1U-Abimeleki umsa kaJerubhali waya eTjhekemu kibomalumakhe nakiyo yoke ikoro yekhabomkhulu wayokukhuluma nayo wathi: 2“Khulumani nabo boke abaphathi beTjhekemu nithi, ‘Ngikuphi okungcono ukubuswa madodana kaJerubhali amatjhumi alikhomba namkha ukubuswa ngeyodwa le? Nikhumbule bonyana ngiziingazi zenu nanginje.’ ”
3Ngambala abomalumakhe bawukhambisa umlayezo lowo kibo boke abaphathi beTjhekemu. Iinhliziyo zabo zathanda ukulandela u-Abimeleki ngombana bathi: “Mfowethu”. 4Bamnikela iimpaparwana ezimatjhumi alikhomba zesiliva ezazingethempelini lakaBhali-Bherithi. U-Abimeleki waqatjha ngazo imigulukudu namahlongandlebe ebekamlandela. 5Waya emzini kayise e-Ofira, wabulala abafowabo, amadodana kaJerubhali abamatjhumi alikhomba elitjeni linye. Kodwana uJotamu obuphetjhani wasinda ngombana wazifihla. 6Boke abaphathi beTjhekemu nebemizana emagegana nalo babuthana eTjhekemu emthini omkhulu we-owuku eduze nesika kobana babeke u-Abimeleki abe yikosi.
Intolwani yakaJotamu
7Kwathi lokha uJotamu nabikelwa ngalokho, wakhamba wayokujama esiqongolweni sentaba iGerizimu warhuwelela ebantwini wathi kibo: “Yeningilalele nina baphathi beTjhekemu ukuze uZimu anilalele.
8“Kwakhe kwasuka imithi yayokuzesa ikosi bona ibuse phezu kwayo. Yathi emthini we-oliva, ‘Yewube yikosethu.’
9“Kodwana umuthi we-oliva wathi, ‘Nithi ngilise amafuthami enza bonyana abosingazimu nabantu bahlonipheke bese ngiyokuyathazela phezu kwemithi na?’
10“Imithi yathi emthini wamakhiwani, ‘Yewube yikosethu.’
11“Kodwana umuthi wamakhiwani wathi, ‘Nithi ngilise ubumnandi bami neenthelo zami ezihle ngiyokuyathazela phezu kwemithi na?’
12“Imithi yathi esidiribeni, ‘Yewube yikosethu.’
13“Kodwana isidiribe sathi, ‘Nithi ngitjhiye umhluzi wamadiribami oncibilikisa abosingazimu nabantu ngiyokuyathazela phezu kwemithi na?’
14“Yeke yoke imithi yathi emthini womunga, ‘Yewube yikosethu.’
15“Umuthi womunga wathi emithini leyo, ‘Nakube ningizesa ngommoya omuhle bona ngibe yikosi, khona-ke yizani nizokukhosela emthunzinami. Kodwana nakungasinjalo, akuphume umlilo emungeni lo uqothule imisedari yeLibhanoni.’
16“Nidlumbana bonyana nenze kuhle nangokwethembeka kobana nibeke u-Abimeleki abe yikosi phezu kwenu na? Enikwenze ngoJerubhali nekumbakhe kuhle begodu kufanelana nezenzo zakhe na? 17Ubaba wanilwela, wabeka ipilwakhe engozini, wanitjhaphulula esandleni samaMidiyani, 18kodwana namhlanje nivukele ikumba kababa, nabulala amadodanakhe amatjhumi alikhomba elitjeni linye, nathuwelela nabeka u-Abimeleki indodana yekhohlo lakhe kobana abe yikosi phezu kwabaphathi beTjhekemu ngombana amzukulwanenu. 19Nakube nenze kuhle nangokwethembeka kuJerubhali nekumbakhe namhlanjesi, khona-ke jekezelani no-Abimelekenu loyo, naye ajekezele nani. 20Kodwana nakube akusinjalo, akuqubuke umlilo ku-Abimeleki uqothule abaphathi beTjhekemu nebemizana elizombileko. Akuphume umlilo ebaphathini beTjhekemu nebemizana elizombileko uqothule u-Abimeleki.” 21UJotamu wabaleka wanqomba eBheri wahlala lapho ngombana esaba u-Abimeleki umfowabo.
U-Abimeleki uyabulawa
22U-Abimeleki wabusa kwa-Israyeli iminyaka emithathu. 23UZimu wehlisela ummoya omumbi phakathi kwaka-Abimeleki nebaphathini beTjhekemu. Abaphathi beTjhekemu baphatha u-Abimeleki ngobugirikijani. 24Lokhu kwenzeka ukuze kubuyiselelwe inturhu eyenziwa phezu kwamadodana kaJerubhali amatjhumi alikhomba nokobana iingazi zawo zibe phezu kwaka-Abimeleki umfowabo owawabulalako naphezu kwabaphathi beTjhekemu abamsiza bona abulale abafowabo. 25Abaphathi beTjhekemu bajamelana no-Abimeleki ngokubeka amadoda eenqongolweni zeentaba. Wona alalela abantu lapho, akhuthuza woke umuntu odlula ngendlela leyo. U-Abimeleki wabikelwa ngalokhu.
26Ngesikhatheso uGali umsa ka-Ebede wafudukela eTjhekemu akhamba neenhlobo zakhe, abaphathi beTjhekemu baba nethemba kuye. 27Abantu beTjhekemu babuyela emasimini, babuthelela amadiribe eendiribeni zabo, bawaminya. Benza umnyanya, baya ethempelini lakasingazimabo, bafika bagoma, basela baphoqa u-Abimeleki. 28UGali umsa ka-Ebede wathi: “Emanyeni bekangubani u-Abimeleki? Kwakhona kubayini thina maTjhekemu kufuze sibuswe nguye? Angithi yena msa kaJerubhali, nokwenza uZebhulu umjamelakhe! Dumbana sisebenzele abantu bakaRhamori umsunguli weTjhekemu! Nakungu-Abimeleki yena, do! 29Nangathana abantwaba bebangaphasi kwesandla sami, ngasele ngimsusile u-Abimeleki wakhona loyo. Bengizakuthi, ‘Wena Abimeleki, ngezelela amabuthwakho uphume sihlangane.’ ”
30Kwathi lokha uZebhulu umbusi wedorobho nezwa amezwi kaGali umsa ka-Ebede, wavutha ngetukuthelo. 31Wathumela iinthunywa ku-Abimeleki ngobuqili wathi: “Tjheja, uGali umsa ka-Ebede neenhlobo zakhe beze eTjhekemu, bahlohlozela idorobho kobana lijamelane nawe. 32Yeke phuma ebusuku wena namadoda anawe nifese nizifihle emasimini. 33Vukani ekuseni, kuthi bona kuphume ilanga nisahlele idorobho. Kuzakuthi yena namadoda anaye nabaphuma bona bajamelane nani, nibabhudungele nenze umathanda ngabo.”
34U-Abimeleki nawo woke amadoda agade anaye bavuka ebusuku, balalela iTjhekemu ngeenqhema ezine. 35Kwathi lokha uGali umsa ka-Ebede naphuma ayokujama ebungenweni besango ledorobho, u-Abimeleki namadoda agade anaye bavuka lapha bebazifihle khona. 36UGali wabona amadoda lawo, wathi kuZebhulu: “Qala nakaya amadoda ehla esiqongolweni sentaba!”
UZebhulu wathi kuye: “Awa, wena ufanisa iinthunzi zeentaba nabantu.”
37UGali godu wathi: “Baba-ke! Qala nakaya amanye amadoda ehla entabeni iGerizimu, esinye isiqhema sivela tjhuba langemuthini we-owuku yezanusi.”
38UZebhulu wathi kuye: “Kuphi-ke ukukhuluma kwakho khulu? Angithi nguwe owathi bekayini u-Abimeleki loyo bonyana singabeze simsebenzele? Nako-ke amadoda ogade uwanyaza! Phuma phela uyokulwa nawo sibone!”
39UGali waphuma warhola amadoda weTjhekemu walwa no-Abimeleki. 40U-Abimeleki wamgijimisa, wabaleka phambi kwakhe. Abanengi barabhalaliswa bekwaba sebungenweni besango. 41Kwathi u-Abimeleki nabuyela e-Aruma, uZebhulu waqotjha uGali nabantu bakhe baphuma eTjhekemu.
42Ngelanga elilandelako abantu beTjhekemu baphuma baya emasimini. U-Abimeleki watjelwa ngalokho. 43Wathatha amabuthwakhe wawahlukanisa iinqhema ezintathu, wazifihla emasimini ebusuku. Kwathi ibutho lakhe nalibona abantu baphuma ngedorobheni, lavuka labasahlela. 44U-Abimeleki wasuka nesinye isiqhema sakhe bagijimela ebungenweni besango ledorobho bayokuvimba khona. Iinqhema ezimbili zasahlela boke abantu ebegade basesimini zababulala. 45U-Abimeleki walwa nedorobho imini yoke mhlokho, walithumba, wabulala boke abantu abakilo, walirhayila bewalirhatjha ngetswayi.
46Kwathi lokha boke abaphathi beMigidali-Tjhekemu nabezwa ngalokho, bangena embhotjhongweni wobuphephelo bethempeli laka-Eli-Bherithi. 47U-Abimeleki wabikelwa bonyana boke abaphathi beMigidali-Tjhekemu babuthene ndawonye. 48Wenyukela entabeni iTsalimoni, yena nawo woke amadoda agade anaye. Waphatha izembe, wagawula amaqobetjhwana wawabuthelela, wawatjatha ehlombe. Wathi emadodeni agade anaye: “Lokho enikubone ngikwenza, rhabani nani nikwenze njengombana ngikwenzile!”
49Yeke omunye nomunye wagawula amaqobetjhwana walandela u-Abimeleki. Basamisa amaqobetjhwana lawo magegana nombhotjhongo wobuphephelo, batika umlilo. Boke abantu beMigidali-Tjhekemu bafela ngapho, kwakungaba yikulungwana yoke yamadoda nabafazi.
50Yeke u-Abimeleki waya eTebetsi, wayivimbezela bewayithumba. 51Kodwana gade kunombhotjhongo oqinileko ngedorobhenelo. Woke amadoda nabafazi kanye nabaphathi bedorobho babalekela ngapho, bazivalela ngaphakathi, bakhuphukela ephahleni lombhotjhongo. 52U-Abimeleki wafika embhotjhongwenapho, walwa nawo. Watjhidela emnyango kobana awutjhise. 53Umfazi othileko waphosa imbokotho phezu kwehloko ka-Abimeleki, yamphahlaza ikhakhayi. 54Wabiza msinyana isokana elalimphathele iinkhali wathi: “Rhwatjha isabulakho ungiqedelele ngombana amadoda azakuthi, ‘Loyo wabulawa mfazi.’ ” Isokanelo lamhlanganisa nesabula wafa.
55Kwathi lokha abantu bakwa-Israyeli nababona bonyana u-Abimeleki uhlongakele, baphadlhalala kwaba ngiloyo naloyo waziyela kwakhe.
56Ngalokho uZimu wabuyiselela ubukhohlakali obenziwa ngu-Abimeleki kuyise ngokubulala abafowabo abamatjhumi alikhomba. 57Godu uZimu wenza bonyana boke ubukhohlakali babantu beTjhekemu buwele phezu kweenhloko zabo. Behlelwa manikelela kaJotamu umsa kaJerubhali.
