AbAhluleli Chapter 9

1. U-Abimeleki indodana kaJerubali waya kubafowabo bakanina, wakhuluma kubo nomndeni wonke wendlu kayise kanina, wathi:

2. “Ake 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.”

3. Abafowabo bakanina base bekhuluma ngaye ezindlebeni zabo bonke abantu baseShekemi onke lawo mazwi; izinhliziyo zabo zathanda ukumlandela u-Abimeleki, ngokuba bathi: “Ungumfowethu.”

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

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

6. Bonke abantu baseShekemi bahlangana nabo bonke abaseBeti Milo, baya bambeka u-Abimeleki inkosi ngase-okini letshe lesikhumbuzo elaliseShekemi.

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

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

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

10. “Imithi yayisithi kuwo umkhiwane: ‘Woza wena, ube yinkosi yethu.’

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

12. “Yayisithi imithi kuwo umvini: ‘Woza wena, ube yinkosi yethu.’

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

14. “Yonke imithi yayisithi kuso isihlahla somkhaya: ‘Woza wena, ube yinkosi yethu.’

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

16. “Ngalokho uma nenzile ngeqiniso nangobuqotho lapho nimbeka u-Abimeleki inkosi, uma nimphathile kahle uJerubali nendlu yakhe, nenza kuye njengokufanele izandla zakhe

17. ngokuba ubaba wanilwela wazidela, wanophula esandleni sabakwaMidiyani;

18. kepha niyivukele namuhla indlu kababa, nibulele amadodana akhe, abantu abangamashumi ayisikhombisa etsheni linye, nimbekile u-Abimeleki indodana yesigqilakazi sakhe inkosi yabaseShekemi ngokuba engumfowenu;

19. uma nimphathile kahle uJerubali nendlu yakhe namuhla, thokozani ngo-Abimeleki, naye athokoze ngani;

20. kepha uma kungenjalo, makuphume umlilo ku-Abimeleki, uqede abantu baseShekemi neBeti Milo, umlilo uphume nakubantu baseShekemi naseBeti Milo, umqede u-Abimeleki.”

21. UJothamu wayesebaleka, weqa, waya eBeri, wahlala khona ngenxa ka-Abimeleki umfowabo.

22. U-Abimeleki wayeyisikhulu phezu kuka-Israyeli iminyaka emithathu.

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

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

25. AbaseShekemi bambekela abaqamekeli eziqongweni zezintaba, baphanga bonke ababedlula kubo ngaleyo ndlela; kwabikwa ku-Abimeleki.

26. Kwafika uGali indodana ka-Ebedi nabafowabo, waya eShekemi; abaseShekemi bamethemba.

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

28. UGali indodana ka-Ebedi wathi: “Ngubani u-Abimeleki, ngubani uShekemi, ukuba simkhonze, na? Akasiyo indodana kaJerubali, noZebule yinduna yakhe na? Khonzani abantu bakaHamori uyise kaShekemi. Thina siyakumkhonzelani yena na?

29. Sengathi laba bantu nga besesandleni sami; bengiyakumsusa u-Abimeleki.” Wathi ku-Abimeleki: “Yandisa impi yakho, uphume.”

30. Lapha uZebule umphathi womuzi ezwa amazwi kaGali indodana ka-Ebedi, kwavutha ulaka lwakhe.

31. Wathuma izithunywa ku-Abimeleki ngobuqili, wathi: “Bheka, uGali indodana ka-Ebedi nabafowabo bafikile eShekemi; bheka, bakuvusela umuzi.

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

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

34. U-Abimeleki nabo bonke abantu ababenaye basuka ebusuku, baqamekela iShekemi ngezigaba ezine.

35. UGali indodana ka-Ebedi waphuma, wema esikhaleni sesango lomuzi; u-Abimeleki wayeseqhamuka nabantu ababenaye ekuqamekeleni.

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

37. UGali wabuye wakhuluma, wathi: “Bheka, kwehla abantu eNkabeni yezwe, esinye isigaba sifika ngendlela ye-oki lokuhlola imihlola.”

38. UZebule wayesethi kuye: “Uphi manje umlomo wakho ukuba uthi: ‘Ngubani u-Abimeleki ukuba simkhonze na?’ Akusibo labo bantu obadeleleyo na? Ake uphume manje, ulwe nabo.”

39. UGali waphuma phambi kwabantu baseShekemi, walwa no-Abimeleki.

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

41. U-Abimeleki wahlala e-Aruma; uZebule wamxosha uGali nabafowabo ukuba bangahlali eShekemi.

42. Kwathi ngangomuso abantu baya endle, bamtshela u-Abimeleki.

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

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

45. U-Abimeleki walwa nomuzi lonke lolo suku; wawuthatha umuzi, wabulala abantu ababekuwo, wawubhidliza umuzi, wahlwanyela usawoti kuwo.

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

47. Kwabikwa ku-Abimeleki ukuthi bonke abasembhoshongweni waseShekemi babehlangene ndawonye.

48. U-Abimeleki wenyukela entabeni yaseSalimoni, yena nabantu bonke ababenaye; u-Abimeleki wathatha izembe ngesandla, wagawula igatsha emithini, walithatha, walibeka ehlombe, wathi kubantu ababenaye: “Lokho eningibone ngikwenza, sheshani nikwenze njengami.”

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

50. U-Abimeleki wayeseya eThebesi, wamisa malungana neThebesi, walithatha.

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

52. U-Abimeleki wafika embhoshongweni, walwa nawo, wasondela emnyango wombhoshongo ukuba awushise ngomlilo.

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

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

55. Kwathi abantu bakwa-Israyeli bebonile ukuthi u-Abimeleki ufile, bamuka baya, kwaba yilowo nalowo endaweni yakhe.

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

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