< Judges 9 >
1 And Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's brethren, and spoke to them, and to all the family of the house of his mother's father, 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, I pray you, in the ears of all the citizens of Shechem, Which is better for you, that seventy persons, all sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or that one man rule over you? And remember 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 mother's brethren spoke of him in the ears of all the citizens of Shechem all these words. And their heart inclined after Abimelech; for they said, 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 him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech hired with them vain and wanton 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 came to his father's house, to Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy persons upon one stone; but there remained Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal; for he had hid himself.
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 And all the citizens of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the memorial-oak that is in 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 And they told it to Jotham, and he went and stood on the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said to them, Hearken to me, ye citizens of Shechem, that God may hearken 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 once went forth to anoint a king over them; 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 the olive-tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to wave over 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 thou, reign over us.
Saa sagde Træerne til Figentræet: Kom du og vær vor Konge!
11 But the fig-tree said to them, Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave over the 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 Then said the trees to the vine, Come thou, reign over us.
Saa sagde Træerne til Vinstokken: Kom du og vær vor Konge!
13 And the vine said to them, Should I leave my new wine, which cheers God and man, and go to wave over the 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 Then said all the trees to the thorn-bush, Come thou, reign over us.
Da sagde alle Træerne til Tornebusken: Kom du og vær vor Konge!
15 And the thorn-bush said to the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, come, put confidence in my shadow; but if not, fire shall come out of the thorn-bush and 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 Now therefore, if ye have dealt truly and sincerely in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and if ye have done to him according to the deserving of his hands;
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 — for my father fought for you, and endangered his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian;
min Fader kæmpede jo for eder og vovede sit Liv for at frelse eder af Midjaniternes Haand,
18 but ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, seventy men, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his handmaid, king over the citizens of Shechem, because 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 ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also 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 not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the citizens of Shechem and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the citizens of Shechem and from the house 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 Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, because 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 Abimelech ruled over Israel three years.
Da Abimelek havde haft Magten over Israel i tre Aar,
23 And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem; and the citizens of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,
sendte Gud en ond Aand mellem Abimelek og Sikems Borgere, og Sikems Borgere faldt fra Abimelek,
24 that the violence [done] to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the citizens of Shechem, who had strengthened his hands to slay his brethren.
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 the citizens of Shechem set liers in wait for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them. And it was told Abimelech.
Sikems Borgere lagde da Baghold paa Bjergtoppene, og de udplyndrede alle vejfarende, der kom forbi dem. Dette meldtes Abimelek.
26 And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem; and the citizens of Shechem put confidence in him.
Nu kom Ga'al, Ebeds Søn, med sine Brødre og flyttede ind i Sikem; og Sikems Borgere fattede Tillid til ham.
27 And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode [the grapes], and made rejoicings, and went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and 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 said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is he not the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his overseer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem! and why 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 Oh! would that this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.
Havde jeg blot Magten over Folket her, skulde jeg nok skaffe Abimelek af Vejen!«
30 And Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, and his anger was kindled;
Da Zebul, Byens Høvedsmand, hørte Ga'als, Ebeds Søns, Ord, blussede hans Vrede op,
31 and he sent messengers to Abimelech craftily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren are come to Shechem, and behold, they shut up the city against thee;
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 now, rise up by night, thou and the people that are with thee, and lie in ambush in the fields.
Og nu, bryd op ved Nattetide med dine Folk og læg dig i Baghold paa Marken;
33 And it shall be in the morning when the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and fall upon the city; and behold, he and the people that is with him shall come out against thee, and thou shalt do with him as thou shalt find occasion.
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 Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they lay in ambush against Shechem in four companies.
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 stood in the entrance of the gate of the city. Then Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, out of the ambush.
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 Gaal saw the people, and said to Zebul, Behold, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains. And Zebul said to him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as men.
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 And Gaal spoke again, and said, Behold, people are coming down from the high part of the land, and one company is coming along by the way of the Magician's oak.
Men Ga'al sagde atter: »Der stiger Folk ned fra Landets Navle, og en anden Skare kommer i Retning af Sandsigernes Træ!«
38 Then said Zebul to him, Where is now thy mouth, thou that saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out now, I pray, and fight against them.
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 And Gaal went out before the citizens of Shechem, and fought against Abimelech.
Ga'al rykkede da ud i Spidsen for Sikems Borgere for at kæmpe mod Abimelek.
40 And Abimelech pursued him, and he fled before him, and there fell many wounded, as far as the entrance of the gate.
Men Abimelek slog ham paa Flugt, og mange faldt og laa dræbte helt hen til Byporten.
41 And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah. And Zebul drove out Gaal and his brethren, that they might not dwell in Shechem.
Abimelek tog saa Ophold i Aruma; og Zebul jog Ga'al og hans Brødre bort fra Sikem.
42 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.
Næste Dag begav Folket sig ud paa Marken, og det meldtes Abimelek.
43 And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and lay in ambush in the field. And he looked, and behold, the people came forth out of the city; and he rose up against them and smote 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 And Abimelech, and the companies that were with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city; and two of the companies ran upon all that were in the fields, and slew them.
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 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that were in it, and broke down the city, and sowed it with salt.
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 all the men of the tower of Shechem heard [that], and they entered into the stronghold of the house of the god Berith.
Da hele Besætningen i Sikems Taarn hørte det, begav de sig ben til Kælderrummet i El-Berits Hus.
47 And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem had gathered together.
Og da Abimelek fik Melding om, at hele Besætningen i Sikems Taarn var samlet,
48 Then Abimelech went up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it up and laid it on his shoulder, and said to the people that was with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, do as I have done.
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 all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and they followed Abimelech, and put [them] to the hold, and burned the hold with fire upon them. And all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.
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 And Abimelech went to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.
Derefter drog Abimelek mod Tebez, og han belejrede Byen og indtog den.
51 But there was a strong tower in the midst of the city, and thither fled all the men and women, all the citizens of the city; and they shut it behind them, and went up to the roof of the tower.
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 came to the tower, and fought against it, and he drew near to the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire;
Abimelek rykkede da frem til Taarnet og angreb det; men da han nærmede sig Taarnets Indgang for at stikke Ild derpaa,
53 and a woman cast the upper stone of a handmill on Abimelech's head, and crushed his skull.
kastede en Kvinde en Møllesten ned paa Abimeleks Hoved og knuste hans Hjerneskal.
54 Then he called hastily to the young man that carried his armour, and said to him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that they say not of me, A woman killed him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.
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 the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they went every man to his place.
Men da Israeliterne saa, at Abimelek var død, begav de sig hver til sit.
56 And God rendered back the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did to his father in slaying his seventy brethren.
Saaledes gengældte Gud det onde, Abimelek havde øvet mod sin Fader ved at dræbe sine halvfjerdsindstyve Brødre;
57 And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render back upon their heads; and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
og al Sikemiternes Ondskab lod Gud komme over deres egne Hoveder. Paa den Maade kom Jotams, Jerubba'als Søns, Forbandelse over dem.