1 USirayeli ephela, ukusuka kwaDan kuye kuqhina ngeBheshebha, ngokunjalo nomhlaba waseGiliyadi, ewe, lonke ibandla likaSirayeli lahlanganisana limoya mnye phambi *koNdikhoyo eMizpa.
2 Zonke iinkulu zezindlu zikaSirayeli zazikho kwelo bandla labantu bakaThixo, ingamakhulu amane amawaka amajoni aphatha ikrele.
3 NamaBhenjamin eva ukuba kudityenwe ngamaSirayeli eMizpa.AmaSirayeli athi: “Yitshoni; yenzeke kanjani na le ntlekele?”
4 UmLevi omfazi wayegetyengiwe wachaza wathi: “Ndihambe nowakwam, ndaya kutsho kwaBhenjamin eGibheya, ndisiya kulalisa khona.
5 Ke izikhulu zaseGibheya zaphuma ngobusuku, zarhawula indlu endandikuyo, zifuna mna. Zona zazizimisele ukundibulala, kodwa ke zasuka zamhlasela owakwam, zamdlwengula wada wafa.
6 Ke mna ndawuthatha umzimba wakhe, ndawunqunqa, ndathumela isiqwenga kwindlu nganye kwezo zikaSirayeli. Kaloku aba bantu benze isikizi lenyala kwaSirayeli.
7 Khanitsho, maSirayeli, nithi makuthiweni? Lithini icebo lenu?”
8 AmaSirayeli ke atsho ngazwi-nye athi: “Xa sisonke akukho bani uza kugoduka namhlanje; ewe, akukho bani uya kubuyela endlwini yakhe.
9 Nantsi into esiza kuyenza ngeGibheya: Siza kukhangela ukuba liya kuphuma nabani na iqashiso, aze ke loo madoda asikhokele ekuyihlaseleni.
10 Isishumi samadoda akwaSirayeli siya kuthwala ukutya komkhosi, aze ke amanye la aye kohlwaya iGibheya ngenxa yesi senzo sayo sobuyatha isenzileyo kwaSirayeli.”
11 Ngoko ke amaSirayeli ahlanganisana emoya mnye, efuna ukohlwaya iGibheya.
12 Izizwe zakwaSirayeli zathumela izigidimi kuwo wonke ummandla wesizwe sakwaBhenjamin, zisithi: “Buyatha buni obu nibenzileyo?
13 Ngoko ke zikhupheni ezo ndlavini zaseGibheya, sizibulale, silihlambe eli nyala kwaSirayeli.” Kambe ke amaBhenjamin zange awahoye amazwi athethwa ngamawabo amaSirayeli.
14 Ndaweni yaloo nto amaBhenjamin aphuma kuzo zonke izixeko zawo, ahlangana eGibheya, aza aya kulwa namaSirayeli.
15 Ngaloo mini akhupha amashumi amabini anesithandathu amajoni kuzo zonke izixeko zawo. Ngaphezu koko abemi baseGibheya bakhupha amajoni akhethiweyo angamakhulu asixhenxe,
16 onke engamanxele. La manxele onke ayeziincutshe zokusawula *ngenkwitshi atsho khona.
17 Amajoni amaSirayeli, ngaphandle kwamaBhenjamin, ayengamakhulu amane amawaka, onke engoompondo-zihlanjiwe.
18 Ke amaSirayeli aya eBhetele, aza abuza kuThixo athi: “Yiyiphi na indlu emayiqale ukuhlasela uBhenjamin?”*UNdikhoyo ke wathi: “Mayibe nguJuda.”
19 Anduluka ke amaSirayeli ngentsasa elandelayo, aya kumisa ngaseGibheya.
20 Aphuma amajoni amaSirayeli, esiya kulwa namaBhenjamin, akha uhlelo phambi kweGibheya.
21 Wacombuluka ke umkhosi wamaBhenjamin, waphuma apho esixekweni, waza ngaloo mini wageqa amashumi amabini anambini amawaka amajoni amaSirayeli.
22 Kambe ke ngengomso amaSirayeli omelezana; aphinda amajoni awo awamisa kwangalaa ndlela ayewamise ngayo ngezolo.
23 Kaloku amaSirayeli ayeye kuzibika kuNdikhoyo, alila iinyembezi kwada kwahlwa. Abuzisa kuye kwakhona, athi: “Ngaba masiye na ukuya kulwa namawethu amaBhenjamin?”UNdikhoyo ke waphendula wathi: “Yiyani nilwe nawo.”
24 Ngosuku olulandelayo amaSirayeli aphinda amhlasela uBhenjamin.
25 Nangesi ke isihlandlo amaBhenjamin aphuma eGibheya, aza ageqa ishumi elinesibhozo lamawaka oompondo-zihlanjiwe bamaSirayeli.
26 Aphuma ke onke amaSirayeli, aya kulila eBhetele. Ahlala apho phambi koNdikhoyo, akuzila ukutya kwada kwahlwa. Enza amadini atshiswayo, ngokunjalo nawobudlelwana, esenzela uNdikhoyo.
27-28 Ngelo xesha ke ityesi yomnqophiso yayilapho eBhetele. Ke uPineyasi unyana kaElazare umzukulwana ka-Aron yayinguye umbingeleli apho. AmaSirayeli ke aphinda abuzisa kuNdikhoyo, athi: “Ngaba masiye ukuya kulwa namawethu amaBhenjamin, okanye masincame?”UNdikhoyo ke waphendula wathi: “Phakathi! Ngomso ndiza kunithi jize ngoloyiso!”
29 Ngoko ke amaSirayeli afihla amanye amajoni, axhwarha kufuphi neGibheya.
30 Nangolu lwesithathu usuku amaSirayeli amhlasela uBhenjamin, amajoni akha uhlelo ekhangele iGibheya njenga-ngaphambili.
31 AmaBhenjamin aphuma ukuhlangabeza, ada asishiya isixeko. Njengezolo ke akhe ageqa apho kumaSirayeli kuloo mathafa nakwindlela eya eBhetele neya eGibheya. Kwafa amashumi amathathu amaSirayeli.
32 AmaBhenjamin athi: “Isesesezolo; siwafumene!”Ke wona amaSirayeli athi: “Masihlehle, khon' ukuze siwatsalele ezindleleni kude nesixeko.”
33 Wathi ke umkhosi wamaSirayeli waqokelelana eBhali-tamare, waza lowa wawulalele ngaseGibheya wadyulukudela ukuphuma kwezo ziwana zingqonge isixeko.
34 IGibheya ke yahlaselwa lishumi lamawaka angoompondo-zihlanjiwe, bekhethwe kuSirayeli ephela. Hayi ke, yaba yinkwa nenkwa, phofu yena uBhenjamin engaqondi ukuba namhlanje ihlile intlekele.
35 UNdikhoyo wamoyisa uBhenjamin ngamaSirayeli. AmaSirayeli atshabalalisa amashumi amabini anantlanu amawaka anekhulu ngaloo mini, onke eziincutshe zekrele,
36 waza ke uBhenjamin waqonda ukuba woyisiwe.Umkhosi wamaSirayeli wahlehla, kuba ukholose ngalowo wawulalele kufuphi neGibheya uzimele.
37 Lo ke umkhosi wakhawuleza wangena eGibheya, wanwenwa apho esixekweni, wabulala konke nje.
38 Indili yomkhosi kaSirayeli nalo uzimeleyo wawuvumelene ngokuthi xa ubona umsi uthuquza unyuka apho esixekweni,
39 umkhosi osedabini uya kubuya nawo ungene uhlasele. Ngeli thuba ke amaBhenjamin ayeselewabulele amaSirayeli amalunga namashumi amathathu. Ayesezincoma esithi: “Sesezolo nanamhlanje; siwafumene!”
40 Kweso sithuba ke wasuka wavela umqondiso; suka kwavela umpokophela womsi, wathunquza uphuma apho esixekweni. Athi ke akujonga amaBhenjamin abona isixeko sawo singamalangatye nje!
41 Suka ke amaSirayeli aguquka, ke wona amaBhenjamin asuka azizithwanga-thwanga, kuba eqonda ukuba ihlile intlekele.
42 Azama ukuhlehla abalekele entlango, kodwa ke umkhosi wathi mbende emva kwabo. Axinwa atyakatywa nangamanye amadoda awayephuma ezidolophini.
43 AmaSirayeli awarhawula amaBhenjamin, awasukela, aza awoyisa lula kude kufuphi neGibheya empumalanga.
44 Kwafa ishumi elinesibhozo lamawaka koompondo-zihlanjiwe bamaBhenjamin.
45 Amanye asabela entlango, esinga kumawa aseRimon, kwaza kwabulawa amawaka amahlanu ezindleleni. AmaSirayeli athi mbende emva kwawo ukuya kutsho eGidiyon, aza abulala amawaka amabini.
46 Ngaloo mini yodwa kwafa amashumi amabini anantlanu amawaka amaBhenjamin, onke engoompondo-zihlanjiwe bamajoni.
47 Kambe ke amakhulu amathandathu abalekela entlango, aya kutsho kuloo mawa aseRimon, ahlala apho iinyanga zane.
48 AmaSirayeli ke abuya awatshabalalisa onke amaBhenjamin, ebulala konke: ndoda, mfazi, mntwana, nemfuyo le yembala. Azitshisa zonke iidolophu zaloo mmandla.