Babetesi
9 Nikwakayinda chiindi, Abbimelekki mwana waJerubbaala wakayinka kuli basiminzyaabo kuShekkemu, wakaambuulaabo kuswaanizya aboonse bamumpuli yasianyinakulu uuzyala banyina kati: 2 “Inche amubuzye bazulwidi* boonse bamuShekkemu kuti, ‘Nziizili zimubotela, kweendelezegwa aabana baJerubbaala boonse na bali 70, naakuti kweendelezegwa aamuntu uumwi? Mutalubi kuti ime andinywe tuli ganzi limwi.’”*
3 Nkinkaako, basiminzyaabo bakaamba majwi aaya kabamwiiminina kubazulwidi boonse bamuShekkemu, mumyoyo yabo bakakanzide kutobela Abbimelekki nkaambo bakati: “Ngwaluzubo lwesu.” 4 Mpawo bakamupa nsiliva zili 70 zyakali mung’anda* yaBbaala-bberiti, mpawo Abbimelekki wakazibweza wazipa baalumi batakwe zyakuchita, batalemeki kuti bamusindikile. 5 Kuzwa waawo, wakayinka kung’anda yawisi ku-Ofira waakujaya bananyina, ibana baJerubbaala bali 70 aabbwe limwi. Jotamu keela kaJerubbaala nguwe alikke wakafutuka, nkaambo wakayuba.
6 Mpawo bazulwidi boonse bakuShekkemu abantu boonse bakuBbeti-milo bakabunganaamwi munsi aamunsamu mupati kumbali aapila lyakali muShekkemu, mpawo bakabikka Abbimelekki kuti abe mwaami.
7 Jotamu nibakamubuzya makani aaya, wakayinka waakwiimikila aajulu aaChilundu chaGerizimu, mpawo wakoompolola kati: “Amundiswiilile inywe nibazulwidi bamuShekkemu, mpawo anguwe Leza ulamuswiilila.
8 “Aali chimwi chiindi, kwakali imwi minsamu yakayinka kuyoonanika mwaami kuti ayiyendelezye. Nkinkaako, yakabuzya mu-olifa kuti, ‘Tweendelezye.’ 9 Pesi mu-olifa wakayisandula kuti, ‘Ndisiye mafutaangu na ngibabelesya kukulemeka Leza abantu, mpawo ndiinke ndikawunge aajulu aayimwi minsamu?’ 10 Mpawo minsamu yakabuzya mukuyu kuti, ‘Kuza uzootweendelezye.’ 11 Pesi mukuyu wakati kulinjiyo, ‘Ndisiye bunone bwangu na amichelo yangu mibotu, mpawo ndiinke ndikawunge aajulu aayimwi minsamu?’ 12 Mpawo minsamu yakabuzya musaansa kuti, ‘Kuza uzootweendelezye.’ 13 Musaansa wakayisandula kuti, ‘Ndisiye wayini yangu mpya na iipa kuti Leza abantu babotelwe mpawo ndiinke ndikawunge aajulu aaminsamu?’ 14 Kumamanino, imwi minsamu yoonse yakabuzya muumvwa kuti, ‘Kuza uzootweendelezye.’ 15 Mpawo muumvwa wakabuzya minsamu eeyo kuti, ‘Kuti choonzyo mwandinanika kuba mwaami wanu, amuze muzooyuse munsi aamweenzule wangu. Kuti teemwachita oobo, mulilo awuzwe mumuumvwa mpawo utente minsamu yamakkedari aakuLebbanoni.’
16 “Mwakatondeezya kusyomeka na abululami nimwakabikka Abbimelekki kuba mwaami, mwakamutondeezya bubotu na Jerubbaala abamung’anda yakwe, mwakamuchitila nzyayelede kuchitilwa na? 17 Ndeende naakamulwanina, wakabikka buumi bwakwe mupenzi kuti amufutule mukuboko kwamaMidiyani. 18 Pesi sunu mwabukila bamung’anda yandeende akujaya bana bakwe bachaalumi bali 70 aabbwe limwi. Mwabikka Abbimelekki mwana wamuzike wakwe musimbi, kuti abe mwaami wabazulwidi bamuShekkemu akaambo kakuti ngwaluzubo lwanu. 19 Kuti kakuli kuti nzimwachita buzuba oobu zitondeezya kusyomeka akulemeka Jerubbaala abamung’anda yakwe, amubotelwe a-Abbimelekki, anguwe abotelwe andinywe. 20 Kuti kakutali oobo, mulilo awuzwe kuli Abbimelekki utente bazulwidi bakuShekkemu aBbeti-milo naakuti mulilo awuzwe kubazulwidi bakuShekkemu aBbeti-milo utente Abbimelekki.”
21 Mpawo Jotamu wakachija waya kuBbera. Wakaakukkala nkukooko akaambo kakuyoowa mwananyina Abbimelekki.
22 Abbimelekki wakeendelezya ma-Israyeli kwaminyaka iitatu. 23 Mpawo Leza wakapa kuti kube kuzondana* aakati ka-Abbimelekki abazulwidi bamuShekkemu, bakabukila Abbimelekki. 24 Eezi zyakaba oobo, kuchitila kuti bubi bwakachitwa kubana baJerubbaala bali 70 buze aalinguwe, akuti mulandu waganzi lyabo ube aali Abbimelekki mwananyina nkaambo wakabajaya, akubazulwidi bakuShekkemu nkaambo bakamugwasya kuti ajaye bananyina. 25 Bazulwidi bamuShekkemu bakabikka baalumi kuti bamuyubilile muzilundu, alubo bakali kubbida muntu woonse wakali kwiinda aanzila eeyo. Mukuya kwachiindi, Abbimelekki wakabuzigwa makani aaya.
26 Mpawo Gaalu mwana wa-Ebbedi abananyina bakazubuka baya kuShekkemu, bazulwidi bakuShekkemu bakamusyoma. 27 Bakayinka kumyuunda yabo yamisaansa bachela masaansa baalyatuuka akuchita pobwe, mpawo bakayinka kung’anda yaLeza wabo baakulya, banywa akutuka Abbimelekki. 28 Mpawo Gaalu mwana wa-Ebbedi wakati: “Abbimelekki ngwani biya? Shekkemu ngwani biya kuti tumubelekele? Teemwana waJerubbaala na, ani Zebbulu teemwiiminini wakwe na? Amubelekele bana baHamori wisi waShekkemu! Nkamboonzi swe nitweelede kumubelekela? 29 Kaansinga bantu aaba beendelezegwa aandime, ndalikunoomutanda Abbimelekki.” Mpawo wakati kuli Abbimelekki: “Yungizya masooja aako muze ookuno.”
30 Zebbulu silutwe wamuunzi naakamvwa majwi aaGaalu mwana wa-Ebbedi, wakanyema loko. 31 Mpawo wakatuma batumwa chakusisikizya kuli Abbimelekki kuti bakaambe kuti: “Bona! Gaalu mwana wa-Ebbedi abananyina lino bali muShekkemu, alubo balikuyunga bantu bamumuunzi kuti bakubukile. 32 Boola mansiku abaalumi bako muzoobwate musokwe. 33 Zuba nilyazwa biyo kuseeni, mubuke mulwane muunzi; mwaalumi ooyu abaalumi mbali aabo nibasika kuzoomulwana, muchite zyoonse nzimukonzya kuti mumuzunde.”*
34 Abbimelekki abantu boonse mbaakali aabo bakeenda mansiku, mpawo bakayubilila muunzi waShekkemu kabali munkamu zine. 35 Gaalu mwana wa-Ebbedi naakazwa akuyooyimikila kumanjililo aamuunzi, Abbimelekki abantu mbaakali aabo bakavundumuka kabazwa mundawu mubakabwatide. 36 Gaalu naakabona bantu, wakabuzya Zebbulu kuti: “Bona! Kuli bantu bali kukunuka kabazwa muzilundu.” Pesi Zebbulu wakati kulinguwe: “Ubwene minzinziimwa yazilundu iibonekaanga mbantu.”
37 Mpawo Gaalu wakati: “Bona! Kuli bantu balikukunuka kabazwa aakati kanyika, imwi nkamu ilikuzwida kunzila yakumunsamu mupati wakuMeyonenimu.” 38 Zebbulu wakamuvwiila kuti: “Teenduwe na nwaakali kulidunda kuli kuti, ‘Ngwani loko Abbimelekki zyakuti nga tulamubelekela?’ Bantu aaba teembabo na mbwaakakaka? Yinka ukalwane aambabo.”
39 Gaalu wakazulwida bazulwidi bakuShekkemu mpawo wakalwana aa-Abbimelekki. 40 Gaalu wakachija mpawo Abbimelekki wakamwaandilila, bantu biingi bakajayigwa bakalaalabene aansi kuyoosika kugeedi lyamuunzi.
41 Abbimelekki wakayinkilila kunembo kukkala mu-Aruma, mpawo Zebbulu wakatanda Gaalu abananyina muShekkemu. 42 Mubuzuba bwakatobela, bantu bakazwa mumuunzi mpawo Abbimelekki wakabuzigwa makani aaya. 43 Wakapambula bantu bakwe baba nkamu zitatu mpawo bakabwata musokwe. Naakabona bantu kabazwa mumuunzi, wakabalwana mpawo wabajaya. 44 Abbimelekki ankamu njaakalaayo bakachijaana baakwiimikila kugeedi lyamuunzi, chiindi nkamu zibili nizyakali kulwana bantu boonse bakali aanze aamuunzi mpawo bakabajaya. 45 Abbimelekki wakalwana muunzi ooyo buzuba boonse akuubweza. Wakajaya bantu bakali mumo, wawudilisya mpawo wakawumwaya munyo.
46 Bazulwidi boonse bakungazi yakuShekkemu nibakamvwa makani aaya, chakufwambaana bakayinka kung’anda* yakuyubila ya-Eli-bberiti. 47 Abbimelekki mbaakabuzigwa biyo kuti bazulwidi boonse bakungazi yakuShekkemu balibungene, 48 Abbimelekki abaalumi boonse mbaakali aabo bakatanta Chilundu chaZalimoni. Abbimelekki wakagonka ntabi yamunsamu akaleba nkaakajisi wayipikula mpawo wakabuzya bantu mbaakali aabo kuti: “Amufwambaane, muchite nzindachita!” 49 Nkinkaako, bantu boonse bakagonka ntabi zyamunsamu batobela Abbimelekki. Mpawo bakabikka ntabi eezyo aang’anda yakuyubila, bayitenta. Nkinkaako, bantu boonse bakungazi yakuShekkemu bakafwa, bakali baalumi abanakazi basika ku 1 000.
50 Abbimelekki wakayinka kuTebbezi; wakayilwana Tebbezi wayibweza. 51 Kwakali ngazi iisimide aakati kamuunzi ooyo, baalumi boonse abanakazi abazulwidi boonse bamumuunzi ooyo bakachijila nkukooko. Bakalijalila mukati mpawo batanta baakusika kukaluli kangazi eeyo. 52 Abbimelekki wakayinka kungazi eeyo mpawo wakayilwana. Wakasika kumanjililo aangazi kuti ayitente. 53 Umwi mwanakazi wakalosya mwanaankando aamutwe wa-Abbimelekki wamupwaya mutwe. 54 Aachiindi nchicheecho, Abbimelekki wakayita mubelesi wakwe iwakali kumunyampwida zilwanisyo mpawo wakati kulinguwe: “Somona panga lyako undijaye, kuchitila kuti batazoondaambi kuti, ‘wakajayigwa aamwanakazi.’” Nkinkaako, mubelesi wakwe wakamuyasa wafwa.
55 Baalumi bachi-Israyeli nibakabona kuti Abbimelekki wafwa, boonse bakabweeda kumuunzi. 56 Leza wakakkwichizya Abbimelekki akaambo kabubi mbwaakachitila wisi naakajaya bananyina bali 70. 57 Alubo Leza wakapa kuti bubi boonse bwabaalumi bakuShekkemu buboole aamitwe yabo. Nkinkaako, lutuko lwaJotamu mwana waJerubbaala lwakabazida.