Judges 9
1 Now Abimelech, the son of Jerubbaal, went to Shechem, to his maternal brothers, and he spoke to them, and to all the relatives of the house of his maternal grandfather, saying:
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:
2 “Speak to all the men of Shechem: Which is better for you: that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, should rule over you, or that one man should rule over you? And consider also that I am your bone and your flesh.”
»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!«
3 And his maternal brothers spoke about him to all the men of Shechem, all these words, and they inclined their hearts after Abimelech, saying, “He is our brother.”
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.«
4 And they gave to him the weight of seventy silver coins from the shrine of Baal-berith. With this, he hired for himself indigent and wandering men, and they followed him.
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.
5 And he went to his father’s house in Ophrah, and he killed his brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, upon one stone. And there remained only Joatham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, and he was in hiding.
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.
6 Then all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the families of the city of Millo, and they went and appointed Abimelech as king, beside the oak that stood at Shechem.
Derefter samledes alle Sikems Borgere og hele Millos Hus og gik hen og gjorde Abimelek til Konge ved Egen med Stenstøtten i Sikem.
7 When this had been reported to Jotham, he went and stood at the top of Mount Gerizim. And lifting up his voice, he cried out and said: “Listen to me, men of Shechem, so that God may listen to you.
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!
8 The trees went to anoint a king over themselves. And they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’
Engang tog Træerne sig for at salve sig en Konge. De sagde da til Olietræet: Vær du vor Konge!
9 And it responded, ‘How could I abandon my fatness, which both gods and men make use of, and depart to be promoted among the trees?’
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?
10 And the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and accept royal power over us.’
Saa sagde Træerne til Figentræet: Kom du og vær vor Konge!
11 And it responded to them, ‘How could I abandon my sweetness, and my very sweet fruits, and depart to be promoted among the other trees?’
Men Figentræet svarede dem: Skulde jeg give Afkald paa min Sødme og min liflige Frugt for at give mig til at svæve over Træerne?
12 And the trees said to the vine, ‘Come and reign over us.’
Saa sagde Træerne til Vinstokken: Kom du og vær vor Konge!
13 And it responded to them, ‘How could I abandon my wine, which gives joy to God and men, and be promoted among the other trees?’
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?
14 And all the trees said to the bramble, ‘Come and reign over us.’
Da sagde alle Træerne til Tornebusken: Kom du og vær vor Konge!
15 And it responded to them: ‘If truly you would appoint me as king, come and rest under my shadow. But if you are not willing, let fire go forth from the bramble, and let it devour the cedars of Lebanon.’”
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!
16 So now, if you are upright and without sin in appointing Abimelech as a king over you, and if you have acted well with Jerubbaal, and with his house, and if you have repaid, in turn, the benefits of him who fought on your behalf,
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 —
17 and who gave his life to dangers, so that he might rescue you from the hand of Midian,
min Fader kæmpede jo for eder og vovede sit Liv for at frelse eder af Midjaniternes Haand,
18 though you now have risen up against my father’s house, and have killed his sons, seventy men, upon one stone, and have appointed Abimelech, the son of his handmaid, as a king over the inhabitants of Shechem, since he is your brother,
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 —
19 if therefore you are upright and have acted without fault with Jerubbaal and his house, then you should rejoice on this day in Abimelech, and he should rejoice in you.
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;
20 But if you have acted perversely, may fire go forth from him and consume the inhabitants of Shechem and the town of Millo. And may fire go forth from the men of Shechem and from the town of Millo, and devour Abimelech.”
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!«
21 And when he had said these things, he fled and went away to Beer. And he lived in that place, out of fear of Abimelech, his brother.
Derpaa tog Jotam Flugten og flygtede til Be'er; og der tog han Ophold for at være i Sikkerhed for sin Broder Abimelek.
22 And so Abimelech reigned over Israel for three years.
Da Abimelek havde haft Magten over Israel i tre Aar,
23 And the Lord put a very grievous spirit between Abimelech and the inhabitants of Shechem, who began to detest him,
sendte Gud en ond Aand mellem Abimelek og Sikems Borgere, og Sikems Borgere faldt fra Abimelek,
24 and to place blame for the crime of the killing of the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, and for the shedding of their blood, upon Abimelech, their brother, and upon the rest of the leaders of the Shechemites, who assisted him.
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.
25 And they stationed an ambush against him at the summit of the mountains. And while they were waiting for his arrival, they committed robberies, taking spoils from those passing by. And this was reported to Abimelech.
Sikems Borgere lagde da Baghold paa Bjergtoppene, og de udplyndrede alle vejfarende, der kom forbi dem. Dette meldtes Abimelek.
26 Now Gaal, the son of Ebed, went with his brothers, and crossed over to Shechem. And the inhabitants of Shechem, uplifted by his arrival,
Nu kom Ga'al, Ebeds Søn, med sine Brødre og flyttede ind i Sikem; og Sikems Borgere fattede Tillid til ham.
27 departed into the fields, laying waste to the vineyards, and trampling the grapes. And while singing and dancing, they entered into the shrine of their god. And while feasting and drinking, they cursed Abimelech.
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.
28 And Gaal, the son of Ebed, cried out: “Who is Abimelech, and what is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, who has appointed Zebul, his servant, as ruler over the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem? Why then should we serve him?
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?
29 I wish that someone would set this people under my hand, so that I might take away Abimelech from their midst.” And it was told to Abimelech, “Gather the multitude of an army, and approach.”
Havde jeg blot Magten over Folket her, skulde jeg nok skaffe Abimelek af Vejen!«
30 For Zebul, the ruler of the city, upon hearing the words of Gaal, the son of Ebed, became very angry.
Da Zebul, Byens Høvedsmand, hørte Ga'als, Ebeds Søns, Ord, blussede hans Vrede op,
31 And he sent messengers secretly to Abimelech, saying: “Behold, Gaal, the son of Ebed, has arrived at Shechem with his brothers, and he has set the city against you.
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!
32 And so, rise up in the night, with the people who are with you, and lie hidden in the field.
Og nu, bryd op ved Nattetide med dine Folk og læg dig i Baghold paa Marken;
33 And at first light in the morning, as the sun is rising, rush upon the city. And when he goes out against you, with his people, do to him what you are able to do.”
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!«
34 And so Abimelech rose up, with all his army, by night, and he set ambushes near Shechem in four places.
Abimelek brød da op ved Nattetide med alle sine Folk, og de lagde sig i Baghold imod Sikem i fire Afdelinger.
35 And Gaal, the son of Ebed, went out, and he stood at the entrance to the gate of the city. Then Abimelech rose up, and all the army with him, from the places of the ambushes.
Da gik Ga'al, Ebeds Søn, ned og stillede sig op ved Byporten. Og Abimelek og hans Folk rejste sig fra deres Baghold.
36 And when Gaal had seen the people, he said to Zebul, “Behold, a multitude is descending from the mountains.” And he responded to him, “You are seeing the shadows of the mountains, as if they were the heads of men, and so you are being deceived by this error.”
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!«
37 Again, Gaal said, “Behold, a people is descending from the middle of the land, and one company is arriving by the way that looks towards the oak.”
Men Ga'al sagde atter: »Der stiger Folk ned fra Landets Navle, og en anden Skare kommer i Retning af Sandsigernes Træ!«
38 And Zebul said to him: “Where is your mouth now, with which you said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Is this not the people that you were despising? Go out and fight against him.”
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!«
39 Therefore, Gaal went out, with the people of Shechem watching, and he fought against Abimelech,
Ga'al rykkede da ud i Spidsen for Sikems Borgere for at kæmpe mod Abimelek.
40 who pursued him, fleeing, and drove him into the city. And many were cut down on his side, even to the gate of the city.
Men Abimelek slog ham paa Flugt, og mange faldt og laa dræbte helt hen til Byporten.
41 And Abimelech made camp at Arumah. But Zebul expelled Gaal and his companions from the city, and he would not permit them to remain in it.
Abimelek tog saa Ophold i Aruma; og Zebul jog Ga'al og hans Brødre bort fra Sikem.
42 Therefore, on the following day, the people departed into the field. And when this had been reported to Abimelech,
Næste Dag begav Folket sig ud paa Marken, og det meldtes Abimelek.
43 he took his army, and divided it into three companies, and he placed ambushes in the fields. And seeing that the people had departed from the city, he rose up and rushed upon them,
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.
44 along with his own company, assaulting and besieging the city. But the two other companies pursued the enemies scattered in the field.
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;
45 Now Abimelech assaulted the city all that day. And he seized it, and he killed its inhabitants, and he destroyed it, so much so that he scattered salt in it.
og efter at Abimelek hele Dagen igennem havde angrebet Byen, indtog han den, dræbte Folkene deri, nedbrød Byen og strøede Salt paa den.
46 And when those living in the tower of Shechem had heard about this, they entered the temple of their god, Berith, where they had formed a covenant with him. And it was because of this, that the place had taken its name. And it was greatly fortified.
Da hele Besætningen i Sikems Taarn hørte det, begav de sig ben til Kælderrummet i El-Berits Hus.
47 Abimelech, also hearing that the men of the tower of Shechem had joined together,
Og da Abimelek fik Melding om, at hele Besætningen i Sikems Taarn var samlet,
48 ascended to mount Zalmon, with all his people. And taking an axe, he cut down the branch of a tree. And laying it on his shoulder, and carrying it, he said to his companions, “What you see me do, you must do quickly.”
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!«
49 And so, eagerly cutting down branches from the trees, they followed their leader. And surrounding the fortified place, they set it on fire. And so it happened that, by smoke and fire, one thousand persons died, men and women together, the occupants of the tower of Shechem.
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.
50 Then Abimelech, setting out from there, arrived at the town of Thebez, which he surrounded and besieged with his army.
Derefter drog Abimelek mod Tebez, og han belejrede Byen og indtog den.
51 Now there was, in the midst of the city, a high tower, to which men and women were fleeing together, with all the leaders of the city. And, having very strongly sealed the gate, they were standing on the roof of the tower to defend themselves.
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;
52 And Abimelech, drawing near the tower, fought valiantly. And approaching the gate, he strove to set it on fire.
Abimelek rykkede da frem til Taarnet og angreb det; men da han nærmede sig Taarnets Indgang for at stikke Ild derpaa,
53 And behold, one woman, throwing a fragment of a millstone from above, struck the head of Abimelech, and broke his skull.
kastede en Kvinde en Møllesten ned paa Abimeleks Hoved og knuste hans Hjerneskal.
54 And he quickly called to his armor bearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword and strike me, otherwise it may be said that I was slain by a woman.” And, doing as he was ordered, he killed him.
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.
55 And when he was dead, all those of Israel who were with him returned to their homes.
Men da Israeliterne saa, at Abimelek var død, begav de sig hver til sit.
56 And so did God repay the evil that Abimelech had done against his father by killing his seventy brothers.
Saaledes gengældte Gud det onde, Abimelek havde øvet mod sin Fader ved at dræbe sine halvfjerdsindstyve Brødre;
57 The Shechemites also were given retribution for what they had done, and the curse of Jotham, the son of Jerubbaal, fell upon them.
og al Sikemiternes Ondskab lod Gud komme over deres egne Hoveder. Paa den Maade kom Jotams, Jerubba'als Søns, Forbandelse over dem.
