Judges 21
1 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.”
Abantu bako-Israyeli babefunge isifungo eMizipha bathi, “Akukho lamunye wethu ozakwendisela indodakazi yakhe emuntwini wakoBhenjamini.”
2 The people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely.
Abantu baya eBhetheli, lapho abahlala khona phambi kukaNkulunkulu kwaze kwaba kusihlwa, bephakamise amazwi abo bekhala kabuhlungu besithi,
3 They said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be one tribe lacking in Israel today?”
“Oh Thixo, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, kungani lokhu kwenzakale ku-Israyeli na? Kungani esinye isizwana singekho ko-Israyeli lamhla na?”
4 On the next day, the people rose early and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
Ngakusasa ekuseni abantu bakha i-alithari banikela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yobudlelwano.
5 The children of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up in the assembly to Yahweh?” For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn’t come up to Yahweh to Mizpah, saying, “He shall 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 The children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “There is one tribe cut off from Israel today.
Abako-Israyeli bezwa ubuhlungu ngabafowabo bakoBhenjamini. Bathi, “Lamuhla esinye isizwana kasisekho ko-Israyeli.
7 How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since we have sworn by Yahweh that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?”
Labo abaseleyo singabanika njani abafazi, njengoba thina sifunge isifungo ngoThixo ukuba kasiyi kubendisela amadodakazi ethu?”
8 They said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up to Yahweh to Mizpah?” Behold, no one came from Jabesh Gilead to the camp to 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, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead there.
Ngoba bathi bebala abantu, bathola ukuthi kwakungelamuntu waseJabheshi Giliyadi owayekhona.
10 The congregation sent twelve thousand of the most valiant men there, and commanded them, saying, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones.
Ngakho ibandla lathuma abantu bempi abazinkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili belaywa ukuthi baye eJabheshi Giliyadi babahlasele ngenkemba labo abahlala khona, kubalwa abesifazane labantwana.
11 This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain with a man.”
Bathi, “Kumele libulale wonke owesilisa lowesifazane ongasintombi egcweleyo.”
12 They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins who had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
Phakathi kwabantu ababehlala eJabheshi Giliyadi bathola izintombi ezigcweleyo ezingamakhulu amane, bazisa ezihonqweni eShilo kweleKhenani.
13 The whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.
Ibandla lonke lathumela ilizwi lokuthula kwabakoBhenjamini edwaleni laseRimoni.
14 Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead. There still weren’t enough for them.
Ngakho abakoBhenjamini babuyela ngalesosikhathi sebephiwe abesifazane baseJabheshi Giliyadi ababephephisiwe. Kodwa kabawanelanga amadoda wonke.
15 The people grieved for Benjamin, because Yahweh had made a breach 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, “How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?”
Abadala bebandla bathi, “Njengoba abesifazane bakoBhenjamini beqothuliwe, amadoda aseleyo siwazuzela njani abafazi na?
17 They said, “There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.
AbakoBhenjamini abasindayo kumele babe lezindlalifa, ukuze isizwana sako-Israyeli singatshabalali.
18 However, we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the children of Israel had sworn, saying, ‘Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.’”
Asingeke sibendisele amadodakazi ethu ngoba thina abako-Israyeli safunga isifungo lesi sathi: ‘Kaqalekiswe lowo owendisela umBhenjamini umfazi.’
19 They said, “Behold, there is a feast of Yahweh from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.”
Kodwa khangelani, kulomkhosi weminyaka yonke kaThixo eShilo, enyakatho kweBhetheli, ngasempumalanga komgwaqo osuka eBhetheli usiya eShekhemu, ngeningizimu kweLebhona.”
20 They commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
Ngakho balaya abakoBhenjamini bathi, “Hambani liyecatsha ezivinini
21 and see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and each man catch his wife of 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 It shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously to us, because we didn’t take for each man his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them; otherwise you would now be guilty.’”
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 children of Benjamin did so, and took wives for themselves according to their number, of those who danced, whom they carried off. They went and returned to their inheritance, built the cities, and lived 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 The children of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they each went out from there 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 that which was right in his own eyes.
Ngalezonsuku abako-Israyeli babengelankosi; umuntu wonke ezenzela ayekubona kulungile kuye.
