Dommer 9
1 Jerubba'als Søn Abimelek begav sig til sine Morbrødre i Sikem og talte til dem og til hele sin Moders Fædrenehus's Slægt og sagde:
Now Abimelech, the son of Jerubbaal, went to Shechem to his mother's family, and said to them and to all the family of his mother's father,
2 »Sig til alle Sikems Borgere: Hvad baader eder vel bedst, at halvfjerdsindstyve Mænd, alle Jerubba'als Sønner, eller at en enkelt Mand hersker over eder? Kom i Hu, at jeg er eders Kød og Blod!«
Say now in the ears of all the townsmen of Shechem, Is it better for you to be ruled by all the seventy sons of Jerubbaal or by one man only? And keep in mind that I am your bone and your flesh.
3 Hans Morbrødre talte da alle disse Ord til alle Sikems Borgere til Gunst til ham; og deres Hu vendte sig til Abimelek, idet de sagde: »Han er vor Broder.«
So his mother's family said all this about him in the ears of all the townsmen of Shechem: and their hearts were turned to Abimelech, for they said, He is our brother.
4 De gav ham derpaa halvfjerdsindstyve Sekel Sølv fra Ba'al-Berits Hus, og for dem lejede Abimelek nogle daarlige og frække Folk, som sluttede sig til ham.
And they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech got the support of a number of uncontrolled and good-for-nothing persons.
5 Derpaa drog han til sin Faders Hus i Ofra og slog sine Brødre, Jerubba'als halvfjerdsindstyve Sønner, ihjel paa een Sten. Kun Jotam, Jerubba'als yngste Søn, blev tilbage, thi han havde skjult sig.
Then he went to his father's house at Ophrah, and put his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, to death on the same stone; however, Jotham, the youngest, kept himself safe by going away to a secret place.
6 Derefter samledes alle Sikems Borgere og hele Millos Hus og gik hen og gjorde Abimelek til Konge ved Egen med Stenstøtten i Sikem.
And all the townsmen of Shechem and all Beth-millo came together and went and made Abimelech their king, by the oak of the pillar in Shechem.
7 Da Jotam fik Efterretning herom, gik han hen og stillede sig paa Toppen af Garizims Bjerg og raabte med høj Røst til dem: »Hør mig, Sikems Borgere, saa skal Gud høre eder!
Now Jotham, on hearing of it, went to the top of Mount Gerizim, and crying out with a loud voice said to them, Give ear to me, you townsmen of Shechem, so that God may give ear to you.
8 Engang tog Træerne sig for at salve sig en Konge. De sagde da til Olietræet: Vær du vor Konge!
One day the trees went out to make a king for themselves; and they said to the olive-tree, Be king over us.
9 Men Olietræet svarede dem: Skulde jeg give Afkald paa min Fedme, for hvilken Guder og Mennesker priser mig, for at give mig til at svæve over Træerne?
But the olive-tree said to them, Am I to give up my wealth of oil, by which men give honour to God, and go waving over the trees?
10 Saa sagde Træerne til Figentræet: Kom du og vær vor Konge!
Then the trees said to the fig-tree, You come and be king over us.
11 Men Figentræet svarede dem: Skulde jeg give Afkald paa min Sødme og min liflige Frugt for at give mig til at svæve over Træerne?
But the fig-tree said to them, Am I to give up my sweet taste and my good fruit and go waving over the trees?
12 Saa sagde Træerne til Vinstokken: Kom du og vær vor Konge!
Then the trees said to the vine, You come and be king over us.
13 Men Vinstokken svarede dem: Skulde jeg give Afkald paa min Most, som glæder Guder og Mennesker, for at give mig til at svæve over Træerne?
But the vine said to them, Am I to give up my wine, which makes glad God and men, to go waving over the trees?
14 Da sagde alle Træerne til Tornebusken: Kom du og vær vor Konge!
Then all the trees said to the thorn, You come and be king over us.
15 Og Tornebusken svarede Træerne: Hvis I mener det ærligt med at salve mig til eders Konge, kom saa og søg ind under min Skygge; men hvis ikke, saa vil Flammer slaa op af Tornebusken og fortære Libanons Cedre!
And the thorn said to the trees, If it is truly your desire to make me your king, then come and put your faith in my shade; and if not, may fire come out of the thorn, burning up the cedars of Lebanon.
16 Hvis I nu er gaaet ærligt og redeligt til Værks, da I gjorde Abimelek til Konge, og hvis I har handlet vel mod Jerubba'al og hans Hus og gengældt ham, hvad han gjorde —
So now, if you have done truly and uprightly in making Abimelech king, and if you have done well to Jerubbaal and his house in reward for the work of his hands;
17 min Fader kæmpede jo for eder og vovede sit Liv for at frelse eder af Midjaniternes Haand,
(For my father made war for you, and put his life in danger, and made you free from the hands of Midian;
18 men I har i Dag rejst eder mod min Faders Hus, dræbt hans Sønner, halvfjerdsindstyve Mænd, paa een Sten og sat hans Trælkvindes Søn Abimelek til Konge over Sikems Borgere, fordi han er eders Broder —
And you have gone against my father's family this day, and have put to death his sons, even seventy men on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his servant-wife, king over the townsmen of Shechem because he is your brother; )
19 ja, hvis I i Dag er gaaet ærligt og redeligt til Værks mod Jerubba'al og hans Hus, saa gid I maa faa Glæde af Abimelek, og gid han maa faa Glæde af eder;
If then you have done what is true and upright to Jerubbaal and his family this day, may you have joy in Abimelech, and may he have joy in you;
20 men hvis ikke, saa slaa Flammer op fra Abimelek og fortære Sikems Borgere og Millos Hus, og Flammer slaa op fra Sikems Borgere og Millos Hus og fortære Abimelek!«
But if not, may fire come out from Abimelech, burning up the townsmen of Shechem and Beth-millo; and may fire come out from the townsmen of Shechem and Beth-millo, for the destruction of Abimelech.
21 Derpaa tog Jotam Flugten og flygtede til Be'er; og der tog han Ophold for at være i Sikkerhed for sin Broder Abimelek.
Then Jotham straight away went in flight to Beer, and was living there for fear of his brother Abimelech.
22 Da Abimelek havde haft Magten over Israel i tre Aar,
So Abimelech was chief over Israel for three years.
23 sendte Gud en ond Aand mellem Abimelek og Sikems Borgere, og Sikems Borgere faldt fra Abimelek,
And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the townsmen of Shechem; and the townsmen of Shechem were false to Abimelech;
24 for at Voldsgerningen mod Jerubba'als halvfjerdsindstyve Sønner kunde blive hævnet og deres Blod komme over deres Broder Abimelek, som havde dræbt dem, og over Sikems Borgere, som havde sat ham i Stand til at dræbe sine Brødre.
So that punishment for the violent attack made on the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, and for their blood, might come on Abimelech, their brother, who put them to death, and on the townsmen of Shechem who gave him their help in putting his brothers to death.
25 Sikems Borgere lagde da Baghold paa Bjergtoppene, og de udplyndrede alle vejfarende, der kom forbi dem. Dette meldtes Abimelek.
And the townsmen of Shechem put secret watchers on the tops of the mountains, and they made attacks on all who went by on the road and took their goods; and word of this came to Abimelech.
26 Nu kom Ga'al, Ebeds Søn, med sine Brødre og flyttede ind i Sikem; og Sikems Borgere fattede Tillid til ham.
Then Gaal, the son of Ebed, came with his brothers, and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their faith in him.
27 De begav sig ud i Marken, plukkede Druer og pressede dem og fejrede deres Vinhøstfest. Og de gik ind i deres Guds Hus, hvor de spiste og drak og udstødte Forbandelser over Abimelek.
And they went out into their fields and got in the fruit of their vines, and when the grapes had been crushed, they made a holy feast and went into the house of their god, and over their food and drink they were cursing Abimelech.
28 Da sagde Ga'al, Ebeds Søn: »Hvem er Abimelek, og hvad er Sikem, at vi skal være hans Trælle! Var ikke Jerubba'als Søn og hans Foged Zebul Trælle for Hamors, Sikems Faders, Mænd hvorfor skal vi da være hans Trælle?
And Gaal, the son of Ebed, said, Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem, that we are to be his servants? Is it not right for the son of Jerubbaal and Zebul his captain to be servants to the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem? But why are we to be his servants?
29 Havde jeg blot Magten over Folket her, skulde jeg nok skaffe Abimelek af Vejen!«
If only I had authority over this people! I would put Abimelech out of the way, and I would say to Abimelech, Make your army strong, and come out.
30 Da Zebul, Byens Høvedsmand, hørte Ga'als, Ebeds Søns, Ord, blussede hans Vrede op,
Now Zebul, the ruler of the town, hearing what Gaal, the son of Ebed, had said, was moved to wrath.
31 og han sendte Bud til Abimelek i Aruma og lod sige: »Se, Ga'al, Ebeds Søn, og hans Brødre er kommet til Sikem, og se, de ophidser Byen imod dig; forstærk derfor din Hær og ryk ud!
And he sent to Abimelech at Arumah, saying, See, Gaal, the son of Ebed, and his brothers have come to Shechem, and they are working up the town against you.
32 Og nu, bryd op ved Nattetide med dine Folk og læg dig i Baghold paa Marken;
So now, get up by night, you and your people, and keep watch in the field secretly;
33 og kast dig saa over Byen tidligt om Morgenen, naar Solen staar op! Naar da han og hans Folk rykker ud imod dig, kan du gøre med dem, hvad der falder for!«
And in the morning, when the sun is up, get up early and make a rush on the town; and when he and his people come out against you, do to them whatever you have a chance to do.
34 Abimelek brød da op ved Nattetide med alle sine Folk, og de lagde sig i Baghold imod Sikem i fire Afdelinger.
So Abimelech and the people with him got up by night, in four bands, to make a surprise attack on Shechem.
35 Da gik Ga'al, Ebeds Søn, ned og stillede sig op ved Byporten. Og Abimelek og hans Folk rejste sig fra deres Baghold.
And Gaal, the son of Ebed, went out, and took his place at the doorway into the town; then Abimelech and his people got up from the place where they had been waiting.
36 Da Ga'al fik Øje paa Folkene, sagde han til Zebul: »Se, der stiger Folk ned fra Bjergtoppene!« Men Zebul sagde til ham: »Det er Bjergenes Skygge, du tager for Mænd!«
And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, See! people are coming down from the tops of the mountains. And Zebul said to him, You see the shade of the mountains like men.
37 Men Ga'al sagde atter: »Der stiger Folk ned fra Landets Navle, og en anden Skare kommer i Retning af Sandsigernes Træ!«
And Gaal said again, See! people are coming down from the middle of the land, and one band is coming by way of the oak-tree of the Seers.
38 Da sagde Zebul til ham: »Hvor er nu dine store Ord fra før: Hvem er Abimelek, at vi skal være hans Trælle? Der er de Folk, du lod haant om — ryk nu ud og kæmp med dem!«
Then Zebul said to him, Now where is your loud talk when you said, Who is Abimelech that we are to be his servants? Is this not the people whom you were rating so low? Go out now, and make war on them.
39 Ga'al rykkede da ud i Spidsen for Sikems Borgere for at kæmpe mod Abimelek.
So Gaal went out at the head of the townsmen of Shechem and made war on Abimelech.
40 Men Abimelek slog ham paa Flugt, og mange faldt og laa dræbte helt hen til Byporten.
And Abimelech went after him and he went in flight before him; and a great number were falling by the sword all the way up to the town.
41 Abimelek tog saa Ophold i Aruma; og Zebul jog Ga'al og hans Brødre bort fra Sikem.
Then Abimelech went back to Arumah; and Zebul sent Gaal and his brothers away and would not let them go on living in Shechem.
42 Næste Dag begav Folket sig ud paa Marken, og det meldtes Abimelek.
Now the day after, the people went out into the fields; and news of it came to Abimelech.
43 Han tog da sine Folk og delte dem i tre dele og lagde Baghold paa Marken; og da han saa Folket drage ud, overfaldt han dem og slog dem.
And he took his people, separating them into three bands, and was waiting secretly in the field; and when he saw the people coming out of the town, he went up and made an attack on them.
44 Og Abimelek og den Afdeling, han havde hos sig, brød frem og tog Stilling ved Indgangen til Byen, medens de to andre Afdelinger kastede sig over alle dem, der var ude paa Marken; og huggede dem ned;
And Abimelech with his band made a rush, and took up their position at the doorway into the town; and the other two bands made a rush on all those who were in the fields, and overcame them.
45 og efter at Abimelek hele Dagen igennem havde angrebet Byen, indtog han den, dræbte Folkene deri, nedbrød Byen og strøede Salt paa den.
And all that day Abimelech was fighting against the town; and he took it, and put to death the people who were in it, and had the town pulled down and covered with salt.
46 Da hele Besætningen i Sikems Taarn hørte det, begav de sig ben til Kælderrummet i El-Berits Hus.
Then all the townsmen of the tower of Shechem, hearing of it, went into the inner room of the house of El-berith.
47 Og da Abimelek fik Melding om, at hele Besætningen i Sikems Taarn var samlet,
And word was given to Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were there together.
48 gik han med alle sine Folk op paa Zalmonbjerget. Her greb han en Økse, afhuggede et Knippe Grene, løftede det op og tog det paa Skulderen; og han sagde til sine Folk: »Skynd eder at gøre det samme, som I saa, jeg gjorde!«
Then Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, with all his people; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand and, cutting down branches of trees, took them and put them on his back. And he said to the people who were with him, Be quick and do as you have seen me do.
49 Alle Folkene afhuggede da ogsaa hver sit Knippe og fulgte efter Abimelek og lagde det oven paa Kælderrummet og stak Ild paa Kælderrummet oven over dem. Saaledes omkom ogsaa hele Besætningen i Sikems Taarn, henved 1000 Mænd og Kvinder.
So all the people got branches, every man cutting down a branch, and they went with Abimelech at their head and, massing the branches against the inner room, put fire to the room over them; so all those who were in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, were burned to death with it.
50 Derefter drog Abimelek mod Tebez, og han belejrede Byen og indtog den.
Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and put his army in position against Thebez and took it.
51 Inde i Byen var der et stærkt befæstet Taarn; derhen flygtede alle Mænd og Kvinder, alle Byens Indbyggere, idet de stængede efter sig og tyede op paa Taarnets Tag;
But in the middle of the town there was a strong tower, to which all the men and women of the town went in flight and, shutting themselves in, went up to the roof of the tower.
52 Abimelek rykkede da frem til Taarnet og angreb det; men da han nærmede sig Taarnets Indgang for at stikke Ild derpaa,
And Abimelech came to the tower and made an attack on it, and got near to the door of the tower for the purpose of firing it.
53 kastede en Kvinde en Møllesten ned paa Abimeleks Hoved og knuste hans Hjerneskal.
But a certain woman sent a great stone, such as is used for crushing grain, on to the head of Abimelech, cracking the bone.
54 Da raabte han i Hast til sin Vaabendrager: »Drag dit Sværd og dræb mig, for at det ikke skal siges, at en Kvinde har slaaet mig ihjel!« Og Vaabendrageren gennemborede ham, saa han døde.
Then quickly crying out to his body-servant, he said to him, Take out your sword and put an end to me straight away, so that men may not say of me, His death was the work of a woman. So the young man put his sword through him, causing his death.
55 Men da Israeliterne saa, at Abimelek var død, begav de sig hver til sit.
And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they went away, every man to his place.
56 Saaledes gengældte Gud det onde, Abimelek havde øvet mod sin Fader ved at dræbe sine halvfjerdsindstyve Brødre;
In this way Abimelech was rewarded by God for the evil he had done to his father in putting his seventy brothers to death;
57 og al Sikemiternes Ondskab lod Gud komme over deres egne Hoveder. Paa den Maade kom Jotams, Jerubba'als Søns, Forbandelse over dem.
And God sent back on to the heads of the men of Shechem all the evil they had done, and the curse of Jotham, the son of Jerubbaal, came on them.
