Judges 9
1 Now Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to his mother’s brothers at Shechem and said to them and to all the clan of his mother,
And Abimelech son of Jerobaal went to Sychem to his mother's brethren; and he spoke to them and to all the kindred of the house of his mother's father, saying,
2 “Please ask all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Is it better for you that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and blood.”
Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Sychem, saying, Which [is] better for you, that seventy men, even all the sons of Jerobaal, should reign over you, or that one man should reign over you? and remember that I am your bone and your flesh.
3 And when his mother’s brothers spoke all these words about him in the presence of all the leaders of Shechem, their hearts were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.”
And his mother's brethren spoke concerning him in the ears of all the men of Sychem all these words; and their heart turned after Abimelech, for they said, He is our brother.
4 So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired some worthless and reckless men to follow him.
And they gave him seventy [pieces] of silver out of the house of Baalberith; and Abimelech hired for himself vain and cowardly men, and they went after him.
5 He went to his father’s house in Ophrah, and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid himself.
And he went to the house of his father to Ephratha, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerobaal, seventy men upon one stone; but Joatham the youngest son of Jerobaal was left, for he hid himself.
6 Then all the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo gathered beside the oak at the pillar in Shechem and proceeded to make Abimelech their king.
And all the men of Sicima, and all the house of Bethmaalo, were gathered together, and they went and made Abimelech king by the oak of Sedition, which was at Sicima.
7 When this was reported to Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim, raised his voice, and cried out: “Listen to me, O leaders of Shechem, and may God listen to you.
And it was reported to Joatham, and he went and stood on the top of mount Garizin, and lifted up his voice, and wept, and said to them, Hear me, ye men of Sicima, and God shall hear you.
8 One day the trees set out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’
The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive, Reign over us.
9 But the olive tree replied, ‘Should I stop giving my oil that honors both God and man, to hold sway over the trees?’
But the olives said to them, Shall I leave my fatness, with which men shall glorify God, and go to be promoted over the trees?
10 Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and reign over us.’
And the trees said to the fig-tree, Come, reign over us.
11 But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I stop giving my sweetness and my good fruit, to hold sway over the trees?’
But the fig-tree said to them, Shall I leave my sweetness an my good fruits, and go to be promoted over the trees?
12 Then the trees said to the grapevine, ‘Come and reign over us.’
And the trees said to the vine, Come, reign over us.
13 But the grapevine replied, ‘Should I stop giving my wine that cheers both God and man, to hold sway over the trees?’
And the vine said to them, Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men, and go to be promoted over the trees?
14 Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and reign over us.’
Then all the trees said to the bramble, Come thou and [reign] over us.
15 But the thornbush replied, ‘If you really are anointing me as king over you, come and find refuge in my shade. But if not, may fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’
And the bramble said to the trees, If ye in truth anoint me to reign over you, come, stand under my shadow; and if not, let fire come out from me and devour the cedars of Libanus.
16 Now if you have acted faithfully and honestly in making Abimelech king, if you have done well by Jerubbaal and his family, and if you have done to him as he deserves—
And now, if ye have done it in truth and integrity, and have made Abimelech king, and if ye have wrought well with Jerobaal, and with his house, and if ye have done to him according to the reward of his hand,
17 for my father fought for you and risked his life to deliver you from the hand of Midian,
as my father fought for you, and put his life in jeopardy, and delivered you out of the hand of Madiam;
18 but you have risen up against my father’s house this day and killed his seventy sons on a single stone, and you have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the leaders of Shechem because he is your brother—
and ye are risen up this day against the house of my father, and have slain his sons, being seventy men, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech the son of his bondwoman king over the men of Sicima, because he is your brother:
19 if you have acted faithfully and honestly toward Jerubbaal and his house this day, then may you rejoice in Abimelech, and he in you.
if then ye have done truly and faithfully with Jerobaal, and with his house this day, rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice over you:
20 But if not, may fire come from Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo, and may fire come from the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo and consume Abimelech.”
but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Sicima, and the house of Bethmaalo; and let fire come out from the men of Sicima and from the house of Bethmaalo, and devour Abimelech.
21 Then Jotham ran away, escaping to Beer, and he lived there for fear of his brother Abimelech.
And Joatham fled, and ran away, and went as far as Baeer, and dwelt there out of the way of his brother Abimelech.
22 After Abimelech had reigned over Israel for three years,
And Abimelech reigned over Israel three years.
23 God sent a spirit of animosity between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem and caused them to treat Abimelech deceitfully,
And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Sicima; and the men of Sicima dealt treacherously with the house of Abimelech:
24 in order that the crime against the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come to justice and their blood be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on the leaders of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers.
to bring the injury done to the seventy sons of Jerobaal, and to lay their blood upon their brother Abimelech, who slew them, and upon the men of Sicima, because they strengthened his hands to slay his brethren.
25 The leaders of Shechem set up an ambush against Abimelech on the hilltops, and they robbed all who passed by them on the road. So this was reported to Abimelech.
And the men of Sicima set liers in wait against him on the top of the mountains, and robbed every one who passed by them on the way; and it was reported to the king Abimelech.
26 Meanwhile, Gaal son of Ebed came with his brothers and crossed into Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem put their confidence in him.
And Gaal son of Jobel came, and his brethren, and passed by Sicima, and the men of Sicima trusted in him.
27 And after they had gone out into the fields, gathered grapes from their vineyards, and trodden them, they held a festival and went into the house of their god; and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech.
And they went out into the field, and gathered their grapes, and trod them, and made merry; and they brought [the grapes] into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.
28 Then Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? You are to serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem. Why should we serve Abimelech?
And Gaal the son of Jobel said, Who is Abimelech, and who is the son of Sychem, that we should serve him? [Is he] not the son of Jerobaal, and [is] not Zebul his steward, his servant with the son of Emmor the father of Sychem? and why should we serve him?
29 If only this people were under my authority, I would remove Abimelech; I would say to him, ‘Muster your army and come out!’”
And would that this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech, and I would say to him, Multiply thy host, and come out.
30 When Zebul the governor of the city heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he burned with anger.
And Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Jobel, and he was very angry.
31 So he covertly sent messengers to Abimelech to say, “Look, Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you.
And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Jobel and his brethren are come to Sychem; and behold, they have besieged the city against thee.
32 Now then, tonight you and the people with you are to come and lie in wait in the fields.
And now rise up by night, thou and the people with thee, and lay wait in the field.
33 And in the morning at sunrise, get up and advance against the city. When Gaal and his men come out against you, do to them whatever you are able.”
And it shall come to pass in the morning at sunrising, thou shalt rise up early and draw toward the city; and behold, he and the people with him will come forth against thee, and thou shalt do to him according to thy power.
34 So Abimelech and all his troops set out by night and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.
And Abimelech and all the people with him rose up by night, and formed an ambuscade against Sychem in four companies.
35 Now Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate just as Abimelech and his men came out from their hiding places.
And Gaal the son of Jobel went forth, and stood by the door of the gate of the city: and Abimelech and the people with him rose up from the ambuscade.
36 When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the mountains!” But Zebul replied, “The shadows of the mountains look like men to you.”
And Gaal the son of Jobel saw the people, and said to Zebul, Behold, a people comes down from the top of the mountains: and Zebul said to him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as men.
37 Then Gaal spoke up again, “Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming by way of the Diviners’ Oak.”
And Gaal continued to speak and said, Behold, a people comes down westward from the part bordering on the middle of the land, and another company comes by the way of Helon Maonenim.
38 “Where is your gloating now?” Zebul replied. “You said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the people you ridiculed? Go out now and fight them!”
And Zebul said to him, And where is thy mouth as thou spokest, Who is Abimelech that we should serve him? [Is] not this the people whom thou despisedst? go forth now, and set the battle in array against him.
39 So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem and fought against Abimelech,
And Gaal went forth before the men of Sychem, and set the battle in array against Abimelech.
40 but Abimelech pursued him, and Gaal fled before him. And many Shechemites fell wounded all the way to the entrance of the gate.
And Abimelech pursued him, and he fled from before him; and many fell down slain as far as the door of the gate.
41 Abimelech stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem.
And Abimelech entered into Arema, and Zebul cast out Gaal and his brethren, so that they should not dwell in Sychem.
42 The next day the people of Shechem went out into the fields, and this was reported to Abimelech.
And it came to pass on the second day that the people went out into the field, and [one] brought word to Abimelech.
43 So he took his men, divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose up against them and attacked them.
And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and formed an ambush in the field; and he looked, and, behold, the people went forth out of the city, and he rose up against them, and smote them.
44 Then Abimelech and the companies with him rushed forward and took their stand at the entrance of the city gate. The other two companies rushed against all who were in the fields and struck them down.
And Abimelech and the chiefs of companies that were with him rushed forward, and stood by the door of the gate of the city; and the two [other] companies rushed forward upon all that were in the field, and smote them.
45 And all that day Abimelech fought against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he demolished the city and sowed it with salt.
And Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and took the city, and slew the people that were in it, and destroyed the city, and sowed it with salt.
46 On hearing of this, all the leaders in the tower of Shechem entered the inner chamber of the temple of El-berith.
And all the men of the tower of Sychem heard, and came to the gathering of Baethel-berith.
47 And when Abimelech was told that all the leaders in the tower of Shechem were gathered there,
And it was reported to Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Sychem were gathered together.
48 he and all his men went up to Mount Zalmon. Abimelech took his axe in his hand and cut a branch from the trees, which he lifted to his shoulder, saying to his men, “Hurry and do what you have seen me do.”
And Abimelech went up to the mount of Selmon, and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a branch of a tree, and took it, and laid it on his shoulders; and said to the people that were with him, What ye see me doing, do quickly as I.
49 So each man also cut his own branch and followed Abimelech. Then they piled the branches against the inner chamber and set it on fire above them, killing everyone in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women.
And they cut down likewise even every man a branch, and went after Abimelech, and laid them against the place of gathering, and burnt the place of gathering over them with fire; and they died, even all the men of the tower of Sicima, about a thousand men and women.
50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez, encamped against it, and captured it.
And Abimelech went out of Baethel-berith, and encamped against Thebes, and took it.
51 But there was a strong tower inside the city, and all the men, women, and leaders of the city fled there. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof of the tower.
And there was a strong tower in the midst of the city; and thither all the men and the women of the city fled, and shut [the door] without them, and went up on the roof of the tower.
52 When Abimelech came to attack the tower, he approached its entrance to set it on fire.
And Abimelech drew near to the tower, and they besieged it; and Abimelech drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
53 But a woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, crushing his skull.
And a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon the head of Abimelech, and broke his skull.
54 He quickly called his armor-bearer, saying, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So Abimelech’s armor-bearer ran his sword through him, and he died.
And he cried out quickly to the young man his armour-bearer, and said to him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, lest at any time they should say, A woman slew him: and his young man thrust him through and he died.
55 And when the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home.
And the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead; and they went each to his place.
56 In this way God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father in murdering his seventy brothers.
So God requited the wickedness of Abimelech, which he wrought against his father, in slaying his seventy brethren.
57 And God also brought all the wickedness of the men of Shechem back upon their own heads. So the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came upon them.
And all the wickedness of the men of Sychem God requited upon their head; and the curse of Joatham the son of Jerobaal came upon them.
