Abimeleki
1Abimeleki, umsa waJerubhali, waya kubomalume wakhe nakuwo wonkhe umndeni wasekhabonina, watsi: 2“Butani tonkhe takhamiti taseShekhemu, nitsi: ‘Ngukuphi lokuncono kini: Kutsi nibuswe ngiwo onkhe lamadvodzana aJerubhali langema-70, nome nibuswe ngumuntfu munye?’ Khumbulani kutsi mine ngiyinyama yenu nengati yenu.”
3Batsi bomalume bakhe nabakusho loko bakuphindzaphindza kutakhamiti taseShekhemu, tabona kuncono kulandzela Abimeleki, ngobe tatitsi: “Ungumnaketfu.” 4Tamnika isiliva leyayingemagremu labengaba ngema-800, letatiyitsetse ethempelini laBhali Bherithi. Abimeleki walisebentisa ekucasheni tidlova letaba balandzeli bakhe. 5Wahamba waya kubo e-Ofra, wafike labanakabo lababengema-70, emadvodzana aJerubhali, wawabulalela etikwelitje linye. Kodvwa Jothamu, litfunjana laJerubhali, waphunyula ngobe wabhaca. 6Tonkhe takhamiti taseShekhemu nabo bonkhe baseBhethi Milo babutsana ngephansi kwesihlahla se-okhi ensikeni yaseShekhemu batewubeka Abimeleki kutsi abe yinkhosi.
7Jothamu watsi kube atjelwe ngaloko, wenyuka waya esicongweni seNtsaba iGerizimu, wafike wamemetela khona watsi: “Lalelani kimi, takhamiti taseShekhemu, kuze Nkulunkulu anilalele. 8Ngalelinye lilanga tihlahla taphuma tayawutigcobela yato inkhosi. Takhuluma esihlahleni semncumo tatsi: ‘Bani yinkhosi yetfu.’
9“Kodvwa sihlahla semncumo saphendvula, satsi: ‘Ngingacala ngilahle emafutsa ami, languwona enta bonkulunkulu nemadvodza bahlonipheke, ngiyewuhamba ngintengetela etikwetihlahla?’
10“Tihlahla tesuka lapho takhuluma esihlahleni semkhiwa, tatsi: ‘Kota, utewuba yinkhosi yetfu.’
11“Kodvwa lomkhiwa waphendvula, watsi: ‘Ngingacala ngilahle lamakhiwa ami lamahle nalanongotela kangaka, ngiyewuhamba ngintengetela etikwetihlahla?’
12“Tihlahla tase tikhuluma esihlahleni semvini, titsi: ‘Kota, utewuba yinkhosi yetfu.’
13“Kodvwa lomvini waphendvula, watsi: ‘Ngingacala ngilahle leliwayini lami lelingulona lijabulisa bonkulunkulu nemadvodza, ngiyewuhamba ngintengetela etikwetihlahla?’
14“Ekugcineni tonkhe tihlahla takhuluma esihlahleni semanyeva, tatsi: ‘Kota, utewuba yinkhosi yetfu.’
15“Sihlahla semanyeva saphendvula letihlahla, satsi: ‘Nanicinisile kutsi nifuna kungibeka inkhosi etikwenu, wotani nitewukhosela emtfuntini wami; kodvwa nakungenjalo, akuphume umlilo esihlahleni semanyeva udle imisedari yaseLebanoni!’
16“Kungabe-ke benikwenta kahle nangeliciniso sibili yini lokubeka lo-Abimeleki kutsi abe yinkhosi yenu? Bekungukona kumfanele yini Jerubhali ngaloko lenikwentile emndenini wakhe? Tifanelwe nguloko yini tonkhe letintfo latenta Jerubhali kini? 17Khumbulani kutsi babe wanilwela kanjani atilahla ematsambo akhe kutsi anephule etandleni temaMidiyani. 18Kodvwa lamuhla senivukele indlu yababe, nabulala emadvodzana akhe langema-70 niwabulalela etikwelitje linye, nabeka Abimeleki, indvodzana yentfombatana leyayisigcili sakhe, namenta inkhosi yetakhamiti taseShekhemu, ngobe angumnakenu. 19Nangabe-ke nente kahle nangekweliciniso sibili kuJerubhali nasemndenini wakhe lamuhla, Abimeleki, akabe kujabula kwenu, nani nibe kujabula kwakhe! 20Kodvwa nakungenjalo, akuphume umlilo ku-Abimeleki unidle, nine takhamiti taseShekhemu netaseBhethi Milo; akuphume umlilo nakini, nine takhamiti taseShekhemu netaseBhethi Milo, udle Abimeleki!”
21Jothamu wesuka lapho wabaleka wayawubhaca eBheri, wafike wakha khona, wahlala, ngobe abemesaba umnakabo, Abimeleki.
22Abimeleki wabusa sive sema-Israyeli iminyaka lemitsatfu. 23Nkulunkulu watfumela umoya lomubi emkhatsini wa-Abimeleki nesive saseShekhemu, savuka indlwabane, savukela Abimeleki. 24Nkulunkulu wakwenta loku kuze kutsi licala lekubulawa kwemadvodzana aJerubhali labengema-70, nekucitseka kwengati yabo, kuphindziselwe kumnakabo labengu-Abimeleki kanye nakuto takhamiti taseShekhemu, letatingutona tamsita nakabulala bomnakabo. 25Takhamiti taseShekhemu tacipha Abimeleki ngekubeka emadvodza eticongweni tetintsaba kutsi alalele kukhuthuza nekugebenga bonkhe bantfu lababendlula lapho; loko kwabikwa ku-Abimeleki.
26Kwabe sekufika Gali, umsa wa-Ebedi, eShekhemu, ahamba nabomnakabo, emadvodza aseShekhemu ase etsembela kuye. 27Batsi kube baphume bonkhe baye emasimini abo bayewuvuna emagelebisi, babuya bawahluta, base benta lidzili ethempelini lesithico sabo. Babetsi ngesikhatsi banatsa, badla, bacalekise Abimeleki. 28Gali-ke, umsa wa-Ebedi, wababuta, watsi: “Ngubani Abimeleki, ngubani yena Shekhemu, kutsi tsine singabakhotsama kuye? Akasiye yini umsa waJerubhali? Yena Zebuli akasilo liphini lakhe yini? Khotsamani emadvodza akaHamori, uyise waShekhemu! Kudzingeke ngani-ke kutsi sikhonte Abimeleki? 29Kube mane lesive besiphetfwe ngimi, ngabe ngiyamsusa Abimeleki. Ngabe ngitsi kuye: ‘Khipha imphi yakho yonkhe!’ ”
30Watsi kube Zebuli, umphatsi welidolobha, akuve loku lekwakukhulunywa nguGali, umsa wa-Ebedi, watfukutsela wagana sicoco. 31Wakhipha tigijimi ngasense, watitfumela ku-Abimeleki, watsi: “Gali, umsa wa-Ebedi, nabomnakabo sebatseleke lapha eShekhemu, manje sebasusa umsindvo wekutsi lelidolobha lonkhe alivukele wena likuhlasele! 32Ngako-ke kubotsi ebusuku wena nebantfu bakho nite nitewubalalela ematsafeni. 33Kutawutsi ekuseni nakuphuma lilanga, nivumbuke nilihlasele lelidolobha. Kutawutsi boGali nalamabutfo akhe nabaphuma bakuhlasele, wente loko sandla sakho lesingakwenta kubo.”
34Ngako Abimeleki nawo onkhe emabutfo akhe baphuma bashuca ebusuku bavimbetela iShekhemu, behlukene ticheme letine. 35Watsi kube Abimeleki nalamadvodza labehamba nawo abone Gali, umsa wa-Ebedi, asaphumile eme esangweni lelidolobha, bavumbuka etindzaweni tabo lapho bebabhace khona.
36Gali watsi kube ababone, wakhuluma kuZebuli watsi: “Bukela kuvumbuka bantfu lapha eticongweni tetintsaba, bayewuka!”
Zebuli wamphendvula watsi: “Ubona ematfunti entsaba afanana nebantfu.”
37Kodvwa Gali waphindza wakhuluma, watsi: “Bukela bantfu bavumbuka ekhatsi nelive, bayehla, kunelibutfo lelikhulu lelichamuka ngasesihlahleni sebaphenguli.”
38Zebuli wakhuluma, ambuta watsi: “Khumbula emagama akho. Akusiwe lona bewutsi: ‘Ngubani yena Abimeleki kutsi singabuswa nguye?’ Akusiwo nje lamadvodza bewuwacoloshela? Phuma-ke uyekulwa nawo!”
39Ngako Gali wahola takhamiti taseShekhemu walwa na-Abimeleki. 40Abimeleki wamcosha; labanyenti bawa balimala kuloko kucoshwa kwabo, balala lucaca yonkhe indlela kuya ngasekungeneni kwelisango. 41Abimeleki wahlala e-Aruma; Zebuli wakhipha Gali kanye nabomnakabo wabacosha eShekhemu.
42Ngelilanga lelilandzelako bantfu baseShekhemu baphuma baya emasimini, loko kwabikwa ku-Abimeleki. 43Ngako watsatsa lamabutfo akhe wawehlukanisa ticheme letintsatfu, watsi atibhace lena emasimini. Watsi nakabona bantfu baphuma edolobheni, wavuka wayawubahlasela nekubabulala. 44Abimeleki nalamabutfo akhe bagijima bayakuma ekungeneni kwelisango lelidolobha. Kwatsi emacembu lamabili esukela laba lababesemasimini, bacotfula imbokodvo nesisekelo. 45Lonkhe lelo langa Abimeleki wachubeka wahlasela lelo dolobha, waze walitfumba, wabulala bonkhe bantfu lababekulo. Walibhidlita lonkhe, wase ulinyenyeta ngeluswayi.
46Tatsi kube tikuve loko takhamiti tembhoshongo waseShekhemu, tabaleka tawolekela engungwini yelithempeli la-Eli Bherithi. 47Abimeleki watsi kube atjelwe kutsi bonkhe bantfu bembhoshongo waseShekhemu bancwabelane lapho, 48wakhuphuka yena nelibutfo lakhe, baya eNtsabeni iSalmoni. Watsatsa lizembe, wagawula emagala etihlahla, wawetjatsa emahlombe. Watjela lamadvodza labehamba nawo, watsi: “Sheshisani! Yentani loku leningibona ngikwenta!” 49Ngako yonkhe indvodza yagawula akayo emagala, yawetjatsa, yalandzela Abimeleki. Bafika bawambombela emnyango walengungu, base balumeka umlilo kulawo mahlahla labesemnyango. Bantfu bafutsetelana ekhatsi kulengungu yembhoshongo waseShekhemu basha bangcongca: emadvodza, nebafati lababeyinkhulungwane sebabonkhe.
50Abimeleki wesuka lapho wacondza eThebesi, nayo wafike wayihlasela, wayitfumba. 51Noko ngekhatsi kwalelidolobha bekunembhoshongo locinile, lapho kwakubalekela khona bantfu bakulelidolobha, babhace, emadvodza nebafati. Batikhiyela ngekhatsi, bakhuphuka bayawuhlala etulu esicongweni salombhoshongo. 52Abimeleki wesukela wona lombhoshongo wayawuhlasela. Kodvwa watsi asasondzela emnyango wawo lombhoshongo atsi usetawulumeka ngemlilo, 53lomunye umfati wehlisela lenkhulu imbakadza yelitje etikwenhloko yakhe, yabhidlita lukhakhayi lwa-Abimeleki.
54Masinyane Abimeleki wabita ludzibi lwakhe, watsi: “Sheshisa uhoshule inkemba yakho ungibulale, kuze bangasho batsi: ‘Wabulawa ngumfati.’ ” Ngako inceku yamcedzela, wafa. 55Ema-Israyeli atsi kube abone kutsi Abimeleki sewufile, aphuma atibuyelela ekhaya.
56Nkulunkulu wabuphindzisela kanjalo-ke ku-Abimeleki lobo bubi labebentile kuyise ngekubulala bomnakabo lababengema-70. 57Nkulunkulu wawajezisa nalamadvodza aseShekhemu ngalobo bubi bawo. Sicalekiso lesakhulunywa nguJothamu, umsa waJerubhali, sagcina sibehlele.
