale ubusuku, ithokoze inhliziyo yakho. ⁷ Kepha lowo muntu wasukuma nokho ukuba ahambe ; wayesemncengisisa umukhwe wakhe, wabuye walala khona. ⁸ Wavuka ekuseni kakhulu ngosuku lwesihlanu ukuba ahambe ; uyise wentombi wathi : Ake uhlumelele inhliziyo yakho , nihlale lize lithambame ilanga. Badla-ke bobabili. ⁹ Lapho umuntu esesukuma ukuba ahambe , yena nesancinza sakhe nenceku yakhe, umukhwe wakhe , uyise wentombi, wathi kuye : Bheka, ilanga seliyathambama, sekuzakuhlwa; ake uhlale ubusuku bonke ; yebo, ilanga seliyakuphela; hlala lapha ukuba inhliziyo yakho ithokoze , nivuke kusasa ekuseni kakhulu, nihambe indlela yenu ukuba ufike etendeni lakho. ¹⁰ Kepha aka vumanga lowo muntu ukuh lala lobo busuku , kodwa wavuka wahamba, wafika malungana neJebusi eliyiJerusalema ; kwakukhona naye izimbongolo ezimbili ziboshelwe izihlalo; nesancinza sakhe sasinaye. ¹¹ SebengaseJebusi, ilanga lase lidlulile kakhulu ; inceku yathi en kosini yayo: Ake uze, siphambukele kulo muzi wamaJebusi, sihlale kuwo. ¹² Inkosi yayo yathi kuyo : Asiyikuphambukela emzini wabafokazi ongesiwo owabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, kepha siyakudlulela eGibeya. ¹³ Yayisithi encekwini : Woza, sisondele kwenye yalezi zind awo; siyakulala eGibeya noma eRama. ¹⁴ Base bethula bahamba ; ilanga lashona bengaseGibeya elingelakwaBenjamini. ¹⁵ Baphambukela lapho ukuba bangene , balale eGibeya ; wangena, wahlala phansi esigcawini somuzi ; ngokuba kwakungekho muntu owabamukela endlini yakhe ukuba balale khona. ¹⁶ Bheka, kwafika ixhegu livela emsebenzini walo ensimini kusihlwa ; lalingumuntu wasezintabeni zakwa -Efrayimi, lagogobala eGibeya ; kepha abantu baleyo ndawo babe ngabakwaBenjamini. ¹⁷ Waphakamisa amehlo akhe , wabona isihambi esigcawini somuzi; ixhegu lase lithi: Uyangaphi na? Uvelaphi na? ¹⁸ Wathi kulo : Siyadlula sivela eBetlehema Juda , siya ohlangothini olungasemuva kwezintaba zakwa-Efrayimi; ngivela khona; ngaya eBetlehema Juda; sengiya endlini kaJehova , kepha akukho muntu ongamukela en dlini yakhe. ¹⁹ Kukhona nokho utshani nefoliji lezimbongolo zethu ; mina-ke nginesinkwa newayini, kanjalo nencekukazi yakho nensizwa enathi , izinceku zakho ; akusweleke lutho. ²⁰ Lase lithi ixhegu : Ukuthula makube kuwe ; kepha konke okuswelayo makube phezu kwami; kepha ungalali esigcawini. ²¹ Lase limngenisa endlini yalo , lazinika izimbongolo ifoliji ; bageza izinyawo zabo, badla, baphuza. ²² Besajabulisa izinhliziyo zabo, bheka, abantu bomuzi, abantu ababi, bahaqa indlu nxazonke, bangqongqotha emnyango ; basho kum ninindlu, ixhegu, bathi: Khipha lowo muntu owangena endlini yakho ukuba simazi. ²³ Ixhegu, umninindlu, laphumela kubo , lathi kubo : Hhayi, bafowethu, ngiyanicela, ningenzi okubi okungako; lokhu lo muntu engenile endlini yami, ningenzi lobu buwula. ²⁴ Bhekani, nansi indodakazi yami , intombi, nesancinza sakhe ; ngiyakubakhipha bona manje , nibone, nenze kubo njengokuthanda kwenu ; kepha kulo muntu ningenzi ubuwula obunjalo. ²⁵ Kepha abantu kabavumanga ukumlalela; khona lowo muntu wasibamba isancinza sakhe , wasikhiphela kubo ; basazi, basona ubusuku bonke kwaze kwaba sekuseni; ekuthatheni kokusa basiyeka. ²⁶ Owesifazane wayesefika ngovivi lokusa , wawa ngasemnyango wendlu yomuntu, lapho yayikhona inkosi yakhe, kwaze kwakhanya. ²⁷ Inkosi yakhe yavuka ekuseni , yavula iminya ngo yendlu , yaphuma ukuba ihambe indlela yayo ; bheka, owesifazane, isancinza sakhe , wayewile ngasemnyango wendlu, izandla zakhe ziphezu kombundu. ²⁸ Yathi kuye : Vuka sihambe , kepha akuphendulanga muntu . Yayisimbeka embongolweni yayo; wasuka lowo muntu, waya endaweni yakhe. ²⁹ Lapho esengenile endlini yakhe , wathatha umese , wabamba isancinza sakhe, wasihlahlela ithambo ngethambo , kwaba yizinqamu eziyishumi nambili, wasithuma emikhawulweni yonke yakwa-Israyeli. ³⁰ Kwathi bonke abakubonayo bathi: Akuzange kwenziwe okunjalo, akuzange kubonwe kusukela osukwini abantwana bakwa -Israyeli abakhuphuka ngalo ezweni laseGibithe kuze kube namuhla ; zindlani ngalokho , nilulekane, nikhulume.