1 Ngoku kwaye kukho indawo eShemloni apho iintombi zamaLeymenayithi zazibutha khona ukuba zivume, zize zidanise, zize zizonwabise.

2 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba ngamhla uthile kwabakho inani elincinane labo elalibuthile ukuba livume iingoma kwaye lidanise.

3 Kwaye ngoku ababingeleli bakakumkani uNowa, beneentloni zokubuyela esixekweni sikaNifayi, ewe, kananjalo besoyika ukuba abantu baya kubabulala, ke ngoko babengenakulinga ukubuyela ebafazini babo nasebantwaneni babo.

4 Baze ke behleli entlango, bathi babhaqa iintombi zamaLeymenayithi, balala bathi nca baze bazibukela;

5 Kwaye kwathi kwakuba kukho abambalwa nje babo ababebuthile bedanisa, baye beza phambili bephuma endaweni yabo efihlakeleyo baza bazithabatha kwaye bazithwala baya entlango; ewe, amashumi amabini anesine eentombi zamaLeymenayithi bazithwalela entlango.

6 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba xa amaLeymenayithi efumanisa ukuba iintombi zawo zilahlekile, aba nomsindo nabantu bakaLimhayi, kuba babecinga ukuba yayingabantu bakaLimhayi abazibileyo.

7 Ke ngoko bathumela imikhosi yabo phambili; ewe, kwanaye ukumkani ngokwakhe wabakhokela abantu bakhe; kwaye benyuka baya kwilizwe likaNifayi ukuba batshalalise abantu bakaLimhayi.

8 Kwaye ngoku uLimhayi ebesebabhaqile esenkcochoyini, kwanawo onke amalungiselelo emfazwe wawabhaqa; ke ngoko wabahlanganisa kunye abantu bakhe, kwaye babalalela bebalindele emasimini nasemahlathini.

9 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba akuba amaLeymenayithi enyukile afika, abantu bakaLimhayi baqalisa ukubahlasela kwezo ndawo babelinde kuzo, baze baqalisa ukubabulala.

10 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba idabi laye lisiba buhlungu ngokugqithisileyo, kuba balwa ngokungathi ziingonyama zisilwela ixhoba lazo.

11 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba abantu bakaLimhayi baqalisa ukuwaqhuba amaLeymenayithi phambi kwabo; kanti ke babengesiso nesiqingatha sentlaninge yamaLeymenayithi. Kodwa ^abalwela ubomi babo, nabafazi babo, nabantwana babo; ke ngoko bazama ngamandla abo onke kwaye balwa njengeenamba.

12 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba baye bamfumana ukumkani wamaLeymenayithi ephakathi kwabafileyo bawo; kanti ke wayengafanga, enzakalisiwe nje waza washiywa emhlabeni, kwakukhawuleze kangako ke ukusaba kwabantu bakhe.

13 Kwaye bamthabatha baza bambopha amanxeba akhe, baza bamzisa phambi koLimhayi, baza bathi: Qaphela, nguye lo ukumkani wamaLeymenayithi; ekubeni efumene inxeba uye wawa phakathi kwabafileyo bawo, kwaye bamshiyile; kwaye qaphela, simzise phambi kwakho; kwaye ngoku siyeke simbulale.

14 Kodwa uLimhayi wathi kubo: Anisayi kumbulala, kodwa mziseni apha ukuze ndimbone. Kwaye bamzisa. Kwaye uLimhayi wathi kuye: Sizathu sini esikubangele okokuba unyuke uzokulwa imfazwe ngokuchasene nabantu bam? Qaphela, abantu bam abasaphulanga ^aisifungo endasenza kuwe; ke ngoko, kungani na ukuba usaphule isifungo owasenzayo kubantu bam?

15 Kwaye ngoku ukumkani wathi: Ndisaphule isifungo ngenxa yokuba abantu bakho baye bazithwala bemka nazo iintombi zabantu bam; ke ngoko, emsindweni wam ndiye ndabenza abantu bam ukuba benyuke bazokulwa imfazwe ngokuchasene nabantu bakho.

16 Kwaye ngoku uLimhayi ebengakhange eve nto malunga nalo mba; ke ngoko wathi: Ndiza kukhangela phakathi kwabantu bam kwaye nabani na oyenzileyo le nto uza kutshabalala. Ke ngoko wenza okokuba kuphendlwe phakathi kwabantu bakhe.

17 Ngoku akuba ^auGidiyon ezivile ezi zinto, yena ke engumphathi-mkhosi kakumkani, weza ngaphambili kwaye wathi kuye ukumkani: Ndiyakuthandaza uzibambe, kwaye ungaphendli kwaba bantu, kwaye ungababeki tyala aba bantu ngale nto.

18 Kuba akubakhumbuli na ababingeleli bakayihlo, ababefunwa ngaba bantu ukuze babatshabalalise? Kwaye ingaba abakho entlango kusini na? Kwaye ingaba asingabo na abazibileyo iintombi zamaLeymenayithi?

19 Kwaye ngoku, qaphela, kwaye umxelele ukumkani ngazo ezi zinto, ukuze abenako ukubaxelela abantu bakhe ukuze bathobozeke ngakuthi; kuba qaphela sele beqalisile ukulungiselela ukuza ngokuchasene nathi; kwaye qaphela kanjalo siligcuntswana nje.

20 Kwaye qaphela, beza nentlaninge yemikhosi yabo; kwaye ngaphandle kokuba ukumkani abathoboze ngakuthi kuya kufuneka sitshabalale.

21 Kuba ingaba amazwi ka-Abhinadayi ^aawazalisekanga na, awathi wawaprofetha ngokuchasene nathi—kwaye konke oku kungenxa yokokuba sasingawaphulaphuli amazwi eNkosi, kwaye siguquke kubo ubugwenxa bethu?

22 Kwaye ngoku ke masimthoboze ukumkani, kwaye sisizalisekise isifungo esathi sasenza kuye; kuba kulungile ukuba sibe sebukhobokeni kunokuba siphulukane nobomi bethu; ke ngoko, masiyiphelise impalalo-gazi engaka.

23 Kwaye ngoku uLimhayi wamxelela ukumkani zonke izinto malunga noyise, ^anangababingeleli abathi basabela entlango, kwaye wakubalela kubo ukuthwala kumkiwe neentombi zabo.

24 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba ukumkani wathobozeka ngakubo abantu bakhe; kwaye wathi kubo: Masihambeni siye kuhlangana nabo abantu bam, kungekho zikhali; kwaye ndiyafunga kuni ngesifungo okokuba abantu bam abasayi kubabulala abantu bakho.

25 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba bamlandela ukumkani, kwaye babhekisa phambili ngaphandle kwezikhali ukuze bahlangane namaLeymenayithi. Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba baye bahlangana namaLeymenayithi; kwaye ukumkani wamaLeymenayithi waye waqubuda phantsi phambi kwabo, kwaye wabangxengxezela abantu bakaLimhayi.

26 Kwaye amaLeymenayithi athe akubabona abantu bakaLimhayi, okokuba abaxhobanga, baba ^anemfesane nabo kwaye bathobozeka ngakubo, baza babuyela nokumkani wabo ngoxolo kwelabo ilizwe.