Judges 21
1 Now the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.”
Abantu bako-Israyeli babefunge isifungo eMizipha bathi, “Akukho lamunye wethu ozakwendisela indodakazi yakhe emuntwini wakoBhenjamini.”
2 So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, lifting up their voices and weeping bitterly.
Abantu baya eBhetheli, lapho abahlala khona phambi kukaNkulunkulu kwaze kwaba kusihlwa, bephakamise amazwi abo bekhala kabuhlungu besithi,
3 “Why, O LORD God of Israel,” they cried out, “has this happened in Israel? Today in Israel one tribe is missing!”
“Oh Thixo, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, kungani lokhu kwenzakale ku-Israyeli na? Kungani esinye isizwana singekho ko-Israyeli lamhla na?”
4 The next day the people got up early, built an altar there, and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings.
Ngakusasa ekuseni abantu bakha i-alithari banikela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yobudlelwano.
5 The Israelites asked, “Who among all the tribes of Israel did not come to the assembly before the LORD?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah would surely be put to death.
Basebebuza abako-Israyeli besithi, “Yisiphi kuzozonke izizwana zako-Israyeli esingabuthananga phambi kukaThixo na?” Ngoba babefunge isifungo esiqinileyo bathi lowo owayengayikuba khona ekubuthaneni phambi kukaThixo eMizipha kwakuzamele abulawe.
6 And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel.
Abako-Israyeli bezwa ubuhlungu ngabafowabo bakoBhenjamini. Bathi, “Lamuhla esinye isizwana kasisekho ko-Israyeli.
7 What should we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?”
Labo abaseleyo singabanika njani abafazi, njengoba thina sifunge isifungo ngoThixo ukuba kasiyi kubendisela amadodakazi ethu?”
8 So they asked, “Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah?” And, in fact, no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly.
Babuye babuza bathi, “Yisiphi sezizwana zako-Israyeli esingabuthananga phambi kukaThixo eMizipha na?” Bafumana ukuthi akulamuntu waseJabheshi Giliyadi owayefikile ezihonqweni elande umbuthano lowo.
9 For when the people were counted, none of the residents of Jabesh-gilead were there.
Ngoba bathi bebala abantu, bathola ukuthi kwakungelamuntu waseJabheshi Giliyadi owayekhona.
10 So the congregation sent 12,000 of their most valiant men and commanded them: “Go and put to the sword those living in Jabesh-gilead, including women and children.
Ngakho ibandla lathuma abantu bempi abazinkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili belaywa ukuthi baye eJabheshi Giliyadi babahlasele ngenkemba labo abahlala khona, kubalwa abesifazane labantwana.
11 This is what you are to do: Devote to destruction every male, as well as every female who has had relations with a man.”
Bathi, “Kumele libulale wonke owesilisa lowesifazane ongasintombi egcweleyo.”
12 So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young women who had not had relations with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
Phakathi kwabantu ababehlala eJabheshi Giliyadi bathola izintombi ezigcweleyo ezingamakhulu amane, bazisa ezihonqweni eShilo kweleKhenani.
13 Then the whole congregation sent a message of peace to the Benjamites who were at the rock of Rimmon.
Ibandla lonke lathumela ilizwi lokuthula kwabakoBhenjamini edwaleni laseRimoni.
14 And at that time the Benjamites returned and were given the women who were spared from Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough women for all of them.
Ngakho abakoBhenjamini babuyela ngalesosikhathi sebephiwe abesifazane baseJabheshi Giliyadi ababephephisiwe. Kodwa kabawanelanga amadoda wonke.
15 The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a void in the tribes of Israel.
Abantu bezwa ubuhlungu ngabakoBhenjamini, ngoba uThixo wayesenze isikhexe phakathi kwezizwana zako-Israyeli.
16 Then the elders of the congregation said, “What should we do about wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”
Abadala bebandla bathi, “Njengoba abesifazane bakoBhenjamini beqothuliwe, amadoda aseleyo siwazuzela njani abafazi na?
17 They added, “There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out.
AbakoBhenjamini abasindayo kumele babe lezindlalifa, ukuze isizwana sako-Israyeli singatshabalali.
18 But we cannot give them our daughters as wives.” For the Israelites had sworn, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to a Benjamite.”
Asingeke sibendisele amadodakazi ethu ngoba thina abako-Israyeli safunga isifungo lesi sathi: ‘Kaqalekiswe lowo owendisela umBhenjamini umfazi.’
19 “But look,” they said, “there is a yearly feast to the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”
Kodwa khangelani, kulomkhosi weminyaka yonke kaThixo eShilo, enyakatho kweBhetheli, ngasempumalanga komgwaqo osuka eBhetheli usiya eShekhemu, ngeningizimu kweLebhona.”
20 So they commanded the Benjamites: “Go, hide in the vineyards
Ngakho balaya abakoBhenjamini bathi, “Hambani liyecatsha ezivinini
21 and watch. When you see the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, each of you is to come out of the vineyards, catch for himself a wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
lilinde. Lapho izintombi zaseShilo ziphuma ukuba zingene ekugideni, sukani ezivinini ligijima kuthi lowo lalowo wenu azibambele umfazi ezintombini zaseShilo libe selisiya elizweni lakoBhenjamini.
22 When their fathers or brothers come to us to complain, we will tell them, ‘Do us a favor by helping them, since we did not get wives for each of them in the war. Since you did not actually give them your daughters, you have no guilt.’”
Oyise labanewabo bangakhonona kithi, thina sizakuthi kubo, ‘Ake lisenzele umusa ngokubasiza, ngoba kasibatholelanga abafazi ngesikhathi sempi. Kaliyikuba lacala ngokwephula isifungo, ngoba amadodakazi enu kaliwendiselanga kubo.’”
23 The Benjamites did as instructed and carried away the number of women they needed from the dancers they caught. They went back to their own inheritance, rebuilt their cities, and settled in them.
Ngakho lokho yikho okwenziwa ngabakoBhenjamini. Kwathi izintombi zigida, indoda yabamba intombi yahamba layo ukuba ibe ngumkayo. Babuyela-ke elifeni labo bayakha kutsha imizi, bahlala kuyo.
24 And at that time, each of the Israelites returned from there to his own tribe and clan, each to his own inheritance.
Ngalesisikhathi abako-Israyeli basuka kuleyondawo babuyela emakhaya ezizwaneni lasezinsendweni zabo, ngulowo lalowo elifeni lakhe.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Ngalezonsuku abako-Israyeli babengelankosi; umuntu wonke ezenzela ayekubona kulungile kuye.
