Judges 9

U-Abhimelekhi

1U-Abhimelekhi indodana kaJerubhi-Bhali waya kubanewabo bakanina eShekemu lakubo bonke abosendo lukanina wathi kubo,

2“Buzani bonke abantu baseShekemu ukuthi, ‘Yikuphi okungcono kini: ukubuswa yiwo wonke amadodana kaJerubhi-Bhali angamatshumi ayisikhombisa, loba umuntu oyedwa?’ Likhumbule ukuthi mina ngingumzimba legazi lenu.”

3Kwathi abanewabo bakanina sebekutshilo konke lokhu ebantwini baseShekemu, bafuna ukumlandela u-Abhimelekhi, ngoba bathi, “Ungumfowethu.” 4Bamnika amashekeli esiliva angamatshumi ayisikhombisa, athathwa ethempelini likaBhali-Bherithi, u-Abhimeleki aqatsha ngawo izigebenga ezingakhathaliyo, ezaba ngabalandeli bakhe. 5Waya emzini kayise e-Ofira kwathi abafowabo abangamatshumi ayisikhombisa, amadodana kaJerubhi-Bhali, wababulalela phezu kwedwala linye. Kodwa uJothamu, indodana encane kaJerubhi-Bhali waphepha ngokucatsha. 6Emva kwalokho bonke abantu baseShekemu labeBhethi Milo babuthana ngaphansi kwesihlahla esikhulu ensikeni eShekemu ukuba u-Abhimelekhi bamethese ubukhosi.

7Kwathi uJothamu esetshelwe lokhu wakhwela waya engqongweni yeNtaba iGerizimi wanqolonga esithi kubo, “Ngilaleleni, bantu baseShekemu, ukuze uNkulunkulu alilalele.

8Ngelinye ilanga izihlahla zasuka zayazibekela inkosi yazo. Zathi esihlahleni se-oliva, ‘Woba yinkosi yethu.’

9“Kodwa isihlahla se-oliva saphendula sathi, ‘Kambe ngingadela amafutha ami, okudunyiswa ngawo onkulunkulu labantu, ukuba ngibuse izihlahla na?’

10“Izihlahla zasezisithi esihlahleni somkhiwa, ‘Woza ube yinkosi yethu.’

11“Kodwa isihlahla somkhiwa saphendula sathi, ‘Kambe ngingadela izithelo zami ezinhle kangaka njalo zimnandi, ukuba ngibuse izihlahla na?’

12“Lapho-ke izihlahla zathi esihlahleni sevini, ‘Woza ube yinkosi yethu.’

13“Kodwa isihlahla sevini saphendula sathi, ‘Kambe ngingadela iwayini lami elithokozisa onkulunkulu labantu, ukuba ngibuse izihlahla na?’

14“Ekucineni zonke izihlahla zathi esihlahleni sameva, ‘Woza ube yinkosi yethu.’

15“Isihlahla sameva sathi ezihlahleni, ‘Nxa lifuna ngempela ukuthi lingigcobe ukuba ngibe yinkosi yenu, wozanicatsha emthunzini wami, kodwa uma kungenjalo, akuphume umlilo esihlahleni sameva uqothule imisedari yaseLebhanoni!’

16“Uma lenze okubongekayo njalo ngobuqotho ekubekeni kwenu u-Abhimelekhi ukuba abe yinkosi, njalo uma lenze okulungileyo kuJerubhi-Bhali labendlu yakhe, njalo uma limphathe ngendlela emfaneleyo –

17ngoba ubaba walilwela, wabeka impilo yakhe engozini ukuba alihlenge ezandleni zamaMidiyani 18(kodwa lamhla selivukele abendlu kababa, kwathi amadodana akhe angamatshumi ayisikhombisa lawabulalela phezu kwedwala linye, kwathi u-Abhimelekhi, indodana yesigqilikazi sakhe, lamenza waba yinkosi yabantu baseShekemu ngoba engumfowenu) – 19ngakho uma lenze njalo ngobuqotho kuJerubhi-Bhali labendlu yakhe lamhla, thokozani ngo-Abhimelekhi, kube njalo laye ngani futhi! 20Kodwa uma lingenzanga njalo, akuphume umlilo ku-Abhimelekhi uliqothule, bantu baseShekemu labaseBhethi Milo, njalo kuphume umlilo kini bantu baseShekemu labaseBhethi Milo, uqothule u-Abhimelekhi!”

21Emva kwalokhu uJothamu wabaleka, waya eBheri, wahlala khona ngoba wayesesaba umfowabo u-Abhimelekhi.

22Kwathi u-Abhimelekhi esebuse elako-Israyeli iminyaka emithathu 23uNkulunkulu wathumela umoya omubi phakathi kuka-Abhimelekhi labantu baseShekemu bamhlamukela u-Abhimelekhi. 24UNkulunkulu wenza lokhu ukuze ububi obenziwa emadodaneni kaJerubhi-Bhali angamatshumi ayisikhombisa, ukuchithwa kwegazi lawo, buphindiselwe kumfowabo u-Abhimelekhi lasebantwini baseShekemu, ababemsizile ekubulaleni kwakhe abafowabo. 25Ekumelaneni kwabo laye abantu baseShekemu laba babeka abantu ezingqongeni zezintaba ukuba bachathamele bonke abadlula lapho babaphange, njalo lokhu kwabikwa ku-Abhimelekhi.

26UGali indodana ka-Ebhedi wathuthela eShekemu labafowabo, njalo abantu bakhona bamethemba. 27Kwathi sebeye emasimini babutha amagirebisi bawagxoba, baba ledili ethempelini likankulunkulu wabo. Kwathi besidla njalo benatha, bamthuka u-Abhimelekhi.

28Lapho-ke uGali indodana ka-Ebhedi, wathi, “Ungubani u-Abhimelekhi, loShekemu ungubani, ukuba asibuse na? Akasindodana kaJerubhi-Bhali yini, njalo uZebhuli kasumsekeli wakhe na? Khonzani abantu baseHamori, yise kaShekemu! Kungani kumele sikhonze u-Abhimelekhi na? 29Sengathi ngabe abantu laba balawulwa yimi! Kade ngizamsusa. Kade ngizakuthi ku-Abhimelekhi, ‘Libize lonke ibutho lakho.’ ”

30Kwathi uZebhuli umbusi wedolobho esizwa okwatshiwo nguGali indodana ka-Ebhedi, wathukuthela kakhulu. 31Wathuma izithunywa ngasese ku-Abhimelekhi, esithi, “UGali indodana ka-Ebhedi kanye labafowabo sebeze eShekemu njalo badunga idolobho ukuba likuvukele. 32Ngakho wena labantu bakho kumele lize phakathi kobusuku limcathamele egangeni. 33Ekuseni ekuphumeni kwelanga, sondelani ukuba lilihlasele idolobho. Lapho uGali labantu bakhe bephuma ukuba balihlasele, yenzani loba kuyini isandla senu esanelisa ukukwenza.”

34Ngakho-ke u-Abhimeleki lamabutho akhe wonke basuka ebusuku bacathama ezindaweni ezifihlakeleyo eduze leShekemu bengamaviyo amane. 35UGali indodana kaEbhedi wayephumile emi ekungeneni kwesango ledolobho kwathi u-Abhimelekhi lamabutho akhe baphuma lapho ababecatshe khona.

36Kwathi uGali ebabona wathi kuZebhuli, “Khangela nampayana abantu bayehla besuka ezingqongeni zezintaba!” UZebhuli waphendula wathi, “Ubona amathunzi ezintaba kube angathi ngabantu.”

37Kodwa uGali wakhuluma futhi wathi, “Khangela, nampayana abantu bayehla besuka phakathi kwelizwe, njalo leviyo lamabutho liyeza livelela ngokuya esihlahleni sezangoma.”

38UZebhuli wasesithi kuye, “Kungaphi ukukloloda kwakho manje, wena owathi, ‘Ungubani u-Abhimelakhi ukuba asibuse na?’ Laba kabasibo yini abantu owawubahleka? Phuma uyekulwa labo!”

39Ngakho uGali waphuma labantu baseShekemu walwa lo-Abhimelekhi.

40U-Abhimelekhi wamxotsha, kwathi abanengi bafa belimele ekubalekeni – ibanga lonke kusiya ekungeneni kwesango. 41UAbhimelekhi wahlala e-Aruma, kwathi uZebhuli wamdudula uGali labafowabo eShekemu.

42Ngelanga elalandelayo abantu base-Shekemu basuka baya egangeni, njalo lokhu kwabikwa ku-Abhimelekhi. 43Ngakho wathatha abantu bakhe, wabehlukanisa baba ngamaviyo amathathu wathi kabacathanyelwe egangeni. Kwathi ebona abantu bephuma edolobheni wavuka ukuba abahlasele. 44U-Abhimelekhi lamaviyo ayelaye bagijimela phambili endaweni esekungeneni kwesango ledolobho. Amaviyo amabili agijimela kulabo ababesegangeni ababulala. 45Ngalo lonke lolosuku u-Abhimelekhi waqinisa ukulihlasela kwakhe idolobho lelo waze walithumba wabulala labantu balo. Idolobho walidiliza wasehaza itshwayi phezu kwalo.

46Besizwa lokhu, abantu abasemphotshongweni weShekemu bayangena enqabeni yethempheli lase-Eli-Bherithi.

47Kwathi u-Abhimelekhi esizwa ukuthi basebebuthene lapho, 48yena labantu bakhe bakhwela intaba iZalimoni. Wathatha ihloka wagamula amahlahla, wawetshatha emahlombe akhe. Walaya abantu ababelaye wathi, “Phangisani! Yenzani lokhu elibone ngikwenza!”

49Ngakho abantu bagamula amahlahla bamlandela u-Abhimelekhi. Bawabuthelela enqabeni leyo bayithungela ngomlilo abantu bephakathi. Ngakho bonke abantu ababephakathi komphotshongo waseShekemu, amadoda labesifazana ababengaba yinkulungwane bafa.

50Emva kwalokho u-Abhimelekhi waya eThebezi wayivimbezela wayithumba. 51Kodwa phakathi kwedolobho lelo kwakulomphotshongo oqinileyo lapho wonke amadoda labesifazana – abantu bakulelodolobho – ababebalekele khona. Bazikhiyela phakathi bakhwela phezu kophahla lomphotshongo. 52U-Abhimelekhi waya emphotshongweni lowo wawuhlasela. Kodwa wathi esebanga emnyango womphotshongo ukuba awuthungele ngomlilo, 53owesifazana othile wawisela imbokodo phezu kwekhanda lakhe yadabula ukhakhayi lwakhe.

54Waphanga wabiza umthwali wezikhali zakhe wathi, “Hwatsha inkemba yakho ungibulale, ukuze bangathi, ‘Wabulawa ngowesifazana.’ ” Ngakho inceku yakhe yamgwaza, wafa. 55Kwathi abako-Israyeli bebona ukuthi u-Abhimelekhi wayesefile, babuyela ekhaya.

56UNkulunkulu wabuphindisela kanje ububi u-Abhimelekhi ayebenze kuyise ngokubulala abafowabo abangamatshumi ayisikhombisa.

57UNkulunkulu wenza ukuthi labantu baseShekemu babuhlawulele ububi babo. Isiqalekiso sikaJothamu indodana kaJerubhi-Bhali sehlela phezu kwabo.