Verse 1: Kwathi ngalezo zinsuku kungekho inkosi kwa-Israyeli, kwakukhona umLevi othile owayegogobele ohlangothini olungasemuva kwezintaba zakwa-Efrayimi, owazithathela isancinza eBetlehema Juda.
Verse 2: Isancinza sakhe samgilela ubufebe, sasuka kuye, saya endlini kayise eBetlehema Juda, sahlala khona isikhathi esiyizinyanga ezine.
Verse 3: Umyeni waso wasuka, wasilandela ukuba akhulume kuyo inhliziyo yaso, asibuyise, enenceku yakhe nezimbongolo ezimbili; samngenisa endlini kayise; lapho uyise wentombi embona, wathokoza ukuhlangana naye.
Verse 4: Umukhwe wakhe, uyise wentombi, wambambezela, wahlala kuye izinsuku ezintathu; badla, baphuza, bahlala khona.
Verse 5: Kwathi ngosuku lwesine bavuka ekuseni kakhulu, wasuka ukuba ahambe; uyise wentombi wathi kumkhwenyana wakhe: “Hlumelela inhliziyo yakho ngocezu lwesinkwa, andukuba nihambe.”
Verse 6: Bahlala phansi, badla, baphuza bobabili kanyekanye; uyise wentombi wathi kuyo indoda: “Ake udele, ulale ubusuku, ithokoze inhliziyo yakho.”
Verse 7: Kepha lowo muntu wasukuma nokho ukuba ahambe; wayesemncengisisa umukhwe wakhe, wabuye walala khona.
Verse 8: Wavuka ekuseni kakhulu ngosuku lwesihlanu ukuba ahambe; uyise wentombi wathi: “Ake uhlumelele inhliziyo yakho, nihlale lize lithambame ilanga.” Badla-ke bobabili.
Verse 9: Lapho umuntu esesukuma ukuba ahambe, yena nesancinza sakhe nenceku yakhe, umukhwe wakhe, uyise wentombi, wathi kuye: “Bheka, ilanga seliyathambama, sekuzakuhlwa; ake uhlale ubusuku bonke; yebo, ilanga seliyakuphela; hlala lapha ukuba inhliziyo yakho ithokoze, nivuke kusasa ekuseni kakhulu, nihambe indlela yenu ukuba ufike etendeni lakho.”
Verse 10: Kepha akavumanga lowo muntu ukuhlala lobo busuku, kodwa wavuka wahamba, wafika malungana neJebusi eliyiJerusalema; kwakukhona naye izimbongolo ezimbili ziboshelwe izihlalo; nesancinza sakhe sasinaye.
Verse 11: SebengaseJebusi, ilanga lase lidlulile kakhulu; inceku yathi enkosini yayo: “Ake uze, siphambukele kulo muzi wamaJebusi, sihlale kuwo.”
Verse 12: Inkosi yayo yathi kuyo: “Asiyikuphambukela emzini wabafokazi ongesiwo owabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, kepha siyakudlulela eGibeya.”
Verse 13: Yayisithi encekwini: “Woza, sisondele kwenye yalezi zindawo; siyakulala eGibeya noma eRama.”
Verse 14: Base bethula bahamba; ilanga lashona bengaseGibeya elingelakwaBenjamini.
Verse 15: Baphambukela lapho ukuba bangene, balale eGibeya; wangena, wahlala phansi esigcawini somuzi; ngokuba kwakungekho muntu owabamukela endlini yakhe ukuba balale khona.
Verse 16: Bheka, kwafika ixhegu livela emsebenzini walo ensimini kusihlwa; lalingumuntu wasezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi, lagogobala eGibeya; kepha abantu baleyo ndawo babe ngabakwaBenjamini.
Verse 17: Waphakamisa amehlo akhe, wabona isihambi esigcawini somuzi; ixhegu lase lithi: “Uyangaphi na? Uvelaphi na?”
Verse 18: Wathi kulo: “Siyadlula sivela eBetlehema Juda, siya ohlangothini olungasemuva kwezintaba zakwa-Efrayimi; ngivela khona; ngaya eBetlehema Juda; sengiya endlini kaJehova, kepha akukho muntu ongamukela endlini yakhe.
Verse 19: Kukhona nokho utshani nefoliji lezimbongolo zethu; mina-ke nginesinkwa newayini, kanjalo nencekukazi yakho nensizwa enathi, izinceku zakho; akusweleke lutho.”
Verse 20: Lase lithi ixhegu: “Ukuthula makube kuwe; kepha konke okuswelayo makube phezu kwami; kepha ungalali esigcawini.”
Verse 21: Lase limngenisa endlini yalo, lazinika izimbongolo ifoliji; bageza izinyawo zabo, badla, baphuza.
Verse 22: Besajabulisa izinhliziyo zabo, bheka, abantu bomuzi, abantu ababi, bahaqa indlu nxazonke, bangqongqotha emnyango; basho kumninindlu, ixhegu, bathi: “Khipha lowo muntu owangena endlini yakho ukuba simazi.”
Verse 23: Ixhegu, umninindlu, laphumela kubo, lathi kubo: “Hhayi, bafowethu, ngiyanicela, ningenzi okubi okungako; lokhu lo muntu engenile endlini yami, ningenzi lobu buwula.
Verse 24: Bhekani, nansi indodakazi yami, intombi, nesancinza sakhe; ngiyakubakhipha bona manje, nibone, nenze kubo njengokuthanda kwenu; kepha kulo muntu ningenzi ubuwula obunjalo.”
Verse 25: Kepha abantu kabavumanga ukumlalela; khona lowo muntu wasibamba isancinza sakhe, wasikhiphela kubo; basazi, basona ubusuku bonke kwaze kwaba sekuseni; ekuthatheni kokusa basiyeka.
Verse 26: Owesifazane wayesefika ngovivi lokusa, wawa ngasemnyango wendlu yomuntu, lapho yayikhona inkosi yakhe, kwaze kwakhanya.
Verse 27: Inkosi yakhe yavuka ekuseni, yavula iminyango yendlu, yaphuma ukuba ihambe indlela yayo; bheka, owesifazane, isancinza sakhe, wayewile ngasemnyango wendlu, izandla zakhe ziphezu kombundu.
Verse 28: Yathi kuye: “Vuka sihambe,” kepha akuphendulanga muntu. Yayisimbeka embongolweni yayo; wasuka lowo muntu, waya endaweni yakhe.
Verse 29: Lapho esengenile endlini yakhe, wathatha umese, wabamba isancinza sakhe, wasihlahlela ithambo ngethambo, kwaba yizinqamu eziyishumi nambili, wasithuma emikhawulweni yonke yakwa-Israyeli.
Verse 30: Kwathi bonke abakubonayo bathi: “Akuzange kwenziwe okunjalo, akuzange kubonwe kusukela osukwini abantwana bakwa-Israyeli abakhuphuka ngalo ezweni laseGibithe kuze kube namuhla; zindlani ngalokho, nilulekane, nikhulume.”