ABahluleli 9:1-57
9 Ngemva kwesikhathi u-Abhimeleki+ indodana kaJerubhali waya kubafowabo bakanina eShekhemu, wafika wakhuluma labo lemuli yonke kayisemkhulu* wathi:
2 “Ngicela libuze bonke abakhokheli beShekhemu lithi, ‘Yikuphi okungcono kini, ukuthi libuswe ngamadodana kaJerubhali+ angu-70 kumbe ukuthi libuswe ngumuntu oyedwa? Lingakhohlwa ukuthi mina ngiyisihlobo senu segazi.’”*
3 Yikho abafowabo bakanina bamkhulumela labakhokheli beShekhemu. Inhliziyo zabakhokheli labo zathatheka ngo-Abhimeleki bathi: “Phela ungumfowethu.”
4 Bamnika inhlamvu zesiliva ezingu-70 ababezithethe ethempelini likaBhali-bherithi,*+ u-Abhimeleki wasezisebenzisa ukuqhatsha amadoda axhwalileyo ayetshona ehlezi engenzi lutho, wathi amphelekezele.
5 Waya endlini kayise e-Ofira+ wafika wabulala abafowabo+ abangu-70 ababengamadodana kaJerubhali, ebabulalela phezu kwedwala elilodwa. UJothamu indodana encane kaJerubhali nguye yedwa owasilayo ngoba wayecatshile.
6 Bonke abakhokheli beShekhemu labo bonke abantu beBhethi-milo babuthana esihlahleni esikhulu esiseduze lensika eyayiseShekhemu ukuze babeke u-Abhimeleki ukuthi abe yinkosi.+
7 Lapho uJothamu ekuzwa lokho, wasukuma masinyane wayakuma phezu kwentaba iGerizimu+ wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu wathi: “Ngicela lingilalele lina bakhokheli beShekhemu ukuze lani uNkulunkulu alilalele.
8 “Ngelinye ilanga izihlahla zasuka zisiyakhetha* inkosi yazo. Zathi esihlahleni sama-oliva, ‘Sicela ube yinkosi yethu.’+
9 Kodwa isihlahla sama-oliva sathi, ‘Kambe sengingayekela ukwenza amafutha ami asetshenziswa ukudumisa uNkulunkulu labantu ngisiyazunguza ingatsha zami phezu kwezinye izihlahla?’
10 Izihlahla lezo zasezikhuluma lesihlahla somkhiwa zathi, ‘Sicela ube yinkosi yethu.’
11 Kodwa isihlahla somkhiwa sathi kuzo, ‘Kambe sengingatshiya ukuthela izithelo ezimnandi kangaka ngisiyazunguza ingatsha zami phezu kwezinye izihlahla?’
12 Izihlahla lezo zasezikhuluma lesihlahla samagilebisi zathi, ‘Sicela ube yinkosi yethu.’
13 Kodwa isihlahla samagilebisi sathi, ‘Kambe sengingayekela ukwenza iwayini lami elitsha elithokozisa uNkulunkulu labantu, ngisiyazunguza ingatsha zami phezu kwezinye izihlahla?’
14 Ekucineni zonke izihlahla zathi esihlahleni sameva, ‘Sicela ube yinkosi yethu.’+
15 Isihlahla sameva sasesisithi, ‘Nxa lingibeka ukuthi ngibe yinkosi yenu sibili, wozani lizocatsha ngaphansi komthunzi wami. Kodwa nxa lingasoze likwenze lokho, kuzaphuma umlilo ezingatsheni zami uqothule imisedari yaseLebhanoni.’
16 “Litshengise ukuthi lithembekile lokuthi liqotho yini ngokwenza u-Abhimeleki abe yinkosi?+ Liyenzele umusa yini indlu kaJerubhali njalo limphathe ngendlela emfaneleyo yini?
17 Ubaba wafaka impilo yakhe engozini elilwela+ ukuze alikhulule esandleni samaMidiyani.+
18 Kodwa lamuhla livukele indlu kababa labulalela amadodana akhe angu-70 edwaleni elilodwa,+ laselibeka u-Abhimeleki indodana yesigqilikazi+ sakhe ukuthi abe yinkosi yabantu beShekhemu ngenxa nje yokuthi ungumfowenu.
19 Nxa elikwenzayo lamuhla kutshengisa ukuthi lithembekile lokuthi liqotho kuJerubhali lemuli yakhe, thokozani ngo-Abhimeleki laye athokoze ngani.
20 Kodwa nxa kungenjalo, akuphume umlilo ku-Abhimeleki utshabalalise abakhokheli beShekhemu leBhethi-milo,+ uphinde uphume lakubakhokheli beShekhemu leBhethi-milo utshabalalise u-Abhimeleki.”+
21 Ngemva kwalokho uJothamu+ wabalekela eBheri wayahlala khona ngenxa yokuthi wayesesaba umfowabo u-Abhimeleki.
22 U-Abhimeleki wabusa abako-Israyeli* okweminyaka emithathu.
23 UNkulunkulu wenza ukuthi kube lokuzondana phakathi kuka-Abhimeleki labakhokheli beShekhemu, basebesenza iqhinga lokuhlamukela u-Abhimeleki.
24 UNkulunkulu wenza lokho ephindisela isihluku esasenziwe emadodaneni kaJerubhali angu-70 ukuze ajezise u-Abhimeleki ngenxa yokubulala abafowabo.+ Wayefuna lokujezisa abakhokheli beShekhemu ngoba yibo ababemncedisile.
25 Abakhokheli beShekhemu bathuma amadoda ukuthi amcathamele ezintabeni futhi ahlasele bonke abadlula emgwaqweni, abathathele impahla yabo. Lokhu kwacina kufika endlebeni zika-Abhimeleki.
26 UGali indodana ka-Ebhedi kanye labafowabo basuka baya eShekhemu,+ njalo abakhokheli beShekhemu bamthemba.
27 Bavuna amagilebisi abo emasimini, bawagxobagxoba benza iwayini basebesenza idili.* Ngemva kwalokho baya endlini kankulunkulu wabo+ bafika badla banatha futhi baqalekisa u-Abhimeleki.
28 UGali indodana ka-Ebhedi wathi: “Kanti ungubani u-Abhimeleki futhi uShekhemu yena uyini ukuthi sesingaze simkhonze? Kasindodana kaJerubhali+ yini futhi uZebhuli kasinduna yakhe enkulu na? Khonzani amadodana kaHamori uyise kaShekhemu! Kanti u-Abhimeleki siyabe simkhonzelani?
29 Ngabe abantu laba bebekhokhelwa yimi bengizamthathela ubukhosi u-Abhimeleki.” Waseseyisa u-Abhimeleki esithi: “Ngezelela ibutho lakho ubuye sizokulwa.”
30 UZebhuli umbusi wedolobho wazonda wabila esizwa amazwi kaGali indodana ka-Ebhedi.
31 Wasethuma izithunywa ngudlu ku-Abhimeleki esithi: “UGali indodana ka-Ebhedi labafowabo sebeseShekhemu njalo batshotshozela abantu ukuthi bakuvukele.
32 Yikho buya ebusuku lamadoda olawo limcathamele phandle kwedolobho,
33 besekusithi ekuseni ilanga liphuma nje lihlasele idolobho. Nxa angaphuma lamadoda alawo ezokulwa lani, yenzani konke okusemandleni enu ukuze limnqobe.”
34 Ngakho u-Abhimeleki labantu bonke ayelabo bavuka ebusuku bengamaqembu amane bayacathama ngaphandle kweShekhemu.
35 UGali indodana ka-Ebhedi wasuka wayakuma egedini ledolobho, u-Abhimeleki labantu ayelabo basebephuma lapho ababecatheme khona.
36 UGali uthe ebona abantu labo wathi kuZebhuli: “Khangela! Kulabantu abehla ezintabeni.” Kodwa uZebhuli wathi kuye: “Wena ubona izithunzi zezintaba ubususithi ngabantu.”
37 UGali waphinda wathi: “Khangela! Kulabantu abehla besuka phakathi kwelizwe besiza ngapha. Elinye iqembu lithutsha ngendlela yesihlahla esikhulu seMeyonenimi.”
38 UZebhuli wasephendula wathi: “Kanti kayisuwe obudelela usithi, ‘Ungubani u-Abhimeleki ukuthi sesingaze simkhonze?’+ Kayisibo yini abantu laba obubeyisa? Phuma-ke khathesi uyekulwa labo.”
39 UGali wasephuma ekhokhele izikhulu zeShekhe-mu wayakulwa lo-Abhimeleki.
40 UGali wabaleka, u-Abhimeleki wamxotshanisa. Kwafa abantu abanengi futhi izidumbu zabo zazithe dandalazi emgwaqweni kuze kuyefika egedini ledolobho.
41 U-Abhimeleki waqhubeka ehlala e-Aruma njalo uZebhuli+ waxotsha uGali labafowabo eShekhemu.
42 Ngelanga elilandelayo abantu baphuma baya ngaphandle kwedolobho. U-Abhimeleki wakuzwa lokho,
43 wasesehlukanisa abantu bakhe baba ngamaqembu amathathu, bacathama phandle kwedolobho. Wathi ebona abantu bephuma edolobheni wabahlasela wababulala.
44 U-Abhimeleki leqembu ayelalo basuka bayavimba egedini ledolobho. Amanye amaqembu akhe amabili wona ahlasela bonke ababephandle kwedolobho ababulala.
45 Walwa labantu bedolobho lelo ilanga lonke walithumba, wabulala bonke ababekulo futhi walidiliza+ wasehaza isawudo yonke indawo.
46 Abakhokheli ababehlala emphotshongweni weShekhemu bathi bekuzwa lokho, babaleka bonke baya endaweni yokucatsha* eyayisethempelini lika-Eli-bherithi.*+
47 Kwathi kufika endlebeni zika-Abhimeleki ukuthi bonke abakhokheli abahlala emphotshongweni weShekhemu babebuthene ndawonye,
48 wasuka labantu ayelabo bakhwela entabeni iZalimoni. U-Abhimeleki wathatha ihloka wagamula ugatsha esihlahleni waluthwala ngehlombe wasesithi ebantwini ayelabo: “Phangisani lenze lokho elibone ngikwenza!”
49 Ngakho bonke bagamula ingatsha bamlandela. Bafika babuthelela ingatsha lezo endaweni okwakucatshe kuyo abantu beShekhemu, basebeyithungela ngomlilo. Bonke abantu ababephakathi komphotshongo weShekhemu bafa. Kwakulamadoda labesifazana abangaba ngu-1 000.
50 U-Abhimeleki wasuka lapho waya eThebhezi, wafika wayivimbezela waseyithumba.
51 Phakathi kwedolobho lelo kwakulomphotshongo oqinileyo. Yikho wonke amadoda labesifazana kanye labakhokheli bedolobho babalekela kuwo bayazivalela phakathi, basebekhwela baya ephahleni.
52 U-Abhimeleki wasuka waya emphotshongweni lowo wawuhlasela. Wasondela emnyango esithi kahle athungele umphotshongo ngomlilo,
53 kodwa omunye owesifazana waphosa ilitshe lokuchola lamtshaya ekhanda wadabuka ukhakhayi.+
54 U-Abhimeleki wahle wabiza inceku eyayimthwalele izikhali wathi kuyo: “Hwatsha inkemba yakho ungibulale ukuze abantu bangathi, ‘Wabulawa ngowesifazana.’” Ngakho inceku yakhe yamgwaza wafa.
55 Amadoda ako-Israyeli athi ebona ukuthi u-Abhimeleki wayesefile abuyela emizini yawo.
56 Le yiyo indlela uNkulunkulu aphindisela ngayo isihluku esasenziwe ngu-Abhimeleki kuyise ngesikhathi ebulala abafowabo abangu-70.+
57 Waphinda wehlisela phezu kwamadoda aseShekhemu ububi ayebenzile. Isiqalekiso sikaJothamu+ indodana kaJerubhali+ saba phezu kwabo.
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiHebheru, “lemuli kayisemkhulu ozala unina.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “ngilithambo lenu lenyama yenu.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “endlini kaBhali-bherithi.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “zisiyagcoba.”
^ Kumbe, “wazenza inkosi yabako-Israyeli.”
^ Kumbe, “umkhosi.”
^ Kumbe, “enqabeni.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “eyayisendlini ka-Eli-bherithi.”
