| ← Judges (9/21) → |
| 1. | UAbhimeleki indodana kaJerubali wasesiya eShekema kubafowabo bakanina, wakhuluma kibo lakusendo lonke lwendlu kayise kanina, esithi: |
| 2. | Ake likhulume endlebeni zabo bonke abahlali beShekema lithi: Yikuphi okungcono kini ukuthi wonke amadodana kaJerubali amadoda angamatshumi ayisikhombisa alibuse, kumbe indoda eyodwa ilibuse? Khumbulani futhi ukuthi ngilithambo lenu lenyama yenu. |
| 3. | Labafowabo bakanina bamkhulumela ezindlebeni zabo bonke abahlali beShekema wonke lamazwi. Inhliziyo yabo yeyamela ukumlandela uAbhimeleki, ngoba bathi: Ungumfowethu. |
| 4. | Bamnika inhlamvu zesiliva ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa ezavela endlini kaBhali-Berithi; uAbhimeleki waseqatsha ngazo abantu abayize labangakhathaliyo abamlandelayo. |
| 5. | Wasesiya endlini kayise eOfira, wabulala abafowabo amadodana kaJerubali, amadoda angamatshumi ayisikhombisa, phezu kwedwala elilodwa; kodwa uJothamu indodana elicinathunjana kaJerubali wasala, ngoba wacatsha. |
| 6. | Labo bonke abahlali beShekema labo bonke abeBeti-Milo babuthana, bahamba bamenza wabusa uAbhimeleki abe yinkosi, esihlahleni se-okhi* esamiswa siseShekema. |
| 7. | Lapho bemtshela uJothamu, wayakuma phezu kwengqonga yentaba yeGerizimi, waphakamisa ilizwi lakhe wamemeza wathi kibo: Ngizwani bahlali beShekema ukuze uNkulunkulu alizwe. |
| 8. | Izihlahla zahamba lokuhamba ukuzigcobela inkosi. Zathi esihlahleni somhlwathi: Sibuse. |
| 9. | Kodwa isihlahla somhlwathi sathi kuzo: Kambe ngizatshiya amafutha ami abadumisa ngawo uNkulunkulu labantu ngami, ukuze ngiyezunguza phezu kwezihlahla? |
| 10. | Izihlahla zasezisithi esihlahleni somkhiwa: Woza wena usibuse. |
| 11. | Kodwa isihlahla somkhiwa sathi kuzo: Kambe ngizatshiya ubumnandi bami lezithelo zami ezinhle, ukuze ngiyezunguza phezu kwezihlahla? |
| 12. | Izihlahla zasezisithi esihlahleni sevini: Woza wena usibuse. |
| 13. | Kodwa isihlahla sevini sathi kuzo: Kambe ngizatshiya iwayini lami elitsha elithokozisa uNkulunkulu labantu, ukuze ngiyezunguza phezu kwezihlahla? |
| 14. | Izihlahla zonke zasezisithi embabazaneni: Woza wena usibuse. |
| 15. | Imbabazane yasisithi ezihlahleni: Uba ngeqiniso lingigcoba ngibe yinkosi phezu kwenu, wozani lidinge ukuvikelwa emthunzini wami; uba kungenjalo-ke, umlilo uzaphuma embabazaneni udle izihlahla zomsedari zeLebhanoni. |
| 16. | Ngakho khathesi, uba likwenzile ngeqiniso langokuthembeka ukuthi libekile uAbhimeleki abe yinkosi, lokuthi uba lenzile okuhle ngoJerubali langendlu yakhe, lokuthi uba lenze kuye ngokufanele izandla zakhe; |
| 17. | ngoba ubaba walilwela, wayilahla impilo yakhe khatshana, walophula esandleni samaMidiyani; |
| 18. | kodwa lina seliyivukele indlu kababa lamuhla, labulala amadodana akhe, amadoda angamatshumi ayisikhombisa, phezu kwedwala elilodwa, labeka uAbhimeleki indodana yencekukazi yakhe ukuthi abe yinkosi yabahlali beShekema, ngoba engumfowenu; |
| 19. | uba-ke ngeqiniso langokuthembeka lenzile ngoJerubali langendlu yakhe ngalolusuku, thokozani ngoAbhimeleki, laye athokoze ngani; |
| 20. | Kodwa uba kungenjalo, kakuphume umlilo kuAbhimeleki udle abahlali beShekema leBeti-Milo, njalo kakuphume umlilo kubahlali beShekema leBeti-Milo udle uAbhimeleki. |
| 21. | UJothamu wasephunyuka wabaleka, waya eBeri, wahlala khona, ngenxa kaAbhimeleki umfowabo. |
| 22. | Kwathi uAbhimeleki esebuse uIsrayeli iminyaka emithathu, |
| 23. | uNkulunkulu wathuma umoya omubi phakathi kukaAbhimeleki labahlali beShekema, njalo abahlali beShekema baziphatha ngokungathembeki kuAbhimeleki, |
| 24. | ukuze udlakela olwenziwa ku madodana kaJerubali angamatshumi ayisikhombisa lubuyele, legazi libekwe phezu kukaAbhimeleki umfowabo owawabulalayo, laphezu kwabahlali beShekema ababeqinise izandla zakhe ukubulala abafowabo. |
| 25. | Abahlali beShekema basebembekela abacathameli ezingqongeni zezintaba, baphanga bonke abebebadlula ngaleyondlela; uAbhimeleki wasekubikelwa. |
| 26. | UGahali indodana kaEbedi wasesiza labafowabo, bedlulela eShekema; njalo abahlali beShekema bamthemba. |
| 27. | Basebephuma baya emasimini, bakha izithelo zamavini ezivinini zabo, bazinyathela, benza indumiso, bangena endlini kankulunkulu wabo, badla banatha, bamthuka uAbhimeleki. |
| 28. | UGahali indodana kaEbedi wasesithi: Ungubani uAbhimeleki njalo ungubani uShekema ukuthi simsebenzele? Kasindodana kaJerubali yini, loZebuli induna yayo? Sebenzelani amadoda kaHamori uyise kaShekema. Ngoba thina sizamsebenzelelani? |
| 29. | Sengathi ngabe lababantu bebesesandleni sami, bengizamkhupha-ke uAbhimeleki. Wasesithi kuAbhimeleki: Yandisa ibutho lakho, uphume. |
| 30. | Kwathi uZebuli umbusi womuzi esizwa amazwi kaGahali indodana kaEbedi, ulaka lwakhe lwavutha. |
| 31. | Wathuma izithunywa kuAbhimeleki ngobuqili, esithi: Khangela, uGahali indodana kaEbedi labafowabo bafikile eShekema, khangela-ke, sebeqinisa umuzi ukumelana lawe. |
| 32. | Khathesi-ke sukuma ebusuku wena labantu abalawe, uyecathama egangeni. |
| 33. | Kuzakuthi-ke ekuseni ekuphumeni kwelanga, uvuke ngovivi uwuhlasele umuzi; khangela, lapho yena labantu abalaye bephuma ukumelana lawe, uzakwenza kuye njengalokho isandla sakho esikutholayo. |
| 34. | UAbhimeleki wasesukuma labo bonke abantu ababelaye, ebusuku, basebeyicathamela iShekema ngezigaba ezine. |
| 35. | UGahali indodana kaEbedi wasephuma wema ekungeneni kwesango lomuzi. UAbhimeleki wasesukuma labantu ababelaye ekucathameni. |
| 36. | Kwathi uGahali ebona abantu, wathi kuZebuli: Khangela, abantu bayehla ezingqongeni zezintaba. Kodwa uZebuli wathi kuye: Ubona amathunzi ezintaba kungathi ngabantu. |
| 37. | UGahali waqhubeka futhi ekhuluma wathi: Khangela, abantu bayehla bevela phakathi kwelizwe, lelinye ixuku livela endleleni yamagceke abavumisi. |
| 38. | UZebuli wasesithi kuye: Usungaphi umlomo wakho owathi ngawo: Ungubani uAbhimeleki ukuthi simkhonze? Laba kayisibo abantu obadeleleyo yini? Ake uphume khathesi uyekulwa labo. |
| 39. | UGahali wasephuma phambi kwabahlali beShekema, walwa loAbhimeleki. |
| 40. | UAbhimeleki wamxotsha, wasebaleka phambi kwakhe; abanengi bawa belimele kwaze kwaba sekungeneni kwesango. |
| 41. | UAbhimeleki wasehlala eAruma. UZebuli wasemxotsha uGahali labafowabo, ukuze bangahlali eShekema. |
| 42. | Kwasekusithi kusisa abantu baphuma baya egangeni; bamtshela uAbhimeleki. |
| 43. | Wasethatha abantu, wabehlukanisa baba ngamaxuku amathathu, wacathama egangeni, wabona, khangela-ke, abantu bephuma emzini, wabasukela wabatshaya. |
| 44. | UAbhimeleki lexuku elalilaye basebebahlasela bema ekungeneni kwesango lomuzi, lamaxuku amabili ahlasela bonke ababesegangeni, abatshaya. |
| 45. | UAbhimeleki wasesilwa emelene lomuzi lolosuku lonke, wawuthumba umuzi, wabulala abantu ababekiwo, wadilizela phansi umuzi, wawuhlanyela ngetswayi. |
| 46. | Lapho bonke abahlali bemphotshongweni weShekema bekuzwa, bangena enqabeni yendlu kaEli-Berithi. |
| 47. | Kwabikelwa uAbhimeleki ukuthi bonke abahlali bemphotshongweni weShekema babuthene ndawonye. |
| 48. | UAbhimeleki wasesenyukela entabeni yeZalimoni, yena labo bonke abantu ababelaye; uAbhimeleki wathatha ihloka esandleni sakhe, wagamula ugatsha lwezihlahla, waluthatha walwetshata ehlombe lakhe, wathi ebantwini ababelaye: Lokhu elibona ngikwenza, phangisani likwenze njengami. |
| 49. | Ngakho bonke abantu labo bagamula, ngulowo ugatsha lwakhe, bamlandela uAbhimeleki bazibeka enqabeni, bathungela inqaba ngomlilo phezu kwabo, kwaze kwathi bonke abantu bomphotshongo weShekema labo bafa, phose abesilisa labesifazana abayinkulungwane. |
| 50. | UAbhimeleki wasesiya eThebezi, wamisa inkamba maqondana leThebezi wayithumba. |
| 51. | Kodwa kwakulomphotshongo oqinileyo phakathi komuzi, labo bonke abesilisa labesifazana babalekela kuyo, labo bonke abahlali bomuzi, babavalela phakathi; benyukela ephahleni lomphotshongo. |
| 52. | UAbhimeleki wasefika emphotshongweni, walwa lawo, wasondela emnyango womphotshongo ukuze awutshise ngomlilo. |
| 53. | Owesifazana othile wasephosa ucezu lwelitshe lokuchola ekhanda likaAbhimeleki, wadabula ukhakhayi lwakhe. |
| 54. | Wasebiza masinyane ijaha elalithwala izikhali zakhe, wathi kilo: Hwatsha inkemba yakho ungibulale, hlezi bathi ngami: Owesifazana wambulala. Ijaha lakhe laselimgwaza, wafa-ke. |
| 55. | Kwathi amadoda akoIsrayeli ebona ukuthi uAbhimeleki usefile, ahamba, ngulowo waya endaweni yakhe. |
| 56. | Ngokunjalo uNkulunkulu wabuyisela ububi bukaAbhimeleki ayebenze kuyise, ngokubulala abafowabo abangamatshumi ayisikhombisa. |
| 57. | Labo bonke ububi bamadoda eShekema uNkulunkulu wabubuyisela phezu kwamakhanda awo; kwasekusehlela phezu kwabo isiqalekiso sikaJothamu indodana kaJerubali. |
| ← Judges (9/21) → |