UAbhimeleki
1Unyana kaJerubhali uAbhimeleki waya eShekem kooninalume, wafika wathetha nabo nemizalwana yonke yendlu kayise nonina, wathi: 2“Khanithethe nabemi baseShekem xa bebonke, nithi: ‘Nikhetha ntoni na: kukho ukuphathwa ngabo bonke oonyana bakaJerubhali abangamashumi asixhenxe, okanye ukulawulwa nguye abe mnye?’ Khumbulani ukuba ndingumntakwenu.”
3Ooninalume ke bamthethelela kubemi baseShekem, baza ke nabo bavuma, kuba babesithi: “Ngumntakwethu.” 4Bamnika amashumi asixhenxe eesiliva ababeyithathe endlwini ekunqulelwa kuyo uBhali womnqophiso, waza yena waqesha ngayo iindlavini ukuba zibe ngamahlakani akhe. 5Waya nazo kowabo eOfra, waza ke wababulala bonke oonyana bakayise, ebabulalela phezu kwelitye elinye. Kambe ke yona inci kaJerubhali uYotam yazimela yaza yasinda. 6Baphuma ke abemi baseShekem nabo bonke abaseBhete-milo, bahlanganisana baya kumthi omkhulu wom-oki oseShekem, bammisela khona uAbhimeleki waba ngukumkani wabo.
7Akuyiva le nto uYotam waqabela kwintaba iGerizim, wakhwaza wathi: “Inzwi! Ndiphulaphuleni, maShekem! NoThixo mhlawumbi anganiphulaphula! 8Imithi yazimisela ukuzithambisela ukumkani. Yathetha nomnquma, yathi: ‘Yiba ngukumkani wethu.’ 9Ke wona waphendula wathi: ‘Ngaba nifuna ndiyeke ngoku ukuvelisa amafutha abadunyiswa ngawo uThixo nabantu, khon' ukuze ndiyongamele eminye imithi?’ 10Yaza ke imithi yathetha nomkhiwane, yathi kuwo: ‘Yiza ube ngukumkani wethu.’ 11Ke wona waphendula wathi: ‘Ngaba nifuna ndiyeke ukuvelisa ezi ziqhamo zimnandi kunene, khon' ukuze ndiyongamele eminye imithi?’ 12Yaza ke ngoku imithi yathi kumdiliya: ‘Yiba ngukumkani wethu.’ 13Wona ke wathi: ‘Ngaba nifuna ndiyeke ukuvelisa iwayini le yonwabisa uThixo nabantu, khon' ukuze ndiyongamele eminye imithi?’ 14Ngoku ke imithi yabhekisa kumnga, yathi: ‘Yiba ngukumkani wethu.’ 15Kodwa ke wona wathi: ‘Xa ngaba nizimisele ngenene ukundithambisa ndibe ngukumkani wenu, yizani kuzikhusela emthunzini wam; kungenjalo ke makuvele umlilo kula meva am, uyitshise imisedare yaseLebhanon.’ ”
16Waqhuba wathi ke uYotam: “Ngaba niyenze ngokunyaniseka na into yokummisela uAbhimeleki abe ngukumkani wenu? Ngaba nenziwe kukumxabisa nokumhlonipha uJerubhali? Ngaba esi senzo nisenza kwinzala yakhe siyifanele na imisebenzi yakhe? 17Khumbulani kaloku, utata wanilwela. Ubomi bakhe wabubeka esichengeni enihlangula kumaMidiyan. 18Kodwa ke namhlanje niyivukele inzala kabawo. Nibabulele oonyana bakhe, amashumi asixhenxe onke, phezu kwelitye elinye. Nithe uAbhimeleki unyana awamfumana enkazaneni ezalana nani, namenza ukumkani waseShekem. 19Kambe ke ukuba esi senzo senu sinenyani saye simsulwa, yonwabisanani noAbhimeleki. 20Ukuba ke akunjalo, ngamana angadangazela umlilo uAbhimeleki, abatshise abemi baseShekem nabaseBhete-milo; ngamana nabemi baseShekem nabaseBhete-milo bangamlenya ngomlilo noAbhimeleki.” 21Wathi ke, kuba emoyika umntakwabo uAbhimeleki, wasuka wabaleka uYotam, waya kuhlala eBhere.
22Ke uAbhimeleki wabamba iintambo iminyaka emithathu kwaSirayeli. 23UThixo wadala umoya ombi phakathi koAbhimeleki nabemi baseShekem, baza bona benza ubuqhetseba ngakuAbhimeleki. 24Le nto ke yenzeka ukuze uAbhimeleki nabemi baseShekem abamkhuthazileyo ekugwinteni amashumi asixhenxe oonyana bakaJerubhali, bajike badliwe yinja yabo. 25Abemi baseShekem bafuna abantu, bababeka ezintabeni, ukuze balalele uAbhimeleki; suka bona baphanga wonke umntu ogqithayo. Ke uAbhimeleki wayixelelwa yonke le nto.
26Ke kaloku kwafika uGali unyana kaEbhede eShekem enabantakwabo. Abemi baseShekem ke babethembele kuye. 27Baphuma ke baya kukha iidiliya ezidiliyeni zabo, baza baxovula benza iwayini, babhiyoza. Baphuma baya kwindlu yesithixo sabo, batya basela bamqalekisa uAbhimeleki. 28Wathi uGali unyana kaEbhede: “Xa engubani yena uAbhimeleki inzala kaShekem, ukuba sibe phantsi kwakhe? Akanyana kaJerubhali na? AsinguZebhule na ihlakani lakhe? Hayi bo! Masibuse amadoda akwaHamori usoShekem! 29Akwaba ibindim okhokela esi sizwe; bendiya kumsusa uAbhimeleki lo! Bendiya kumxelela ndithi: ‘Mawube ngathi uyaqina umkhosi wakho, uphume, khe sidibane.’ ”
30Akuyiva into ethethwe nguGali wacaphuka uZebhule usibonda weso sixeko. 31Wathumela izigidimi ngasese kuAbhimeleki eAruma, wathi: “UGali unyana kaEbhede nabantakwabo bagalelekile apha eShekem; baxhokonxa abantu khon' ukuze bakuchase. 32Ngoko ke wena thatha umkhosi wakho, nihambe ngobusuku, nilalele emaphandleni. 33Ngomso, xa lithi chapha, ze nivuke nisiqubule nisihlasele isixeko. Aze athi ke uGali nomkhosi wakhe akuphuma esiza kulwa nenze oko isandla senu sinako ukukwenza.”
34Ngenene ke uAbhimeleki waphuma nomkhosi wakhe ngobusuku, baza bazimela ngaphandle kwaseShekem, bengamaqela amane. 35Bathe ke ooAbhimeleki bakumbona uGali ephuma esiya kuma esangweni lesixeko, nabo baphuma ezikhundleni zabo. 36Wababona ke uGali, waza wathi kuZebhule: “Khangela, nangaya amadoda esihla encotsheni yentaba!”
UZebhule uphendule wathi: “Hayi, ngamathunzi nje eentaba la angathi ngabantu.”
37Kwakhona uGali wathi: “Khangela, nangaya amadoda esihla phaya embindini wentaba! Elinye iqela liza ngalaa ndlela ivela kum-oki wezangoma!”
38UZebhule waphendula wathi: “Aye phi kaloku amatshamba akho ngoku? Andithi kaloku nguwe kanye owawusithi: ‘Ngubani yena uAbhimeleki ukuba sibe phantsi kwakhe?’ Nango ke laa madoda obuphoxisa ngawo! Hamba kaloku, uphume uye kulwa nawo!”
39Waphuma ke uGali, wabakhokela abemi baseShekem, balwa noAbhimeleki. 40UGali wasaba, waza ke wasukelwa nguAbhimeleki. Abaninzi benzakalela kwalapho ukuya esangweni lesixeko. 41UAbhimeleki wahlala eAruma, waza uZebhule wamdudula uGali nabantakwabo baphuma eShekem, ababa saba nako ukuhlala khona.
42Ngomhla olandelayo uAbhimeleki waxelelwa ukuba amaShekem aceba ukuphuma aye emaphandleni; 43waza ke waphuma nomkhosi wakhe wawahlula-hlula kathathu, waya kubalalela emaphandleni. Wathi akubona abantu bephuma esixekweni, naye waphuma ekuzimeleni, wababulala. 44Wathi xa axhabashileyo uAbhimeleki neqela lakhe besiya esangweni, aba amanye amaqela la mabini ehlasela abasemaphandleni, ababulala. 45Kwaliwa imini yonke. UAbhimeleki wasihlasela isixeko eso, wasithimba, wababulala abantu baso, wasidiliza, umhlaba wawugalela ityuwa.
46Bathe ke bakuyiva le nto abemi baseShekem ababesenqabeni yakhona, basuka baya kuzimela kwigumbi elinqatyisiweyo lendlu kaBhali womnqophiso. 47Ke kaloku uAbhimeleki waxelelwa ukuba baqokelelene khona, 48waza ke waphuma nomkhosi wakhe, wanyuka intaba iZalmona. Apho ke wathatha izembe, wagawula isebe emthini, walixwaya emagxeni.
Wathi kumadoda omkhosi wakhe: “Khawulezani nenjenjalo nani!” 49Yaba yileyo naleyo ke indoda yagawula isebe emthini; aza ke alandela uAbhimeleki. Ezo nkuni azayamisa apho kwelo gumbi; aza ke kamva azifaka umlilo, abantu belapho ngaphakathi. Bonke ke abantu ababesenqabeni yaseShekem bafa. Babekwisithuba sewaka lamadoda nababhinqileyo.
50UAbhimeleki ke waya eTebheze, isixeko eso wasirhawula wasithimba. 51Apho ke kwakukho inqaba eyomeleleyo kunene, aza ke onke amadoda nabo bonke ababhinqileyo (abemi bonke besixeko ukutsho) bangena kuyo. Bazitshixela, baya kuhlala phezulu eluphahleni. 52Akufika uAbhimeleki, eze kuhlasela inqaba leyo, waya emnyango, efuna ukuyitshisa. 53Kambe ke umfazi othile owayephezulu enqabeni wamgibisela ngelitye lokusila, wamqhekeza ukhakhayi. 54Ngoko nangoko ke wabiza umfana owayephatha izikhali zakhe, wathi: “Rhola ikrele lakho undibulale, ukuze kungathiwa ndibulewe ngumfazi.” Ngoko ke umfana lowo wamgwaza wafa.
55Athi ke amaSirayeli akubona ukuba uAbhimeleki ufile, asuka agoduka onke.
56Ngale ndlela ke uThixo wabuphindezela ububi obabenziwe nguAbhimeleki kuyise ngokubulala abantakwabo abangamashumi asixhenxe. 57UThixo wabohlwaya nabantu baseShekem ngenxa yenkohlakalo yabo, njengoko wathethayo uYotam unyana kaJerubhali xa wayebashwabulela.
