Mwet Nununku 9
1 Abimelech, wen natul Gideon, el som nu Shechem, yen sou lun nina kial ah muta we, ac fahk nu selos
Gideon’s son Abimelech went to [talk with] his mother’s brothers in Shechem [city]. He said to them and to all his mother’s relatives,
2 elos in siyuk sin mwet Shechem, “Pia kac ma wo suwos: wen itngoul kewa natul Gideon in mwet kol lowos, ku siena selos in leum fowos? Esam lah Abimelech el sou na pwaye lowos.”
“Ask all the leaders of your city: ‘Do you [think it would be] good for all 70 of Gideon’s sons to rule over you? Or would it be better to have only one of his sons, [me], to rule over you?’ And do not forget that I am your relative! [MTY]”
3 Sou lun nina kial Abimelech elos aolul in sramsramkin ma inge yurin mwet Shechem, na mwet Shechem elos wotela mu elos ac eisal Abimelech tuh elan mwet kol lalos, mweyen el sou na pwaye lalos.
So Abimelech’s mother’s brothers spoke to all the leaders of Shechem about what Abimelech had said. They said to each other, “We should allow Abimelech to rule over us, because he is our relative.”
4 Elos sang ipin silver itngoul liki tempul lal Baal-lun-Wuleang nu sel Abimelech, na el sang moli kutu mwet lusrongten in acn we tuh elos in welul.
So the leaders of Shechem took from the temple of [their god] Baal-Berith (almost 2 pounds/0.8 kg.) of silver and gave it to Abimelech. With that silver he paid some worthless troublemakers to help him, and they went with Abimelech wherever he went.
5 Ac el som nu in acn sin papa tumal ah in acn Ophrah, ac uniya tamulel itngoul wial fin sie eot lulap. Tusruktu Jotham, su srik emeet natul Gideon, el mukena tia anwuki, ke sripen el wikla.
They went to Ophrah, his father’s town, and murdered 69 of his 70 brothers, the sons of his father Gideon. They killed all those men on one huge rock. But Gideon’s youngest son Jotham hid [from Abimelech and his men], and he escaped.
6 Na mwet nukewa in Shechem ac Bethmillo elos toeni ac som nu sisken sak oak mutal in acn Shechem, ac oru tuh Abimelech elan tokosra lalos.
Then all the leaders of Shechem and Beth-Millo gathered under the big sacred tree in Shechem. There they appointed Abimelech to be their leader.
7 Ac ke Jotham el lohng ma inge el som fanyak nu fin mangon Eol Gerizim ac wowoyak ac fahk nu selos, “Porongeyu, kowos mwet in Shechem, ac sahp God El ac fah porongekowos!
When Jotham heard about that, he climbed up Gerizim Mountain. He stood at the top of the mountain and shouted to the people [down below], “You leaders of Shechem, listen to me, in order that God will listen to you!
8 Sie pacl ah, sak nukewa som ac suk soko sak in tuh tokosra lalos. Elos fahk nu sin sak olive, ‘Kom fah tokosra lasr.’
One day the trees decided to appoint a king to rule over all of them. So they said to the olive tree, ‘You be our king!’
9 Sak olive el topuk ac fahk, ‘Nga fin leum fowos, na enenu ngan tila orek oil, su mwe akfulatye god uh ac mwet uh.’
“But the olive tree said, ‘No! [I will not be your king] Men and gods enjoy the oil from my fruit. I will not [RHQ] stop producing [olives from which we make] that oil, in order to rule over you other trees!’
10 Na sak inge elos sifil som ac fahk nu sin sak fig, ‘Fahsru tuh kom in tokosra lasr.’
“Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and be our king!’
11 Ac sak fig el topuk ac fahk, ‘Nga fin leum fowos, na enenu ngan tia sifil isus fahko emwem ac wo.’
“But the fig tree replied, ‘No! I do not want to [RHQ] stop producing my good sweet fruit, and rule over you other trees!’
12 Na sak inge elos sifil som ac fahk nu sin oa in grape soko, ‘Fahsru tokosrala lasr.’
“Then the trees said to the grapevine, ‘Come and be our king!’
13 Na oa soko ah topuk ac fahk, ‘Nga fin leum fowos, na enenu ngan tila orek wain, su mwe akpwarye god uh ac mwet uh.’
“But the grapevine replied, ‘No! [I will not be your king] The new wine [that is made from my grapes] causes people and gods [who drink it] to become very happy. I do not want to stop producing grapes and rule over you other trees!’ [RHQ]
14 Na sak inge sifil som ac fahk nu sin kokul, ‘Fahsru tokosrala lasr.’
“Then all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and be our king!’
15 Na kokul el topuk ac fahk, ‘Fin pwaye kowos lungse tuh nga in tokosra lowos, fahsru ac muta ye lulik. Kowos fin tia, na e ac fah sikyak ke ma fakfuk keik uh ac esukak sak cedar nukewa in acn Lebanon.’”
“The thornbush replied, ‘If you truly want to appoint me to be your king, come into the shade of my [tiny branches]. But if you do not want to do that, I hope/desire that fire will come out from me and burn up all the huge cedar trees in Lebanon [country]!’”
16 Na Jotham el sifilpa fahk, “Inge, ke kowos sulella Abimelech tuh elan tokosra lowos, ya kowos oru ke nunak na pwaye lowos? Ya kowos akfulatye orekma wo ma Gideon el oru nu suwos, ac oru wo nu sin sou lal?
“[After] Jotham [finished telling them this parable, he] said, “So now [I ask you], were you being completely honest and sincere when you appointed Abimelech to be your king [RHQ]? And have you treated Gideon and his family [RHQ] fairly? Have you rewarded Gideon by honoring him as he deserved [because of all the good things he did for you]? No!
17 Esam lah papa tumuk el tuh mweun keiwos. El pilesrala moul lal sifacna in molikowosla liki poun mwet Midian.
“[Do not forget that] my father fought a battle for you, and he was willing to die for you [if that had been necessary], to save you from the Midian people-group.
18 Na misenge kowos forla lain sou lun papa tumuk. Kowos uniya wen itngoul natul fin eot sefanna. Na ke na sripen Abimelech el ac ma wiowos, mweyen el wen natul Gideon ac mutan kulansap se kial, na kowos oral tuh elan tokosra lun acn Shechem.
But now you have rebelled against my father’s family, and you have killed 69 of his sons on one huge rock. And you have appointed Abimelech—who is the son of my father’s slave girl, [not the son of his wife]—to be the king who will rule you people of Shechem. You have done that only because he is one of your relatives!
19 Inge, fin ma kowos oru misenge nu sel Gideon ac sou lal an kowos oru ke inse pwaye ac wo, na lela kowos in engan kacl Abimelech, ac lela tuh elan engan pac keiwos.
So, if today you have truly acted fairly and sincerely toward Gideon and his family, I hope/desire that he will cause you to be happy and that you will cause him to be happy.
20 A fin tia pwaye, lela e in sikyak kacl Abimelech ac esukak mwet Shechem ac mwet Bethmillo. Oayapa lela e in sikyak yurin mwet Shechem ac mwet Bethmillo ac esukulak Abimelech.”
But if what you did was not right, I wish/desire that Abimelech will burn up all of you leaders of Shechem and Beth-Millo with fire! And I also hope/desire that the leaders of Shechem and Beth-Millo will cause fire to burn up Abimelech!”
21 Na Jotham el kaingla nu Beer ac muta we, mweyen el sangeng sel Abimelech, tamulel lal ah.
[After] Jotham [finished saying that, he] escaped from them and ran away to Beer [town]. He stayed there because he was afraid that his brother Abimelech [would try to kill him].
22 Abimelech el kol acn Israel ke yac tolu.
Abimelech [became the leader of all the people of Israel. He] ruled them for three years.
23 Na God El oru tuh mwet Shechem ac Abimelech in asrungai, na mwet Shechem elos tuyak lainul Abimelech.
Then God sent an evil spirit [to cause trouble] between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, with the result that the leaders of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech.
24 Ma inge sikyak in akfalye ma koluk ma Abimelech ac mwet Shechem elos tuh oru nu sin wen itngoul natul Gideon ma elos uniya ah.
The leaders of Shechem had previously helped Abimelech to kill 69 of Gideon’s sons, who were his brothers. So now God sent the evil spirit to punish all of them.
25 Mwet Shechem elos sap kutu mwet lalos in som wikla fin mangon eol uh tuh elos in sruokilya Abimelech, ac mwet inge elos pisre ma lun mwet nukewa su forfor in acn sac. Pweng ke ma inge sonol pac Abimelech.
The leaders of Shechem (set an ambush/sent men to hide) on the hilltops to ambush Abimelech. Those men robbed everyone who passed by. But someone told Abimelech about it, [so he did not go near them].
26 Inge, Gaal wen natul Ebed, ac mwet lel elos tuku nu Shechem, ac mwet Shechem elos filiya lulalfongi lalos facl.
There was a man named Gaal, the son of Ebed, who moved into Shechem [city], along with his brothers. Soon the leaders of Shechem started to trust him.
27 Elos nukewa illa nu in ima uh ac eisani grape, elos orala nu ke wain, ac orek engan. Na elos utyak nu in tempul lun god lalos, ac mongo ac nimnim we ac aksruksrukel Abimelech.
They went out [of the city] to their vineyards and picked some grapes. They pressed the grapes [to make juice, and then they made wine]. Then they had a feast in the temple of their god, and they ate [a lot of food] and drank [a lot of wine]. Then they cursed Abimelech.
28 Ac Gaal el fahk, “Ku kut mwet fuka in acn Shechem inge? Efu ku kut in orekma nu sel Abimelech? Ku su win el uh? Ya tia ma natul Gideon? Zebul el orekma nu sel, tusruktu efu ku kut in kulansupwal? Kowos in orekma na nu sel Hamor, mwet matu lowos su el pa sifen ota lowos uh!
Gaal said, “(Why should [we allow] Abimelech to rule over us?/We should not allow Abimelech to rule over us!) [RHQ] He is only one of Gideon’s sons [so he really does not belong to us] [RHQ]! And he appointed Zebul, the governor of our city, to be his deputy! We should (serve/be loyal to) [one of the descendants of] Hamor, [the founder of our city], and let him be our leader, not Abimelech [RHQ]!
29 Nga ke in nga pa kol mwet inge! Nga lukun lusulla Abimelech! Nga lukun sap elan akola mwet mweun lal ac ilme kut in mweun.”
If you would appoint me to be your leader, I would get rid of Abimelech. I would say to him, ‘Get your army ready, [and then come to fight us]!’”
30 Ke Zebul, mwet kol lun siti sac, el lohng kas lal Gaal inge, el arulana kasrkusrak kac.
When someone told Zebul what Gaal said, he was very angry.
31 El supwala mwet utuk kas nu yorol Abimelech nu in Arumah ac fahk, “Gaal, wen natul Ebed, ac tamulel lal elos tuku nu Shechem ac oru eltal in tia lela kom in utyak nu in siti uh.
He secretly sent some messengers to Abimelech. They told him, “Gaal and his brothers have come here to Shechem, and they are causing [the people of] the city to rebel against you.
32 Inge kom ac mwet lom an tuku ke fong ac wikwik in imae soano.
You and your men should get up during the night and go and hide in the fields outside the city.
33 Ke lututang, ke faht uh tufahna takak, kom tuyak ac lain siti uh. Ac Gaal ac mwet lal fin illa in mweun, kom fah oneltalla nufon!”
As soon as the sun rises in the morning, get up and attack the city. When Gaal and his men come out to fight against you, you can do to them whatever you want to.”
34 Na Abimelech ac mwet lal nukewa elos tuku ac wikwik sisken acn Shechem in fong ah — elos kitakatelik nu ke u akosr.
So Abimelech and all the men who were with him got up during the night. They [divided into] four groups, [and] hid [in the fields] near Shechem.
35 Na ke Abimelech ac mwet lal elos liye ke Gaal el illa tu ke nien utyak nu in siti uh, Abimelech ac mwet lal elos tuyak liki acn elos wikwik we uh.
[The next morning], Gaal went out and stood at the entrance to the city gate. While he was standing there, Abimelech and his soldiers came out of their hiding places [and started walking toward the city].
36 Ke Gaal el liye mwet inge, el fahk nu sel Zebul, “Ngetla liye! Mwet pa tufoki fineol an me!” Zebul el fahk, “Mo, tia mwet. Lullul in eol uh pa kowos liye an.”
When Gaal saw the soldiers, he said to Zebul, “Look! There are people coming down from the hills!” But Zebul said, “You are seeing only the shadows [of trees] on the hills. They [are not people; they] only resemble people.”
37 Na Gaal el sifilpa fahk, “Liye, mwet pa tuku fineol an me ingan, ac sie u ah tuku ke innek soko sisken sak oak ma mwet susfa muta we ah!”
But Gaal [looked] again [and] said, “Look! There are people coming down from the top of the sacred mountain! There is a group of them coming down from where the tree is where people talk with the spirits of dead people!”
38 Na Zebul el fahk nu sel, “Pia kusen tungak lom ah inge? Kom pa tuh fahk mu, ‘Su win Abimelech uh ku kut in orekma nu sel?’ Pa ingan mwet ma kom tuh aksruksruki ah. Fahla mweunelos.”
Zebul said to Gaal, “Now (what good is your bragging?/your bragging is worthless!) [MTY, RHQ] You said, ‘(Why should we serve Abimelech/We should not allow Abimelech to rule over us)?’ You made fun of these men. So now go out and fight them!”
39 Na Gaal el us mwet Shechem ac som mweunel Abimelech.
So Gaal led the men of Shechem outside [the city] to fight Abimelech [and his men].
40 Abimelech el mutawauk ukwal Gaal, ac el kaing. Pukanten mwet kinet ke inkanek ah, som na nwe sun mutunpot in siti ah.
Abimelech and his men pursued them, and they killed many of Gaal’s men before they could return [safely] inside the city gate.
41 Abimelech el muta in acn Arumah, ac Zebul el lusulla Gaal ac tamulel lal ah liki acn Shechem, tuh elos in tia muta we.
Abimelech then stayed at Arumah, [about five miles away from Shechem], and Zebul’s men forced Gaal and his brothers to leave Shechem.
42 In len tok ah Abimelech el lohngak lah mwet Shechem inge elos pwapa in som nu in ima ah.
The next day, the people of Shechem [got ready to leave the city and work] in their fields. When someone told Abimelech about that,
43 Na el eis mwet lal ac kitalik nu ke u tolu, na elos wikwik in imae soano mwet ah. Ke Abimelech el liye ke mwet inge ilme liki siti uh, el tuyak liki nien wikwik uh ac onelosla.
he divided his men into three groups, and told them to hide in the fields. So they did that. And when they saw the people coming out of the city, they jumped up and attacked them.
44 Ke Abimelech ac u se lal ah yuyak in taran mutunpot in siti uh, u luo ngia elos mweuni mwet su muta in ima ah, ac onelosla nufon.
Abimelech and the men who were with him ran to the city gate. The other two groups ran out to the people in the fields and attacked them.
45 Mweun uh orek ke len nufon sac. Abimelech el sruokya siti sac ac onela mwet we. El kunausya siti sac ac afinya fin fohk uh ke sohl.
Abimelech and his men fought all day. They captured the city and killed all the people. They tore down all the buildings, and then they threw salt over the ruins [in order that nothing would grow there again].
46 Ke mwet kol lun acn Shechem su muta ke tower lun mwet mweun ah elos lohng ke ma inge, elos suk nien wikla ku lalos ke tempul lal Baal-lun-Wuleang.
When the leaders who lived in the tower/fortress outside of Shechem heard what had happened, they ran and hid inside the [fortress, which was also a] temple of [their god] El-Berith.
47 Ke Abimelech el lohng lah mwet inge elos wikwik in acn sac,
But someone told Abimelech that all the leaders had gathered there.
48 na el ac mwet lal elos fanyak nu Fineol Zalmon. El eis tula soko ac pakela lesak se ac filiya finpisal, ac fahk nu sin mwet lal elos in oru oana.
So he and all the men who were with him went up Zalmon Mountain [which is near Shechem]. Abimelech cut some branches of trees with an axe, and put them on his shoulders. Then he said to all the men who were with him, “Quickly, do what I have just done!”
49 Ouinge mwet nukewa elos pakela kais sie lesak lalos ac fahsr tokol Abimelech. Elos yolsani lesak uh ke acn in wikla ku sac, ac esukak. Mwet uh mutana loac, ac elos nukewa misa — sahp oasr sie tausin mukul ac mutan we.
So his men all cut branches [then carried them down the mountain], following Abimelech. They went to the fortress and piled the branches against its walls. Then they kindled a fire, and the fire burned down the fortress and killed all the people who were inside. So all the people who were inside the fortress—about 1,000 men and women—died.
50 Na Abimelech el som nu Thebez, kuhlusya acn we ac sruokya.
Then Abimelech and his men went to Thebes [city]. They surrounded it and captured it.
51 Oasr sie tower na ku in acn se inge, ac mwet nukewa in acn sac, mukul ac mutan ac mwet kol lalos, elos kaing nu we. Elos sifacna lakelosi ac fanyak nu fin mangon tower sac.
But there was a strong tower inside the city. So all the men, women, and leaders of the city ran to the tower. When they were all inside, they locked the door. Then they climbed up to the roof of the tower.
52 Ke Abimelech el tuku nu ke tower sac tuh elan sruokya, el kalukyang nwe ke srungul uh tuh elan esukak.
Abimelech and his men came to the tower and tried to get in the door, [but they could not]. Then Abimelech prepared to light a fire to burn down the door.
53 Na sie mutan el sisya eot in ilil na lulap se nu fin sifal twe foklalik ahlunsifal.
But when Abimelech came near the doorway, a woman [who was on the roof] dropped a big grinding stone on his head, and crushed his skull.
54 Na Abimelech el sulaklak pangonma mwet fusr se su us mwe mweun natul ah, ac fahk, “Faisak cutlass nutum an ac uniyuwi, tuh nga tia lungse mwet in fahk mu mutan se pa uniyuwi uh.” Na mukul fusr sac faksilya ke cutlass natul ah, na el misa.
Abimelech quickly called to the young man who carried Abimelech’s weapons, and said, “Pull out your sword and kill me with it! I do not want people to say ‘It was a woman who killed Abimelech.’” So the young man thrust his sword into Abimelech, and Abimelech died.
55 Ke mwet Israel elos liye lah Abimelech el misa, elos folokelik nu acn selos.
When the Israeli soldiers saw that Abimelech was dead, they all returned to their homes.
56 Ouinge God El folokin nu sel Abimelech ma koluk se el tuh oru nu sin papa tumal ke el tuh uniya tamulel itngoul wial ah.
In that way God punished Abimelech for the evil things that he had done to his father and especially for killing all 69 of his brothers.
57 Ac God El oayapa folokin ma koluk lun mwet Shechem nu faclos sifacna, fal nu ke ma Jotham, wen natul Gideon, el fahk ke el selngawelos ah.
God also punished the men of Shechem for the evil things that they had done. And when those things happened, it fulfilled what Gideon’s son Jotham said when he cursed [Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem].
