1 Ke kaloku ngethuba amaSirayeli ayehlanganisene eMizpa ayebhambathisile phambi *koNdikhoyo athi: “Asisoze sendisele iintombi zethu kumaBhenjamin.”
2 Ngoku ke amaSirayeli suke ahlanganisana phambi koThixo eBhetele; ahlala apho kwada kwahlwa, ehlahlamba ebindekile,
3 esithi: “Ndikhoyo, Thixo kaSirayeli, ngani ukuba sihlelwe yinto enje? Ngani ukuba esinye isizwe sezizwe zakwaSirayeli sitshabalale siphele tu?”
4 Ngentsasa elandelayo ke amaSirayeli akha iqonga apho, aza enza amadini atshiswayo kunye namadini obudlelwane.
5 Abuzana athi: “Ngaba kukho indlu na yakwaSirayeli engazange iye kwimbizo esasinayo phambi koNdikhoyo eMizpa?” (Kaloku amaSirayeli ayenze isifungo esingqongqo, athi: “Nabani na ongayanga embizweni eMizpa uya kubulawa.”)
6 Ngoku ke amaSirayeli ayenxubile ngenxa yabazalwana bawo amaBhenjamin. Avakala esithi: “Namhlanje uSirayeli ulahlekelwe yenye yezindlu zakhe.
7 Nithi makuthiweni ukuze la maBhenjamin aseleyo azuze abafazi? Kaloku sabhambathisa phambi koNdikhoyo sathi asisoze siwendisele iintombi zethu.”
8 Abuza ke amaSirayeli athi: “Ngaba kukho ndlu na ingazange iye eMizpa?” Afumanisa ukuba kwakungekho mntu waseJabheshe yaseGiliyadi.
9 Ngexesha lokuhlelwa komkhosi akubangakho mntu wayevela eJabheshe.
10 Ngoko ke ibandla lakhupha ishumi elinambini lamawaka amajoni angoompondo-zihlanjiwe, lawayalela ukuba aye eJabheshe, afike abulale wonke umntu nomfazi nomntwana lo wembala.
11 Kwathiwa: “Wabulaleni amadoda nabafazi, nisindise iintombi nto.”
12 Ke apho eJabheshe afumana amakhulu amane eentombi ezingazananga nandoda, aza azithatha aya nazo esikhululweni eShilo kumhlaba waseKanana.
13 Ke ibandla lathumela kumaBhenjamin awayekumawa aseRimon, lawanikezela imiqathango yoxolo.
14 Ke amaBhenjamin abuya, aza amaSirayeli awanikezela ezo ntombi zaseJabheshe eGiliyadi zazisindile; kambe ke zange ziwanele amaBhenjamin lawo.
15 AmaSirayeli avelana namaBhenjamin, kuba uNdikhoyo enze umsantsa phakathi kwezindlu zikaSirayeli.
16 Ngoko ke amadoda amakhulu athi: “Njengokuba betshatyalalisiwe nje abafazi kwaBhenjamin, sothini ukuyifumanela abafazi inxalenye yawo?”
17 Aza athi: “Ingayinto embi ukuba kubekho indlu enqanyulwayo kwaSirayeli ngokungabi nazindlalifa. Makufunwe indlela yokuba indlu kaBhenjamin ingatshitshi.
18 Kodwa thina ngokwethu asinako ukuyendisela iintombi zethu, njengoko senze isifungo sathi: ‘Nabani na owendisela intombi yakhe kwaBhenjamin uqalekisiwe.’
19 Kambe ke umbhiyozo waminyaka le kaNdikhoyo eShilo sowusondele.” Ke iShilo yayingasentla kweBhetele, ngezantsi kweLebhona, kwimpuma yendlela ephakathi kweBhetele neShekem.
20 Ke ayalela amaBhenjamin athi: “Ze nihambe nifike nizímele ezidiliyeni,
21 nilalele. Nakuphawula ukuba ziphumile iintombi zaseShilo, zingqungqa, phumani ezidiliyeni, ibe ngulowo nalowo azithathele umfazi apho kuzo, aye naye kwaBhenjamin.
22 Ukuba ooyise okanye abanakwazo beze kuxambulisana nathi, sothi kubo: ‘Siyanibongoza, baveleni. Kaloku asibafumanelanga abafazi emfazweni. Kambe ke nina nimsulwa – kaloku bazithwele; abazinikwanga nini iintombi zenu.’ ”
23 Ngenene ke amaBhenjamin ayenza loo nto; indoda nganye kuwo yazikhethela umfazi kwezo ntombi zazingqungqa eShilo, yayithwala, yagoduka nayo. Egodukile ke amaBhenjamin abuya azakha iidolophu zawo, abuya ema kuzo.
24 Nawo ke amaSirayeli agoduka. Indoda nganye yaya kuxhamla ilifa layo emzini wayo kwisizwe sakowayo.
25 Ke kaloku ngelo thuba kwakungekho kumkani kwaSirayeli; umntu ngamnye ke wayesenza unothanda.