Abimelek ta ningi ohamba
1 Ndele Abimelek yaJerubbaal okwa ya kuSekem kovapambele vaina, ndele okwa popya nepata alishe laina ndele ta ti: 2 Popyeni momatwi oonakukala muSekem, mu tye: “Shilipi shiwa kunye, nokutya ovalumenhu omilongo heyali, aveshe ovana vaJerubbaal, tave mu pangele, ile omulumenhu umwe te mu pangele? Ndele dimbulukweni nokutya, aame ekipa leni nombelela yeni.” 3 Opo nee ovamwaina vaina, eshi va popya eendjovo edi adishe momatwi oonakukalamo muSekem molwaye, omitima davo da ama kuAbimelek noku mu shikula, osheshi vo tava ti: Ye omumwameme omulumenhu. 4 Vo ove mu pa eeshekeli omilongo heyali oisiliveli yomongulu yaBaal-Berit, nado Abimelek okwe liongelifa nokufuta ovalofu novakolokoshi, ndele vo ove mu shikula. 5 Ndele ye okwa ya mo meumbo laxe muOfra, nokwa dipaela kemanya vamwaina vovalumenhu, ovana vaJerubbaal, omilongo heyali. Ndele Jotam, onghelo yaJerubbaal okwa xupa po, osheshi ye okwa hondama. 6 Opo nee oonakukalamo aveshe muSekem neumbo alishe laMillo la ongala, ndele la ninga Abimelek ohamba momwandi mule puSekem.
Omakumbiko aJotam
7 Vo eshi ve shi shiivifila Jotam, ye okwa londa a kala ofika koxulo yomhunda yaGerisim nokwa yelula ondaka yaye, ta ingida ta ti kuvo: “Pwilikineni nge, nye oonakukalamo muSekem, opo Kalunga a shiive oku mu pwilikina.
8 “Efiku limwe omiti da ya di ke livaekele ohamba, ndele da lombwela olumono: ‘Ninga ohamba yetu!’ 9 Ndelenee olumono le va lombwela: ‘Ame ndi efe mbela omaadi ange molwao oikalunga novanhu tava pandula nge, ndi ye ngeno ndi linyenganyenge kombada yomiti?’
10 “Opo nee omiti da lombwela omukwiyu: ‘Ila, u ninge ohamba yetu.’ 11 Ndelenee omukwiyu we di lombwela: ‘Ndi fiye po ngeno ounyenye wange noiimati yange iwa, ndi linyenganyenge kombada yomiti?’
12 “Opo nee omiti da lombwela omuviinyu: ‘Ila, u ninge ohamba yetu.’ 13 Ndelenee omuviinyu we di lombwela: ‘Ndi fiye po omaviinyu ange, aa taa hafifa Kalunga novanhu, ndi linyenganyenge kombada yomiti?’
14 “Opo omiti adishe da lombwela eno: ‘Ila, u ninge ohamba yetu!’ 15 Ndele eno la lombwela omiti: ‘Nye ngeenge mwa hala shili okuvaeka nge, ndi ninge ohamba yeni, ileni hano, mu yaame momudile wange. Ndelenee ngeenge hasho, omundilo tau di meno, tau lungwinifa po omiti omisederi domuLibanon.’
16 “Onye ngeenge mwa longa tuu paife pashili nopauyuki, mokuninga Abimelek ohamba, nongeenge mwa ningila Jerubbaal neumbo laye ouwa, nongeenge mwe mu alulila pailonga yomake aye, 17 onye ava tate e mu lwila nokwe liekelela omwenyo waye molweni, ndele e mu xupifa momake Ovamidian, 18 ndelenee nena eli nye mwa twa ondubo neumbo latate, novana vaye ovalumenhu, ovalumenhu omilongo heyali mwe va dipaa kemanya ndele mwa ninga Abimelek, omona womupika waye, ohamba yoonakukalamo muSekem, shaashi ye omumwanyoko. 19 Nye ngeenge mwa longa tuu nena eli pashili nopauyuki naJerubbaal neumbo laye, kaleni hano nokuhafela Abimelek, naye ne mu hafele yo. 20 Ndelenee ngeenge hasho, omundilo nau dje mo muAbimelek, nau lungwinife po oonakukalamo muSekem neumbo laMillo. Nomundilo nau dje moonakukalamo muSekem nomeumbo laMillo nokulungwinifa po Abimelek.” 21 Opo nee Jotam okwa faduka po nokwa ya onhapo muBeer, noko a kala omolwomumwaina Abimelek.
Enyonauko lOvasikem nolaAbimelek
22 Abimelek eshi a pangela Israel omido nhatu, 23 Kalunga okwa tuma ko omhepo ii, pokati kaAbimelek noonakukalamo muSekem, noonakukalamo muSekem ove liteeka Abimelek, 24 opo oukolokoshi wa ningilwa ovana ovamati omilongo heyali vaJerubbaal u handukilwe, ndele ye opo a tule ohonde yavo komumwaina Abimelek, ou e va dipaa, nosho yo koonakukalamo muSekem, ava va pameka omake aye a dipaa ovamwaina ovalumenhu. 25 Noonakukala muSekem va tula ovanangeli keexulo deemhunda, ndele ava va nyeka keshe umwe, ou a enda nondjila oyo nokukoya opo. Eshi sha shiivifilwa Abimelek.
26 Opo nee Gaal yaEbed e uya novamwaina ndele va ya kuSekem. Noonakukala muSekem ve mu lineekela. 27 Ndele vo va ya komapya ndele va teta eeviinyu domoikokola yavo yomiviinyu, ndele va kola eeviinyu ndele tava dana oshivilo sheteyo. Vo ova ya mo mongulu yoshikalunga shavo, va lya nova nwa, ndele tava tuku Abimelek. 28 Opo nee Gaal yaEbed ta ti: “Abimelek olyelye naSekem oshike, tu mu longele? Ye tu shii omona omulumenhu waJerubbaal, naSebul ye elenga laye loshilando? Longeleni ovalumenhu vaHamor, xe yaSekem. Molwashike ngeno tu mu longele? 29 Akutu, ovanhu ava ngeno va li meke lange, ngeno handi taataa Abimelek! Ndele mokupopya Abimelek ye ta ti: ‘Hapupalifa omatanga ovakwaita voye, nde to i.’ ” 30 Sebul, omukulunhu woshilando, eshi a uda eendjovo daGaal yaEbed, okwa handuka 31 nokwa tumina Abimelek puAruma ovatumwa va tye: “Tala, Gaal yaEbed novamwaina vaye ovalumenhu ve uya kuSekem, ndele tala, oshilando have shi twifa ondubo naave. 32 Lipyakuduka hano oufiku nye nomatanga ovakwaita aa e li pwoove, ndele tula ekulwila moixwa. 33 Opo nee etango ngeenge tali piti ove to dulu, ongula inene, okufikama nokuhomona oshilando. Ndele ye nomatanga aye aa e li puye taa piti mo taa i kwoove, mu ningila ngaashi she ku wapalela.” 34 Opo nee Abimelek nomatanga aye aeshe ovakwaita, aa a li puye, ove lipyakuduka ndele va tula ekulwila eengudu nhee puSekem. 35 Ndele Gaal yaEbed okwa pita pondje ndele okwa kala ofika poshivelo shoshilando. Abimelek nomatanga aeshe aa a li puye mekulwila eshi va fikama, 36 Gaal okwa mona omatanga, ndele ta ti kuSebul: “Tala, taku di ovanhu tava londoloka keexulo deemhunda.” Ndelenee Sebul ta ti kuye: “Ove ou wete omididimbe deemhunda da fa ovalumenhu.” 37 Ndele Gaal okwa diinina ta ti: “Tala, otaku di ovanhu pokati koshilongo nongudu imwe tai di kOmwandi wovalodi.” 38 Opo nee Sebul ta ti kuye: “Okanya koye openi ke li eshi wa tile: Abimelek olyelye tu mu longele? Oo omatanga ovakwaita, ove wa dina. Fikama hano u va lwife.” 39 Opo nee Gaal okwa fikama komesho yoonakukalamo muSekem ndele ta lu naAbimelek. 40 Ndelenee Abimelek okwe mu shikula, ndele ye okwa ya onhapo komesho yaye, ndele vahapu va fila poshivelo shoshilando. 41 Ndele Abimelek a fyaala muAruma, ndelenee Sebul okwa taataa Gaal novamwaina, ndele vo va li inava mona onhele okukala mo vali muSekem.
42 Ndele mefiku la shikula ovanhu eshi va pita mo va ya moixwa, osho sha shiivifilwa Abimelek. 43 Onghee hano ye okwa kufa omatanga aye nokwe a tukula meengudu nhatu nokwe a tula mekulwila moixwa. Ye eshi a mona, ovanhu tava di moshilando, okwe va totela nokwe va dipaa po. 44 Osheshi Abimelek nomatanga aa a li puye a tondokela mo, ndele va kanghama poshivelo shoshilando, neengudu dikwao mbali da totela aveshe ava va li moixwa ndele ve va dipaa po. 45 Ndele efiku olo alishe Abimelek okwa lwifa oshilando nokwa nangala oshilando ndele ta dipaa ovanhu ava va kala mo nokwa ngumauna po oshilando ndele te shi undu omongwa. 46 Oonakukalamo moshungongulu yaSekem eshi ve shi uda va ya mekololo lotembeli yaEl-Berit. 47 Ndele Abimelek eshi a shiivifilwa nokutya, oonakukalamo aveshe vomoshungongulu yaSekem va ongala, 48 Abimelek nomatanga aeshe aa a li puye, ova londa komhunda yaSalmon. Ndele Abimelek okwa kufa pamwe naye omakuva nokwa ka po oshitai shomuti ndele e shi leka kepepe laye, ndele okwa lombwela ovakwaita ava va li puye ndele ta ti: Nye mu wete nge eshi handi ningi, shi ningeni diva ngaashi ame. 49 Opo nee ovakwaita yo, keshe umwe, a ka oshitai shaye, ndele va shikula Abimelek ndele ve i ekela kekololo ndele va tema kombada yalo, opo ovanhu aveshe vomoshungongulu yaSekem, ovalumenhu novakainhu ve fike ngeno peyovi limwe, va fya.
50 Opo Abimelek okwa ya kuTebes nokwe shi fitikinina ndele te shi nangala. 51 Ndelenee pokatielela koshilando mwa li oshungongulu ya pama. Omo ovalumenhu aveshe novakainhu noonakukalamo aveshe vomoshilando va ya mo onhapo, ndele va idila po konima yavo, ndele va londa kombada yoshungongulu. 52 Ndele Abimelek e uya fiyo okoshungongulu ndele te shi lwifa, ndele ye okwe uya popepi noshivelo shoshungongulu, ye e shi xwike po nomundilo, 53 omwalikadi umwe okwa ekela emanya loshini komutwe waAbimelek ndele a tatula oluwewe lomutwe waye. 54 Opo nee ye okwa ifana diva omupiya waye, omuhumbati woilwifo yaye, ndele ta ti kuye: “Pweya mo eongamukonda loye, ndele to dipaa nge vo vaha shiive okutya: omukainhu e mu dipaa.” Opo nee omupiya waye e mu twa eongamukonda la tyuuka, ndele ta fi. 55 Novalumenhu Ovaisraeli eshi va mona nokutya, Abimelek okwa fya, keshe umwe a ya kombulavo. 56 Osho ngaha hano Kalunga okwa alulila Abimelek owii, ye e u ningila xe mokudipaa ovamwaina vaye ovalumenhu omilongo heyali. 57 Nowii aushe wovalumenhu vomuSekem Kalunga e u alula kombada yomitwe davo. Netulomutima laJotam yaJerubbaal le uya kombada yavo.
Abimelech
1 Gideon's son Abimelech went to the town of Shechem, where all his mother's relatives lived, and told them 2 to ask the men of Shechem, “Which would you prefer? To have all seventy of Gideon's sons govern you or to have just one man? Remember that Abimelech is your own flesh and blood.” 3 His mother's relatives talked to the men of Shechem about this for him, and the men of Shechem decided to follow Abimelech because he was their relative. 4 They gave him seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-of-the-Covenant, and with this money he hired a bunch of worthless scoundrels to join him. 5 He went to his father's house at Ophrah, and there on top of a single stone he killed his seventy brothers, Gideon's sons. But Jotham, Gideon's youngest son, hid and was not killed. 6 Then all the men of Shechem and Bethmillo got together and went to the sacred oak tree at Shechem, where they made Abimelech king.
7 When Jotham heard about this, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim and shouted out to them, “Listen to me, you men of Shechem, and God may listen to you! 8 Once upon a time the trees went out to choose a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king.’ 9 The olive tree answered, ‘In order to govern you, I would have to stop producing my oil, which is used to honor gods and human beings.’ 10 Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and be our king.’ 11 But the fig tree answered, ‘In order to govern you, I would have to stop producing my good sweet fruit.’ 12 So the trees then said to the grapevine, ‘You come and be our king.’ 13 But the vine answered, ‘In order to govern you, I would have to stop producing my wine, that makes gods and human beings happy.’ 14 So then all the trees said to the thorn bush, ‘You come and be our king.’ 15 The thorn bush answered, ‘If you really want to make me your king, then come and take shelter in my shade. If you don't, fire will blaze out of my thorny branches and burn up the cedars of Lebanon.’
16 “Now then,” Jotham continued, “were you really honest and sincere when you made Abimelech king? Did you respect Gideon's memory and treat his family properly, as his actions deserved? 17 Remember that my father fought for you. He risked his life to save you from the Midianites. 18 But today you turned against my father's family. You killed his sons—seventy men on a single stone—and just because Abimelech, his son by his servant woman, is your relative, you have made him king of Shechem. 19 Now then, if what you did today to Gideon and his family was sincere and honest, then be happy with Abimelech and let him be happy with you. 20 But if not, may fire blaze out from Abimelech and burn up the men of Shechem and Bethmillo. May fire blaze out from the men of Shechem and Bethmillo and burn Abimelech up.” 21 Then because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech, Jotham ran away and went to live at Beer.
22 Abimelech ruled Israel for three years. 23 Then God made Abimelech and the men of Shechem hostile to each other, and they rebelled against Abimelech. 24 This happened so that Abimelech and the men of Shechem, who encouraged him to murder Gideon's seventy sons, would pay for their crime. 25 The men of Shechem put men in ambush against Abimelech on the mountaintops, and they robbed everyone who passed their way. Abimelech was told about this.
26 Then Gaal son of Ebed came to Shechem with his brothers, and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him. 27 They all went out into their vineyards and picked the grapes, made wine from them, and held a festival. They went into the temple of their god, where they ate and drank and made fun of Abimelech. 28 Gaal said, “What kind of men are we in Shechem? Why are we serving Abimelech? Who is he, anyway? The son of Gideon! And Zebul takes orders from him, but why should we serve him? Be loyal to your ancestor Hamor, who founded your clan! 29 I wish I were leading this people! I would get rid of Abimelech! I would tell him, ‘Reinforce your army, come on out and fight!’”
30 Zebul, the ruler of the city, became angry when he heard what Gaal had said. 31 He sent messengers to Abimelech at Arumah to say, “Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem, and they are not going to let you into the city. 32 Now then, you and your men should move by night and hide in the fields. 33 Get up tomorrow morning at sunrise and make a sudden attack on the city. Then when Gaal and his men come out against you, hit them with all you've got!”
34 So Abimelech and all his men made their move at night and hid outside Shechem in four groups. 35 When Abimelech and his men saw Gaal come out and stand at the city gate, they got up from their hiding places. 36 Gaal saw them and said to Zebul, “Look! There are men coming down from the mountaintops!”
“Those are not men,” Zebul answered. “They are just shadows on the mountains.”
37 Gaal said again, “Look! There are men coming down the crest of the mountain and one group is coming along the road from the oak tree of the fortunetellers!”
38 Then Zebul said to him, “Where is all your big talk now? You were the one who asked why we should serve this man Abimelech. These are the men you were making fun of. Go on out now and fight them.” 39 Gaal led the men of Shechem out and fought Abimelech. 40 Abimelech started after Gaal, and Gaal ran. Many were wounded, even at the city gate. 41 Abimelech lived in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem, so that they could no longer live there.
42 The next day Abimelech found out that the people of Shechem were planning to go out into the fields, 43 so he took his men, divided them into three groups, and hid in the fields, waiting. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he came out of hiding to kill them. 44 While Abimelech and his group hurried forward to guard the city gate, the other two companies attacked the people in the fields and killed them all. 45 The fighting continued all day long. Abimelech captured the city, killed its people, tore it down, and covered the ground with salt.
46 When all the leading men in the fort at Shechem heard about this, they sought safety in the stronghold of the temple of Baal-of-the-Covenant. 47 Abimelech was told that they had gathered there, 48 so he went up to Mount Zalmon with his men. There he took an ax, cut a limb off a tree, and put it on his shoulder. He told his men to hurry and do the same thing. 49 So everyone cut off a tree limb; then they followed Abimelech and piled the wood up against the stronghold. They set it on fire, with the people inside, and all the people of the fort died—about a thousand men and women.
50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez, surrounded that city, and captured it. 51 There was a strong tower there, and every man and woman in the city, including the leaders, ran to it. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof. 52 When Abimelech came to attack the tower, he went up to the door to set the tower on fire. 53 But a woman threw a millstone down on his head and fractured his skull. 54 Then he quickly called the young man who was carrying his weapons and told him, “Draw your sword and kill me. I don't want it said that a woman killed me.” So the young man ran him through, and he died. 55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home.
56 And so it was that God paid Abimelech back for the crime that he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers. 57 God also made the men of Shechem suffer for their wickedness, just as Jotham, Gideon's son, said they would when he cursed them.
