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.*