U-Abhimeleki Uba Yinkosi
1U-Abhimelekhi, indodana kaJerubhali, waya eShekhemi ezihlotsheni zikanina nakubo bonke abomndeni wasekhayakonina, wathi: 2“Shonini kuzwa zonke izikhulu zaseShekhemi, ukuthi: ‘Yikuphi okungcono kini, ukuba nibuswe yiwo wonke amadodana kaJerubhali angama-70 noma nibuswe ngumuntu oyedwa, na?’ Khumbulani futhi ukuthi mina ngiyithambo lenu nenyama yenu.”
3Omalume bakhe base bekhuluma wonke lawo mazwi egameni lakhe, kuzwa zonke izikhulu zaseShekhemi; izinhliziyo zazo zathanda ukulandela u-Abhimelekhi, ngokuba zathi: “Ungumfowethu.”
4Zamnika izinhlamvu zesiliva ezingama-70 ezazizithathe ethempelini likaBhali Bherethi; u-Abhimelekhi aqasha ngazo iziduphunga nezixhwanguxhwangu zamadoda, ukuba zimlandele. 5Waya endlini kayise e-Ofira, wabulala abafowabo, amadodana kaJerubhali angama-70 etsheni elilodwa, kwasala uJothamu, uthunjana kaJerubhali, ngokuba wacasha. 6Zonke izakhamuzi zaseShekhemi nalo lonke iBhethi Milo zahlangana ngasensikeni yomu-okhi eShekhemi, zahamba zambeka u-Abhimelekhi, waba yinkosi.
UJothamu Umemeza Entabeni IGerizimu
7Lapho uJothamu etshelwa ngalokho, wahamba wayoma esicongweni sentaba iGerizimu, wakhala, wamemeza kakhulu, wathi kuzo: “Ngilaleleni, nina zakhamuzi zaseShekhemi, ukuze uNkulunkulu anilalele nani.
8“Imithi yake yahamba
yayozibekela inkosi ezoyibusa.
Ngakho-ke yathi esihlahleni somnqumo:
‘Busa! Busa! Phezu kwethu.’
9“Isihlahla somnqumo sathi:
‘Ngiyeke ukukhiqiza amafutha ami acebile
okuhlonishwa ngawo onkulunkulu nabantu,
ngihambe ngiyobusa phezu kwemithi, na?’
10“Imithi yathi emkhiwaneni:
‘Woza wena,
ubuse phezu kwethu.’
11“Umkhiwane waphendula, wathi:
‘Ngiyeke yini
ukukhiqiza izithelo zami ezimnandi
nezinambitheka kamtoti,
ngihambe ngiyobusa
phezu kwemithi, na?’
12“Imithi yase ithi emvinini:
‘Woza wena,
ubuse phezu kwethu.’
13“Umvini waphendula wathi:
‘Ngiyeke yini ukukhiqiza iwayini
elithokozisa onkulunkulu nabantu,
ngihambe ngiyobusa phezu kwemithi, na?’
14“Ngakho-ke yonke imithi
yathi ejikijolweni:
‘Woza wena,
ubuse phezu kwethu.’
15“Isihlahla sejikijolo saphendula sathi:
‘Uma ningibeka ngibe yinkosi yenu,
wozani nizokhosela phansi komthunzi wami,
uma kungenjalo,
makuvele umlilo ejikijolweni,
uqothule imisedari eLebhanoni.’
16“Ngakho-ke uma nikwenze lokhu ngezinhliziyo ezinhle, nangokuhlonipha, lapho nibeka u-Abhimeleki abe yinkosi, futhi namphatha kahle uJerubhali nabendlu yakhe, nenza kuye njengoba kufanele ngenxa yezenzo zakhe, 17ngokuba ubaba wanilwela, wabeka impilo yakhe ebucayini, wanikhulula esandleni sabakwaMidiyani, 18kodwa namhlanje niyivukele indlu kababa, nabulala amadodana akhe, angama-70 etsheni elilodwa, nabeka u-Abhimelekhi, indodana yowesifazane oyisigqila, ukuba abe yinkosi phezu kwezakhamuzi eShekhemi, ngoba nje eyisihlobo senu, 19uma ngithi nenze okuhle ngokuhlonipha uJerubhali nabendlu yakhe namhlanje, ngakho-ke jabulani ngo-Abhimelekhi, naye ajabule ngani, 20kodwa uma kungenjalo, makuphume umlilo ku-Abhimelekhi, uqothule zonke izakhamuzi zaseShekhemi naseBhethi Milo, kuphume umlilo ezakhamuzini zaseShekhemi naseBhethi Milo ubhubhise u-Abhimelekhi.”
21UJothamu wayesebaleka, waya eBheyeri, wahlala khona ngoba esaba umfowabo u-Abhimelekhi.
22U-Abhimelekhi wabusa u-Israyeli iminyaka emithathu. 23UNkulunkulu wathumela umoya omubi phakathi kuka-Abhimelekhi nezakhamuzi zaseShekhemi, zamphatha ngonya u-Abhimelekhi. 24Lokho kwenzeka ukuze kuphindiseleke unya alwenza emadodaneni kaJerubhali angama-70, nokuba igazi lawo libe phezu komfowabo u-Abhimelekhi, owawabulalayo, naphezu kwezakhamuzi zaseShekhemi ezenza abe namandla okubulala abafowabo. 25Ngenxa yobutha kuye, izikhulu zaseShekhemi zabeka ezicongweni zezintaba abantu ukuba bamlalele unyendle. Bagebenga bonke ababedlula ngaleyo ndlela; kwabikwa lokho ku-Abhimelekhi.
26Kwathi lapho uGali, indodana ka-Ebhedi, ethuthela eShekhemi nezihlobo zakhe, izakhamuzi zaseShekhemi zethembela kuye. 27Zaya emasimini, zabutha amagilebhisi ezivinini zazo, zawagxoba, zagubha umkhosi. Zaya ethempelini likankulunkulu wazo, zadla, zaphuza, zahlekisa ngo-Abhimelekhi. 28UGali, indodana ka-Ebhedi, wabuza wathi: “Ungubani u-Abhimelekhi, futhi singobani thina baseShekhemi ukuba singakhonza yena, na? Ayikaze yini indodana kaJerubhali noZebhuli, induna yakhe, bakhonze emadodaneni kaHarmori uyise kaShekhemi, na? Pho thina simkhonzelani, na? 29Uma nje laba bantu bebephethwe yimi, bengizomsusa u-Abhimelekhi, ngithi kuye: ‘Yandisa impi yakho, uphume silwe.’ ”
30Lapho uZebhuli, umbusi womuzi, ezwa amazwi kaGali, indodana ka-Ebhedi, wathukuthela wabila. 31Wathumela izigijimi ku-Abhimelekhi e-Aruma, wathi kuye: “Uyabona-ke, uGali indodana ka-Ebhedi nezihlobo zakhe bafike eShekhemi, bakuphehlela udweshu emzini. 32Ngakho-ke hambani ebusuku, wena namabutho anawe niyocutha endle. 33Kuyothi ekuseni, lapho kuphuma ilanga, nivuke niphuthume emzini lapho yena namabutho ahambisana nawo bephuma beyokulwa nawe, ubenzakalise ngendlela obona ngayo.”
34U-Abhimelekhi nawo wonke amabutho ayenawo bavuka ebusuku, bayolindela ukuhlasela iShekhemi, bazihlela amaviyo amane. 35Lapho uGali, indodana ka-Ebhedi, ephuma, wama esikhaleni sesango lomuzi, u-Abhimelekhi namabutho akhe basuka lapho babecashe khona, bamthelekela. 36Ngesikhathi uGali ebabona, wathi kuZebhuli: “Bheka, kunabantu abehla ezicongweni zezintaba.”
UZebhuli wathi kuye: “Amathunzi ezintaba abukeka njengabantu kuwe.”
37UGali wakhuluma futhi, wathi: “Uyabona, kunabantu abehla enkabeni yezwe, elinye iviyo liqhamuka ngendlela yomu-okhi okuhlolelwa kuwo.”
38UZebhuli wathi kuye: “Kuphi ukuziqhayisa kwakho manje, wena obuthi: ‘Ungubani u-Abhimelekhi ukuba simkhonze, na?’ Akuwona yini lawa amabutho obuwathatha kalula, na? Phuma manje, ulwe nawo.”
39Ngakho-ke uGali waphuma wahola izakhamuzi zaseShekhemi, balwa no-Abhimelekhi. 40U-Abhimelekhi wamxosha, wabaleka phambi kwakhe. Abaningi bawa belimele kwaze kwaba sekungeneni esangweni lomuzi. 41U-Abhimelekhi wahlala e-Aruma, uZebhuli wamxosha uGali nezihlobo zakhe, ukuze bangaphinde bahlale eShekhemi.
42Ngakusasa abantu baya endle. Lapho bembikela u-Abhimelekhi, 43wathatha amabutho akhe wawehlukanisa amaviyo amathathu, walala unyendle endle. Kwathi lapho ebona abantu bephuma emzini, wavuka walwa nabo, wababulala. 44U-Abhimelekhi neviyo elalinaye baphuthuma, bama esikhaleni sesango lomuzi, ngesikhathi amaviyo amabili ephuthume ukubulala bonke ababesendle. 45U-Abhimelekhi walwa nomuzi lonke lolo lusuku; wawudla umuzi, wabulala abantu ababekuwo, wawushisa umuzi, wawufaza ngosawoti.
46Kwathi ukuba zizwe ngalokho izakhamuzi zombhoshongo eShekhemi, zangena enqabeni yethempeli lika-Eli Bherethi. 47U-Abhimelekhi watshelwa ukuthi zonke izakhamuzi zombhoshongo eShekhemi zibuthene ndawonye, 48ngakho-ke wenyukela entabeni iZalimoni, yena nawo wonke amabutho ayehamba nawo. U-Abhimelekhi wathatha imbazo ngesandla sakhe, wagawula igatsha, waliphakamisa walibeka ehlombe lakhe. Wayesethi emabuthweni ayenaye: “Lokho eningibone ngikwenza, kwenzeni ngokushesha, njengami.”
49Kwaba yilelo nalelo butho lagawula igatsha, balandela u-Abhimelekhi, bawabeka enqabeni, base beyithungela ngomlilo ngaphezu kwabo; bafa bonke abantu basembhoshongweni eShekhemi, amadoda abalelwa enkulungwaneni nabesifazane.
50U-Abhimelekhi waya eThebhezi, wakanisa malungana neThebhezi, walidla. 51Kodwa kwakukhona umbhoshongo oqinile phakathi emzini, bonke abesilisa nabesifazane nazo zonke izakhamuzi zomuzi babalekela kuwo, bazivalela phakathi, base bekhuphukela ophahleni lombhoshongo. 52U-Abhimelekhi wafika embhoshongweni, walwa nawo, wasondela emnyango wombhoshongo ukuze awushise. 53Kepha owesifazane othile wawisela itshe ekhanda lika-Abhimelekhi, lamphohloza ikhanda. 54Masinyane wabiza insizwa eyayiwudibi lwakhe, wathi kuyo: “Hosha inkemba yakho, ungibulale ukuze abantu bangathi ngami: ‘Wabulawa ngowesifazane.’ ”
Insizwa yamgwaza wafa. 55Kwathi ukuba abakwa-Israyeli babone ukuthi ufile u-Abhimelekhi, babuyela emakhaya.
56UNkulunkulu waphindisela kanjalo ku-Abhimelekhi ngobubi ayebenze kuyise, ngokubulala abafowabo abangama-70. 57UNkulunkulu wabuye wenza nobubi babantu baseShekhemi ukuba behlele phezu kwabo, baphinde behlelwa nayisiqalekiso uJothamu, indodana kaJerubhali, ayesikhulume kubo.
