1 Unyana kaJerubhali uAbhimeleki waya eShekem kooninalume, wafika wathetha nabo nemizalwana yonke yendlu kayise nonina, wathi:
2 “Khanithethe nabemi baseShekem xa bebonke, nithi: ‘Nikhetha ntoni na: kukho ukuphathwa ngabo bonke oonyana bakaJerubhali abangamashumi asixhenxe, okanye ukulawulwa nguye abe mnye?’ Khumbulani ukuba ndingumntakwenu.”
3 Ooninalume ke bamthethelela kubemi baseShekem, baza ke nabo bavuma, kuba babesithi: “Ngumntakwethu.”
4 Bamnika amashumi asixhenxe eesiliva ababeyithathe endlwini ekunqulelwa kuyo uBhali womnqophiso, waza yena waqesha ngayo iindlavini ukuba zibe ngamahlakani akhe.
5 Waya nazo kowabo eOfra, waza ke wababulala bonke oonyana bakayise, ebabulalela phezu kwelitye elinye. Kambe ke yona inci kaJerubhali uYotam yazimela yaza yasinda.
6 Baphuma ke abemi baseShekem nabo bonke abaseBhete-milo, bahlanganisana baya kumthi omkhulu wom-oki oseShekem, bammisela khona uAbhimeleki waba ngukumkani wabo.
7 Akuyiva le nto uYotam waqabela kwintaba iGerizim, wakhwaza wathi: “Inzwi! Ndiphulaphuleni, maShekem! NoThixo mhlawumbi anganiphulaphula!
8 Imithi yazimisela ukuzithambisela ukumkani. Yathetha nomnquma, yathi: ‘Yiba ngukumkani wethu.’
9 Ke wona waphendula wathi: ‘Ngaba nifuna ndiyeke ngoku ukuvelisa amafutha abadunyiswa ngawo uThixo nabantu, khon' ukuze ndiyongamele eminye imithi?’
10 Yaza ke imithi yathetha nomkhiwane, yathi kuwo: ‘Yiza ube ngukumkani wethu.’
11 Ke wona waphendula wathi: ‘Ngaba nifuna ndiyeke ukuvelisa ezi ziqhamo zimnandi kunene, khon' ukuze ndiyongamele eminye imithi?’
12 Yaza ke ngoku imithi yathi kumdiliya: ‘Yiba ngukumkani wethu.’
13 Wona ke wathi: ‘Ngaba nifuna ndiyeke ukuvelisa iwayini le yonwabisa uThixo nabantu, khon' ukuze ndiyongamele eminye imithi?’
14 Ngoku ke imithi yabhekisa kumnga, yathi: ‘Yiba ngukumkani wethu.’
15 Kodwa ke wona wathi: ‘Xa ngaba nizimisele ngenene ukundithambisa ndibe ngukumkani wenu, yizani kuzikhusela emthunzini wam; kungenjalo ke makuvele umlilo kula meva am, uyitshise imisedare yaseLebhanon.’ ”
16 Waqhuba wathi ke uYotam: “Ngaba niyenze ngokunyaniseka na into yokummisela uAbhimeleki abe ngukumkani wenu? Ngaba nenziwe kukumxabisa nokumhlonipha uJerubhali? Ngaba esi senzo nisenza kwinzala yakhe siyifanele na imisebenzi yakhe?
17 Khumbulani kaloku, utata wanilwela. Ubomi bakhe wabubeka esichengeni enihlangula kumaMidiyan.
18 Kodwa ke namhlanje niyivukele inzala kabawo. Nibabulele oonyana bakhe, amashumi asixhenxe onke, phezu kwelitye elinye. Nithe uAbhimeleki unyana awamfumana enkazaneni ezalana nani, namenza ukumkani waseShekem.
19 Kambe ke ukuba esi senzo senu sinenyani saye simsulwa, yonwabisanani noAbhimeleki.
20 Ukuba ke akunjalo, ngamana angadangazela umlilo uAbhimeleki, abatshise abemi baseShekem nabaseBhete-milo; ngamana nabemi baseShekem nabaseBhete-milo bangamlenya ngomlilo noAbhimeleki.”
21 Wathi ke, kuba emoyika umntakwabo uAbhimeleki, wasuka wabaleka uYotam, waya kuhlala eBhere.
22 Ke uAbhimeleki wabamba iintambo iminyaka emithathu kwaSirayeli.
23 UThixo wadala umoya ombi phakathi koAbhimeleki nabemi baseShekem, baza bona benza ubuqhetseba ngakuAbhimeleki.
24 Le nto ke yenzeka ukuze uAbhimeleki nabemi baseShekem abamkhuthazileyo ekugwinteni amashumi asixhenxe oonyana bakaJerubhali, bajike badliwe yinja yabo.
25 Abemi baseShekem bafuna abantu, bababeka ezintabeni, ukuze balalele uAbhimeleki; suka bona baphanga wonke umntu ogqithayo. Ke uAbhimeleki wayixelelwa yonke le nto.
26 Ke kaloku kwafika uGali unyana kaEbhede eShekem enabantakwabo. Abemi baseShekem ke babethembele kuye.
27 Baphuma ke baya kukha iidiliya ezidiliyeni zabo, baza baxovula benza iwayini, babhiyoza. Baphuma baya kwindlu yesithixo sabo, batya basela bamqalekisa uAbhimeleki.
28 Wathi uGali unyana kaEbhede: “Xa engubani yena uAbhimeleki inzala kaShekem, ukuba sibe phantsi kwakhe? Akanyana kaJerubhali na? AsinguZebhule na ihlakani lakhe? Hayi bo! Masibuse amadoda akwaHamori usoShekem!
29 Akwaba ibindim okhokela esi sizwe; bendiya kumsusa uAbhimeleki lo! Bendiya kumxelela ndithi: ‘Mawube ngathi uyaqina umkhosi wakho, uphume, khe sidibane.’ ”
30 Akuyiva into ethethwe nguGali wacaphuka uZebhule usibonda weso sixeko.
31 Wathumela izigidimi ngasese kuAbhimeleki eAruma, wathi: “UGali unyana kaEbhede nabantakwabo bagalelekile apha eShekem; baxhokonxa abantu khon' ukuze bakuchase.
32 Ngoko ke wena thatha umkhosi wakho, nihambe ngobusuku, nilalele emaphandleni.
33 Ngomso, xa lithi chapha, ze nivuke nisiqubule nisihlasele isixeko. Aze athi ke uGali nomkhosi wakhe akuphuma esiza kulwa nenze oko isandla senu sinako ukukwenza.”
34 Ngenene ke uAbhimeleki waphuma nomkhosi wakhe ngobusuku, baza bazimela ngaphandle kwaseShekem, bengamaqela amane.
35 Bathe ke ooAbhimeleki bakumbona uGali ephuma esiya kuma esangweni lesixeko, nabo baphuma ezikhundleni zabo.
36 Wababona ke uGali, waza wathi kuZebhule: “Khangela, nangaya amadoda esihla encotsheni yentaba!”UZebhule uphendule wathi: “Hayi, ngamathunzi nje eentaba la angathi ngabantu.”
37 Kwakhona uGali wathi: “Khangela, nangaya amadoda esihla phaya embindini wentaba! Elinye iqela liza ngalaa ndlela ivela kum-oki wezangoma!”
38 UZebhule waphendula wathi: “Aye phi kaloku amatshamba akho ngoku? Andithi kaloku nguwe kanye owawusithi: ‘Ngubani yena uAbhimeleki ukuba sibe phantsi kwakhe?’ Nango ke laa madoda obuphoxisa ngawo! Hamba kaloku, uphume uye kulwa nawo!”
39 Waphuma ke uGali, wabakhokela abemi baseShekem, balwa noAbhimeleki.
40 UGali wasaba, waza ke wasukelwa nguAbhimeleki. Abaninzi benzakalela kwalapho ukuya esangweni lesixeko.
41 UAbhimeleki wahlala eAruma, waza uZebhule wamdudula uGali nabantakwabo baphuma eShekem, ababa saba nako ukuhlala khona.
42 Ngomhla olandelayo uAbhimeleki waxelelwa ukuba amaShekem aceba ukuphuma aye emaphandleni;
43 waza ke waphuma nomkhosi wakhe wawahlula-hlula kathathu, waya kubalalela emaphandleni. Wathi akubona abantu bephuma esixekweni, naye waphuma ekuzimeleni, wababulala.
44 Wathi xa axhabashileyo uAbhimeleki neqela lakhe besiya esangweni, aba amanye amaqela la mabini ehlasela abasemaphandleni, ababulala.
45 Kwaliwa imini yonke. UAbhimeleki wasihlasela isixeko eso, wasithimba, wababulala abantu baso, wasidiliza, umhlaba wawugalela ityuwa.
46 Bathe ke bakuyiva le nto abemi baseShekem ababesenqabeni yakhona, basuka baya kuzimela kwigumbi elinqatyisiweyo lendlu kaBhali womnqophiso.
47 Ke kaloku uAbhimeleki waxelelwa ukuba baqokelelene khona,
48 waza ke waphuma nomkhosi wakhe, wanyuka intaba iZalmona. Apho ke wathatha izembe, wagawula isebe emthini, walixwaya emagxeni.Wathi kumadoda omkhosi wakhe: “Khawulezani nenjenjalo nani!”
49 Yaba yileyo naleyo ke indoda yagawula isebe emthini; aza ke alandela uAbhimeleki. Ezo nkuni azayamisa apho kwelo gumbi; aza ke kamva azifaka umlilo, abantu belapho ngaphakathi. Bonke ke abantu ababesenqabeni yaseShekem bafa. Babekwisithuba sewaka lamadoda nababhinqileyo.
50 UAbhimeleki ke waya eTebheze, isixeko eso wasirhawula wasithimba.
51 Apho ke kwakukho inqaba eyomeleleyo kunene, aza ke onke amadoda nabo bonke ababhinqileyo (abemi bonke besixeko ukutsho) bangena kuyo. Bazitshixela, baya kuhlala phezulu eluphahleni.
52 Akufika uAbhimeleki, eze kuhlasela inqaba leyo, waya emnyango, efuna ukuyitshisa.
53 Kambe ke umfazi othile owayephezulu enqabeni wamgibisela ngelitye lokusila, wamqhekeza ukhakhayi.
54 Ngoko nangoko ke wabiza umfana owayephatha izikhali zakhe, wathi: “Rhola ikrele lakho undibulale, ukuze kungathiwa ndibulewe ngumfazi.” Ngoko ke umfana lowo wamgwaza wafa.
55 Athi ke amaSirayeli akubona ukuba uAbhimeleki ufile, asuka agoduka onke.
56 Ngale ndlela ke uThixo wabuphindezela ububi obabenziwe nguAbhimeleki kuyise ngokubulala abantakwabo abangamashumi asixhenxe.
57 UThixo wabohlwaya nabantu baseShekem ngenxa yenkohlakalo yabo, njengoko wathethayo uYotam unyana kaJerubhali xa wayebashwabulela.