1 Abhimereki mwanakomana waJerubhi-Bhaari akaenda kuhanzvadzi dzamai vake vaiva muShekemu akati kwavari uye nokuna vose veimba yamai vake, 2 “Bvunzai vose vanogara muShekemu kuti, ‘Zviri nani kwamuri ndezvipi: Kuti mutongwe navanakomana vose vaJerubhi-Bhaari vari makumi manomwe kana kungotongwa nomunhu mumwe chete?’ Murangarire kuti ini ndiri nyama neropa renyu.”

3 Hanzvadzi dzamai vake dzakarondedzerazve zvose izvi kuvagari veShekemu, vakada kutevera Abhimereki, nokuti vakati, “Ihama yedu.” 4 Vakamupa mashekeri esirivha makumi manomwe*0.8 yekirogiramu aibva mutemberi yaBhaari-Bheriti, uye Abhimereki akaishandisa kutenga varume vakanga vakaipa uye vasina tsitsi, vakava vateveri vake. 5 Akaenda kuimba yababa vake muOfira uye akaponda paruware rumwe chete vanakomana vababa vake makumi manomwe, ivo vanakomana vaJerubhi-Bhaari. Asi Jotamu, muduku pane vose kuvanakomana vaJerubhi-Bhaari, akapunyuka nokuti akavanda. 6 Ipapo vagari vose vomuShekemu nokuBheti Miro vakaungana parutivi pomuti mukuru pambiru iri muShekemu kuti vagadze Abhimereki samambo.

7 Jotamu akati azvinzwa, akakwira pamusoro peGomo reGerizimu akadanidzira kwavari akati, “Nditeererei imi vagari veShekemu, kuti Mwari agoteerera kwamuri. 8 Rimwe zuva miti yakabuda kundozodza mambo wayo. Vakati kumuti womuOrivhi, ‘Iva mambo wedu.’

9 “Asi muti womuOrivhi wakapindura ukati, ‘Ko, ndingada kusiya mafuta angu, anoremekedzwa nezvose, vamwari navanhu, kuti ndinozengaira hangu pamusoro pemiti here?’

10 “Shure kwaizvozvo, miti yakati kumuonde, ‘Uya uzova mambo wedu.’

11 “Asi muonde wakapindura ukati, ‘Ndingada hangu kusiya muchero wangu, wakanaka kudai uye unotapira, kuti ndinozengaira pamusoro pemiti here?’

12 “Ipapo miti ikati kumuzambiringa, ‘Uya uzova mambo wedu.’

13 “Asi muzambiringa wakapindura ukati, ‘Ndingada hangu kusiya waini yangu inofadza vose vamwari navanhu, kuti ndinozengaira pamusoro pemiti here?’

14 “Pakupedzisira, miti yose yakati kurukato, ‘Uya uve mambo wedu.’

15 “Rukato rukati kumiti, ‘Kana muchida kundizodza kuti ndive mambo wenyu zvirokwazvo, uyai muvande pamumvuri wangu; asi kana zvisizvo, moto ngaubude murukato ugopisa misidhari yeRebhanoni!’

16 “Zvino kana imi makaita zvinokudzwa uye zvakatendeka pamakaita Abhimereki mambo, uye kana makaita zvakanaka kuna Jerubhi-Bhaari nokumhuri yake, uye kana makamubata sezvaanofanira, 17 uye nokufunga kuti baba vangu vakakurwirai, vakaisa upenyu hwavo panjodzi kuti vakununurei kubva muruoko rweMidhiani 18 (asi nhasi mapandukira mhuri yababa vangu, mukaponda vanakomana vavo makumi manomwe padombo rimwe chete, uye mukaisa Abhimereki, mwanakomana womurandakadzi wavo kuti ave mambo pamusoro pavagere muShekemu nokuda kwokuti ihama yenyu), 19 kana zvino makaita norukudzo uye nokutenda kwakanaka kuna Jerubhi-Bhaari nemhuri yake, nhasi Abhimereki ngaave mufaro wenyu, nemiwo muve wakewo! 20 Asi kana musina kudaro, moto ngaubude kubva kuna Abhimereki, uye uparadze imi, vagari veShekemu neBheti Miro, uye moto ngaubude kwamuri, vagari veShekemu neBheti Miro, ugoparadza Abhimereki!”

21 Ipapo Jotamu akatiza, akapunyukira kuBheeri, uye akagara ikoko nokuti akanga achitya mukoma wake Abhimereki.

22 Shure kwamakore matatu aAbhimereki achitonga Israeri, 23 Mwari akatuma mweya wakaipa pakati paAbhimereki navagari vomuShekemu, ukanyengera Abhimereki. 24 Mwari akaita izvi kuitira kuti zvakaipa zvakaitirwa vanakomana makumi manomwe vaJerubhi-Bhaari, kuteurwa kweropa ravo, kutsiviwe pamusoro pomununʼuna wavo Abhimereki uye napamusoro pavagari veShekemu, avo vakanga vamubatsira kuponda vanakomana vababa vake. 25 Mukumurwisa kwavo, vagari ava veShekemu vakaisa varume pamusoro pezvikomo kuti vavandire nokupamba mumwe nomumwe aipfuura, uye izvi zvakaziviswa kuna Abhimereki.

26 Zvino Gaari mwanakomana waEbhedhi akaenda navanunʼuna vake kundogara muShekemu, uye vagari vomo vakavimba naye. 27 Vakaenda kuminda vakandounganidza mazambiringa vakaasvina uye vakaita mutambo. Vakapinda mutemberi yamwari wavo, vakadya vakanwa uye vakatuka Abhimereki. 28 Ipapo Gaari mwanakomana waEbhedhi akati, “Abhimereki ndianiko uye Shekemu ndianiko, kuti tive varanda vake? Ko, haazi mwanakomana waJerubhi-Bhaari, uye Zebhuri haazi mutevedzeri wake here? Shandirai vanhu vaHamori, baba vaShekemu! Seiko tichishandira Abhimereki? 29 Dai chete vanhu ava vanga vari pasi pangu! Ipapo ndaimubvisa. Ndaizoti kuna Abhimereki, ‘Dana hondo yako yose!’ ”

30 Zebhuri mubati weguta akati anzwa zvakataurwa naGaari mwanakomana waEbhedhi, akatsamwa zvikuru. 31 Akatuma nhume kuna Abhimereki muchivande achiti, “Gaari mwanakomana waEbhedhi uye navanunʼuna vake vakasvika kuShekemu uye vari kukuchidzira guta kuti rikurwisei. 32 Saka zvino, usiku, imi navanhu venyu munofanira kuzovandira muri muminda. 33 Panguva dzamangwanani, zuva robuda, mupinde murwise guta. Panouya Gaari navanhu vake kuti vabude kuzorwa nemi, muite zvose zvamunogona noruoko rwenyu.”

34 Saka Abhimereki namauto ake akasimuka usiku akaenda kunzvimbo dzakavanda pedyo neShekemu mumapoka mana. 35 Zvino Gaari mwanakomana waEbhedhi akanga abuda uye akanga amire pamukova wamasuo eguta apo Abhimereki navarwi vake vakasimuka pavakanga vakavanda.

36 Gaari akati achivaona, akati kuna Zebhuri, “Tarira, vanhu vari kuburuka kubva pamusoro pamakomo!”

Zebhuri akapindura akati, “Uri kuona mimvuri yamakomo savanhu iwe.”

37 Asi Gaari akadanidzirazve akati, “Tarira vanhu vari kuburuka kubva pakati penyika, rimwe boka riri kubva nenzira yomuti wavavuki.”

38 Ipapo Zebhuri akati kwaari, “Kutaura kwako kukuru kuripiko zvino, iyewe waiti, ‘Abhimereki ndianiko kuti isu tive varanda kwaari?’ Handiti ava ndivo vanhu vawaizvidza here? Chibuda undorwa navo!”

39 Saka Gaari akabuda akatungamirira vanhu veShekemu akarwa naAbhimereki. 40 Abhimereki akamudzinganisa uye vazhinji vakafa vakuvadzwa mukutiza uku nzira yose kusvikira pamukova wokupinda pasuo reguta. 41 Abhimereki akagara muAruma, uye Zebhuri akadzinga Gaari navanunʼuna vake muShekemu.

42 Fume mangwana vanhu veShekemu vakabuda vakaenda kuminda, uye izvi zvakaziviswa kuna Abhimereki. 43 Saka akatora vanhu vake, akavakamura akavaisa mumapoka matatu akavandira musango. Akati achiona vanhu vachibuda muguta, akasimuka kuti avarwise. 44 Abhimereki namapoka aakanga anawo vakamhanyira pamukova wokupinda pasuo reguta. Ipapo mapoka maviri akamhanyira vaya vakanga vari kuminda vakavauraya. 45 Zuva rose iroro, Abhimereki akarwisa kwazvo guta kusvikira aritapa uye auraya vanhu varo. Ipapo akaparadza guta uye akakusha munyu pamusoro paro.

46 Vachinzwa izvi vagari vomushongwe yeShekemu, vakapinda munhare dzetemberi yaEri-Bheriti. 47 Abhimereki akati anzwa kuti vakanga vakaungana ipapo, 48 Iye navanhu vake vose vakakwira muGomo reZarimoni. Akatora demo akagura matavi, akaasimudza akaaisa pamapfudzi ake. Akarayira varume vaaiva navo akati, “Kurumidzai! Itai zvamandiona ndichiita!” 49 Saka varume vose vakagura matavi vakatevera Abhimereki. Vakaatutira pamusoro penhare ndokuitungidza nomoto vanhu vari mukati. Saka vanhu vose vaiva mushongwe yeShekemu, varume navakadzi vanenge chiuru chimwe chete vakafawo.

50 Shure kwaizvozvo Abhimereki akaenda kuTebhezi akarikomba uye akaritapa. 51 Kunyange zvakadaro, mukati meguta makanga mune shongwe yakasimba, munova ndimo makatizira varume vose navakadzi, navanhu vose veguta. Vakazvikiyira mukati vakakwira padenga reshongwe. 52 Abhimereki akaenda kushongwe iyo uye akairwisa. Asi akati achiswedera pamukova weshongwe kuti aipise nomoto, 53 mukadzi akakanda guyo pamusoro pake rikatsemura dehenya rake.

54 Pakarepo akadana mutakuri wenhumbi dzake dzokurwa akati, “Vhomora munondo wako undiuraye, kuti vasazoti, ‘Akaurayiwa nomukadzi.’ ” Saka muranda wake akamubaya akafa. 55 VaIsraeri vakati vaona kuti Abhimereki afa, vakaenda kumusha.

56 Naizvozvo Jehovha akatsiva kuipa kwaAbhimereki kwaakaita kuna baba vake nokuponda vanakomana vababa vake makumi manomwe. 57 Mwari akaitawo kuti varume veShekemu varipe zvakaipa zvavo zvose. Kutuka kwaJotamu, mwanakomana waJerubhi-Bhaari kwakauya pamusoro pavo.