"9 kwakukhona umuntu wakwabhenjamini, igama lakhe kungukishi,+ indodana ka--abhiyeli, indodana kazerori, indodana kabhekhorati, indodana ka--afiya, umbhenjamini,+ umuntu owayecebe kakhulu.+ 2 wayenendodana egama layo lingusawule,+ isencane futhi iyigeza, akukho muntu kubantwana bakwa--israyeli owayemuhle kunayo; yayiyinde kunabo bonke abantu kusukela emahlombe kuya phezulu.+ 3 kwalahleka izimbongolokazi+ zikakishi uyise kasawule. ngakho ukishi wathi kusawule indodana yakhe: “ngicela uhambe kanye nesinye sezikhonzi, uye kofuna izimbongolokazi.” 4 wahamba edabula isifunda sezintaba sakwa--efrayimi+ futhi wadlulela ezweni laseshalisha,+ kodwa abazitholanga. badlula bedabula izwe laseshahalimi, kodwa zazingekho lapho. wadlula edabula izwe labakwabhenjamini, kodwa abazitholanga. 5 bafika ezweni lasezufi; usawule yena wathi esikhonzini sakhe esasikanye naye: “woza, masibuyele emuva, ukuze ubaba angayeki ukubheka izimbongolokazi abese empeleni ekhathazeka ngathi.”+ 6 kodwa sathi kuye: “bheka, ngiyacela! kukhona umuntu kankulunkulu+ kulo muzi, futhi uyahlonishwa lo muntu. konke akushoyo kuyagcwaliseka nakanjani.+ masiye khona manje. mhlawumbe angasitshela indlela yethu okumelwe sihambe ngayo.” 7 usawule wathi esikhonzini sakhe: “uma siya, sizomphathelani lowo muntu?+ ngoba isinkwa sesiphelile ezitsheni zethu, futhi akukho lutho esingamphathela lona njengesipho+ lowo muntu kankulunkulu weqiniso. yini esinayo?” 8 ngakho saphinda futhi isikhonzi samphendula usawule sathi: “bheka! kukhona ingxenye yesine yeshekeli+ lesiliva esandleni sami, ngizoyinika lo muntu kankulunkulu weqiniso, yena asitshele indlela yethu.” 9 (ezikhathini zangaphambili kwa--israyeli nansi indlela umuntu ayekhuluma ngayo lapho eya kofuna unkulunkulu: “wozani, masiye kumboni.”+ ngoba umprofethi wanamuhla wayebizwa ngokuthi umboni ezikhathini zangaphambili.) 10 khona--ke usawule wathi esikhonzini sakhe: “izwi lakho lihle.+ woza, masiye.” bahamba baya emzini lapho umuntu kankulunkulu weqiniso ayekhona. 11 lapho benyuka ummango beya emzini, bathola amantombazane ephuma eyokha amanzi.+ ngakho bathi kuwo: “ingabe umboni+ ukule ndawo?” 12 khona--ke abaphendula athi: “ukhona. bhekani! ungaphambi kwenu. manje sheshani, ngoba namuhla ufikile emzini, ngoba namuhla kukhona umhlatshelo+ wabantu, endaweni ephakeme.+ 13 lapho nje ningena emzini, nizomthola ngokushesha ngaphambi kokuba akhuphukele endaweni ephakeme ukuyodla; ngoba abantu abanakudla kuze kube yilapho efika, ngoba nguye obusisa umhlatshelo.+ ngemva kwalokho labo abamenyiwe sebengadla. manje yenyukani, ngoba yena—nizomthola kwamanje.” 14 ngakho banyukela emzini. njengoba babengena phakathi nomuzi, nango usamuweli ephuma ezobahlangabeza ukuba bakhuphukele endaweni ephakeme. 15 ujehova yena, wayeyambulile indlebe+ kasamuweli ngosuku olungaphambi kokuba usawule afike, ethi: 16 “kusasa ngalesi sikhathi ngizothumela kuwe umuntu ovela ezweni lakwabhenjamini,+ kumelwe umgcobe+ njengomholi phezu kwabantu bami u--israyeli; uzosindisa abantu bami esandleni samafilisti,+ ngoba ngikubonile ukuhlupheka kwabantu bami, ngoba isililo sabo sifikile kimi.”+ 17 usamuweli wambona usawule, ujehova yena, wamphendula wathi: “nangu umuntu engithé kuwe ngaye, ‘yilo ozogcina abantu bami bengaphakathi kwemikhawulo.’”+ 18 khona--ke usawule waya kusamuweli phakathi kwesango wathi: “ngicela ungitshele, ukuphi ngempela umuzi womboni?” 19 usamuweli wamphendula usawule wathi: “yimi umboni. hamba phambi kwami ukhuphukele endaweni ephakeme, futhi kumelwe nidle kanye nami namuhla,+ ngikumukise ekuseni, futhi ngizokutshela konke okusenhliziyweni yakho.+ 20 ngokuqondene nezimbongolokazi ezikulahlekele ezinsukwini ezintathu ezidlule,+ ungabe usayibeka inhliziyo+ yakho kuzo, ngoba zitholakele. kanti kungokukabani konke okufiselekayo kuka--israyeli?+ akukhona yini okwakho nayo yonke indlu kayihlo?” 21 usawule waphendula wathi: “angiyena yini mina umbhenjamini wesizwe esincane kunazo zonke+ kwa--israyeli,+ futhi umndeni wakithi awuwona yini ongelutho kunayo yonke imindeni yesizwe sakwabhenjamini?+ pho kungani ukhulume kimi into efana nale?”+ 22 khona--ke usamuweli wathatha usawule kanye nesikhonzi sakhe wabayisa ehholo lokudlela wabanika indawo engaphambi+ kweyabamenyiwe; babengamadoda angaba amashumi amathathu. 23 kamuva usamuweli wathi kumpheki: “letha lesiya sabelo engikunike sona, engithé kuwe ngaso, ‘sigcine ngakuwe.’” 24 umpheki waphakamisa umlenze nokwakukuwo, wawubeka phambi kukasawule. wayesethi: “nakhu obekugciniwe. kubeke phambi kwakho. yidla, ngoba bakugcinele kona kuze kube yisikhathi esimisiwe ukuze udle kanye nabamenyiwe.” ngakho usawule wadla nosamuweli ngalolo suku. 25 ngemva kwalokho behla endaweni ephakeme+ baya emzini, waqhubeka ekhuluma nosawule ephezu kwendlu.+ 26 khona--ke bavuka ekuseni, futhi kwathi lapho nje kuntwela ukusa usamuweli wabiza usawule ephezu kwendlu, wathi: “vuka ukuze ngikumukise.” ngakho usawule wavuka base bephumela ngaphandle bobabili, yena nosamuweli. 27 lapho behla ngasemaphethelweni omuzi usamuweli wathi kusawule: “tshela isikhonzi+ ukuba sidlule sihambe ngaphambi kwethu”—ngakho sadlula—“kepha wena, yima manje ukuze ngikuzwise izwi likankulunkulu.”