Judges 9
1 Abimelech, son of Jerub-baal, went to his mother's brothers at Shechem and told them and all his mother's relatives,
abiit autem Abimelech filius Hierobbaal in Sychem ad fratres matris suae et locutus est ad eos et ad omnem cognationem domus patris matris suae dicens
2 “Please ask all the leaders of Shechem, ‘What's best for you? That seventy men, all of them Jerub-baal's sons, rule over you—or just one man?’ Remember I'm your own flesh and blood!”
loquimini ad omnes viros Sychem quid vobis est melius ut dominentur vestri septuaginta viri omnes filii Hierobbaal an ut dominetur vobis unus vir simulque considerate quia os vestrum et caro vestra sum
3 His mother's brothers shared his proposal with all the leaders of Shechem, and they decided to follow Abimelech, because they said, “He is our relative.”
locutique sunt fratres matris eius de eo ad omnes viros Sychem universos sermones istos et inclinaverunt cor eorum post Abimelech dicentes frater noster est
4 They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-berith. Abimelech used the money to hire some arrogant troublemakers as his gang.
dederuntque illi septuaginta pondo argenti de fano Baalbrith qui conduxit sibi ex eo viros inopes et vagos secutique sunt eum
5 He went to his father's house in Ophrah, and on one stone killed his seventy half-brothers, the sons of Jerub-baal. But Jotham, Jerub-baal's youngest son, escaped by going into hiding.
et venit in domum patris sui Ephra et occidit fratres suos filios Hierobbaal septuaginta viros super lapidem unum remansitque Ioatham filius Hierobbaal minimus et absconditus est
6 Then the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo all assembled by the oak at the pillar in Shechem and made Abimelech their king.
congregati sunt autem omnes viri Sychem et universae familiae urbis Mello abieruntque et constituerunt regem Abimelech iuxta quercum quae stabat in Sychem
7 When Jotham got to hear this, he went up to the top of Mount Gerizim, and shouted in a loud voice: “Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, and God may to listen to you!
quod cum nuntiatum esset Ioatham ivit et stetit in vertice montis Garizim elevataque voce clamavit et dixit audite me viri Sychem ita audiat vos Deus
8 Once upon a time the trees were determined to anoint a king to rule over them. They said to the olive tree, ‘You shall be our king.’
ierunt ligna ut unguerent super se regem dixeruntque olivae impera nobis
9 But the olive tree replied, ‘Should I stop giving my rich oil that benefits both gods and men just to go and sway to and fro over the trees?’
quae respondit numquid possum deserere pinguedinem meam qua et dii utuntur et homines et venire ut inter ligna promovear
10 Then the trees asked the fig tree, ‘You come and be our king.’
dixeruntque ligna ad arborem ficum veni et super nos regnum accipe
11 But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I stop giving my good sweet fruit just to go and sway to and fro over the trees?’
quae respondit eis numquid possum deserere dulcedinem meam fructusque suavissimos et ire ut inter cetera ligna commovear
12 Then the trees asked the grape vine, ‘You come and be our king.’
locuta sunt quoque ligna ad vitem veni et impera nobis
13 But the grape vine replied, ‘Should I stop giving my wine that makes both gods and men happy just to go and sway to and fro over the trees?’
quae respondit numquid possum deserere vinum meum quod laetificat Deum et homines et inter ligna cetera commoveri
14 Then all the trees asked the thorn bush, ‘You come and be our king.’
dixeruntque omnia ligna ad ramnum veni et impera super nos
15 The thorn bush replied to the trees, ‘If you're really sincere about anointing me as your king, come and find shelter in my shade. But if not, may fire flame out of the thorn bush and burn up the cedars of Lebanon!’
quae respondit eis si vere me regem vobis constituitis venite et sub mea umbra requiescite sin autem non vultis egrediatur ignis de ramno et devoret cedros Libani
16 Have you acted sincerely and honestly by making Abimelech your king? Have you been acted honorably to Jerub-baal and his family? Have you respected him for all that he accomplished?
nunc igitur si recte et absque peccato constituistis super vos regem Abimelech et bene egistis cum Hierobbaal et cum domo eius et reddidistis vicem beneficiis eius qui pugnavit pro vobis
17 Don't forget how my father fought for you and risked his own life to save you from the Midianites!
et animam suam dedit periculis ut erueret vos de manu Madian
18 But you have rebelled against my father's family today. You have killed his seventy sons on one stone and have made Abimelech, the son of his slave woman, king over the leaders of Shechem simply because he's related to you.
qui nunc surrexistis contra domum patris mei et interfecistis filios eius septuaginta viros super unum lapidem et constituistis regem Abimelech filium ancillae eius super habitatores Sychem eo quod frater vester sit
19 Have you acted sincerely and honestly toward Jerub-baal and his family today? If so, may you be happy with Abimelech, and may he be happy with too!
si ergo recte et absque vitio egistis cum Hierobbaal et domo eius hodie laetamini in Abimelech et ille laetetur in vobis
20 But if you haven't, then may fire flame out from Abimelech, and may it burn up the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo, and may fire flame out from the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo and burn up Abimelech!”
sin autem perverse egrediatur ignis ex eo et consumat habitatores Sychem et oppidum Mello egrediaturque ignis de viris Sychem et de oppido Mello et devoret Abimelech
21 Then Jotham escaped and ran away. He went to Beer and stayed there because of the threat of Abimelech his brother.
quae cum dixisset fugit et abiit in Bera habitavitque ibi metu Abimelech fratris sui
22 Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years.
regnavit itaque Abimelech super Israhel tribus annis
23 Then God sent an evil spirit to cause trouble between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. The leaders of Shechem betrayed Abimelech.
misitque Deus spiritum pessimum inter Abimelech et habitatores Sychem qui coeperunt eum detestari
24 This happened because of the murder of the seventy sons of Jerub-baal and that responsibility for their blood be placed on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the leaders of Shechem, who provided the means to kill his brothers.
et scelus interfectionis septuaginta filiorum Hierobbaal et effusionem sanguinis eorum conferre in Abimelech fratrem suum et in ceteros Sycimarum principes qui eum adiuverant
25 The leaders of Shechem sent men to the hill passes to lie in wait and attack Abimelech, and, in the meantime, they robbed everyone who passed by on the road. Abimelech found out what was happening.
posueruntque insidias adversum eum in montium summitate et dum illius praestolantur adventum exercebant latrocinia agentes praedas de praetereuntibus nuntiatumque est Abimelech
26 Gaal, son of Ebed, had moved to Shechem with his relatives, and he gained the loyalty of the leaders of Shechem.
venit autem Gaal filius Obed cum fratribus suis et transivit in Sycimam ad cuius adventum erecti habitatores Sychem
27 At harvest time they went out into the countryside and gathered the grapes from their vineyards and trod them. They celebrated by having a festival in the temple of their god, where they ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.
egressi sunt in agros vastantes vineas uvasque calcantes et factis cantantium choris ingressi sunt fanum dei sui et inter epulas et pocula maledicebant Abimelech
28 “Who is this Abimelech?” asked Gaal, son of Ebed. “And who is Shechem, that we should have to serve him? Isn't he the son of Jerub-baal, while Zebul is actually the one in charge? You should serve the family of Hamor, the father of Shechem. Why should we have to serve Abimelech?
clamante Gaal filio Obed quis est Abimelech et quae est Sychem ut serviamus ei numquid non est filius Hierobbaal et constituit principem Zebul servum suum super viros Emmor patris Sychem cur igitur servimus ei
29 If I was the one in charge of you people, I would dispose of Abimelech! I would tell him, ‘Get your army together, and come and fight!’”
utinam daret aliquis populum istum sub manu mea ut auferrem de medio Abimelech dictumque est Abimelech congrega exercitus multitudinem et veni
30 When Zebul, the governor of the city, got to hear what Gaal was saying, he became very angry.
Zebul enim princeps civitatis auditis sermonibus Gaal filii Obed iratus est valde
31 He secretly sent messengers to Abimelech to tell him, “Look, Gaal, son of Ebed, and his relatives have arrived in Shechem, and they are stirring up the town to rebel against you.
et misit clam ad Abimelech nuntios dicens ecce Gaal filius Obed venit in Sycimam cum fratribus suis et obpugnat adversum te civitatem
32 So come at night with your army and hide in the countryside.
surge itaque nocte cum populo qui tecum est et latita in agro
33 In the morning as soon as the sun comes up, go and attack the town. When Gaal and his men come out to fight you, you can do whatever you want to them.”
et primo mane oriente sole inrue super civitatem illo autem egrediente adversum te cum populo suo fac ei quod potueris
34 Abimelech left at night along with his army, and they separated into four companies that lay in wait near Shechem.
surrexit itaque Abimelech cum omni exercitu suo nocte et tetendit insidias iuxta Sycimam in quattuor locis
35 When Gaal, son of Ebed, went out and stood at the town's entrance gate, Abimelech and his army came out from where they had been hiding.
egressusque est Gaal filius Obed et stetit in introitu portae civitatis surrexit autem Abimelech et omnis exercitus cum eo de insidiarum loco
36 Gaal saw the army approaching and said to Zebul, “Look! Some people are coming down from the hilltops!” “That's just shadows made by the hills that look like men,” Zebul replied.
cumque vidisset populum Gaal dixit ad Zebul ecce de montibus multitudo descendit cui ille respondit umbras montium vides quasi hominum capita et hoc errore deciperis
37 “No really, people are coming down from the high ground,” Gaal repeated. “Plus, there's another company coming down the road that passes the diviners' oak tree.”
rursumque Gaal ait ecce populus de umbilico terrae descendit et unus cuneus venit per viam quae respicit quercum
38 “Where's your big mouth now? You're the one who said, ‘Who is this Abimelech, that we should have to serve him?’” Zebul told him. “Aren't these the people you detested? Go on then—go and fight with them!”
cui dixit Zebul ubi est nunc os tuum quo loquebaris quis est Abimelech ut serviamus ei nonne iste est populus quem despiciebas egredere et pugna contra eum
39 So Gaal led the leaders of Shechem out of the town and fought with Abimelech.
abiit ergo Gaal spectante Sycimarum populo et pugnavit contra Abimelech
40 Abimelech attacked, and chased him and his men as they ran away, killing many of them as they tried to get back to the town gate.
qui persecutus est eum fugientem et in urbem conpulit cecideruntque ex parte eius plurimi usque ad portam civitatis
41 Abimelech went back to Arumah while Zebul expelled Gaal and his relatives from Shechem.
et Abimelech sedit in Ruma Zebul autem Gaal et socios eius expulit de urbe nec in ea passus est commorari
42 The following day the people of Shechem went out to the fields, and Abimelech was informed about it.
sequenti ergo die egressus est populus in campum quod cum nuntiatum esset Abimelech
43 He divided his army into three companies and had them lay in ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he attacked and killed them.
tulit exercitum suum et divisit in tres turmas tendens insidias in agris vidensque quod egrederetur populus de civitate surrexit et inruit in eos
44 Abimelech and his company raced to occupy the town's entrance gate, while the two companies raced to attack everyone in the fields and kill them.
cum cuneo suo obpugnans et obsidens civitatem duae autem turmae palantes per campum adversarios sequebantur
45 The battle for the town lasted all day but eventually Abimelech captured it. He killed the people, demolished the town, and scattered salt over the ground.
porro Abimelech omni illo die obpugnabat urbem quam cepit interfectis habitatoribus eius ipsaque destructa ita ut sal in ea dispergeret
46 When all the leaders of the tower of Shechem realized what had happened, they took refuge in the strongroom of the temple of El-berith.
quod cum audissent qui habitabant in turre Sycimorum ingressi sunt fanum dei sui Berith ubi foedus cum eo pepigerant et ex eo locus nomen acceperat qui erat valde munitus
47 When Abimelech found out that all the leaders in the tower of Shechem had gathered there,
Abimelech quoque audiens viros turris Sycimorum pariter conglobatos
48 he and all the men with him went up Mount Zalmon. Abimelech grabbed hold of an ax and cut a branch from the trees. He lifted it onto his shoulder, and told his men, “Quick! You saw what I did. Do the same!”
ascendit in montem Selmon cum omni populo suo et arrepta securi praecidit arboris ramum inpositumque ferens umero dixit ad socios quod me vidistis facere cito facite
49 Each of them cut down a branch and followed Abimelech. They placed the branches against the strongroom and set it on fire. So all the people who lived in the tower of Shechem died, around one thousand men and women.
igitur certatim ramos de arboribus praecidentes sequebantur ducem quos circumdantes praesidio succenderunt atque ita factum est ut fumo et igne mille hominum necarentur viri pariter ac mulieres habitatorum turris Sychem
50 Then Abimelech went to attack Thebez and captured it.
Abimelech autem inde proficiscens venit ad oppidum Thebes quod circumdans obsidebat exercitu
51 But there was a strong tower inside the city. All the men and women and the town leaders ran there and barricaded themselves in, and then went up to the roof of the tower.
erat autem turris excelsa in media civitate ad quam confugerant viri simul ac mulieres et omnes principes civitatis clausa firmissime ianua et super turris tectum stantes per propugnacula
52 Abimelech went up to the tower to attack it. But as he came close to the tower's entrance to set it on fire,
accedensque Abimelech iuxta turrem pugnabat fortiter et adpropinquans ostio ignem subponere nitebatur
53 a woman dropped millstone down on Abimelech's head and cracked his skull open.
et ecce una mulier fragmen molae desuper iaciens inlisit capiti Abimelech et confregit cerebrum eius
54 He quickly called the young man who carried his weapons, and ordered him, “Draw your sword and kill me, so they won't say about me that a woman killed him.” So the young man drove his sword through him, and he died.
qui vocavit cito armigerum suum et ait ad eum evagina gladium tuum et percute me ne forte dicatur quod a femina interfectus sim qui iussa perficiens interfecit eum
55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all left and went home.
illoque mortuo omnes qui cum eo erant de Israhel reversi sunt in sedes suas
56 This is how God paid back Abimelech's crime against his father of murdering his seventy brothers.
et reddidit Deus malum quod fecerat Abimelech contra patrem suum interfectis septuaginta fratribus suis
57 He also repaid the people of Shechem for their evil, and the curse of Jotham, son of Jerub-baal, came down upon them.
Sycimitis quoque quod operati erant retributum est et venit super eos maledictio Ioatham filii Hierobbaal
