¹ Base bephuma bonke abantwana bakwa -Israyeli, inhlangano yahlangana njengomuntu munye , kusukela kwaDani kwaze kwaba seBeri Sheba kanye nezwe lakwaGileyadi kuJehova eMispa. ² Izinhloko zabantu bonke , izizwe zonke zakwa -Israyeli, zafika ebandleni labantu bakaNkulunkulu , abantu abayimigundatshani ; abayizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amane, abahlome inkemba. ³ Abantwana bakwaBenjamini bezwa ukuthi abantwana bakwa -Israyeli babenyukele eMispa. Bathi abantwana bakwa-Israyeli: Sitsheleni ukuthi lobu bubi benziwa kanjani na? ⁴ UmLevi, umyeni wowesifazane ow ayebulewe, waphendula wathi : Ngafika eGibeya lakwaBenjamini, mina nesancinza sami, ukulala khona. ⁵ Abantu baseGibeya bangivukela, bahaqa indlu nxazonke zami ebusuku ; bacabanga ukungibulala mina, nesancinza sami basona; sesifile. ⁶ Ngase ngithatha isancinza sami, ngasihlahlela, ngasithuma ezweni lonke lefa lakwa-Israyeli, ngokuba babesebenzile ukona nobuwula kwa-Israyeli. ⁷ Bhekani nina bantwana bakwa -Israyeli, nina nonke ; qondisani, niluleke lapha. ⁸ Bonke abantu bavuka njengomuntu munye, bathi: Asiyikuya, sisho namunye etendeni lakhe; asiyikuphambukela sisho namunye endlini yakhe. ⁹ Kepha nakhu esiyakukwenza eGibeya: Siyakulihlasela ngenkatho, ¹⁰ sithathe abantu abayishumi ekhulwini kuzo zonke izizwe zakwa -Israyeli, nabayikhulu enkulungwaneni , nabayinkulungwane ezinkulungwaneni eziyishumi, ukuba balande ukudla kwabantu , nalapho sebefike eGibeya lakwaBenjamini benze ngokobuwula ababenzile kwa-Israyeli. ¹¹ Abantu bonke bakwa-Israyeli babehlanganyele umuzi, bebumbene kungathi ngumuntu munye. ¹² Izizwe zakwa-Israyeli zathuma abantu emindenini yonke yakwaBenjamini , zathi: Ububi buni lobu obenziwe phakathi kwenu na? ¹³ Ngalokho khiphani labo bantu , abantu ababi , abaseGibeya, ukuba sibabulale, sixoshe ububi kwa -Israyeli. Kepha uBenjamini kavumanga ukulalela izwi labafowabo, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli. ¹⁴ Abantwana bakwaBenjamini babuthana eGibeya , bevela emizini , ukuba baphume balwe nabantwana bakwa-Israyeli. ¹⁵ Abantwana bakwaBenjamini abavela emizini babalwa ngalolo suku baba ngamadoda ayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili n esithupha ahlome inkemba ngaphandle kwabakhileyo eGibeya ababalwa baba ngamakhulu ayisikhombisa, amadoda akhethiweyo. ¹⁶ Phakathi kwabo bonke labo bantu kwakukhona amadoda angamakhulu ayisikhombisa akhethiweyo angamanxele; onke ayekwazi ukuphonsa amatshe ngisho nasonweleni, engageji. ¹⁷ Abantu bakwa -Israyeli ngaphandle kukaBenjamini babalwa baba yizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amane , amadoda ahlome inkemba ; bonke labo babe ngamadoda empi. ¹⁸ Abantwana bakwa -Israyeli bavuka , bakhuphukela eBethele , babuza kuNkulunkulu, bathi: Ngubani oyakusik huphukelela kuqala ukulwa nabantwana bakwaBenjamini na? UJehova wathi: NguJuda kuqala. ¹⁹ Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bavuka ekuseni, bamisa malungana neGibeya. ²⁰ Abantu bakwa-Israyeli baphuma ukuba balwe noBenjamini ; abantu bakwa- Israyeli bazihlelela ukulwa nabo eGibeya. ²¹ Abantwana bakwaBenjamini baphuma eGibeya , babulala kwabakwa - Israyeli ngalolo suku amadoda ayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nambili. ²² Abantu, amadoda akwa-Israyeli, baziqinisa, babuye bahlela impi endaweni abazihlela kuyo ngosuku lokuqala. ²³ Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bakhuphuka, bakhala phambi kukaNkulunkulu kwaze kwahlwa ; babuza kuJehova , bathi: Siyakuphinda sisondele ukulwa nabantwana bakwaBenjamini umfowethu na ? UJehova wathi : Yenyukelani kuye. ²⁴ Abantwana bakwa -Israyeli basondela kubantwana bakwaBenjamini ngosuku lwesibili. ²⁵ UBenjamini waphuma eGibeya ukuhlangabezana nabo ngosuku lwesibili , wabuye wabulala kubantwana bakwa -Israyeli amadoda ayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nesishiyagalombili; bonke labo babehlome inkemba. ²⁶ Base bekhuphuka bonke abantwana bakwa -Israyeli, abantu bonke, bafika eBethele, bakhala, bahlala khona phambi kukaJehova , bazila ukudla ngalolo suku kwaze kwahlwa ; banikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa nangeminikelo yokuthula phambi kukaJehova. ²⁷ Abantwana bakwa -Israyeli babuza kuJehova ngokuba umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wawulapho ngalezo zinsuku; ²⁸ uFinehasi indodana ka -Eleyazare ka -Aroni wema phambi kwawo ngalezo zinsuku bathi: Siyakuphinda siphume ukuba silwe nabantwana bakwaBenjamini umfowethu, nokuba siyeke na? UJehova wathi: Khuphukani, ngokuba kusasa ngiyakubanikela esandleni sakho. ²⁹ U-Israyeli wabeka abaqamekeli kulo iGibeya nxazonke. ³⁰ Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bakhuphuka ukulwa nabantwana bakwaBenjamini ngosuku lwesithathu , bazihlelela ukulwa neGibeya njengakwezinye izikhathi. ³¹ Abantwana bakwaBenjamini baphuma ukulwa nabantu , badonswa, baphuma emzini ; baqala ukubulala nokuceka abantu njengakwezinye izikhathi emendweni, omunye okhuphukela eBethele , omunye oya eGibeya ensimini, kungathi amadoda angamashumi amathathu kwa-Israyeli. ³² Abantwana bakwaBenjamini bathi: Babulewe phambi kwethu njengakuqala. Kepha abantwana bakwa -Israyeli bathi : Masibaleke, sibadonse, baphume emzini, baye emendweni. ³³ Bonke abantu bakwa -Israyeli basuka endaweni yabo , bazihlela eBali Tamari; abaqamekeli bakwa -Israyeli bavumbuluka endaweni yabo eMare Geba. ³⁴ Kweza malungana neGibeya abantu abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi abakhethiweyo kuye wonke u-Israyeli; ukulwa kwakunzima, kepha babengazi ukuthi ingozi isifikile kubo. ³⁵ UJehova wanqoba uBenjamini phambi kuka -Israyeli; abantwana bakwa - Israyeli babulala ngalolo suku kwaBenjamini abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nanhlanu nekhulu; bonke labo babehlome inkemba. ³⁶ Base bebona abantwana bakwaBenjamini u kuthi banqotshiwe ; abantu bakwa-Israyeli bamdela uBenjamini lokhu bebebethemba abaqamekeli ababebabekile ngaseGibeya. ³⁷ Abaqamekeli bashesha badumela eGibeya ; abaqamekeli basuka bachitha umuzi wonke ngosiko lwenkemba. ³⁸ Isiboniso esinqunyiweyo phakathi kwa bantu bakwa -Israyeli nabaqamekeli sasiyilesi sokuba bathunqise umusi omkhulu wenyuke emzini. ³⁹ Abantu bakwa -Israyeli babuyela emuva empini ; uBenjamini wayeseqalile ukubulala nokuceka kubantu bakwa -Israyeli kungathi abantu abangamashumi amathathu, ngokuba bathi: Impela babulewe phambi kwethu njengasekulweni kwakuqala. ⁴⁰ Kepha lapho sekuqale ukuthunqa insika yomusi emzini , abakwaBenjamini babheka emuva, nanko umuzi wonke uthunqela ngasezulwini. ⁴¹ Base bephenduka abantu bakwa -Israyeli, nabantu bakwaBenjamini bashaywa luvalo, ngokuba babona ukuthi behlelwe ngububi. ⁴² Ngalokho bafulathela phambi kwabantu bakwa-Israyeli, bahamba ngendlela yasehlane, kepha ukulwa kwabalandela ; abaphuma emizini bababulala phakathi kwayo. ⁴³ Babahaqa abakwaBenjamini nxazonke , babaxosha, babanyathela phansi endaweni yabo yokuphumula , baze bafika malungana neGibeya ngasempumalanga. ⁴⁴ Kwawa abantu bakwaBenjamini abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nesishiyagalombili; bonke labo babe ngamaqhawe. ⁴⁵ Baphenduka babalekela ehlane edwaleni lakwaRimon i; bakhothoza kubo emendweni abantu abayizinkulungwane eziyisihlanu , babaxosha kwaze kwabaseGideyomu, babulala kubo abantu abayizinkulungwane ezimbili. ⁴⁶ Bonke abawa ngalolo suku kwaBenjamini babe ngabantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nanhlanu abahlome inkemba ; bonke labo babe ngamaqhawe. ⁴⁷ Kepha abantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha baphenduka , babalekela ehlane edwaleni lakwaRimoni, bahlala edwaleni lakwaRimoni izinyanga ezine. ⁴⁸ Abantu bakwa-Israyeli babuyela kubantwana bakwaBenjamini , bababulala ngosiko lwenkemba ababesaphila emzini , nezinkomo, yebo, konke okwafunyaniswayo; futhi yonke imizi abayifumanisayo bayithungela ngomlilo.