AbaHluleli

9 Ngemva kwesikhathi u-Abhimeleki + indodana kaJerubhali waya komalume bakhe eShekemi, wathi kubo nakuwo wonke umndeni kamkhulu wakhe:* 2 “Ngicela nibuze bonke abaholi* baseShekemi nithi, ‘Yikuphi okungcono kini, ukuba nibuswe yiwo wonke amadodana kaJerubhali angu-70, + noma ukuba nibuswe umuntu oyedwa? Nikhumbule ukuthi mina ngiyisihlobo senu segazi.’ ”*

3 Ngakho omalume bakhe badlulisela la mazwi kubo bonke abaholi baseShekemi, izinhliziyo zabo zathambekela ekulandeleni u-Abhimeleki, ngoba bathi: “Ungumfowethu impela.” 4 Ngemva kwalokho bamnika izinhlamvu zesiliva ezingu-70 ababezithathe endlini* kaBhali-bheriti, + u-Abhimeleki waqasha ngazo amadoda angomahlalela nadelelayo ukuba ahambe naye. 5 Ngemva kwalokho waya endlini kayise e-Ofira + wabulala abafowabo, + amadodana kaJerubhali, amadoda angu-70, etsheni elilodwa. Kwasinda uJothamu kuphela, indodana kaJerubhali encane, ngoba wacasha.

6 Kamuva bonke abaholi baseShekemi nabo bonke abaseBhethimilo bahlangana babeka u-Abhimeleki ukuba abe inkosi, + eduze kwesihlahla esikhulu, ngasensikeni eyayiseShekemi.

7 Lapho bebikela uJothamu lokhu, ngaso leso sikhathi wahamba wayokuma esiqongweni seNtaba iGerizimu + wamemeza wathi kubo: “Ngilaleleni nina baholi baseShekemi, noNkulunkulu uyobe esenilalela.

8 “Kwakukhona izihlahla ezahamba zayozigcobela inkosi. Ngakho zathi esihlahleni somnqumo, ‘Yiba yinkosi yethu.’ + 9 Kodwa isihlahla somnqumo sathi kuzo, ‘Ingabe kumele ngidele amafutha ami* okukhazinyuliswa ngawo uNkulunkulu nabantu, ukuze ngibuse ezinye izihlahla?’* 10 Izihlahla zabe seziya esihlahleni somkhiwane zathi: ‘Woza ube yinkosi yethu.’ 11 Kodwa isihlahla somkhiwane sathi kuzo, ‘Ingabe kumele ngidele ubumnandi bami nomkhiqizo wami omuhle, ukuze ngibuse ezinye izihlahla?’* 12 Ngemva kwalokho izihlahla zathi esihlahleni samagilebhisi: ‘Woza ube yinkosi yethu.’ 13 Isihlahla samagilebhisi saphendula sathi: ‘Ingabe kumele ngidele iwayini lami elisha elenza uNkulunkulu nabantu bajabule, ukuze ngibuse ezinye izihlahla?’* 14 Ekugcineni zonke ezinye izihlahla zathi esihlahleni samajikijolo: ‘Woza ube yinkosi yethu.’ + 15 Isihlahla samajikijolo sathi ezihlahleni: ‘Uma ngempela ningigcoba njengenkosi yenu, wozani nifune isiphephelo ngaphansi komthunzi wami. Kodwa uma kungenjalo, makuphume umlilo esihlahleni samajikijolo udle imisedari yaseLebhanoni.’

16 “Nenze ngobuqotho nangenhlonipho yini ngokubeka u-Abhimeleki ukuba abe yinkosi, + futhi ingabe nenze okuhle kuJerubhali nasemndenini wakhe? Ingabe nimphathe ngendlela emfanele? 17 Lapho ubaba enilwela, + wafaka ukuphila kwakhe engozini ukuze anisindise esandleni sabakwaMidiyani. + 18 Kodwa namuhla nina niwuvukele umndeni kababa, nabulala amadodana akhe, amadoda angu-70, etsheni elilodwa. + Ngemva kwalokho nabeka u-Abhimeleki, indodana yesigqilakazi sakhe, + ukuba abe yinkosi phezu kwabaholi baseShekemi ngoba nje engumfowenu. 19 Uma kuwukuthi ngempela nimphathe ngobuqotho nangenhlonipho uJerubhali nomndeni wakhe namuhla, jabulani ngo-Abhimeleki, naye makajabule ngani. 20 Kodwa uma kungenjalo, makuphume umlilo ku-Abhimeleki udle abaholi baseShekemi naseBhethimilo, + makuphume umlilo nakubaholi baseShekemi naseBhethimilo udle u-Abhimeleki.” +

21 Ngemva kwalokho uJothamu + wabalekela eBheri, wahlala khona ngenxa ka-Abhimeleki umfowabo.

22 U-Abhimeleki wabusa* kwa-Israyeli iminyaka emithathu. 23 UNkulunkulu wavumela ukuba kube nobutha* phakathi kuka-Abhimeleki nabaholi baseShekemi, futhi basebenzelana ngokukhohlisa no-Abhimeleki. 24 Lokhu kwenzeka ukuze kuphindiselelwe unya olwenziwa emadodaneni kaJerubhali angu-70, ukuze icala legazi lawo libe kumfowabo u-Abhimeleki ngokuwabulala + nakubaholi baseShekemi ngokumsiza ukuba abulale abafowabo. 25 Ngakho abaholi baseShekemi bamisa amadoda ayezomcuthela phezu kweziqongo zezintaba. La madoda ayephanga wonke umuntu owayedlula emgwaqweni ngakuwo. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi lokhu kwabikwa ku-Abhimeleki.

26 UGali indodana ka-Ebhedi nabafowabo bawelela eShekemi, abaholi baseShekemi + baqala ukuthembela kuye. 27 Baphuma baya esigangeni bayovuna amagilebhisi emasimini abo, bawakhama base beba nomkhosi, okwathi ngemva kwalokho bangena endlini kankulunkulu wabo, + badla baphuza base bethuka u-Abhimeleki. 28 UGali indodana ka-Ebhedi wathi: “Ungubani u-Abhimeleki, ungubani uShekemi ukuba simkhonze? Akayona yini indodana kaJerubhali, + nomphathi wakhe akuyena yini uZebhule? Khonzani amadodana kaHamori, uyise kaShekemi! Kungani thina kufanele sikhonze u-Abhimeleki? 29 Ukube nje lesi sizwe besiphethwe yimi, bengiyomsusa u-Abhimeleki.” Wabe esethi ku-Abhimeleki: “Yandisa ibutho lakho uphume silwe.”

30 Lapho uZebhule isikhulu sedolobha ezwa amazwi kaGali indodana ka-Ebhedi, intukuthelo yakhe yavutha. 31 Ngakho wathumela izithunywa ngasese* ku-Abhimeleki, wathi: “UGali indodana ka-Ebhedi nabafowabo baseShekemi njengamanje, bashoshozela idolobha ukuba limelane nawe. 32 Manje khuphuka ebusuku, wena nabantu bakho, ucuthe ngaphandle kwedolobha. 33 Ngokushesha nje ngemva kokuphuma kwelanga ekuseni, kufanele usheshe uvuke uhlasele idolobha; lapho yena nabantu abakanye naye bephuma bezokulwa nawe, wenze konke ongakwenza* ukuze umnqobe.”

34 Ngakho u-Abhimeleki nabo bonke abantu ababekanye naye bavuka ebusuku, bacuthela iShekemi bengamaviyo amane. 35 Lapho uGali indodana ka-Ebhedi ephuma ema esangweni ledolobha, u-Abhimeleki nabantu ababekanye naye bathushuka endaweni ababecuthe kuyo. 36 Lapho uGali ebona abantu, wathi kuZebhule: “Bheka! Kunabantu abehla eziqongweni zezintaba.” Kodwa uZebhule wathi kuye: “Ubona izithunzi zezintaba njengokungathi abantu.”

37 Kamuva uGali waphinde wathi: “Bheka! Kunabantu abehla bephuma maphakathi nezwe, elinye iviyo liza ngendlela yasesihlahleni esikhulu saseMeyonenimi.” 38 UZebhule wamphendula wathi: “Sekuphelelephi manje ukuqhosha kwakho uthi, ‘Ungubani u-Abhimeleki ukuba simkhonze?’ + Akubona yini laba abantu obukhuluma kabi ngabo? Phuma manje uyokulwa nabo.”

39 Ngakho uGali waphuma ehamba phambi kwabaholi baseShekemi walwa no-Abhimeleki. 40 U-Abhimeleki wamjaha, uGali wabaleka, abaningi babulawa kwaze kwayofika esangweni ledolobha.

41 U-Abhimeleki waqhubeka ehlala e-Aruma, uZebhule + waxosha uGali nabafowabo eShekemi. 42 Ngosuku olulandelayo abantu baphumela ngaphandle kwedolobha, u-Abhimeleki watshelwa ngakho. 43 Ngakho wathatha abantu wabahlukanisa baba amaviyo amathathu, wacutha ngaphandle kwedolobha. Lapho ebona abantu bephuma edolobheni, wabahlasela wababulala. 44 U-Abhimeleki namadoda ayekanye naye bagijimela esangweni ledolobha bama khona, kuyilapho amaviyo amabili ehlasela bonke ababengaphandle kwedolobha, ebabulala. 45 U-Abhimeleki walwa nalelo dolobha lonke lolo suku, walinqoba. Wabulala abantu ababekulo, ngemva kwalokho walidiliza, + walithela ngosawoti.

46 Lapho bonke ababehlala embhoshongweni waseShekemi bezwa ngakho, ngokushesha bangena ekamelweni lokucasha elisendlini* ka-Eli-bheriti. + 47 Lapho nje kubikwa ku-Abhimeleki ukuthi bonke abahlala embhoshongweni waseShekemi baqoqene ndawonye, 48 u-Abhimeleki nawo wonke amadoda ayenaye bakhuphuka iNtaba iZalimoni. U-Abhimeleki wathatha imbazo wagawula igatsha lesihlahla walibeka ehlombe lakhe wayesethi kubantu ababekanye naye: “Eningibone ngikwenza, nani kwenzeni ngokushesha!” 49 Ngakho bonke abantu nabo bagawula amagatsha, balandela u-Abhimeleki. Ngemva kwalokho babeka amagatsha azungeza ikamelo lokucasha, base belithungela ngomlilo. Ngakho bonke abantu ababehlala embhoshongweni waseShekemi nabo bafa, amadoda nabesifazane abangaba ngu-1 000.

50 Uma esuka lapho, u-Abhimeleki waya eThebezi; wahlasela iThebezi walinqoba. 51 Kwakukhona umbhoshongo oqinile maphakathi nedolobha, wonke amadoda nabesifazane nabo bonke abaholi bedolobha babalekela kuwo. Bazivalela kuwo, bakhuphukela phezulu ophahleni lombhoshongo. 52 U-Abhimeleki waya embhoshongweni wawuhlasela. Waqonda ngasemnyango wombhoshongo ukuze awokhele ngomlilo. 53 Owesifazane othile waphonsa imbokodo yokugaya ekhanda lika-Abhimeleki, wamphihliza ikhanda. + 54 Ngokushesha u-Abhimeleki wabiza isikhonzi esimphathela izikhali wathi kuso: “Hosha inkemba yakho ungibulale ukuze kungashiwo ngami ukuthi, ‘Wabulawa owesifazane.’ ” Ngakho isikhonzi esimphathela izikhali samgwaza wafa.

55 Lapho amadoda akwa-Israyeli ebona ukuthi u-Abhimeleki ufile, wonke abuyela emakhaya. 56 UNkulunkulu wambuyisela ngaleyo ndlela u-Abhimeleki ngobubi ayebenze kuyise ngokubulala abafowabo abangu-70. + 57 UNkulunkulu wenza nokuba bonke ububi bamadoda aseShekemi bubuyele phezu kwamakhanda awo. Ngakho isiqalekiso sikaJothamu + indodana kaJerubhali + sehlela phezu kwawo.