Abahluleli 21
1 Amadoda akoIsrayeli ayefungile-ke eMizipa esithi: Kakukho lamunye wethu ozanika indodakazi yakhe kuBhenjamini ibe ngumkakhe.
Now the men of Israel had made a promise at Mizpah, “None of us will give his daughter to marry a Benjamite.”
2 Abantu basebesiza eBhetheli, bahlala lapho phambi kukaNkulunkulu kwaze kwahlwa, baphakamisa ilizwi labo bakhala inyembezi ngokukhala okukhulu.
Then the people went to Bethel and sat there before God until the evening, and with loud voices they wept bitterly.
3 Basebesithi: Kungani, O Nkosi, Nkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, kwenzeke lokhu koIsrayeli ukuthi kusilele lamuhla isizwe esisodwa koIsrayeli?
They called out, “Why, Yahweh, God of Israel, has this happened to Israel, that one of our tribes should be missing today?”
4 Kwasekusithi kusisa abantu bavuka ngovivi, bakha ilathi lapho, banikela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yokuthula.
The next day the people got up early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesithi: Ngubani ezizweni zonke zakoIsrayeli ongenyukelanga ebandleni eNkosini? Ngoba kwenziwa isifungo esikhulu ngalowo ongenyukelanga eNkosini eMizipa kuthiwa: Uzabulawa lokubulawa.
The people of Israel said, “Which of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to Yahweh?” For they had made an important promise concerning anyone who did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah. They said, “He would certainly be put to death.”
6 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebezisola ngenxa kaBhenjamini umfowabo, bathi: Kuqunyiwe lamuhla isizwe esisodwa sisuke koIsrayeli.
The people of Israel had compassion for their brother Benjamin. They said, “Today one tribe has been cut off from Israel.
7 Sizabenzelani abaseleyo ngabafazi, ngoba thina sifungile ngeNkosi ukuthi kasiyikubanika emadodakazini ethu abe ngomkabo?
Who will provide wives for those who are left, since we have made a promise to Yahweh that we will not let any of them marry our daughters?”
8 Basebesithi: Yisiphi ezizweni zakoIsrayeli esingenyukelanga eNkosini eMizipa? Khangela-ke kakuzanga loyedwa enkambeni ovela eJabeshi-Gileyadi ukuya ebandleni.
They said, “Which of the tribes of Israel did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah?” It was found that no one had come to the assembly from Jabesh Gilead.
9 Ngoba abantu babebaliwe, khangela-ke, kwakungekho muntu kubahlali beJabeshi-Gileyadi lapho.
For when the people were set out in an orderly manner, behold, none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were there.
10 Ngakho inhlangano yathuma khona amadoda azinkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili awamaqhawe amakhulu, bawalaya bathi: Hambani liyetshaya abahlali beJabeshi-Gileyadi ngobukhali benkemba, labesifazana labantwanyana.
The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with instructions to go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, including the women and children.
11 Yile into elizayenza: Lizatshabalalisa wonke owesilisa laye wonke owesifazana owazi ukulala lowesilisa.
“Do this: You must kill every male and every woman who has slept with a man.”
12 Basebethola phakathi kwabahlali beJabeshi-Gileyadi amankazana angamakhulu amane izintombi ezimsulwa ezingayazanga indoda ngokulala lowesilisa; basebewaletha enkambeni eShilo, eselizweni leKhanani.
The men found among those living in Jabesh Gilead four hundred young women who had never slept with a man, and they took them to the camp at Shiloh, in Canaan.
13 Inhlangano yonke yasithumela yakhuluma labantwana bakoBhenjamini ababesedwaleni leRimoni; bamemezela ukuthula kibo.
The entire assembly sent a message and told the people of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon that they were offering them peace.
14 UBhenjamini wasebuya ngalesosikhathi, babanika abesifazana ababebagcine bephila kwabesifazana beJabeshi-Gileyadi, kodwa ngokunjalo kababanelanga.
The Benjamites returned at that time and they were given the women of Jabesh Gilead, but there were not enough women for all of them.
15 Abantu basebezisola ngenxa kaBhenjamini ngoba iNkosi yayenze ukwehlukana ezizweni zakoIsrayeli.
The people were sorry for what happened to Benjamin, because Yahweh made a division between the tribes of Israel.
16 Abadala benhlangano basebesithi: Sizabenzelani abaseleyo ngabafazi, ngoba abesifazana bachithiwe koBhenjamini?
Then the leaders of the assembly said, “How will we arrange wives for the Benjamites who are left, since the women of Benjamin have been killed?”
17 Basebesithi: Kumele kube lelifa labaphunyukileyo bakoBhenjamini, ukuze isizwe singatshabalaliswa koIsrayeli.
They said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe is not destroyed from Israel.
18 Kodwa thina kasilakho ukubanika abafazi emadodakazini ethu, ngoba abantwana bakoIsrayeli bafungile besithi: Kaqalekiswe lowo onika uBhenjamini umfazi.
We cannot give them wives from our daughters, for the people of Israel had made a promise, 'Cursed be anyone who gives a wife to Benjamin.'”
19 Basebesithi: Khangelani, kulomkhosi weNkosi eShilo iminyaka ngeminyaka engenyakatho kweBhetheli, lapho okuphuma khona ilanga komgwaqo omkhulu owenyuka usuka eBhetheli kusiya eShekema, langeningizimu kweLebona.
So they said, “You know there is a feast for Yahweh every year at Shiloh (which is north of Bethel, east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah).”
20 Ngakho balaya abantwana bakoBhenjamini besithi: Hambani liyecathama ezivinini,
They instructed the men of Benjamin, saying, “Go and hide in secret and wait in the vineyards.
21 libone, njalo khangelani, nxa amadodakazi eShilo esephuma ukugida imigido, khona lizaphuma ezivinini lizibambele ngulowo lalowo umfazi wakhe emadodakazini eShilo, liye elizweni lakoBhenjamini.
Watch for the time when the girls from Shiloh come out to dance, then rush out of the vineyards and each one of you should grab a wife from the girls of Shiloh, then go back to the land of Benjamin.
22 Kuzakuthi nxa oyise loba abanewabo befika besola kithi, sizakuthi kibo: Senzeleni umusa ngenxa yabo, ngoba kasibathathelanga ngulowo lalowo umfazi wakhe empini, ngoba lina kalibanikanga wona ngalesisikhathi ukuthi licaleke.
When their fathers or their brothers come to protest to us, we will say to them, 'Show us favor! Let them remain because we did not get wives for each man during the war. You are innocent, since you did not give your daughters to them.'”
23 Ngakho abantwana bakoBhenjamini benza njalo, bathumba abafazi ngokwenani labo kwabagidayo ababahlwithayo; bahamba babuyela elifeni labo, bakha imizi, bahlala kiyo.
The people of Benjamin did so. They took the number of wives that they needed from the girls who were dancing and they carried them off to be their wives. They went and returned to the place of their inheritance. They rebuilt the towns and lived in them.
24 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebechitheka besuka lapho ngalesosikhathi, ngulowo lalowo waya esizweni sakhe lakusendo lwakhe; basebephuma besuka lapho, ngulowo lalowo waya elifeni lakhe.
Then the people of Israel left that place and went home, each one to his own tribe and clan, and each one to his own inheritance.
25 Ngalezonsuku kwakungelankosi koIsrayeli. Wonke umuntu wayesenza okwakulungile emehlweni akhe.
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
