23. UThixo wadala umoya ombi phakathi koAbhimeleki nabemi baseShekem, baza bona benza ubuqhetseba ngakuAbhimeleki.
24. Le nto ke yenzeka ukuze uAbhimeleki nabemi baseShekem abamkhuthazileyo ekugwinteni amashumi asixhenxe oonyana bakaJerubhali, bajike badliwe yinja yabo.
25. Abemi baseShekem bafuna abantu, bababeka ezintabeni, ukuze balalele uAbhimeleki; suka bona baphanga wonke umntu ogqithayo. Ke uAbhimeleki wayixelelwa yonke le nto.
26. Ke kaloku kwafika uGali unyana kaEbhede eShekem enabantakwabo. Abemi baseShekem ke babethembele kuye.
27. Baphuma ke baya kukha iidiliya ezidiliyeni zabo, baza baxovula benza iwayini, babhiyoza. Baphuma baya kwindlu yesithixo sabo, batya basela bamqalekisa uAbhimeleki.
28. Wathi uGali unyana kaEbhede: “Xa engubani yena uAbhimeleki inzala kaShekem, ukuba sibe phantsi kwakhe? Akanyana kaJerubhali na? AsinguZebhule na ihlakani lakhe? Hayi bo! Masibuse amadoda akwaHamori usoShekem!
29. Akwaba ibindim okhokela esi sizwe; bendiya kumsusa uAbhimeleki lo! Bendiya kumxelela ndithi: ‘Mawube ngathi uyaqina umkhosi wakho, uphume, khe sidibane.’ ”
30. Akuyiva into ethethwe nguGali wacaphuka uZebhule usibonda weso sixeko.
31. Wathumela izigidimi ngasese kuAbhimeleki eAruma, wathi: “UGali unyana kaEbhede nabantakwabo bagalelekile apha eShekem; baxhokonxa abantu khon' ukuze bakuchase.
32. Ngoko ke wena thatha umkhosi wakho, nihambe ngobusuku, nilalele emaphandleni.
33. Ngomso, xa lithi chapha, ze nivuke nisiqubule nisihlasele isixeko. Aze athi ke uGali nomkhosi wakhe akuphuma esiza kulwa nenze oko isandla senu sinako ukukwenza.”
34. Ngenene ke uAbhimeleki waphuma nomkhosi wakhe ngobusuku, baza bazimela ngaphandle kwaseShekem, bengamaqela amane.
35. Bathe ke ooAbhimeleki bakumbona uGali ephuma esiya kuma esangweni lesixeko, nabo baphuma ezikhundleni zabo.
36. Wababona ke uGali, waza wathi kuZebhule: “Khangela, nangaya amadoda esihla encotsheni yentaba!”UZebhule uphendule wathi: “Hayi, ngamathunzi nje eentaba la angathi ngabantu.”
37. Kwakhona uGali wathi: “Khangela, nangaya amadoda esihla phaya embindini wentaba! Elinye iqela liza ngalaa ndlela ivela kum-oki wezangoma!”
38. UZebhule waphendula wathi: “Aye phi kaloku amatshamba akho ngoku? Andithi kaloku nguwe kanye owawusithi: ‘Ngubani yena uAbhimeleki ukuba sibe phantsi kwakhe?’ Nango ke laa madoda obuphoxisa ngawo! Hamba kaloku, uphume uye kulwa nawo!”