¹ U-Abimeleki indodana kaJerubali waya kuba fowabo 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 n gumuntu 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 : U ma ningigcoba impela ngibe yinkosi yenu , wozani niphephele emthunzini wami ; uma kungenjalo , makuphume umlilo kuso isihlahla somkhaya, uqede imisedari yaseLebanoni. ¹⁶ Ngalokho uma nenzile ngeqini so 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 ubudlo va 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 iz ithunywa 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 waseS hekemi, 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 o qinileyo; 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 othi le 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.