Abehluleli 9

9 ¹U-Abimeleki indodana kaJerubhali waya eShekemi, kubafowabo bakanina, wathi kubo nakulo lonke usendo lukayise kanina: ²Buzani kubo bonke abahlali baseShekemi: ‘Yikuphi okungcono—ukubuswa ngamadoda angamashumi ayisikhombisa, onke ayizindodana zikaJerubhali, noma ukubuswa yindoda eyodwa?’ Khumbulani, ngiyinyama negazi lenu.

³Abafowabo bakanina bakusho konke lokhu kubahlali baseShekemi, izinhliziyo zabo zaphendukela ku-Abimeleki, ngokuba bathi: “Ungumfowethu.” ⁴Bamnika izinhlamvu zesiliva ezingamashumi ayisikhombisa ezivela ethempelini likaBhali-Berithi, ngazo u-Abimeleki waqasha amadoda angasizi lutho nanamawala, amlandela. ⁵Wayesehamba waya endlini kayise e-Ofira, wabulala abafowabo, amadodana kaJerubhali angamashumi ayisikhombisa, etsheni linye. Kodwa uJothamu, indodana encane kaJerubhali, wasinda ngokucasha. ⁶Bonke abahlali baseShekemi nabo bonke baseBheti-Milo babuthana, bahamba, bambeka u-Abimeleki waba yinkosi ngasemuthini womoki osensikeni eShekemi.

⁷Kwathi uJothamu esetsheliwe, wahamba wayokuma esiqongweni seNtaba iGerizimi, waphakamisa izwi lakhe, wamemeza: “Ngilaleleni, bahlali baseShekemi, ukuze uBaba wethu anilalele. ⁸Ngolunye usuku imithi yaphuma iyogcoba inkosi phezu kwayo. Yathi emuthini womnqumo: ‘Busa phezu kwethu.’ ⁹Kodwa umnqumo wawaphendula: ‘Kungani ngiyeke amafutha ami, okudunyiswa ngawo uBaba wethu kanye nabantu, ngiyontengantenga phezu kwemithi?’ ¹⁰Imithi yayisithi emkhiwaneni: ‘Woza wena ubuse phezu kwethu.’ ¹¹Kodwa umkhiwane wawaphendula: ‘Kungani ngiyeke ubumnandi bami nezithelo zami ezinhle, ngiyontengantenga phezu kwemithi?’ ¹²Imithi yayisithi emvinini: ‘Woza wena ubuse phezu kwethu.’ ¹³Kodwa umvini wawaphendula: ‘Kungani ngiyeke iwayini lami elisha, elijabulisa uBaba wethu kanye nabantu, ngiyontengantenga phezu kwemithi?’ ¹⁴Yayisithi yonke imithi esihlahleni sameva: ‘Woza wena ubuse phezu kwethu.’ ¹⁵Isihlahla sameva sathi emithini: ‘Uma ngempela niqonde ukungigcoba ngibe yinkosi phezu kwenu, khonanjalo wozani niphephele emthunzini wami; kodwa uma kungenjalo, akuphume umlilo esihlahleni sameva uqede imisedari yaseLebhanoni.’

¹⁶Manje uma nenze ngobuqotho nangokweqiniso ekubekeni u-Abimeleki abe yinkosi, futhi uma niphethe kahle uJerubhali nendlu yakhe, nimphindisela njengokufanele izenzo zakhe, ¹⁷ubaba walwela nina, wabeka impilo yakhe engcupheni ukuze anophule esandleni samaMidiyani, ¹⁸kodwa namuhla nivukele indlu kababa, nabulala amadodana akhe, amadoda angamashumi ayisikhombisa etsheni linye, nabeka u-Abimeleki, indodana yesigqilakazi sakhe, waba yinkosi phezu kwabahlali baseShekemi ngenxa yokuthi ungumfowenu, ¹⁹uma nenze ngobuqotho nangokweqiniso kuJerubhali nasendlini yakhe namuhla, thokozani ngo-Abimeleki, naye athokoze ngani. ²⁰Kodwa uma kungenjalo, akuphume umlilo ku-Abimeleki uqede abahlali baseShekemi naseBheti-Milo, kuphume nomlilo kubahlali baseShekemi naseBheti-Milo uqede u-Abimeleki.”

²¹UJothamu wabaleka waphunyuka, waya eBheri, wahlala khona, ekude nomfowabo u-Abimeleki.

uBaba Uphindisela Ukuchitheka Kwegazi

²²Kwathi u-Abimeleki esebuse u-Israyeli iminyaka emithathu, ²³uBaba wethu wathumela umoya omubi phakathi kuka-Abimeleki nabahlali baseShekemi, baphatha u-Abimeleki ngokungathembeki. ^a a v23 uBaba wethu akazange atshale okubi ezinhliziyweni zabo; wanikela u-Abimeleki namadoda aseShekemi ekungathembekini ababesekukhethile, ukuze igazi labafowabo ababulawayo lithole ubulungiswa balo. ²⁴ukuze udlame olwenziwa emadodaneni kaJerubhali angamashumi ayisikhombisa luphindiselwe, igazi lawo libekwe phezu komfowabo u-Abimeleki, owawabulalayo, naphezu kwabahlali baseShekemi, abaqinisa izandla zakhe ukuba abulale abafowabo. ²⁵Abahlali baseShekemi bambekela abacathami eziqongweni zezintaba, baphanga wonke umuntu owayedlula endleleni. U-Abimeleki watshelwa ngakho.

²⁶UGali indodana ka-Ebedi wafika nabafowabo, bathuthela eShekemi, abahlali bayo bamethemba. ²⁷Baphuma baya emasimini, bakha amagilebhisi ezivinini zabo, bawanyathela, benza umkhosi ethempelini likankulunkulu wabo, lapho badla, baphuza, baqalekisa u-Abimeleki.

²⁸UGali indodana ka-Ebedi wathi: “Ungubani u-Abimeleki, noShekemi ungubani, ukuze simkhonze? Akayona yini indodana kaJerubhali, noZebuli akusiye yini isekela lakhe? Khonzani amadoda kaHamori, uyise kaShekemi! Kungani kufanele sikhonze u-Abimeleki? ²⁹Sengathi laba bantu bebengaphansi komyalo wami! Khona ngabe ngimsusa u-Abimeleki; bengiyothi kuye: ‘Khipha lonke ibutho lakho!’”

³⁰Kwathi uZebuli umbusi womuzi ezwa amazwi kaGali indodana ka-Ebedi, intukuthelo yakhe yavutha. ³¹Wathumela izithunywa ngasese ku-Abimeleki: “UGali indodana ka-Ebedi nabafowabo bafikile eShekemi, bavusa umuzi ukuba uphikisane nawe. ³²Manje suka ebusuku, wena nabantu onabo, nicathame ensimini. ³³Ekuseni lapho liphuma ilanga, uvuke ngovivi uhlasele umuzi. Kuyothi lapho uGali nabantu bakhe bephuma bezokuhlasela, wenze kubo lokho esandleni sakho esiyokuthola ukukwenza.”

³⁴Ngakho u-Abimeleki nabo bonke abantu bakhe basuka ebusuku, bacathamela iShekemi bebe ngamaviyo amane. ³⁵UGali indodana ka-Ebedi waphuma wema emnyango wesango lomuzi; u-Abimeleki nabantu ayenabo basuka lapho babecatheme khona.

³⁶UGali wababona abantu wathi kuZebuli: “Bheka, abantu behla bevela eziqongweni zezintaba!” UZebuli wathi: “Ubona izithunzi zezintaba kungathi ngabantu.”

³⁷UGali waphinda wakhuluma: “Bheka, abantu behla bevela maphakathi nezwe, neliviyo elilodwa livela ngasemuthini womoki wabangoma.”

³⁸UZebuli wayesethi kuye: “Luphi manje ukuqhosha kwakho—wena owawuthi: ‘Ungubani u-Abimeleki, ukuze simkhonze?’ Akubona yini laba bantu owawubadelela? Phuma manje ulwe nabo!”

³⁹Ngakho uGali waphuma ehola abahlali baseShekemi, walwa no-Abimeleki. ⁴⁰Kodwa u-Abimeleki wamxosha, uGali wabaleka phambi kwakhe, abaningi bawa belimele kwaze kwaba semnyango wesango. ⁴¹U-Abimeleki wahlala e-Aruma, uZebuli waxosha uGali nabafowabo eShekemi, ukuze bangahlali khona. ⁴²Ngakusasa abantu baphuma baya emasimini, u-Abimeleki watshelwa ngakho. ⁴³Wathatha abantu bakhe, wabahlukanisa baba ngamaviyo amathathu, wacathama ensimini. Wathi ebona abantu bephuma emzini, wabavukela wababulala. ⁴⁴U-Abimeleki namaviyo akhe baphuthuma phambili, bema emnyango wesango lomuzi, kuthi amanye amaviyo amabili aphuthumela kubo bonke ababesensimini, awabulala. ⁴⁵U-Abimeleki walwa nomuzi lonke lolo suku, wawuthumba, wababulala abantu bawo, wawudiliza umuzi, wawuhlwanyela ngosawoti. ^b b v45 Ukuhlwanyela umuzi onqotshiwe ngosawoti kwakuyisenzo sasendulo sokuqalekisa—uphawu lokuthi umhlabathi kufanele uhlale uyinyumba, nendawo ingaphinde yakhiwe.

⁴⁶Lapho bekuzwa lokhu, bonke abaholi boMbhoshongo waseShekemi bangena enqabeni yethempeli lika-Eli-Berithi. ⁴⁷U-Abimeleki watshelwa ukuthi bonke abaholi boMbhoshongo waseShekemi babebuthene khona, ⁴⁸ngakho wenyukela eNtabeni iZalimoni, yena nabo bonke abantu bakhe. Wathatha imbazo esandleni sakhe, wagawula igatsha lesihlahla, waliphakamisa, walibeka ehlombe lakhe, wathi kubantu bakhe: “Sheshani, nenze lokho eningibone ngikwenza!” ⁴⁹Ngakho wonke umuntu wagawula amagatsha, balandela u-Abimeleki, bawanqwabelanisa enqabeni, bayithungela ngomlilo phezu kwababengaphakathi. Nabantu boMbhoshongo waseShekemi bafa—cishe abesilisa nabesifazane abayinkulungwane.

⁵⁰U-Abimeleki wayeseya eThebezi, wawumisela, wawuthumba. ⁵¹Kwakukhona umbhoshongo oqinile phakathi komuzi, bonke abesilisa nabesifazane—bonke abaholi bomuzi—babalekela kuwo, bazivalela, bakhwela ophahleni lombhoshongo. ⁵²U-Abimeleki wafika embhoshongweni, wawuhlasela, wasondela emnyango wawo ukuze awushise. ⁵³Kodwa owesifazane othile waphonsa itshe eliphezulu lokugaya ekhanda lika-Abimeleki, wachoboza ugebhezi lwakhe. ⁵⁴Washesha wabiza umphathi wezikhali zakhe, wathi: “Hwebula inkemba yakho ungibulale, ukuze bangasho ngami ukuthi: ‘Wabulawa ngowesifazane.’” Ngakho insizwa yamgwaza, wafa.

⁵⁵Kwathi amadoda ka-Israyeli ebona ukuthi u-Abimeleki usefile, bonke baya emakhaya abo. ⁵⁶Kanjalo-ke uBaba wethu wabuyisela okubi u-Abimeleki akwenza kuyise ngokubulala abafowabo abangamashumi ayisikhombisa. ⁵⁷UBaba wethu wabuyisela bonke ububi bamadoda aseShekemi phezu kwamakhanda awo, kwafika phezu kwawo nesiqalekiso sikaJothamu indodana kaJerubhali.