Abahluleli 21
1 Abantu bako-Israyeli babefunge isifungo eMizipha bathi, “Akukho lamunye wethu ozakwendisela indodakazi yakhe emuntwini wakoBhenjamini.”
Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.
2 Abantu baya eBhetheli, lapho abahlala khona phambi kukaNkulunkulu kwaze kwaba kusihlwa, bephakamise amazwi abo bekhala kabuhlungu besithi,
And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;
3 “Oh Thixo, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, kungani lokhu kwenzakale ku-Israyeli na? Kungani esinye isizwana singekho ko-Israyeli lamhla na?”
And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel?
4 Ngakusasa ekuseni abantu bakha i-alithari banikela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yobudlelwano.
And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 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.
And the children of Israel said, Who [is there] among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.
6 Abako-Israyeli bezwa ubuhlungu ngabafowabo bakoBhenjamini. Bathi, “Lamuhla esinye isizwana kasisekho ko-Israyeli.
And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.
7 Labo abaseleyo singabanika njani abafazi, njengoba thina sifunge isifungo ngoThixo ukuba kasiyi kubendisela amadodakazi ethu?”
How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?
8 Babuye babuza bathi, “Yisiphi sezizwana zako-Israyeli esingabuthananga phambi kukaThixo eMizipha na?” Bafumana ukuthi akulamuntu waseJabheshi Giliyadi owayefikile ezihonqweni elande umbuthano lowo.
And they said, What one [is there] of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.
9 Ngoba bathi bebala abantu, bathola ukuthi kwakungelamuntu waseJabheshi Giliyadi owayekhona.
For the people were numbered, and, behold, [there were] none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there.
10 Ngakho ibandla lathuma abantu bempi abazinkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili belaywa ukuthi baye eJabheshi Giliyadi babahlasele ngenkemba labo abahlala khona, kubalwa abesifazane labantwana.
And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.
11 Bathi, “Kumele libulale wonke owesilisa lowesifazane ongasintombi egcweleyo.”
And this [is] the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.
12 Phakathi kwabantu ababehlala eJabheshi Giliyadi bathola izintombi ezigcweleyo ezingamakhulu amane, bazisa ezihonqweni eShilo kweleKhenani.
And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which [is] in the land of Canaan.
13 Ibandla lonke lathumela ilizwi lokuthula kwabakoBhenjamini edwaleni laseRimoni.
And the whole congregation sent [some] to speak to the children of Benjamin that [were] in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them.
14 Ngakho abakoBhenjamini babuyela ngalesosikhathi sebephiwe abesifazane baseJabheshi Giliyadi ababephephisiwe. Kodwa kabawanelanga amadoda wonke.
And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead: and yet so they sufficed them not.
15 Abantu bezwa ubuhlungu ngabakoBhenjamini, ngoba uThixo wayesenze isikhexe phakathi kwezizwana zako-Israyeli.
And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16 Abadala bebandla bathi, “Njengoba abesifazane bakoBhenjamini beqothuliwe, amadoda aseleyo siwazuzela njani abafazi na?
Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?
17 AbakoBhenjamini abasindayo kumele babe lezindlalifa, ukuze isizwana sako-Israyeli singatshabalali.
And they said, [There must be] an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
18 Asingeke sibendisele amadodakazi ethu ngoba thina abako-Israyeli safunga isifungo lesi sathi: ‘Kaqalekiswe lowo owendisela umBhenjamini umfazi.’
Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed [be] he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.
19 Kodwa khangelani, kulomkhosi weminyaka yonke kaThixo eShilo, enyakatho kweBhetheli, ngasempumalanga komgwaqo osuka eBhetheli usiya eShekhemu, ngeningizimu kweLebhona.”
Then they said, Behold, [there is] a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly [in a place] which [is] on the north side of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
20 Ngakho balaya abakoBhenjamini bathi, “Hambani liyecatsha ezivinini
Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
21 lilinde. Lapho izintombi zaseShilo ziphuma ukuba zingene ekugideni, sukani ezivinini ligijima kuthi lowo lalowo wenu azibambele umfazi ezintombini zaseShilo libe selisiya elizweni lakoBhenjamini.
And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
22 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.’”
And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, [that] ye should be guilty.
23 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.
And the children of Benjamin did so, and took [them] wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.
24 Ngalesisikhathi abako-Israyeli basuka kuleyondawo babuyela emakhaya ezizwaneni lasezinsendweni zabo, ngulowo lalowo elifeni lakhe.
And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.
25 Ngalezonsuku abako-Israyeli babengelankosi; umuntu wonke ezenzela ayekubona kulungile kuye.
In those days [there was] no king in Israel: every man did [that which was] right in his own eyes.
