1Waza u‐Abimeleki, unyana ka‐Yerubebali, waya e‐Shekeme, kubazalwana bonina, wateta kubo, nakuso sonke isizalwane sendlu yoyise kanina, esiti: 2Tetani ke ezindlebeni zabo bonke abemi base‐Shekeme, niti: Yiyipina into enilungeleyo, eyokuba amadoda emashumi asixe̔nxe, bonke onyana baka‐Yerubebali, apate ubukosi pezu kwenu, eyokuba indoda inye ipate ubukosi pezu kwenu, kusinina? kumbulani kanjalo, ukuba ndilitambo lenu nenyama yenu mna. 3Bandula abazalwana bonina bateta ngaye ezindlebeni zabo bonke abemi base‐Shekeme kwa lamazwi onke; zaza intliziyo zabo zatobela emva kwo‐Abimeleki; ngokuba bebesiti: Ungumzalwana wetu. 4Baza bamnika amaqosha esilivere angamashumi asixe̔nxe evela kuyo indlu ka‐Bali‐berite; owati ngawo u‐Abimeleki waqasha amadoda angendawo abubedengu, abemlandela. 5Wasuka waya endlwini kayise e‐Hofera, wabulala abazalwana bake, onyana baka‐Yerubebali, amadoda angamashumi asixe̔nxe, pezu kwelitye linye; kodwa kwasala u‐Yotame, unyana omncinane ka‐Yerubebali, ngokuba ebezimele. 6Baza bahlanganisana bonke abemi base‐Shekeme, nabo bonke abendlu ye‐Milo, baya bamenza u‐Abimeleki ukumkani, ngaseyekeni yentsika yokukumbuza ese‐Shekeme.
7Wati akuxelelwa u‐Yotame, wandula waya wema engcotsheni yentaba ye‐Gerizime, wapakamisa ilizwi lake, wadanduluka, wati kubo: Pulapulani kum, nina bemi base‐Shekeme! ukuba utixo apulapule kuni. 8Imiti yaka yahamba iye kutambisa ukumkani pezu kwayo; yayisiti kumnquma: Yiba ngukumkani pezu kwetu. 9Kodwa umnquma wati kuyo: Ngendiyeka ubutyebi bam na, okungabo kubekwa utixo nabantu ngam, ukuba ndiye ukujingajinga pezu kwemiti? 10Yandula imiti yati kuwo umkiwane: Yiza wena, ube ngukumkani pezu kwetu. 11Kodwa umkiwane wati kuyo: Ngendiyeka ubumnandi bam na, nesiqa̔mo sam esilungileyo, ukuba ndiye ukujingajinga pezu kwemiti? 12Yaza imiti yati kuwo umti weveyine: Yiza wena, ube ngukumkani pezu kwetu. 13Kodwa umti weveyine wati kuyo: Ngendiyeka iveyine yam na, evuyisa utixo nabantu, ukuba ndiye ukujingajinga pezu kwemiti? 14Yandula yonke imiti yati kuwo umtolo: Yiza wena, ube ngukumkani pezu kwetu. 15Kodwa umtolo wati kuyo imiti: Ukuba kungenyaniso ninditambisayo ndibe ngukumkani pezu kwenu, yizani, nitembele esitunzini sam; kodwa ukuba akunjalo, maupume umlilo emtolweni, udle isedare ze‐Lebanone. 16Ngako kaloku, ukuba nenzile ngenyaniso nangolungelelano ngokumenza u‐Abimeleki ukumkani, nokuba nenzile okulungileyo ku‐Yerubebali nakwindlu yake, nokuba nenzile kuye njengemfanelo yezandla zake; — 17(ngokuba ubawo ebenilwela, walahla kude ubomi bake, wanihlangula esandleni sama‐Midiyane; 18kanti nina nivukile namhla ngakuyo indlu kabawo, nonyana bake nibabulele, amadoda amashumi asixe̔nxe, pezu kwelitye linye, no‐Abimeleki, unyana wesicakakazi sake, nimenzile ukumkani pezu kwabemi base‐Shekeme, ngokuba engumzalwana wenu;) 19ngako ukuba nenzile ngenyaniso nangolungelelano ku‐Yerubebali nakwindlu yake namhla nje, vuyani ngaye u‐Abimeleki, naye makavuye ngani: 20kodwa ukuba akunjalo, maupume umlilo kuye u‐Abimeleki, udle abemi base‐Shekeme nabendlu ye‐Milo; kanjako maupume umlilo kubo abemi base‐Shekeme nakubo abendlu ye‐Milo, udle u‐Abimeleki.
21Wasuka u‐Yotame wabaleka, wesaba, waya e‐Bere, wahlala kona ngenxa ka‐Abimeleki umzalwana wake.
22Nxa u‐Abimeleki abepete ubukosi pezu kwo‐Sirayeli iminyaka yamitatu, 23wandula utixo watuma umoya ombi pakati kwo‐Abimeleki nabemi base‐Shekeme; baza abemi base‐Shekeme benza ngenkohliso ngaku‐Abimeleki: 24ukuba kufike ubudlwengu obusenziwa ngakubo onyana abangamashumi asixe̔nxe baka‐Yerubebali, nokuba kubekwe igazi labo pezu kwo‐Abimeleki umzalwana wabo, owabebabulele, napezu kwabemi base‐Shekeme, ababe bomelezile izandla zake ukubulala abazalwana bake. 25Baye abemi base‐Shekeme bambekela abalaleli pezu kwengcocoyi zentaba, abapanga bonke ababedlula kubo endleleni: kwaza kwaxelwa ku‐Abimeleki.
26Kekaloku u‐Gale, unyana ka‐Hebedi, weza nabazalwana bake, badlulela e‐Shekeme; bati abemi base‐Shekeme batembela kuye. 27Baza bapuma baya emasimini, baka idreyive zezitiya zabo, bazixovula, benza imigcobo, baya endlwini yotixo wabo, badla, basela, batuka u‐Abimeleki. 28Wayesiti u‐Gale, unyana ka‐Hebedi: Ungubanina u‐Abimeleki, angobanina ama‐Shekeme, ukuba sikonze kuye? asi ngunyana ka‐Yerubebali na? no‐Zebule asi ngumlindi wake na? konzani amadoda ka‐Hamore uyise ka‐Shekeme; ngokuba kunganina ukuba sikonze kuye tina? 29Akwaba ababantu babesesandleni sam! ngendisandul’ ukumshenxisa u‐Abimeleki. Waza wati ku‐Abimeleki: Yandisa impi yako, upume.
30Xeshekweni u‐Zebule, umpati wesixeko, ebevile amazwi ka‐Gale, unyana ka‐Hebedi, yandu ukuvuta ingqumbo yake. 31Waza watuma izigidimi ku‐Abimeleki ngobuqokolo, ukuti: Bona ke, u‐Gale, unyana ka‐Hebedi, nabazalwana bake, bafikile e‐Shekeme; kanjalo bona ke, bayavuselela isixeko ngakuwe. 32Ngako kaloku suka ebusuku, wena nabantu abanawe, ulalele ezindle: 33kwakuya kuti ngomso, lakukova ilanga ukupuma, uvuke kusasa, ugaleleke pezu kwesixeko; kanjalo bona ke, nxa bapumela kuwe, yena nabantu abanaye, uya kwenza kuye, njengokufumana kwesandla sako.
34Wandula wesuka u‐Abimeleki, nabantu bonke ababenaye, ebusuku, baya balalela ngakuyo i‐Shekeme ngamaqela mane. 35Waza wapuma u‐Gale, unyana ka‐Hebedi, wema emnyango wesango lesixeko; wesuka no‐Abimeleki, nabantu ababenaye, endaweni yokulalela. 36Xeshekweni u‐Gale abebona abantu, wati ku‐Zebule: Naba abantu besihla ezingcocoyini zentaba. Kodwa u‐Zebule wati kuye: Uyabona isitunzi sentaba njengokungati singamadoda. 37Walekela u‐Gale ukuteta, wati: Naba abantu besihla enkalweni yelizwe, nelinye iqela lisiza ngendlela yeyeke ye‐Mehonenime. 38Wandula u‐Zebule wati kuye: Upina ke umlomo wako, owabusitsho ngawo ukuti: Ungubanina u‐Abimeleki, ukuba sikonze kuye? Asi ngaba na abobantu ubadelileyo? Puma ke kaloku, ulwe nabo. 39Wasuka u‐Gale wapuma pambi kwabemi base‐Shekeme, walwa no‐Abimeleki. 40Wati u‐Abimeleki wamsukela, wada wabaleka ebusweni bake: kwaza kwawa abahlatyiweyo abaninzi kude kwasemnyango wesango. 41Waya u‐Abimeleki wahlala e‐Aruma: kanjalo u‐Zebule wamgxota u‐Gale nabazalwana bake, ukuze bangahlali e‐Shekeme.
42Kwabekute ngomnye umhla, bapuma abantu baya ezindle; kwaza kwaxelwa ku‐Abimeleki. 43Waye etabatile abantu, wabahlula babe ngamaqela matatu, walalela ezindle; wati akukangela, naba abantu bepuma esixekweni; waza wesuka ngakubo, wababeta. 44Ngokuba u‐Abimeleki nabeqela elinaye bati bukuqu, baza bema emnyango wesango lesixeko; namanye amaqela omabini wona ati bukuqu pezu kwabo bonke abasezindle, ababeta. 45Waza u‐Abimeleki walwa ngakuso isixeko ngalomini yonke, watimba isixeko, nabo bonke abantu abakuso wababulala; kanjalo wasicita isixeko, wahlwayela ityuwa pezu kwaso.
46Bati bakuva oku bonke abemi benqaba yase‐Shekeme, bandula bangena enqatyeni yendlu yotixo u‐Bali‐berite. 47Kwaza kwaxelwa ku‐Abimeleki, ukuba bonke abemi benqaba yase‐Shekeme bahlanganisene. 48Wasuka u‐Abimeleki wenyuka intaba ye‐Tsalimone, yena nabantu bonke ababenaye; waza u‐Abimeleki watabata izembe esandleni sake, wagaula isebe lasemitini, walicola, walibeka pezu kwegxalaba lake, wati kubo abantu ababenaye: Oko enibonileyo ukuba ndikwenzile, nxamani nenze njengam. 49Baza bonke abantu bagaula nabo abanye ngabanye amasebe abo, bamlandela u‐Abimeleki, bawabeka ngasenqatyeni, bayitshisa pezu kwabo inqaba leyo ngomlilo, bada bafa bonke abantu benqaba yase‐Shekeme nabo, ngati liwaka lamadoda nabafazi.
50Wandula u‐Abimeleki waya e‐Tebetse, wayiṙaula i‐Tebetse, wayitimba. 51Kodwa bekuko inqaba enamandla pakati kwesixeko eso; baza babalekela kona onke amadoda nabafazi, kwa bonke abemi besixeko, bazivalela, benyuka pezu kwentungo yenqaba. 52Wada u‐Abimeleki wafika enqatyeni, walwa ngakuyo, wasondela nakude kwasemnyango wenqaba, ukuze ayitshise ngomlilo. 53Kodwa umfazi otile waposa ilitye lapezulu lokusila pezu kwentloko ka‐Abimeleki, waqekeza ukakai lwake. 54Waza wabiza ngobunxamo indodana yake ebitwala izixo̔bo zake, wati kuyo: Ṙola iṙele lako, undifise, hlezibe kutiwe ngam: Umfazi wambulala. Yaza indodana yake yamhlaba, wada wafa. 55Ati akubona amadoda akwa‐Sirayeli ukuba u‐Abimeleki ufile, aya amanye ngamanye ezindaweni zawo.
56Kwa njalo utixo wabuyisa ububi buka‐Abimeleki, obo wabebenzile kuyise, ngokubulala abazalwana bake abangamashumi asixe̔nxe: 57nabo bonke ububi babantu base‐Shekeme utixo wabubuyisa pezu kwentloko zabo; kwada kweza pezu kwabo isiqalekiso sika‐Yotame, unyana ka‐Yerubebali.
