1Abantu bakwa-Israyeli baphuma kusukela kwaDani kuya eBheri Sheba, nakwaGileyadi, babuthana eMizpha kwaba ngathi ngumuntu munye, phambi kukaSimakade.
2Abaholi babo bonke abantu, bazo zonke izizwana zakwa-Israyeli, babekhona emhlanganweni wabantu bakaNkulunkulu, amabutho ahamba ngezinyawo ephethe izikhali ayeyizi-400 000.
3Abozalo lukaBhenjamini bezwa ukuthi abantu bakwa-Israyeli bakhuphukele eMizpha. Abantu bakwa-Israyeli bathi: “Sitshele, lobu bubi benzeke kanjani, na?”
4UmLevi, umyeni wowesifazane owabulawa, waphendula wathi: “Ngafika eGibheya kwaBhenjamini, mina nesancinza sami, ukuba silale khona ngalobo busuku.
5Izakhamuzi zaseGibheya zangivukela, zazungeza indlu ebusuku. Zaziqonde ukungibulala; zadlwengula isancinza sami saze safa.
6Ngasithatha isancinza sami, ngasinquma izinqamu, ngazithumela ezifundeni zonke eziyifa lakwa-Israyeli, ngokuba izakhamuzi zenze ububi nobuwula obuyihlazo kwa-Israyeli.
7Bhekani Israyeli, nonke ngothi lwenu, vezani uvo lwenu, nikhiphe iseluleko khona manje.”
8Bonke abantu basukuma njengamuntu munye, bathi: “Sonke asiyukuphindela emathendeni ethu, akekho namunye ozakubuyela endlini yakhe.
9Kepha manje yilokhu esizokwenza ngeGibheya: sizokwenza unkatho, sikhuphukele kulo silihlasele.
10Siyothatha amadoda alishumi kwayikhulu kuzo zonke izizwana zakwa-Israyeli, nayikhulu kwayinkulungwane, nayinkulungwane kwalishumi lezinkulungwane, ukuba ahlinzeke amabutho ngokudla, azohamba ayophindisela eGibheya kwaBhenjamini ngalobu buwula obuyihlazo ababenzile kwa-Israyeli.”
11Wonke amadoda akwa-Israyeli abuthana ukuze ahlasele umuzi, ehlangene eyimbumba.
12Izizwana zakwa-Israyeli zathuma abantu kuso sonke isizwana sakwaBhenjamini, zathi: “Bubi buni lobu obenziwe phakathi kwenu, na?
13Manje, lethani lezo zigilamkhuba eziseGibheya ukuze sizibulale, sisuse ububi kwa-Israyeli.” Kodwa abakwaBhenjamini abafunanga ukulalela abafowabo bakwa-Israyeli.
14AbakwaBhenjamini babuthanela eGibheya bevela emizini, ukuze baphume bayolwa nabakwa-Israyeli.
15AbakwaBhenjamini ababalwa ngalolo lusuku babengamadoda ayizi-26 000 ahlome ngenkemba, aphuma emizini yakhona, zingabaliwe izakhamuzi zaseGibheya. Amadoda abalwa, akhethwa ayengama-700.
16Kuwona wonke lowo mbutho, kwakukhona amadoda angama-700 ayeqokiwe engamanxele wonke, ayekwazi ukunemba ngetshe, angageji.
17Abakwa-Israyeli, ngaphandle kwabakwaBhenjamini, baba ngamadoda ayizi-400 000 ayehlome ngenkemba, wonke kungamaqhawe.
18Abakwa-Israyeli baqhubeka, benyukela eBhethele, lapho babuza khona kuNkulunkulu, bathi: “Ngubani phakathi kwethu ozokhuphuka kuqala ukuba alwe nabakwaBhenjamini na?” USimakade wathi: “NguJuda ozokhuphuka kuqala.”
19Abakwa-Israyeli bavuka ekuseni, bakanisa ngaseGibheya.
20Abakwa-Israyeli baphuma ukuyolwa nabakwaBhenjamini, bama ngezinhla zabo, balwa nabo eGibheya.
21AbakwaBhenjamini baphuma eGibheya, babulala ngalolo lusuku abakwa-Israyeli abayizi-22 000.
22Abantu, amadoda akwa-Israyeli, baqunga isibindi, babuye bayihlela ngezinhla zayo impi lapho babeyihlele khona ngosuku lokuqala.
23Abakwa-Israyeli bakhuphuka, bayokhala phambi kukaSimakade kwaze kwaba kusihlwa; babuza kuSimakade, bathi: “Siphinde yini sisondele kubafowethu bakwaBhenjamini siyolwa nabo, na?” USimakade wathi: “Khuphukani, nilwe nabo.”
24Abakwa-Israyeli basondela kwabakwaBhenjamini ngosuku lwesibili.
25AbakwaBhenjamini baphuma eGibheya ukuyolwa nabakwa-Israyeli ngosuku lwesibili, babulala abayizi-18 000 zamadoda akwa-Israyeli ayehlome ngenkemba.
26Abakwa-Israyeli, yonke impi, babuyela eBhethele, bakhala, behleli lapho phambi kukaSimakade, bazila ukudla ngalolo lusuku kwaze kwaba kusihlwa. Base benikela phambi kukaSimakade ngemihlatshelo yokushiswa nangemihlatshelo yokuthula.
27Abakwa-Israyeli babuza kuSimakade ngokuba umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wawulapho ngalezo zinsuku,
28noFinehasi, indodana ka-Eleyazare ka-Aroni, wayemi phambi kwawo ngalezo zinsuku, bathi: “Siphinde yini siphume siyolwa nabafowethu bakwaBhenjamini noma siyeke, na?” USimakade waphendula wathi: “Khuphukani, ngokuba kusasa ngizobanikela esandleni senu.”
29Abakwa-Israyeli babeka amadoda azungeza iGibheya, alilalela unyendle.
30Abakwa-Israyeli base bekhuphuka bayolwa nabakwaBhenjamini ngosuku lwesithathu, bazihlela ngezinhla njengakuqala, balwa neGibheya.
31Lapho abakwaBhenjamini bephuma ukuyokulwa nabakwa-Israyeli, yabaheha eyakwa-Israyeli ukuba baqhele emzini. AbakwaBhenjamini baqala ukubulala, nokulimaza amabutho, kwasala amadoda angama-30 akwa-Israyeli enkundleni, emigwaqweni, nasendleleni eqonde eBhethele naseGibheya.
32AbakwaBhenjamini bathi: “Bayawa ngenkemba phambi kwethu njengakuqala.” Kodwa abakwa-Israyeli bona bathi: “Masihlehle, yikhona sizobandonsela kude nomuzi, baye emigwaqweni.”
33Impi enkulu yakwa-Israyeli yasuka endaweni yayo, yazihlela ngezinhla zayo eBheli Thamari. Ababebalalele unyendle bavumbuka lapho babekhona eGebha.
34Kweza malungana neGibheya amadoda ayizi-10 000 ayekhethwe kuwo wonke u-Israyeli. Impi yayinzima kakhulu, kodwa abakwaBhenjamini babengaboni ukuthi ingakanani inhlekelele eyayizobehlela.
35USimakade wabanqoba abakwaBhenjamini phambi kuka-Israyeli. Abakwa-Israyeli babhubhisa amadoda akwaBhenjamini ayizi-25 100, wonke ayehlome ngenkemba.
36AbakwaBhenjamini babona ukuthi sebenqotshiwe. Abakwa-Israyeli bona babavulela indlela yokubaleka abakwaBhenjamini, ngoba bethemba amabutho ababewabeke ukuba abalalele unyendle ngaseGibheya.
37Amabutho ayebhacile, agijimela eGibheya ngokushesha, ayesewubhubhisa wonke umuzi ngenkemba.
38Isivumelwano phakathi kwababebhacile nempi yakwa-Israyeli kwakungukuthi lapho bebona isikhatha sentuthu sivela emzini,
39yonke impi enkulu yakwa-Israyeli iyophenduka ibuyele empini. Kodwa abakwaBhenjamini baqala ukubulala nokulimaza abakwa-Israyeli; kwathi sebebulele amadoda angama-30, bathi: “Impela banqotshiwe phambi kwethu njengasekuqaleni.”
40Kepha lapho isikhatha sentuthu siqala ukukhuphuka sivela emzini, abakwaBhenjamini babheka emuva; bheka, isikhatha sentuthu sibheke esibhakabhakeni sivela kuwo wonke umuzi.
41Impi enkulu yakwa-Israyeli yabe isiphenduka ihlasela. AbakwaBhenjamini bashaywa luvalo, ngokuba babona ukuthi inhlekelele isibehlele.
42Ngakho-ke babaleka phambi kwabakwa-Israyeli, bemba bembulula belibhekise ngasehlane, kodwa impi yabafica labo ababevela ngasemzini, bababulala phakathi kwayo.
43Babazungeza abakwaBhenjamini nxazonke, babahubha, bababhuqabhuqa ngenkemba kwaze kwaba maqondana neGibheya, ngasempumalanga.
44Kwafa abayizi-18 000 bakwaBhenjamini, bonke kwakungamaqhawe anesibindi.
45Lapho bephenduka bebalekela ehlane, edwaleni likaRimoni, kwacoboshiswa abayizi-5 000 emigwaqweni emikhulu. Baxoshwa kwaze kwaba seGidomi, kwabulawa izi-2 000 zabo.
46AbakwaBhenjamini ababulawa ngalolo lusuku kwakungamadoda ayizi-25 000 ayehlome ngezinkemba, futhi wonke engamaqhawe.
47Kepha angama-600 aphendukela ngasehlane, abalekela edwaleni likaRimoni, ahlala lapho izinyanga ezine.
48Ngaleso sikhathi, abakwa-Israyeli baphindela emuva, babulala ngenkemba abakwaBhenjamini ababesemzini: abantu, izilwane, nakho konke okwakusele, ngisho nemizi eyayisele bayithungela ngomlilo.