AbaHlulelii
19 Emihleni leyo, ngesikhathi kunganakosi kwa-Israyeli,+ umLevi obekahlala endaweni ekude yesifunda seentaba sakwa-Efrayimu+ wathatha ikhohlo eBhetlehema+ kwaJuda bona libe mkakhe. 2 Kodwana ikhohlo lakhe belingakathembeki kuye belamtjhiya laya endlini kayise eBhetlehema kwaJuda. Lahlala lapho iinyanga ezine. 3 Yeke indodalo yalilandela bona iyolincenga ukuthi libuye; yakhamba nencekwayo nabodumbana ababili. Ikhohlwelo layingenisa ngendlini kayise. Kwathi uyise lekhohlo nakayibonako, wathaba khulu. 4 Nje-ke umukhwe wendoda le, uyise lekhohlo, wamncenga bona ahlale naye amalanga amathathu; bebadla, basela begodu yalala khona.
5 Ngelanga lesine nabavukako ngamasa bona bakhambe, uyise lekhohlo wathi emkhwenyanenakhe: “Yidla okuthileko bona ube namandla, ngemva kwalokho ningakhamba.” 6 Bahlala phasi badla bobabili begodu basela ndawonye; ngemva kwalokho uyise lekhohlo wathi endodeni le: “Ngibawa uhlale ubusuku boke, uzithabise.” 7 Kwathi indoda le nayisikimako bona ikhambe, umukhwe wayo wasolo ayincenga, yeke yahlala lapho ubusuku boke godu.
8 Kwathi nayivukako ngamasa ngelanga lesihlanu bona ikhambe, uyise lekhohlo wathi kiyo: “Ngibawa udle okuthileko bona ube namandla.” Bariyada bekwaba sentambama begodu bobabili baraga nokudla. 9 Kwathi indoda le nayisikimako bona ikhambe nekhohlo layo nencekwayo, umukhwe wayo, uyise lekhohlo wathi kiyo: “Qala! Sekuhlwile nje. Ngibawa nihlale ubusuku boke, ilanga seliyokutjhinga. Ngibawa nihlale ubusuku boke nizithabise. Kusasa ningavuka ngamasa nikhambe, uye emzinakho.” 10 Nanyana kunjalo, indoda le akhenge ivume ukuhlala obunye ubusuku, yeke yasikima yakhamba beyayokufika eJebusi, okuyiJerusalema.+ Beyikhamba nabodumbana ababili ababotjhelelweko, ikhohlo layo nencekwayo.
11 Kwathi nabaseduze neJebusi, besele kuhlwile. Yeke inceku yathi ekosinayo: “Kghani singangeni edorobheni lamaJebuseli, silale khona?” 12 Ikosayo yayiphendula yathi: “Akukafuzi singene edorobheni labatjhili, lapho kuhlala khona abantu abangasima-Israyeli. Sizokukhamba besiyokufika eGibeya.”+ 13 Ngemva kwalokho yathi encekwinayo: “Yiza, asilinge ukufika kwenye yeendawezo; sizokulala eGibeya namkha eRama.”+ 14 Yeke bangena indlela begodu ilanga lathoma ukutjhinga nabaseduze neGibeya yakwaBhenjamini.
15 Yeke bajama lapho begodu bangena eGibeya bona bayokulala khona. Kwathi nabangaphakathi, bahlala phasi etatawini ledorobho kodwana akunamuntu owabathathako bona bayokulala endlinakhe.+ 16 Ngelikade entambama leyo, kwavela iqhegu libuya emsebenzinalo esimini. Gade livela esifundeni seentaba sakwa-Efrayimu+ begodu belihlala eGibeya ngesikhatheso; izakhamuzi zedorobhelo bekumaBhenjamini.+ 17 Kwathi nalibona indoda leyo, isikhambi etatawini ledorobho, iqhegwelo lathi: “Uyaphi begodu uvelaphi?” 18 Yaphendula yathi: “Sivela eBhetlehema kwaJuda, siya endaweni ekude yesifunda seentaba sakwa-Efrayimu, lapho engivela khona. Bengiye eBhetlehema kwaJuda+ begodu ngiya endlini kaJehova* kodwana akunamuntu ongithathako angingenise endlinakhe. 19 Sinomhlanga nefuru eyaneleko yabodumbana bethu,+ mina, nomfazi nencekwethu sinoburotho+ newayini. Asitlhogi litho.” 20 Nanyana kunjalo, iqhegwelo lathi: “Kwanga ungaba nokuthula! Ngivumela ngitjheje nanyana yini oyitlhogako. Kwaphela ningalali etatawinapha.” 21 Ngalokho labangenisa endlinalo begodu lapha abodumbana ukudla. Ngemva kwalokho, bahlamba iinyawo, badla bebasela.
22 Kwathi nabasazithabisako, amanye amadoda angazisiko wedorobhelo abhoda indlu asolo abetha umnyango, bewasolo athi eqhegwini lendlu leyo: “Khupha indoda engene endlinakho bona siye nayo emsemeni.”+ 23 Umninimuzi waphuma wathi kiwo: “Awa, bafowethu, ningenzi into ekhohlakeleko. Ngiyabawa, indoda le isivakatjhi kwami. Ningenzi into ehlazisako leyo. 24 Nginomntazana ongakathintwa nekhohlo lendoda le. Nange kufuze nikwenze lokho anginikhuphele bona, kube ngibo enibahlazisako.+ Kodwana akukafuzi nenze into ehlazisako leyo endodeni le.”
25 Kodwana amadoda la akhenge amlalele, yeke umLevi wabamba ikhohlo+ lakhe walisa kiwo ngaphandle. Aligagadlhela bewalitlhorisa ubusuku boke bekwasa. Ngemva kwalokho, alikhambisa nakuthoma ukusa. 26 Ekuseni ngamasa, umfazi lo weza wawela phasi ebungenweni bendlu yeqhegu lapho bekunekosakhe khona, walala lapho bekwakhanya. 27 Kwathi ikosakhe nayivukako ekuseni begodu ivula iminyango yendlu bona iphume irage nekhambo layo, yabona umfazi, ikhohlo layo, alele ebungenweni bendlu, izandla zakhe zisendaweni yokungena. 28 Yathi kuye: “Vuka; sikhambe.” Kodwana akhenge kube nependulo. Indoda le yambeka phezu kwakadumbana, yatjhinga ekhaya.
29 Kwathi nayifika emzinayo, yathatha umukhwa wokuhlahlela yahlahlela ikhohlo layo laba ziinquqwana ezili-12 begodu yathumela isiqu sinye kwesinye nesinye isifunda sakwa-Israyeli. 30 Woke umuntu owazibonako wathi: “Into enje akhenge kheyenzeke namkha ibonwe kusukela ngelanga ama-Israyeli akhuphuka ngalo aphuma enarheni yeGibhide bekube kunamhlanjesi. Cabangisisani ngayo, nibonisane,+ ngemva kwalokho nisitjele ukuthi senzeni.”