Ukubusa kukaAbhimeleki

9UAbhimeleki indodana kaJerubali wasesiya eShekema kubafowabo bakaninaa, wakhuluma kibo lakusendo lonke lwendlu kayise kanina, esithi: 2 Ake likhulume endlebeni zabo bonke abahlali beShekemab lithi: Yikuphi okungcono kini ukuthi wonke amadodana kaJerubali amadoda angamatshumi ayisikhombisac alibuse, kumbe indoda eyodwa ilibuse? Khumbulani futhi ukuthi ngilithambo lenu lenyama yenud. 3 Labafowabo bakanina bamkhulumela ezindlebeni zabo bonke abahlali beShekema wonke la amazwie. Inhliziyo yabo yeyamela ukumlandela uAbhimeleki, ngoba bathi: Ungumfowethuf. 4 Bamnika inhlamvu zesiliva ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa ezavela endlini kaBhali-Berithig; uAbhimeleki waseqhatsha ngazo abantu abayizeh labangakhathaliyoi abamlandelayo. 5 Wasesiya endlini kayise eOfiraj, wabulala abafowabo amadodana kaJerubalik, amadoda angamatshumi ayisikhombisa, phezu kwedwala elilodwa; kodwa uJothamu indodana elicinathunjana kaJerubali wasala, ngoba wacatsha. 6 Labo bonke abahlali beShekemal labo bonke abeBeti-Milom babuthana, bahamba bamenza wabusa uAbhimeleki abe yinkosi, esihlahleni se-okhi* esamiswa siseShekeman.

7 Lapho bemtshela uJothamu, wayakuma phezu kwengqonga yentaba yeGerizimio, waphakamisa ilizwi lakhe wamemeza wathi kibo: Ngizwani bahlali beShekemap ukuze uNkulunkulu alizwe. 8 Izihlahla zahamba lokuhamba ukuzigcobela inkosiq. Zathi esihlahleni somhlwathi: Sibuser. 9 Kodwa isihlahla somhlwathi sathi kuzo: Kambe ngizatshiya amafutha ami abadumisa ngawo uNkulunkulu labantus ngami, ukuze ngiyezunguza phezu kwezihlahla? 10 Izihlahla zasezisithi esihlahleni somkhiwa: Woza wena usibuse. 11 Kodwa isihlahla somkhiwa sathi kuzo: Kambe ngizatshiya ubumnandi bami lezithelo zami ezinhle, ukuze ngiyezunguza phezu kwezihlahla? 12 Izihlahla zasezisithi esihlahleni sevini: Woza wena usibuse. 13 Kodwa isihlahla sevini sathi kuzo: Kambe ngizatshiya iwayini lami elitsha elithokozisa uNkulunkulu labantut, ukuze ngiyezunguza phezu kwezihlahla? 14 Izihlahla zonke zasezisithi embabazaneni: Woza wena usibuse. 15 Imbabazane yasisithi ezihlahleni: Uba ngeqiniso lingigcoba ngibe yinkosi phezu kwenu, wozani lidinge ukuvikelwa emthunziniu wami; uba kungenjalo-ke, umlilo uzaphuma embabazaneniv udle izihlahla zemisedari zeLebhanoniw. 16 Ngakho khathesi, uba likwenzile ngeqiniso langokuthembekax ukuthi libekile uAbhimeleki abe yinkosi, lokuthi uba lenzile okuhle ngoJerubali langendlu yakhe, lokuthi uba lenze kuye ngokufanele izandla zakhey; 17 ngoba ubaba walilwela, walahlela khatshana impilo yakhe, walophula esandleni samaMidiyani; 18 kodwa lina seliyivukele indlu kababa lamuhla, labulala amadodana akhez, amadoda angamatshumi ayisikhombisa, phezu kwedwala elilodwa, labeka uAbhimeleki indodana yencekukazia yakhe ukuthi abe yinkosi yabahlali beShekema, ngoba engumfowenub; 19 uba-ke ngeqiniso langokuthembekac lenzile ngoJerubali langendlu yakhe ngalolusuku, thokozani ngoAbhimelekid, laye athokoze ngani. 20 Kodwa uba kungenjalo, kakuphume umlilo kuAbhimelekie udle abahlali beShekemaf leBeti-Milo, njalo kakuphume umlilo kubahlali beShekema leBeti-Milo udle uAbhimeleki. 21 UJothamu wasephunyuka wabaleka, waya eBerig, wahlala khona, ngenxa kaAbhimeleki umfowabo.

22 Kwathi uAbhimeleki esebuse uIsrayeli iminyaka emithathu, 23 uNkulunkulu wathuma umoya omubi phakathi kukaAbhimeleki labahlali beShekemah, njalo abahlali beShekema baziphatha ngokungathembeki kuAbhimelekii, 24 ukuze udlakela olwenziwa kumadodana kaJerubali angamatshumi ayisikhombisa lubuyelej, legazi libekwe phezu kukaAbhimeleki umfowabo owawabulalayo, laphezu kwabahlali beShekema ababeqinise izandla zakhe ukubulala abafowabo. 25 Abahlali beShekema basebembekela abacathameli ezingqongeni zezintaba, baphanga bonke ababebedlula ngaleyondlela; uAbhimeleki wasekubikelwa.

26 UGahali indodana kaEbedi wasesiza labafowabo, bedlulela eShekema; njalo abahlali beShekema bamthemba. 27 Basebephuma baya emasimini, bakha izithelo zamavini ezivinini zabo, bazinyathela, benza indumiso, bangena endlini kankulunkulu wabok, badla banatha, bamthuka uAbhimeleki. 28 UGahali indodana kaEbedi wasesithi: Ungubani uAbhimelekil njalo ungubani uShekema ukuthi simsebenzele? Kasindodana kaJerubali yini, loZebuli induna yayo? Sebenzelani amadoda kaHamori uyise kaShekemam. Ngoba thina sizamsebenzelelani? 29 Sengathi ngabe lababantu bebesesandleni samin, bengizamkhupha-ke uAbhimeleki. Wasesithi kuAbhimeleki: Yandisa ibutho lakho, uphume.

30 Kwathi uZebuli umbusi womuzi esizwa amazwi kaGahali indodana kaEbedi, ulaka lwakhe lwavutha. 31 Wathuma izithunywa kuAbhimeleki ngobuqili, esithi: Khangela, uGahali indodana kaEbedi labafowabo bafikile eShekema, khangela-ke, sebeqinisa umuzi ukumelana lawe. 32 Khathesi-ke sukuma ebusuku wena labantu abalawe, uyecathama egangeni. 33 Kuzakuthi-ke ekuseni ekuphumeni kwelanga, uvuke ngovivi uwuhlasele umuzi; khangela, lapho yena labantu abalaye bephuma ukumelana lawe, uzakwenza kuye njengalokho isandla sakho esikutholayo.

34 UAbhimeleki wasesukuma labo bonke abantu ababelaye, ebusuku, basebeyicathamela iShekema ngezigaba ezine. 35 UGahali indodana kaEbedi wasephuma wema esikhaleni sesango lomuzi. UAbhimeleki wasesukuma labantu ababelaye ekucathameni. 36 Kwathi uGahali ebona abantu, wathi kuZebuli: Khangela, abantu bayehla ezingqongeni zezintabao. Kodwa uZebuli wathi kuye: Ubona amathunzi ezintaba kungathi ngabantu. 37 UGahali waqhubeka futhi ekhuluma wathi: Khangela, abantu bayehla bevela phakathi kwelizwe, lelinye ixuku livela endleleni yamagceke abavumisip. 38 UZebuli wasesithi kuye: Usungaphi umlomo wakho owathi ngawo: Ungubani uAbhimelekiq ukuthi simkhonze? Laba kayisibo abantu obadeleleyo yini? Ake uphume khathesi uyekulwa labo. 39 UGahali wasephuma phambi kwabahlali beShekema, walwa loAbhimeleki. 40 UAbhimeleki wamxotsha, wasebaleka phambi kwakhe; abanengi bawa belimele kwaze kwaba sekungeneni kwesango. 41 UAbhimeleki wasehlala eAruma. UZebuli wasemxotsha uGahali labafowabo, ukuze bangahlali eShekema. 42 Kwasekusithi kusisa abantu baphuma baya egangeni; bamtshela uAbhimeleki. 43 Wasethatha abantu, wabehlukanisa baba ngamaxuku amathathu, wacathama egangeni, wabona, khangela-ke, abantu bephuma emzini, wabasukela wabatshaya. 44 UAbhimeleki lexuku elalilaye basebebahlaselar bema ekungeneni kwesango lomuzi, lamaxuku amabili ahlasela bonke ababesegangenis, abatshaya. 45 UAbhimeleki wasesilwa emelene lomuzi lolosuku lonke, wawuthumba umuzi, wabulala abantu ababekiwo, wadilizela phansi umuzit, wawuhlanyela ngetshwayiu.

46 Lapho bonke abahlali bomphotshongo weShekema bekuzwav, bangena enqabeni yendluw kaEli-Berithix. 47 Kwabikelwa uAbhimeleki ukuthi bonke abahlali bemphotshongweni weShekema babuthene ndawonyey. 48 UAbhimeleki wasesenyukela entabeni yeZalimoniz, yena labo bonke abantu ababelaye; uAbhimeleki wathatha ihloka esandleni sakhe, wagamula ugatsha lwezihlahla, waluthatha walwetshata ehlombe lakhe, wathi ebantwini ababelaye: Lokhu elibona ngikwenza, phangisani likwenze njengami. 49 Ngakho bonke abantu labo bagamula, ngulowo ugatsha lwakhe, bamlandela uAbhimeleki bazibeka enqabenia, bathungela inqaba ngomlilo phezu kwabo, kwaze kwathi bonke abantu bomphotshongo weShekema labo bafab, phose abesilisa labesifazana abayinkulungwane.

50 UAbhimeleki wasesiya eThebezi, wamisa inkamba maqondana leThebezi wayithumba. 51 Kodwa kwakulomphotshongo oqinileyo phakathi komuzi, labo bonke abesilisa labesifazana babalekela kuyo, labo bonke abahlali bomuzi, babavalela phakathic; benyukela ephahleni lomphotshongo. 52 UAbhimeleki wasefika emphotshongweni, walwa lawo, wasondela emnyango womphotshongo ukuze awutshise ngomlilo. 53 Owesifazana othile wasephosad ucezue lwelitshe lokucholaf ekhanda likaAbhimeleki, wadabula ukhakhayi lwakhe. 54 Wasebiza masinyane ijaha elalithwala izikhali zakheg, wathi kilo: Hwatsha inkemba yakho ungibulale, hlezi bathi ngami: Owesifazana wambulala. Ijaha lakhe laselimgwaza, wafa-ke. 55 Kwathi amadoda akoIsrayeli ebona ukuthi uAbhimeleki usefile, ahamba, ngulowo waya endaweni yakhe.

56 Ngokunjalo uNkulunkulu wabuyisela ububi bukaAbhimelekih ayebenze kuyise, ngokubulala abafowabo abangamatshumi ayisikhombisa. 57 Labo bonke ububi bamadoda eShekema uNkulunkulu wabubuyisela phezu kwamakhanda awo; kwasekusehlela phezu kwabo isiqalekiso sikaJothamu indodana kaJerubalii.