Judg 19 | NdeIBE | STEP | Ngalezozinsuku u-Israyeli wayengelankosi. UmLevi othile owayehlala esiqintini esikhatshana elizweni lamaqaqa elako-Efrayimi wathatha umfazi weceleni eBhethilehema koJuda.

Judges 19

UmLevi Lomfazi Wakhe Weceleni

1 Ngalezozinsuku u-Israyeli wayengelankosi. UmLevi othile owayehlala esiqintini esikhatshana elizweni lamaqaqa elako-Efrayimi wathatha umfazi weceleni eBhethilehema koJuda. 2 Kodwa umfazi wayengathembekanga kuye. Wamtshiya wabuyela endlini kayise eBhethilehema, koJuda. Esehlale khona okwezinyanga ezine,

3 indoda yamlandela ukuyamncenga ukuba abuye. Indoda yayilenceku yayo labobabhemi ababili. Umfazi wamngenisa endlini kayise, njalo kwathi uyise embona wamamukela ngokuthokoza. 4 Uyisezala, uyise wentombi, wamncenga ukuba ahlale; ngakho wahlala laye izinsuku ezintathu, esidla enatha, njalo elala khona.

5 Ngelanga lesine bavuka ekuseni walungisela ukusuka, kodwa uyise wentombi wathi kumkhwenyana wakhe, “Ake uziqaqabule ngongakudla; ubusuhamba.” 6 Ngakho bubili babo bahlala phansi badla banatha. Muva uyise wentombi wathi, “Ake ulale ubusuku balamhla uzithokozise.” 7 Kwathi umuntu lowo evuka ukuba ahambe, uyisezala wamncenga, ngakho walala khona ngalobobusuku. 8 Ekuseni kosuku lwesihlanu, wathi evuka ukuba ahambe, uyise wentombi wathi, “Ziqaqabule. Hlala kuze kube ngemva kwemini.” Ngakho bobabili badla ndawonye.

9 Kwathi lapho umuntu lowo, lomfazi wakhe 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 umuntu lowo engasafuni ukulala obunye ubusuku lapho, wasuka waqonda eJebusi (leyo yiJerusalema), labobabhemi bakhe ababili ababebotshelwe izihlalo kanye lomfazi wakhe weceleni.

11 Kwathi sebebanga eJebusi lelanga selitshona, inceku yathi enkosini yayo, “Uyabona, kasime kulelidolobho lamaJebusi silale.”

12 Inkosi yayo yathi, “Hayi. Kasiyikungena edolobheni lezizweni, abantu balo abangasiwo ma-Israyeli. Sizaqhubeka siye eGibheya.”

13 Wengeza wathi, “Uyabona, kasizameni ukuyafika eGibheya loba eRama silale kwenye yalezizindawo.” 14 Ngakho baqhubeka, ilanga latshona sebebanga eGibheya koBhenjamini.

15 Bema lapho ukuba balale khona. Bahamba bayahlala egcekeni ledolobho, kodwa kakho owabangenisa endlini yakhe ukuba balale khona.

16 Ngalokhokuhlwa ixhegu laselizweni lamaqaqa lako-Efrayimi, elalihlala eGibheya (abantu bakuleyondawo babengabakoBhenjamini), lafika livela emsebenzini walo emasimini. 17 Selikhangele labona isihambi egcekeni ledolobho, ixhegu labuza lathi, “Liya ngaphi? Livela ngaphi?”

18 Yena waphendula wathi, “Siphakathi kohambo lwethu sivela eBhethilehema koJuda sisiya esiqintini esikhatshana elizweni lamaqaqa lako-Efrayimi lapho engihlala khona. Kade ngiseBhethilehema koJuda kodwa khathesi sengisiya endlini kaJehova. Akulamuntu ongingenise endlini yakhe.

19 Silotshani lokudla kwabobabhemi bethu lesinkwa kanye lewayini lethu thina zinceku zakho – mina, lencekukazi yakho kanye lejaha esilalo. Kasisweli lutho.”

20 Ixhegu lathi, “Liyamukeleka endlini yami. Ngizalinika konke elikuswelayo. Kodwa lingalali egcekeni.” 21 Ngakho lamngenisa endlini yalo lanika labobabhemi bakhe ukudla. Sebegeze izinyawo zabo, badla banatha.

22 Besazitika, abanye babantu abaxhwalileyo bakulelodolobho bahanqa indlu leyo. Batshaya isivalo, bamemeza ixhegu elalingumnikazi wendlu besithi, “Mkhuphele phandle umuntu ongene endlini ukuze simenze umfazi.”

23 Umnikazi wendlu waya phandle wathi kubo, “Hayi, bangane bami, lingenzi okubi kangaka. Njengoba umuntu eyisethekeli sami, lingenzi into le elihlazo. 24 Khangelani, nansi indodakazi yami eyintombi egcweleyo, kanye lomfazi wendoda le weceleni. Ngizabaletha phandle kini, lingabasebenzisa lenze kubo konke elikufisayo. Kodwa lingenzi ihlazo elinjalo kule indoda.”

25 Kodwa abantu labo kabamlalelanga. Ngakho indoda leyo yathatha umfazi wayo weceleni yamusa phandle kubo, bamdlovula njalo bamphatha kubi ubusuku bonke, kwathi emadabukakusa bamyekela wahamba.

26 Ekuseni owesifazana lowo waya endlini lapho umkakhe ayehlezi khona, wawela emnyango walala khonapho kwaze kwakhanya.

27 Esevukile umkakhe ekuseni wavula umnyango wendlu waphuma ukuba aqhubeke ngohambo lwakhe, wabona nango umfazi wakhe weceleni ewele emnyango wendlu, izandla zakhe zisekungeneni komnyango.

28 Wathi kuye, “Vuka; kasihambe.” Kodwa kwakungelampendulo. Ngakho umuntu lowo wambeka phezu kukababhemi wakhe wasuka waya ekhaya.

29 Esefikile ekhaya wathatha ingqamu waquma umfazi wakhe weceleni iziqayiqa ezilitshumi lambili wazithumela kuzo zonke izigaba zako-Israyeli. 30 Umuntu wonke owakubonayo lokho wathi, “Into enje kayikaze ibonakale loba yenziwe, selokhu u-Israyeli waphuma eGibhithe. Cabangani ngakho! Kuhloleni! Sitsheleni okungenziwa!”