Abahluleli 19
1 Kwasekusithi ngalezonsuku, kungelankosi koIsrayeli, kwakulomLevi othile owayehlala njengowezizwe eceleni elikhatshana lentaba yakoEfrayimi, owazithathela umfazi, umfazi omncinyane eBhethelehema-Juda.
Ngalezonsuku abako-Israyeli babengelankosi. UmLevi othile owayehlala esiqintini esikhatshana, elizweni lamaqaqa elako-Efrayimi wathatha umfazi weceleni eBhethilehema koJuda.
2 Lowomfazi wakhe omncinyane waphinga emelene laye, wasuka kuye waya endlini kayise eBhethelehema-Juda, waba lapho izinyanga ezine ezigcweleyo.
Kodwa wayengathembekanga kuye. Wamtshiya wabuyela endlini kayise eBhethilehema, koJuda. Esehlale khona okwezinyanga ezine,
3 Umkakhe wasesukuma wamlandela ukuyakhuluma enhliziyweni yakhe ukuthi ambuyise, lejaha lakhe lilaye labobabhemi ababili. Umfazi wasemngenisa endlini kayise; kwathi uyise wentombi embona wathokoza ukuhlangana laye.
indoda yamlandela ukuyamncenga ukuba abuye. Indoda yayilenceku yayo labobabhemi ababili. Umfazi wamngenisa endlini kayise, njalo kwathi uyise embona wamamukela ngokuthokoza.
4 Uyisezala, uyise wentombazana, wamlibazisa; wasehlala laye insuku ezintathu; basebesidla banatha balala khona ubusuku.
Uyisezala, uyise wentombi, wamncenga ukuba ahlale; ngakho wahlala laye insuku ezintathu, esidla enatha, njalo elala khona.
5 Kwasekusithi ngosuku lwesine, lapho bevuka ekuseni kakhulu, wasukuma ukuthi ahambe; kodwa uyise wentombazana wathi kumkhwenyana wakhe: Qinisa inhliziyo yakho ngocezu lwesinkwa; langemva kwalokho lizahamba.
Ngelanga lesine bavuka ekuseni, walungiselela ukusuka, kodwa uyise wentombi wathi kumkhwenyana wakhe, “Qinisa umzimba wakho ngongakudla; ubusuhamba.”
6 Ngakho bahlala badla banatha bobabili ndawonye. Uyise wentombazana wasesithi endodeni: Ake wanele ulale ubusuku uthokozise inhliziyo yakho.
Ngakho bobabili bahlala phansi badla banatha. Emva kwalokho uyise wentombi wathi, “Ake ulale ubusuku balamuhla uzithokozise.”
7 Indoda isisukuma ukuthi ihambe, kodwa uyisezala wayicindezela yaze yabuya yalala lapho ubusuku.
Kwathi umuntu lowo evuka ukuba ahambe, uyisezala wamncenga, ngakho walala khona ngalobobusuku.
8 Yasivuka ekuseni kakhulu ngosuku lwesihlanu ukuze ihambe. Uyise wentombazana wasesithi: Ake uqinise inhliziyo yakho. Basebelibala ilanga laze lakhothama, badla bobabili.
Ekuseni ngosuku lwesihlanu, wathi evuka ukuba ahambe, uyise wentombi wathi, “Phumula. Hlala kuze kube ngemva kwemini.” Ngakho bobabili badla ndawonye.
9 Lapho indoda isukuma ukuthi ihambe, yona lomfazi wayo omncinyane lejaha layo, uyisezala, uyise wentombazana, wathi kuyo: Khangela, khathesi ilanga selitshona, sekuzakuhlwa; ake ulale ubusuku; khangela, ilanga selikhotheme, lala ubusuku lapha, ukuze inhliziyo yakho ithokoze. Kusasa-ke lizavuka ngovivi ngohambo lwenu, uye ethenteni lakho.
Kwathi lapho umuntu lowo, lomkakhe weceleni kanye lenceku yakhe belungiselela ukusuka, uyisezala, uyise wentombi wathi, “Khangela, sekuzakuhlwa. Lala lapha; ilanga selizatshona. Hlala uzithokozise. Kusasa ekuseni kakhulu uzavuka uthathe indlela yakho yokuya ekhaya.”
10 Kodwa indoda kayithandanga ukulala ubusuku, kodwa yasukuma yahamba, yafika maqondana leJebusi eyiJerusalema. Yayilabobabhemi ababili ababotshelwe izihlalo; lomfazi wayo omncinyane wayelayo.
Kodwa umuntu lowo engasafuni ukulala obunye ubusuku lapho, wasuka waqonda eJebusi (leyo yiJerusalema), labobabhemi bakhe ababili ababebotshelwe izihlalo kanye lomkakhe weceleni.
11 Sebeseduze leJebusi ilanga laselitshonile kakhulu, ijaha laselisithi enkosini yalo: Ake uhambe, siphambukele kulo umuzi wamaJebusi, silale khona ubusuku.
Kwathi sebebanga eJebusi ilanga laselitshona, inceku yathi enkosini yayo, “Uyabona, kasime kulelidolobho lamaJebusi silale.”
12 Inkosi yayo yasisithi kuyo: Kasiyikuphambukela emzini wesizwe ongeyisiwo wabantwana bakoIsrayeli, kodwa sizadlulela eGibeya.
Inkosi yayo yathi, “Hayi. Kasiyikungena edolobheni elilabantu abangasibako-Israyeli. Sizaqhubeka siye eGibhiya.”
13 Yasisithi encekwini yayo: Woza sisondele kwenye yalezozindawo, siyelala ubusuku eGibeya kumbe eRama.
Wengeza wathi, “Kasambeni, sizame ukuyafika eGibhiya loba eRama, silale kwenye yalezizindawo.”
14 Basebesedlula behamba; ilanga labatshonela eduze leGibeya eyakoBhenjamini.
Ngakho baqhubeka, ilanga latshona sebebanga eGibhiya koBhenjamini.
15 Basebephambuka lapho ukuze bangene balale ubusuku eGibeya. Esengenile wahlala phansi emdangeni womuzi, ngoba kwakungekho muntu owabemukela endlini yakhe ukuze balale ubusuku.
Bema lapho ukuba balale khona. Bahamba bayahlala egcekeni ledolobho, kodwa kakho owabangenisa endlini yakhe ukuba balale khona.
16 Khangela-ke, kwafika ixhegu livela emsebenzini walo ensimini kusihlwa. Lowomuntu laye wayevela entabeni yakoEfrayimi; yena-ke wahlala njengowezizwe eGibeya. Kodwa abantu baleyondawo babengabakoBhenjamini.
Ngalokhokuhlwa ixhegu laselizweni lamaqaqa ko-Efrayimi, elalihlala eGibhiya (abantu bakuleyondawo babengabakoBhenjamini), lafika livela emsebenzini walo emasimini.
17 Esephakamise amehlo akhe wabona lowomuntu, isihambi, emdangeni womuzi, njalo ixhegu lathi: Uya ngaphi, njalo uvela ngaphi?
Selikhangele labona isihambi egcekeni ledolobho, ixhegu labuza lathi, “Liya ngaphi? Livela ngaphi?”
18 Wasesithi kulo: Siyedlula sivela eBhethelehema-Juda, siya eceleni elikhatshana lentaba yakoEfrayimi; ngivela lapho. Bengiye eBhethelehema-Juda, kodwa sengisiya endlini yeNkosi; kodwa kakulamuntu ongemukela endlini.
Yena waphendula wathi, “Siphakathi kohambo lwethu sivela eBhethilehema koJuda siya esiqintini esikhatshana elizweni lamaqaqa ko-Efrayimi lapho engihlala khona. Kade ngiseBhethilehema koJuda kodwa khathesi sengisiya endlini kaThixo. Akulamuntu ongingenise endlini yakhe.
19 Kube kanti kulamahlanga lokudla kwabobabhemi bethu, njalo kulesinkwa futhi lewayini lami lokwencekukazi yakho lokwejaha elilenceku zakho; kakuswelekanga lutho.
Silotshani lokudla kwabobabhemi bethu lesinkwa kanye lewayini lethu thina zinceku zakho, mina lencekukazi yakho kanye lejaha esilalo. Kasisweli lutho.”
20 Leloxhegu laselisithi: Ukuthula kakube kuwe. Kodwa zonke inswelo zakho ziphezu kwami. Kuphela ungalali emdangeni.
Ixhegu lathi, “Lamukelekile endlini yami. Ngizalinika konke elikuswelayo. Kodwa lingalali egcekeni.”
21 Ngakho laselimngenisa endlini yalo, lanika obabhemi ukudla. Basebegeza inyawo zabo, badla banatha.
Ngakho lamngenisa endlini yalo, lanika labobabhemi bakhe ukudla. Sebegeze inyawo zabo, badla banatha.
22 Besathokozisa inhliziyo yabo, khangela, amadoda omuzi, abantwana abathile bakaBheliyali, ayizingelezela indlu, etshaya esivalweni, akhuluma kumninindlu, ixhegu, esithi: Khupha lowomuntu ongene endlini yakho, ukuze simazi.
Besazitika, abanye babantu abaxhwalileyo bakulelodolobho bahanqa indlu leyo. Batshaya isivalo, bamemeza ixhegu elalingumnikazi wendlu besithi, “Mkhuphele phandle umuntu ongene endlini ukuze siye emacansini laye.”
23 Umuntu, umninindlu, wasephuma waya kiwo, wathi kiwo: Hatshi, bafowethu, ngiyalicela, lingenzi okubi; lokhu lumuntu engenile endlini yami, lingenzi lobubuthutha.
Umnikazi wendlu waya phandle wathi kubo, “Hayi, bangane bami, lingenzi okubi kangaka. Njengoba umuntu eyisethekeli sami, lingenzi into elihlazo kanje.
24 Khangelani, indodakazi yami eyintombi emsulwa, lomfazi wakhe omncane. Ake ngibakhuphele kini. Libathobise, lenze kibo okulungileyo emehlweni enu; kodwa kulumuntu lingenzi linto yobuthutha.
Khangelani, nansi indodakazi yami eyintombi egcweleyo, kanye lomfazi weceleni walindoda. Ngizabaletha phandle kini, lingabasebenzisa lenze kubo konke elikufisayo. Kodwa lingenzi ihlazo elinjalo kule indoda.”
25 Kodwa lawomadoda kawathandanga ukumlalela. Ngakho lowomuntu wasebamba umfazi wakhe omncane, wamkhuphela kibo phandle. Njalo amazi amdlova ubusuku bonke kwaze kwasa. Kwathi emadabukakusa amyekela wahamba.
Kodwa abantu labo kabamlalelanga. Ngakho indoda leyo yathatha umkayo weceleni yamusa phandle kubo, bamdlova njalo bamphatha kubi ubusuku bonke, kwathi emadabukakusa bamyekela wahamba.
26 Ngovivi lokusa owesifazana weza wawela phansi emnyango wendlu yomuntu lapho okwakukhona inkosi yakhe, kwaze kwakhanya.
Ekuseni owesifazane lowo waya endlini lapho umkakhe ayehlezi khona, wawela emnyango, walala khonapho kwaze kwakhanya.
27 Inkosi yakhe yasivuka ekuseni, yavula iminyango yendlu, yaphuma ukuze ihambe ngendlela yayo; khangela-ke, umfazi, umfazi wakhe omncane wayewele emnyango wendlu, lezandla zakhe ziphezu kombundu.
Esevukile umkakhe ekuseni, wavula umnyango wendlu waphuma ukuba aqhubeke ngohambo lwakhe, wabona umkakhe weceleni ewele emnyango wendlu, izandla zakhe zisentubeni yomnyango.
28 Yasisithi kuye: Sukuma, sihambe. Kodwa kakuphendulanga muntu. Yasimkhweza kubabhemi; indoda yasuka yaya endaweni yayo.
Wathi kuye, “Vuka; kasihambe.” Kodwa kamphendulanga. Ngakho umuntu lowo wambeka phezu kukababhemi wakhe wasuka waya emzini wakhe.
29 Lapho isifikile endlini yayo yathatha ingqamu, yambamba umfazi wayo omncane yamqumaquma lamathambo akhe iziqa ezilitshumi lambili; yamthumela kuyo yonke imingcele yakoIsrayeli.
Esefikile ekhaya wathatha ingqamu waquma umkakhe weceleni iziqayiqa ezilitshumi lambili wazithumela kuzozonke izigaba zako-Israyeli.
30 Kwasekusithi bonke abakubonayo bathi: Kakukaze kwenzeke njalo kakukaze kubonwe okunje kusukela ngosuku abantwana bakoIsrayeli abenyuka ngalo elizweni leGibhithe kuze kube lamuhla. Nakanani ngalokho, leluleke, likhulume.
Umuntu wonke owakubonayo lokho wathi, “Into enje kayikaze ibonakale loba yenziwe, selokhu u-Israyeli waphuma eGibhithe. Cabangani ngakho! Likuhlole! Litsho okungenziwa!”
