ABAHLULELI 9

₁UAbimeleki indodana kaJerubali* waya kubafowabo bakanina, wakhuluma kubo nomndeni wonke wendlu kayise kanina, wathi:

₂Ake nikhulume ezindlebeni zabo bonke abantu baseShekemi, nithi: Yikuphi okuhle kini ukuba onke amadodana kaJerubali* angabantu abangamashumi ayisikhombisa anibuse nokuba nibuswe ngumuntu munye na? Khumbulani ukuthi mina ngiyithambo lenu nenyama yenu.

₃Abafowabo bakanina base bekhuluma ngaye ezindlebeni zabo bonke abantu baseShekemi onke lawomazwi; izinhliziyo zabo zathanda ukumlandela uAbimeleki, ngokuba bathi: Ungumfowethu.

₄Bamnika amashekeli* angamashumi ayisikhombisa esiliva endlini kaBali-Beriti, uAbimeleki aqasha ngawo izidenga namayiyane, bamlandela.

₅Waya endlini kayise eOfira, wabulala abafowabo, amadodana kaJerubali*, abantu abangamashumi ayisikhombisa etsheni linye, kepha kwasala uJothamu indodana encinyane kaJerubali, ngokuba wacasha.

₆Bonke abantu baseShekemi bahlangana nabo bonke abaseBeti-Milo, baya bambeka uAbimeleki inkosi ngaseokini* letshe lesikhumbuzo elaliseShekemi.

₇Lapho kubikwa lokho kuJothamu, waya wema esiqongweni sentaba yaseGerizimu, waphakamisa izwi lakhe, wamemeza, wathi kubo: Ngilaleleni ninabantu baseShekemi ukuba uNkulunkulu anilalele nina.

₈Imithi yake yaya ukuzigcobela inkosi, yathi kuwo umnqumo: Yiba-yinkosi yethu.

₉Kepha umnqumo wathi kuyo: Ngiyakuwayeka yini amafutha ami abadunyiswa ngawo onkulunkulu nabantu, ngiye ngintengantenge phezu kwemithi, na?

₁₀Imithi yayisithi kuwo umkhiwane: Woza wena, ube-yinkosi yethu.

₁₁Kepha umkhiwane wathi kuyo: Ngiyakubuyeka yini ubumnandi bami nezithelo zami ezinhle, ngiye ngintengantenge phezu kwemithi, na?

₁₂Yayisithi imithi kuwo umvini: Woza wena, ube-yinkosi yethu.

₁₃Umvini wathi kuyo: Ngiyakuliyeka yini iwayini lami elithokozisa onkulunkulu nabantu, ngiye ngintengantenge phezu kwemithi, na?

₁₄Yonke imithi yayisithi kuso isihlahla somkhaya: Woza wena, ube-yinkosi yethu.

₁₅Isihlahla somkhaya sathi kuyo imithi: Uma ningigcoba impela ngibe-yinkosi yenu, wozani niphephele emthunzini wami; uma kungenjalo, makuphume umlilo kuso isihlahla somkhaya, uqede imisedari* yaseLebanoni.

₁₆Ngalokho uma nenzile ngeqiniso nangobuqotho lapho nimbeka uAbimeleki inkosi, uma nimphathile kahle uJerubali* nendlu yakhe, nenza kuye njengokufanele izandla zakhe —

₁₇ngokuba ubaba wanilwela wazidela, wanophula esandleni sabakwaMidiyani;

₁₈kepha niyivukele namuhla indlu kababa, nibulele amadodana akhe, abantu abangamashumi ayisikhombisa etsheni linye, nimbekile uAbimeleki indodana yesigqilakazi sakhe inkosi yabaseShekemi ngokuba engumfowenu —

₁₉uma nimphathile kahle uJerubali* nendlu yakhe namuhla, thokozani ngoAbimeleki, naye athokoze ngani;

₂₀kepha uma kungenjalo, makuphume umlilo kuAbimeleki, uqede abantu baseShekemi neBeti-Milo, umlilo uphume nakubantu baseShekemi naseBeti-Milo, umqede uAbimeleki.

₂₁UJothamu wayesebaleka, weqa, waya eBeri, wahlala khona ngenxa kaAbimeleki umfowabo.

₂₂UAbimeleki wayeyisikhulu phezu kukaIsrayeli iminyaka emithathu.

₂₃UNkulunkulu wathuma umoya omubi phakathi kuka-Abimeleki nabantu baseShekemi; abaseShekemi bambhumbuluza uAbimeleki

₂₄ukuba ubudlova obenziwe kuwo amadodana angamashumi ayisikhombisa kaJerubali* bufike, negazi labo libekwe phezu kuka-Abimeleki umfowabo owababulala, naphezu kwabaseShekemi abaqinisa izandla zakhe ukuba abulale abafowabo.

₂₅AbaseShekemi bambekela abaqamekeli eziqongweni zezintaba, baphanga bonke ababedlula kubo ngaleyondlela; kwabikwa kuAbimeleki.

₂₆Kwafika uGali indodana kaEbedi nabafowabo, waya eShekemi; abaseShekemi bamethemba.

₂₇Baya endle, bavuna izivini zabo, banyathela imivini, bagubha umkhosi, bangena endlini kankulunkulu wabo, badla, baphuza, bamqalekisa uAbimeleki.

₂₈UGali indodana kaEbedi wathi: Ngubani uAbimeleki, ngubani uShekemi, ukuba simkhonze, na? Akasiyo indodana kaJerubali*, noZebule yinduna yakhe na? Khonzani abantu bakaHamori uyise kaShekemi. Thina siyakumkhonzelani yena na?

₂₉Sengathi lababantu nga besesandleni sami; bengiyakumsusa uAbimeleki. Wathi kuAbimeleki: Yandisa impi yakho, uphume.

₃₀Lapha uZebule umphathi womuzi ezwa amazwi kaGali indodana kaEbedi, kwavutha ulaka lwakhe.

₃₁Wathuma izithunywa kuAbimeleki ngobuqili, wathi: Bheka, uGali indodana kaEbedi nabafowabo bafikile eShekemi; bheka, bakuvusela umuzi.

₃₂Ngalokho vukani ebusuku, wena nabantu abanawe, niqamekele endle;

₃₃kuyakuthi ekuseni lisaphuma ilanga, uvuke, uhlasele umuzi; bheka, lapho yena nabantu abanaye bephuma ukuba balwe nawe, wenze kubo njengokubona kwakho.

₃₄UAbimeleki nabo bonke abantu ababenaye basuka ebusuku, baqamekela iShekemi ngezigaba ezine.

₃₅UGali indodana kaEbedi waphuma, wema esikhaleni sesango lomuzi; uAbimeleki wayeseqhamuka nabantu ababenaye ekuqamekeleni.

₃₆Lapho uGali ebona abantu, wathi kuZebule: Bheka, kwehla abantu eziqongweni zezintaba. UZebule wathi kuye: Uyabona amathunzi ezintaba kungathi ngabantu.

₃₇UGali wabuye wakhuluma, wathi: Bheka, kwehla abantu eNkabeni yezwe, esinye isigaba sifika ngendlela yeoki* lokuhlola imihlola.

₃₈UZebule wayesethi kuye: Uphi manje umlomo wakho ukuba uthi: Ngubani uAbimeleki ukuba simkhonze na? Akusibo labobantu obadeleleyo na? Ake uphume manje, ulwe nabo.

₃₉UGali waphuma phambi kwabantu baseShekemi, walwa noAbimeleki.

₄₀UAbimeleki wamxosha, wabaleka phambi kwakhe, kwawa abaningi bekhutshaziwe kwaze kwaba-sesikhaleni sesango.

₄₁UAbimeleki wahlala eAruma; uZebule wamxosha uGali nabafowabo ukuba bangahlali eShekemi.

₄₂Kwathi ngangomuso abantu baya endle, bamtshela uAbimeleki.

₄₃Wathatha abantu, wabahlukanisela izigaba ezintathu, waqamekela endle; wabheka, nampa abantu bephuma emzini; wabavukela, wababulala.

₄₄UAbimeleki nezigaba ezazinaye zadumela, zema esikhaleni sesango lomuzi; izigaba zombili zadumela bonke abasendle, zababulala.

₄₅UAbimeleki walwa nomuzi lonke lolosuku; wawuthatha umuzi, wabulala abantu ababekuwo, wawubhidliza umuzi, wahlwanyela usawoti kuwo.

₄₆Lapho bezwa lokho bonke abasembhoshongweni waseShekemi, bangena enqabeni yendlu yase-Eli-Beriti.

₄₇Kwabikwa kuAbimeleki ukuthi bonke abasembhoshongweni waseShekemi babehlangene ndawonye.

₄₈UAbimeleki wenyukela entabeni yaseSalimoni, yena nabantu bonke ababenaye; uAbimeleki wathatha izembe ngesandla, wagawula igatsha emithini, walithatha, walibeka ehlombe, wathi kubantu ababenaye: Lokho eningiboné ngikwenza, sheshani nikwenze njengami.

₄₉Bonke abantu bagawula, kwaba-yilowo nalowo igatsha lakhe kanjalo, bamlandela uAbimeleki, bawabeka enqabeni, bayithungela inqaba ngomlilo phezu kwabo; bafa bonke abantu abasembhoshongweni waseShekemi, kungathi abayinkulungwane, abesilisa nabesifazane.

₅₀UAbimeleki wayeseya eThebesi, wamisa malungana neThebesi, walithatha.

₅₁Kepha phakathi komuzi wawukhona umbhoshongo oqinileyo; babalekela khona bonke abesilisa nabesifazane, nabo bonke abomuzi, bazivalela phakathi, benyukela ophahleni lombhoshongo.

₅₂UAbimeleki wafika embhoshongweni, walwa nawo, wasondela emnyango wombhoshongo ukuba awushise ngomlilo.

₅₃Owesifazane othile waphonsa imbokodwe ekhanda lika-Abimeleki, wachimiza ikhanda lakhe.

₅₄Wayeseshesha ebiza udibi olwaluphethe izikhali zakhe, wathi kulo: Hosha inkemba yakho, ungibulale ukuba abantu bangasho ngami ukuthi: Wabulawa ngowesifazane. Udibi lwakhe lwase lumgwaza, wafa.

₅₅Kwathi abantu bakwaIsrayeli bebonile ukuthi uAbimeleki ufile, bamuka baya, kwaba-yilowo nalowo endaweni yakhe.

₅₆Kanjalo uNkulunkulu wabuyisela ububi buka-Abimeleki abebenzile kuyise ngokubulala abafowabo abangamashumi ayisikhombisa.

₅₇UNkulunkulu wabuyisela bonke ububi babantu baseShekemi emakhanda abo, behlelwa yisiqalekiso sikaJothamu indodana kaJerubali*.