Abahluleli 21
1 Amadoda akoIsrayeli ayefungile-ke eMizipa esithi: Kakukho lamunye wethu ozanika indodakazi yakhe kuBhenjamini ibe ngumkakhe.
The men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, “None of us will allow our daughters to marry a Benjamite.”
2 Abantu basebesiza eBhetheli, bahlala lapho phambi kukaNkulunkulu kwaze kwahlwa, baphakamisa ilizwi labo bakhala inyembezi ngokukhala okukhulu.
The Israelites went to Bethel and sat there before God until the evening, crying loudly in distress.
3 Basebesithi: Kungani, O Nkosi, Nkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, kwenzeke lokhu koIsrayeli ukuthi kusilele lamuhla isizwe esisodwa koIsrayeli?
“Lord, God of Israel, why has this happened to Israel?” they asked. “Today one of our tribes is missing from Israel.”
4 Kwasekusithi kusisa abantu bavuka ngovivi, bakha ilathi lapho, banikela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yokuthula.
The next day they got up early, built an altar, and brought burnt offerings and friendship offerings.
5 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesithi: Ngubani ezizweni zonke zakoIsrayeli ongenyukelanga ebandleni eNkosini? Ngoba kwenziwa isifungo esikhulu ngalowo ongenyukelanga eNkosini eMizipa kuthiwa: Uzabulawa lokubulawa.
“Which of all the tribes of Israel didn't attend the assembly we held before the Lord?” they asked. For they had sworn a sacred oath that anyone who did not come before the Lord at Mizpah would without exception be executed.
6 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebezisola ngenxa kaBhenjamini umfowabo, bathi: Kuqunyiwe lamuhla isizwe esisodwa sisuke koIsrayeli.
The Israelites felt sorry for their brother Benjamin, saying, “Today one tribe has been hacked off from Israel!
7 Sizabenzelani abaseleyo ngabafazi, ngoba thina sifungile ngeNkosi ukuthi kasiyikubanika emadodakazini ethu abe ngomkabo?
What shall we do about wives for those who are left, since we have sworn an oath before the Lord that we will not allow any of our daughters to marry them?”
8 Basebesithi: Yisiphi ezizweni zakoIsrayeli esingenyukelanga eNkosini eMizipa? Khangela-ke kakuzanga loyedwa enkambeni ovela eJabeshi-Gileyadi ukuya ebandleni.
Then they asked, “Which one of all the tribes of Israel didn't attend the assembly we held before the Lord at Mizpah?” They found out that no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly,
9 Ngoba abantu babebaliwe, khangela-ke, kwakungekho muntu kubahlali beJabeshi-Gileyadi lapho.
for once they had done a head count, there was nobody there from Jabesh-gilead.
10 Ngakho inhlangano yathuma khona amadoda azinkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili awamaqhawe amakhulu, bawalaya bathi: Hambani liyetshaya abahlali beJabeshi-Gileyadi ngobukhali benkemba, labesifazana labantwanyana.
So the assembly sent twelve thousand of their best warriors there. They gave them orders, saying, “Go and kill the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with your swords, even the women and children.
11 Yile into elizayenza: Lizatshabalalisa wonke owesilisa laye wonke owesifazana owazi ukulala lowesilisa.
This is what you have to do: Destroy every male and every woman who has had sex with a man.”
12 Basebethola phakathi kwabahlali beJabeshi-Gileyadi amankazana angamakhulu amane izintombi ezimsulwa ezingayazanga indoda ngokulala lowesilisa; basebewaletha enkambeni eShilo, eselizweni leKhanani.
They managed to find among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred virgins who had not had sex with a man. They took them to the camp in Shiloh, in the land of Canaan.
13 Inhlangano yonke yasithumela yakhuluma labantwana bakoBhenjamini ababesedwaleni leRimoni; bamemezela ukuthula kibo.
Then the whole assembly sent a message to the Benjamites at Pomegranate Rock to tell them, “Peace!”
14 UBhenjamini wasebuya ngalesosikhathi, babanika abesifazana ababebagcine bephila kwabesifazana beJabeshi-Gileyadi, kodwa ngokunjalo kababanelanga.
So the men of Benjamin went back home, and gave to them the four hundred women from Jabesh-gilead who had been spared as wives. However, there wasn't enough for all of them.
15 Abantu basebezisola ngenxa kaBhenjamini ngoba iNkosi yayenze ukwehlukana ezizweni zakoIsrayeli.
The people felt sorry for the Benjamites because the Lord had made this empty hole among the Israelite tribes.
16 Abadala benhlangano basebesithi: Sizabenzelani abaseleyo ngabafazi, ngoba abesifazana bachithiwe koBhenjamini?
The elders of the assembly asked, “What shall we do to supply the remaining wives because all the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”
17 Basebesithi: Kumele kube lelifa labaphunyukileyo bakoBhenjamini, ukuze isizwe singatshabalaliswa koIsrayeli.
They added, “There have to be heirs for the Benjamite survivors—an Israelite tribe of Israel can't be wiped out.
18 Kodwa thina kasilakho ukubanika abafazi emadodakazini ethu, ngoba abantwana bakoIsrayeli bafungile besithi: Kaqalekiswe lowo onika uBhenjamini umfazi.
But we can't let them have our daughters as wives, since we as the people of Israel swore a sacred oath, saying, ‘Anyone who gives a wife to a Benjamite is cursed!’”
19 Basebesithi: Khangelani, kulomkhosi weNkosi eShilo iminyaka ngeminyaka engenyakatho kweBhetheli, lapho okuphuma khona ilanga komgwaqo omkhulu owenyuka usuka eBhetheli kusiya eShekema, langeningizimu kweLebona.
Then they said, “Look! Every year there's the Lord's festival in Shiloh. It's held north of Bethel, and east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem, south of Lebonah.”
20 Ngakho balaya abantwana bakoBhenjamini besithi: Hambani liyecathama ezivinini,
So they ordered the Benjamites, “Go and hide in the vineyards.
21 libone, njalo khangelani, nxa amadodakazi eShilo esephuma ukugida imigido, khona lizaphuma ezivinini lizibambele ngulowo lalowo umfazi wakhe emadodakazini eShilo, liye elizweni lakoBhenjamini.
Keep a lookout, and when you see the young women from Shiloh come out to perform their dances, run out from the vineyards, and each of you abduct a wife for yourself and go back home to the land of Benjamin.
22 Kuzakuthi nxa oyise loba abanewabo befika besola kithi, sizakuthi kibo: Senzeleni umusa ngenxa yabo, ngoba kasibathathelanga ngulowo lalowo umfazi wakhe empini, ngoba lina kalibanikanga wona ngalesisikhathi ukuthi licaleke.
If their fathers or brothers come complaining to us, we'll tell them, ‘Please do us a favor, because we couldn't find enough wives for them in the war. And it's not as if you're guilty of breaking the oath since you didn't give them in marriage.”
23 Ngakho abantwana bakoBhenjamini benza njalo, bathumba abafazi ngokwenani labo kwabagidayo ababahlwithayo; bahamba babuyela elifeni labo, bakha imizi, bahlala kiyo.
The Benjaminites did as they were ordered. Each man grabbed one of the women dancers up to the total needed and carried her off to be his wife. Then they went back to their own land, where they rebuilt their towns and lived in them.
24 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebechitheka besuka lapho ngalesosikhathi, ngulowo lalowo waya esizweni sakhe lakusendo lwakhe; basebephuma besuka lapho, ngulowo lalowo waya elifeni lakhe.
Then the Israelites left and went home to their tribes and families, each one going to the land they owned.
25 Ngalezonsuku kwakungelankosi koIsrayeli. Wonke umuntu wayesenza okwakulungile emehlweni akhe.
At that time Israel didn't have a king—everyone did what they themselves thought was the right thing to do.
