ABahluleli 19:1-30
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AbakoBhenjamini babamba umfazi womLevi iganyavu eGibheya (1-30)
19 Ngalezonsuku kwakungelankosi ko-Israyeli.+ Omunye umLevi owayehlala endaweni ekhatshana elizweni lezintaba lako-Efrayimi+ wathatha omunye umfazi eBhethilehema+ koJuda.
2 Kodwa owesifazana lo wayefeba futhi wasuka wabuyela emzini kayise eBhethilehema koJuda, wayahlala khona okwenyanga ezine.
3 Umkakhe wamlandela esiyamncenga ukuthi aphenduke. Wahamba lesisebenzi sakhe labobabhemi ababili. Wathi efika, owesifazana lo wamngenisa emzini kayise njalo uyisezala wathokoza kakhulu embona,
4 wasemcela ukuthi ahlale emzini wakhe okwamalanga amathathu. Babesidla benatha njalo wayelala khona.
5 Ngelanga lesine bavuka ekuseni kakhulu belungiselela uhambo kodwa uyisezala womLevi wathi: “Qala udle uthole amandla, beselihamba.”
6 Ngakho bahlala phansi badla banatha. Ngemva kwalokhu uyisezala wathi: “Ngicela ulale lapha uzikholisele.”*
7 UmLevi wathi esesuka uyisezala waqhubeka emncenga ukuthi angahambi, yikho walala khona futhi.
8 Ngelanga lesihlanu wathi evuka ekuseni eselungela ukuhamba, uyisezala wathi kuye: “Ngicela udle ukuze ube lamandla.” Yikho baqhubeka besidla, balibala kwaze kwaba ntambama.
9 UmLevi wathi esesuka lomkakhe lesisebenzi sakhe, uyisezala wathi kuye: “Khangela ilanga selizatshona. Ngicela lilale lapha lalamuhla ngoba sekuzaba mnyama. Lizavuka ekuseni kakhulu libuyele emzini wakho.”*
10 Kodwa wayengafuni ukulala lapho futhi, yikho wasuka wahamba waze wayafika eJebusi okutsho iJerusalema.+ Wayelomkakhe lesisebenzi sakhe kanye labobabhemi bakhe ababili.
11 Bathi sebebanga eJebusi ilanga laselisiyatshona. Ngakho isisebenzi somLevi sathi: “Sime yini edolobheni lamaJebusi silale khona?”
12 Kodwa inkosi yaso yathi: “Akumelanga sime edolobheni labantu besinye isizwe, abantu abangayisibo bako-Israyeli. Sizahamba size siyefika eGibheya.”+
13 Yaqhubeka yathi esisebenzini sayo: “Asiphakamiseni inyawo sizame ukuyafika eGibheya loba eRama.+ Yikho lapho esizalala khona.”
14 Ngakho baqhubeka ngohambo lwabo, ilanga labatshonela sebeseduze leGibheya yakoBhenjamini.
15 Basebephambukela edolobheni leGibheya besiyadinga indawo yokulala. Bafika bahlala egcekeni ledolobho, kodwa kakho owababiza ukuthi bazolala endlini yakhe.+
16 Ngemva kwesikhathi kwathutsha ixhegu livela emasimini. Lalidabuka elizweni lezintaba lako-Efrayimi+ njalo lalihlala eGibheya ngalesosikhathi. Izakhamizi zakulelodolobho zona zazingezakoBhenjamini.+
17 Ixhegu lathi livusa amehlo labona isihambi egcekeni ledolobho laselisithi kuso: “Uyangaphi njalo uvela ngaphi?”
18 UmLevi waphendula wathi: “Siphakathi kohambo, sivela eBhethilehema koJuda njalo siya khonale elizweni lezintaba lako-Efrayimi, yikho lapho engihlala khona. BengiseBhethilehema koJuda+ kodwa khathesi sengibuyela endlini kaJehova.* Manje akulamuntu ongingenise emzini wakhe.
19 Silotshani lokudla okwaneleyo kwabobabhemi+ bethu lesinkwa+ lewayini. Mina lomkami kanye lesisebenzi sami kasisweli lutho.”
20 Kodwa ixhegu lathi: “Kwangathi ungaba lokuthula! Ngivumela ngikwenzele loba yini oyifunayo. Engikucelayo kuphela yikuthi ungalali egcekeni ledolobho.”
21 Ngakho lahamba laye emzini walo lafika lanika obabhemi bakhe ukudla. Ngemva kwalokho bageza inyawo badla banatha.
22 Bathi besazikholisela, amadoda axhwalileyo edolobho lelo ahanqa indlu ababekuyo. Ayelokhu etshaya isivalo esithi exhegwini: “Khiphela phandle indoda engene endlini yakho ngoba sifuna ukulala layo.”+
23 Ixhegu laphuma phandle lathi kuwo: “Hatshi bafowethu lingenzi into embi kangaka. Umuntu lo ungivakatshele. Ngicela lingenzi ihlazo elinjalo.
24 Thathani indodakazi yami eyintombi egcweleyo lomfazi wendoda le. Ngicela ukubakhiphela phandle libambe bona, libenze elikufunayo.+ Lingenzi ihlazo elinjalo endodeni le.”
25 Kodwa amadoda la kawazange alalele, yikho indoda engumLevi yathatha umkayo+ yamkhiphela phandle. Bambamba iganyavu bamhlukuluza ubusuku bonke, kwathi ekuseni bamyekela wahamba.
26 Ekuseni kakhulu owesifazana lo wafika wawela emnyango wendlu lapho okwakulele khona inkosi yakhe, walala lapho kwaze kwakhanya.
27 Inkosi yakhe yavuka ekuseni yalungela ukuqhubeka ngohambo lwayo. Ithe ivula iminyango yabona umkayo elele emnyango, izandla zakhe zisesitubhini somnyango.
28 Yasisithi kuye: “Vuka sihambe.” Kodwa akubanga lempendulo. Ngakho yamphakamisa yambeka phezu kukababhemi, yangena indlela isiya emzini wayo.
29 Yafika emzini wayo yathatha umhedla wengqamu yaqumaquma umkayo waba yiziqa ezingu-12, yazithumela kuzo zonke izabelo zako-Israyeli.
30 Bonke abakubonayo lokhu bathi: “Okunje akukaze kwenzakale futhi asikaze sibone into enje selokhu abako-Israyeli baphuma eGibhithe kuze kube lamuhla. Cabangisisani ngakho* licebisane,+ beselisitshela ukuthi senzeni.”
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “uthokozise inhliziyo yakho.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “etendeni lakho.”
^ Ezinye inguqulo zithi, “futhi ngisebenza endlini kaJehova.”
^ Kumbe, “Fakani inhliziyo zenu kukho.”
