1 Ngethuba eliphambi kokuba uSirayeli abe nokumkani kwakukho mLevi uthile owayehlala kude kweleentaba kwaEfrayim. Lo mfo wathatha intombi yaseBhetelehem kwelakwaJuda, wahlalisana nayo.
2 Kambe ke yambambela, yaza yagoduka yaya eBhetelehem kwelakwaJuda, yahlala khona iinyanga zane.
3 Lo mLevi ke wayilanda ngezicengo, khon' ukuze babuyelane. Wayehamba nesicaka sakhe kunye needonki ezimbini. Le ntombi ke yamazisa kowayo umLevi lowo, waza ke uyise akumbona wamamkela ngezishushu.
4 Uyise wentombi leyo wamnyanzelisa ukuba akhe ahlale umLevi lowo, waza ke wahlala iintsuku zantathu, besitya besela kunye.
5 Ngentsasa yosuku lwesine bavuka sebelungele ukuhamba. Ke uyise wentombi wathetha nomkwenyana, wathi: “Qala utye, uhlaziyeke, uze ke uhambe kamva.”
6 Bahlala ke umntu nomkhwenyana, batya basela. Usontombi lowo ke waphinda wacela umkhwenyana wathi: “Sowulala apha ngokuhlwanje, uzonwabise.”
7 Wathi umLevi lowo akufuna ukuhamba, uyise lowo wamcenga ukuba aselala apho ngobo busuku.
8 Ngentsasa yosuku lwesihlanu umLevi wavuka ezimisele ukuhamba, kodwa usontombi wathi: “Khawutye, ulinde kude kube semini noko.” Wahlala ke, batya bobabini.
9 Wathi ke umLevi nentombi leyo ngokunjalo nesicaka sebezimisele ukunduluka, uyise wabanqanda, esithi: “Amathunzi anabile, nokuhlwa sekusondele; masenilala. Hlalani nizonwabise, nize ninduluke kusasa ngomso ukugoduka.”
10 Ngesi ke isihlandlo umfo lowo akavumanga ukuphinda alale. Wanduluka, ehamba enezo donki zimbini ezineesali kwakunye nomasihlalisane lowo, waya kugaleleka ngaseJebhusi. (IJebhusi ke yile iyiJerusalem namhla.)
11 Bakusondela eJebhusi imimi yayiselithambekile, saza isicaka sathi enkosini yaso: “Masesihlala apha eJebhusi, silalise khona.”
12-13 Kambe ke inkosi yaso leyo yathi: “Hayi, kaloku asinakulala apha kwisixeko sabantu basemzini abangengawo amaSirayeli. Masigqithele phambili, siye kulala eGibheya okanye eRama.”
14 Ngoko ke badlula apho eJebhusi. Kwathi xa lithi ndithenge, bagaleleka eGibheya kummandla wamaBhenjamin.
15 Baphambuka ke endleleni, besiya kulala khona. Bangena ke, baya kutsho ebaleni lembutho, kungekho mntu ubanika indawo yokulala.
16 Bathe beselapho kwathi gqi ixhego, livela emasimini. Lalingumngeneleli apho eGibheya, kodwa inkaba yalo ikweleentaba kwaEfrayim. Phofu ke abantu balapho yayingamaBhenjamin.
17 Lathi ke lakubabona abahambi abo belapho ebaleni lembutho, labuza lathi: “Kuvelwa ngaphi, kusiyiwa phi?”
18 UmLevi uphendule wathi: “Siphuma eBhetelehem kwelakwaJuda. Ukwenjenje oku siyagoduka, siya kummandla othe qelele kweleentaba kwaEfrayim. Kambe ke akukho mntu usinika ndawo yakulala.
19 Sinako ukutya kweedonki zethu, ngokunjalo mna sicaka sakho kunye nesicakakazi sakho nomfana ohamba nathi sinaso isonka newayini. Hayi, asixakekanga kwelo cala.”
20 Ixhego ke lathi: “Namkelekile kwam; aninakude nilale apha phandle. Yizani; ndiza kunilungiselela.”
21 Lagoduka nabo ke, lazityisa iidonki zabo. Bahlamba iinyawo, baza batya basela.
22 Kwathi besonwabile apho, kwafika iindlavini ezithile, zayirhawula indlu leyo, zabetha ucango, zabhekisa kumnini-ndlu lowo zisithi: “Mkhuphe loo mfo umngenise endlwini yakho. Sifuna ukulala naye.”
23 Kambe ke umninimzi waphuma, wathetha nazo, wathi: “Hayi, mawethu, ndiyanibongoza, sanukulenza elo nyala; lundwendwe lwam olu!
24 Ndaweni yaloo nto thathani intombi yam kwanomfazi walo mfo. Mandinikhuphele bona, nenze ukuthanda kwenu kubo. Kodwa sanukuyenza into embi kangaka kulo mfo.”
25 Kambe ke azivumanga ezo zibhoja. Ngoko ke umLevi lowo wakhupha loo masihlalisane wakhe, zaza ke zadlalisa ngaye zazenzela apho kuye kwada kwasa.
26 Kwathi ekuseni umfazi lowo wabuya, wafika wawa ngasemnyango kuloo ndlu yexhego apho yayikhona indoda yakhe. Walala apho kwada kwasa.
27 Kusasa yathi yakuvula umnyango indoda yakhe, iphuma iza kuhamba, yamfumana elele apho ngasemnyango, izandla zakhe zisembundwini.
28 Yathetha naye, yathi: “Vuka sihambe!” Kwathi cwaka. Yaza ke yamthatha, yamxhoma edonkini, yagoduka naye.
29 UmLevi lowo ke uthe akufika ekhaya wathatha imela. Umzimba waloo mfazi ke wawunqunqa waziziqwenga ezilishumi elinambini, waza ke isiqwenga ngasinye wasithumela kwenye yezindlu zikaSirayeli.
30 Wonke ke umntu owayibonayo le nto wavakala esithi: “Zange siyive siyibone into enje! Into enje zange ihle okoko uSirayeli waphumayo eJiputa! Mayiqwalaselwe, kubonwe into emayenziwe!”