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1 Waya uAbhimeleki kaYerubhahali kwaShekem kubazalwana bonina, wathetha kubo nakwimizalwane yonke yendlu kayise yonina, wathi,

2 Khanithethe ezindlebeni zabemi bakwaShekem bonke, nithi, Okona kulungileyo kuni, kukuthi nilawulwe ngamadoda amashumi asixhenxe, oonyana bonke bakaYerubhahali, kukuthi nilawulwe yindoda ibe nye, kusini na? Khumbulani ukuba ndilithambo lenu; ndiyinyama yenu.

3 Bathetha abazalwana bonina ngaye, ezindebeni zabemi bakwaShekem bonke loo mazwi onke, intliziyo yabo yakuthobela ukumlandela uAbhimeleki; ngokuba bathi, Ngumzalwana wethu.

4 Bamnika iisilivere ezimashumi asixhenxe ezivela endlwini kaBhahali-bheriti; uAbhimeleki waqesha ngazo amadoda angenabuntu, agasileyo; amlandela ke.

5 Weza endlwini kayise eOfra, wababulala abazalwana bakhe, oonyana bakaYerubhahali, amadoda amashumi asixhenxe, tyeni linye; kwasala uYotam, unyana omncinane kaYerubhahali, ngokuba wazimela.

6 Bahlangana bonke abemi bakwaShekem nendlu yonke yeMilo, baya bamenza uAbhimeleki ukumkani ngasemokini wesikhumbuzo okwaShekem.

7 Waxelelwa uYotam, waya wema encotsheni yentaba yeGerizim, waliphakamisa izwi lakhe, wadanduluka, wathi kubo, Ndiveni, nina bemi bakwaShekem, aze uYehova anive nani.

8 Yaya imithi ukuya kuthambisa ukumkani ukuba abe phezu kwayo. Yathi kumnquma, Yiba ngukumkani wethu.

9 Wathi umnquma kuyo, Ndingade ndikuncame na ukutyeba kwam abakuzukisayo oothixo nabantu, ndiye kujingajinga phezu kwemithi?

10 Yathi imithi kumkhiwane, Yiza wena, ube ngukumkani wethu.

11 Wathi umkhiwane kuyo, Ndingade ndiyincame na incasa yam, neziveliso zam ezihle, ndiye kujingajinga phezu kwemithi?

12 Yathi imithi kumdiliya, Yiza wena, ube ngukumkani wethu.

13 Wathi umdiliya kuyo, Ndingade ndiyincame na iwayini yam evuyisa oothixo nabantu, ndiye kujingajinga phezu kwemithi?

14 Yathi yonke imithi kwiqunube, Yiza wena, ube ngukumkani wethu.

15 Lathi iqunube kuyo imithi, Ukuba okunene niyandithambisa ndibe ngukumkani wenu, yizani nizimele ngomthunzi wam; ukuba akunjalo, makuphume umlilo equnubeni, uyidle imisedare yaseLebhanon.

16 Ukuba ke ngoko nenze ngenyaniso nangokugqibeleleyo, uAbhimeleki nimenze ukumkani nje, ukuba nenze okulungileyo kuYerubhahali nakwindlu yakhe, ukuba nimenzele ngokwempatho yezandla zakhe;

17 (ekubeni ubawo wanilwelayo, wawulahlayo umphefumlo wakhe, wanihlagulayo esandleni samaMidiyan;

18 ke nina nisuke nayivunukela indlu kabawo namhla, nababulala oonyana bakhe, amadoda angamashumi asixhenxe, tyeni linye, namenza ukumkani wabemi bakwaShekem uAbhimeleki, unyana womkhonzazana wakhe, ngokuba engumzalwana wenu);

19 ukuba ke nenze ngenyaniso nangokugqibeleleyo namhla kuYerubhahali nakwindlu yakhe: vuyani ke ngoAbhimeleki, avuye naye ngani.

20 Ukuba akunjalo, makuphume umlilo kuAbhimeleki, ubadle abemi bakwaShekem nendlu yeMilo, uphume umlilo kubemi bakwaShekem nakwindlu yeMilo, umdle uAbhimeleki.

21 Wabaleka ke uYotam, wasaba, waya eBhere, wahlala khona ngenxa ka-Abhimeleki umzalwana wakhe.

22 UAbhimeleki waba ngumthetheli wamaSirayeli iminyaka emithathu.

23 UThixo wathuma umoya ombi phakathi koAbhimeleki nabemi bakwaShekem, bamkhohlisa uAbhimeleki abemi bakwaShekem;

24 ukuze ukungonyanyelwa koonyana abangamashumi asixhenxe bakaYerubhahali kufike, igazi labo libekwe phezu koAbhimeleki umzalwana wabo, owababulalayo, naphezu kwabemi bakwaShekem, abasomelezayo isandla sakhe, wababulala abazalwana bakhe.

25 Abemi bakwaShekem bammisela abalaleli ezincotsheni zeentaba, baxhakamfula bonke abadlula kubo ngendlela. Waxelelwa ke uAbhimeleki.

26 Waya uGahali unyana kaEbhede, nabazalwana bakhe, badlula besiya kwaShekem. Abemi bakwaShekem bakholosa ngaye.

27 Baphuma baya emasimini, bavuna izidiliya zabo, bazixovula, benza iminikelo yendumiso, baya endlwini yothixo wabo, badla, basela, bamqalekisa uAbhimeleki.

28 Wathi uGahali unyana kaEbhede, Ngubani na yena uAbhimeleki? Engubani na yena uShekem, ukuba simkhonze? Akanyana kaYerubhahali na, waye uZebhule engemveleli wakhe na? Khonzani amadoda akwaHamore, usoShekem. Kungani na ukuba simkhonze yena?

29 Ababa aba bantu babesesandleni sam! Kukhona bendingamsusayo uAbhimeleki. Wathi, esingisa kuAbhimeleki, Wandise umkhosi wakho, uphume.

30 Waweva uZebhule, umphathi waloo mzi, amazwi kaGahali unyana kaEbhede, wavutha umsindo wakhe.

31 Wathuma abathunywa kuAbhimeleki ngenkohliso, esithi, Nanku uGahali unyana kaEbhede, nabazalwana bakhe, befike kwaShekem; yabona, bayawubandezela umzi ukuba uchasane nawe.

32 Vuka ke ngoko ebusuku, wena nabantu onabo, ulalele emasimini;

33 kothi, kusasa ukuphuma kwelanga, uvuke kusasa, wakhe uluhlu uye kuloo mzi; nanko yena nabantu anabo bephuma besiza kuwe; wenze kuye, njengoko sithe safumana ngako isandla sakho.

34 Wavuka ke ebusuku uAbhimeleki nabantu bonke anabo, bawulalela owakwaShekem, bemaqela mane.

35 Waphuma uGahali unyana kaEbhede, wema ekungeneni kwesango lomzi; wesuka uAbhimeleki nabantu anabo ekulaleleni.

36 UGahali wababona abantu, wathi kuZebhule, Naba abantu besihla ezincotsheni zeentaba. Wathi uZebhule kuye, Ubona amathunzi eentaba ngathi ngabantu.

37 Waphinda waqokela uGahali, wathi ukuthetha, Naba abantu besihla emnyeleni welizwe, elinye iqela lisiza ngendlela yoMoki wamaTola.

38 Wathi uZebhule kuye, Uphi na kaloku umlomo wakho owathi ngawo, Ngubani na uAbhimeleki ukuba simkhonze? Asingabo abo bantu na wabacekisayo? Khawuphume kaloku, ulwe nabo.

39 Waphuma uGahali phambi kwabemi bakwaShekem, walwa noAbhimeleki.

40 UAbhimeleki wamsukela; wasaba yena phambi kwakhe. Kwawa ababuleweyo baba baninzi, kwada kwesa ekungeneni kwesango.

41 UAbhimeleki wahlala eAruma; uZebhule wamgxotha uGahali nabazalwana bakhe ukuba bangahlali kwaShekem.

42 Kwathi ngengomso, baphuma abantu baya emasimini; waxelewa uAbhimeleki.

43 Wabathabatha abantu, wabahlula baba maqela mathathu, walalela emasimini; wakhangela, wabona abantu bephuma kuloo mzi, wabavunukela wabaxabela.

44 UAbhimeleki namaqela abenawo badwela ekungeneni kwesango lomzi; aza amaqela amabini akha uluhlu kubo bonke ababesemasimini, abaxabela ke.

45 UAbhimeleki walwa naloo mzi imini yonke, wawuthimba umzi, nabantu abakuwo wababulala; wawudiliza umzi, wawuhlwayela ityuwa.

46 Beva ke bonke abasenqabeni ende yakwaShekem, bangena engontsini yendlu yoEle-Bheriti.

47 Waxelelwa uAbhimeleki, ukuba babuthelene khona bonke abasenqabeni ende yakwaShekem.

48 Wayinyuka uAbhimeleki intaba yaseTsalimon, yena nabantu bonke abenabo; uAbhimeleki waphatha amazembe ngesandla, wagawula isebe emithini, walifunqula, walibeka egxalabeni lakhe; wathi ebantwini abenabo, Into enibone ndiyenza, ngxamani nenze njengam.

49 Bagawula ke nabo abantu bonke, elowo isebe lakhe, bamlandela uAbhimeleki, bawabeka engontsini leyo, bayifaka isikhuni ingontsi, bekuyo abasenqabeni; kwafa nabantu bonke benqaba ende yakwaShekem, ngathi liwaka lamadoda nabafazi.

50 UAbhimeleki waya eTebhetse, wayingqinga iTebhetse, wayithimba.

51 Kwakukho inqaba ende eliqele phakathi komzi, abalekela khona onke amadoda, nabafazi, nabemi bonke bomzi, bazivalela, bakhwela phezu kwentungo yenqaba leyo inde.

52 Wafika ke uAbhimeleki enqabeni ende, walwa nayo, wasondela emnyango wenqaba ende, ukuze ayitshise ngomlilo.

53 Yasuka inkazana ethile, yaphosa ilitye lokusila langaphezulu entlokweni ka-Abhimeleki, yamtyumza ukakayi.

54 Wabiza kamsinya umfana wakwakhe obephethe iintonga zakhe, wathi kuye, Rhola ikrele lakho, undibulale, hleze kuthiwe ngam, Ubulewe yinkazana. Umfana wakwakhe wamhlaba amahlanza, wafa ke.

55 Abona amaSirayeli ukuba ufile uAbhimeleki, aya elowo endaweni yakhe.

56 UThixo wabubuyisela entlokweni yakhe ububi buka-Abhimeleki abebenzile kuyise, ngokubulala abazalwana bakhe abamashumi asixhenxe;

57 nobubi bonke bamadoda akwaShekem uThixo wabubuyisela ezintlokweni zawo; afikelwa sisiqalekiso sikaYotam, unyana kaYerubhahali.