1 Ngoku kwenzekile okokuba akuba uMoronayi eyifumene le ncwadi waba nomsindo ngakumbi, ngenxa yokuba wayesazi okokuba uAmoroni wayenolwazi olugqibeleleyo ngobuqhinga bakhe; ewe, wayesazi okokuba uAmoroni wayesazi okokuba yayingeyonjongo yabulungisa eyayimenza aqhube imfazwe ngokuchasene nabantu bakaNifayi.

2 Waza wathi: Qaphelani, andisayi kutshintshisa ngamabanjwa kunye noAmoroni ngaphandle kokuba ayirhoxise injongo yakhe, njengokuba ndichazile kwincwadi yam; kuba andisayi kumnika ukuba abe namandla angakumbi kunalawo aselenawo.

3 Qaphelani, ndiyayazi indawo leyo apho amaLeymenayithi alinda khona abantu bam abo athe abathabatha babangamabanjwa; kwaye njengoko uAmoroni engasayi kundinika sicelo sancwadi yam, qaphelani, ndiya kwenza njengokwamazwi am; ewe, ndiya kuzungula ukufa phakathi kwawo ade abe aya kwenza isicelo soxolo.

4 Kwaye ngoku kwenzekile okokuba akuba uMoronayi ewathethile la mazwi, wabangela okokuba kwenziwe uphando phakathi kwamadoda akhe, ukuze mhlawumbi angafumana indoda eyayiyinzala kaLeymeni phakathi kwawo.

5 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba bayifumana enye, egama layo lalinguLeymeni; kwaye yayiyenye yezicaka zikakumkani owayebulewe nguAmalikhaya.

6 Ngoku uMoronayi wabangela okokuba uLeymeni nenani elincinane lamadoda akhe abheke phambili kubalindi abo babelinde phezu kwamaNifayithi.

7 Ngoku amaNifayithi ayelindwe esixekweni sikaGidi; ke ngoko uMoronayi wonyula uLeymeni waza wabangela okokuba inani elincinane lamadoda lihambe kunye naye.

8 Kwaza kwakuba ngorhatya uLeymeni waya kubalindi ababelinde phezu kwamaNifayithi, kwaye qaphelani, bambona esiza baza bamkhwaza; kodwa wathi kubo: Musani ukoyika; qaphelani ndingumLeymenayithi. Qaphelani, sizimele kumaNifayithi, kwaye alele; kwaye bonani siyithabathile intwana yewayini yawo saza seza nayo.

9 Ngoku akuba amaLeymenayithi ewavile la mazwi abamkela ngovuyo; aza athi kuye: Siphe kule wayini yenu, ukuze sisele; siyavuya ukuba nithe nathabatha iwayini kunye nani kuba sidiniwe.

10 Kodwa uLeymeni wathi kuwo: Masiyigcineni intwana yewayini yethu side siyokuhlasela ngokuchasene namaNifayithi ukulwa idabi. Kodwa le ntetho yabenza banqwenela ngakumbi ukusela intwana yewayini;

11 Kuba, batsho: Sidiniwe, ke ngoko masithabathe iwayini, siza kuya sisiya sifumana izabelo zethu zewayini, eya kuthi isomeleze ukuba sihlasele ngokuchasene namaNifayithi.

12 Waza uLeymeni wathi kubo: Ningenza ngokweminqweno yenu.

13 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba baye bathabatha iwayini ngokukhululekileyo; kwaye yayimnandi bakuyingcamla, ke ngoko bayithabatha ngokukhululekileyo ngakumbi; kwaye yayitsalile, ekubeni ibilungiselelwe ukuba itsale.

14 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba baye basela baza bonwaba, baza baye besiya benxila bonke.

15 Kwaye ngoku akuba uLeymeni namadoda akhe ebona okokuba bonke babenxilile, kwaye babesebuthongweni obunzulu, babuyela kuMoronayi baza bamxelela zonke izinto ezenzekileyo.

16 Kwaye oku kwakungokwecebo likaMoronayi. Kwaye uMoronayi wayewalungiselele amadoda akhe ngezikhali zemfazwe; waza waya kwisixeko sikaGidi, eli lixa amaLeymenayithi ayekobunzulu ubuthongo kwaye enxilile, waza waphosa izikhali zemfazwe ngaphakathi kumabanjwa, kangangokuba onke ayexhobile;

17 Ewe, kwanakubafazi bawo, kwaye nakubo bonke abo babantwana bawo, ngobuninzi babo abo babenako ukusisebenzisa isikhali semfazwe, akuba uMoronayi ewaxhobisile onke loo mabanjwa; kwaye zonke ezo zinto zenziwa ngokuzola okunzulu.

18 Kodwa ukuba ayewavusile amaLeymenayithi, qaphelani ayenxilile kwaye amaNifayithi ngewayewabulele.

19 Kodwa qaphelani, lo yayingengomnqweno kaMoronayi; wayengavuyiswa kukubulala okanye yimpalalo-gazi, kodwa wayevuyiswa kukusindisa abantu bakhe ekutshatyalalisweni; kwaye kungesi sizathu ukuze angabi nakuzisa phezu kwakhe intswela bulungisa, wayengena kuwahlasela amaLeymenayithi aze awatshabalalise ebunxileni kwawo.

20 Kodwa wayeyizuzile iminqweno yakhe; kuba wayewaxhobisile loo mabanjwa amaNifayithi awayengaphakathi kweendonga zesixeko, kwaye wawanika amandla okuzuza ulawulo lwezo ndawo ezaye zingaphakathi kweendonga.

21 Waza ke wawabangela amadoda lawo ayenaye ukuba arhoxe unyawo nje ukusuka kuwo, aza arhangqe imikhosi yamaLeymenayithi.

22 Ngoku qaphelani oku kwenziwa ngobusuku, ukuze xa amaLeymenayithi evuka kusasa abone okokuba arhangqwe ngamaNifayithi ngaphandle, nokokuba amabanjwa awo axhobile ngaphakathi.

23 Kwaye njalo abona okokuba amaNifayithi abongamele; aza kwezi meko afumanisa okokuba kwakungeyomfuneko okokuba makalwe kunye namaNifayithi; ke ngoko abaphathi-mikhosi bawo abaziintloko bafuna izikhali zawo zemfazwe, aza azizisa ngaphambili aza aziphosa ezinyaweni zamaNifayithi, ecela inceba.

24 Ngoku qaphelani, oku kwakungumqweno kaMoronayi. Wawathabatha abangamabanjwa emfazwe, waza wathabatha ulawulo lwesixeko, waza wabangela okokuba onke amabanjwa akhululeke, awayengamaNifayithi; aza amanyana nomkhosi kaMoronayi, aza aba kukomelela okukhulu emkhosini wakhe.

25 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba waye wawabangela amaLeymenayithi, awayewathabathile njengamabanjwa, okokuba aqalise ukusebenza ekomelezeni iinqaba macala onke esixeko sikaGidi.

26 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba akuba esinqabisile isixeko sikaGidi, ngokweminqweno yakhe, wawabangela amabanjwa akhe okokuba athatyathwe asiwe kwisixeko iNdyebo; waza kanjalo wasikhusela eso sixeko ngomkhosi owomelele ngokugqithisileyo.

27 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba aye, nangona enawo bonke ubuqhophololo amaLeymenayithi, awagcina kwaye awakhusela onke amabanjwa awo ababewathabathile, kananjalo awugcina umhlaba nokongama awathi akuthabatha kwakhona.

28 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba amaNifayithi aqalisa kwakhona ukoyisa, nokubanga ukubuyiselwa kweemfanelo zawo namalungelo awo.

29 Amaxesha amaninzi aye amaLeymenayithi azama ukubarhangqa ngobusuku, kodwa kwezi nzame aye aphulukana namabanjwa amaninzi.

30 Kwaye amaxesha amaninzi aye azama ukunika iwayini yawo kumaNifayithi, ukuze abe nokuwatshabalalisa ngetyhefu okanye ngokunxila.

31 Kodwa qaphelani, amaNifayithi ayengahambi kade ukuyikhumbula iNkosi uThixo wawo ngelixa lawo lembandezelo. Ayengenakubanjiswa emigibeni yawo; ewe, awavumanga ukuyithabatha iwayini yawo, ngaphandle kokuba aye ayinika amanye amabanjwa amaLeymenayithi kuqala.

32 Kwaye njalo babekulumkele okokuba makungabikho tyhefu inikwayo phakathi kwabo; kuba ukuba iwayini yawo yayi nokutyhefa umLeymenayithi yayinako kanjalo ukutyhefa umNifayithi, kwaye bazivavanya njalo zonke iindyhwala zawo.

33 Kwaye ngoku kwenzekile okokuba kwaba yimfuneko kuMoronayi ukuba enze amalungiselelo okuhlasela isixeko iMoriyantoni; kuba qaphelani, amaLeymenayithi aye, ngokusebenza kwawo, asinqabisa isixeko iMoriyantoni sada saba yinqaba egqithileyo.

34 Kwaye ayethe rhoqo ukuzisa imikhosi emitsha ingene esixekweni, kananjalo nezibonelelo ezitsha zemiphako.

35 Waza njalo waphela owamashumi amabini anesithoba unyaka wolawulo lwabagwebi phezu kwabantu bakaNifayi.