1 Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s
brothers, and spoke with them, and with all the family of the house of his
mother’s father, saying, 2 Please speak in the ears of all the men of
Shechem, Whether is better for you, that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are
seventy persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you? Remember also that
I am your bone and your flesh. 3 His mother’s brothers spoke of him in the
ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to
follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother. 4 They gave him
seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal Berith, with which
Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed him. 5 He went to his
father’s house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal,
being seventy persons, on one stone: but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal
was left; for he hid himself. 6 All the men of Shechem assembled
themselves together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech
king, by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem. 7 When they told it to
Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted up his
voice, and cried, and said to them, Listen to me, you men of Shechem,
that God may listen to you. 8 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a
king over them; and they said to the olive tree, Reign you over us. 9 But
the olive tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness, with which by me they
honor God and man, and go to wave back and forth over the trees? 10 The
trees said to the fig tree, Come you, and reign over us. 11 But the fig
tree said to them, Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to
wave back and forth over the trees? 12 The trees said to the vine, Come
you, and reign over us. 13 The vine said to them, Should I leave my new
wine, which cheers God and man, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?
14 Then said all the trees to the bramble, Come you, and reign over us.
15 The bramble said to the trees, If in truth you anoint me king over
you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of
the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon. 16 Now therefore, if
you have dealt truly and righteously, in that you have made
Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house,
and have done to him according to the deserving of his hands 17 (for my
father fought for you, and adventured his life, and delivered you out of the
hand of Midian: 18 and you are risen up against my father’s house
this day, and have slain his sons, seventy persons, on one stone, and have
made Abimelech, the son of his maid-servant, king over the men of Shechem,
because he is your brother); 19 if you then have dealt truly and
righteously with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice you
in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: 20 but if not, let fire
come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of
Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of
Millo, and devour Abimelech. 21 Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to
Beer, and lived there, for fear of Abimelech his brother. 22 Abimelech was
prince over Israel three years. 23 God sent an evil spirit between
Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously
with Abimelech: 24 that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal
might come, and that their blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother,
who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to
kill his brothers. 25 The men of Shechem set liers-in-wait for him on the
tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who came along that way by them:
and it was told Abimelech. 26 Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brothers,
and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him.
27 They went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trod
the grapes, and held festival, and went into the house of their god,
and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. 28 Gaal the son of Ebed said,
Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Isn’t he the
son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve you the men of Hamor the
father of Shechem: but why should we serve him? 29 Would that this people
were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. He said to Abimelech,
Increase your army, and come out. 30 When Zebul the ruler of the city
heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. 31 He sent
messengers to Abimelech craftily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and
his brothers are come to Shechem; and, behold, they constrain the city to
take part against you. 32 Now therefore, up by night, you and the
people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field: 33 and it shall be,
that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, you shall rise early, and rush
on the city; and, behold, when he and the people who are with him come out
against you, then may you do to them as you shall find occasion.
34 Abimelech rose up, and all the people who were with him, by night, and
they laid wait against Shechem in four companies. 35 Gaal the son of Ebed
went out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and Abimelech
rose up, and the people who were with him, from the ambush. 36 When Gaal
saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the
tops of the mountains. Zebul said to him, You see the shadow of the mountains
as if they were men. 37 Gaal spoke again and said, Behold, there come
people down by the middle of the land, and one company comes by the way of
the oak of Meonenim. 38 Then said Zebul to him, Where is now your mouth,
that you said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the
people that you have despised? go out now, I pray, and fight with them.
39 Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.
40 Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and there fell many
wounded, even to the entrance of the gate. 41 Abimelech lived at Arumah:
and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers, that they should not dwell in
Shechem. 42 It happened on the next day, that the people went out into the
field; and they told Abimelech. 43 He took the people, and divided them
into three companies, and laid wait in the field; and he looked, and, behold,
the people came forth out of the city; He rose up against them, and struck
them. 44 Abimelech, and the companies that were with him, rushed forward,
and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and the two companies
rushed on all who were in the field, and struck them. 45 Abimelech fought
against the city all that day; and he took the city, and killed the people
who were therein: and he beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
46 When all the men of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered into
the stronghold of the house of Elberith. 47 It was told Abimelech that all
the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. 48 Abimelech got
him up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who 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 he said to the people who were
with him, What you have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.
49 All the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed
Abimelech, and put them to the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire on
them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand
men and women. 50 Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against
Thebez, and took it. 51 But there was a strong tower within the city, and
there fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut
themselves in, and got them up to the roof of the tower. 52 Abimelech came
to the tower, and fought against it, and drew near to the door of the tower
to burn it with fire. 53 A certain woman cast an upper millstone on
Abimelech’s head, and broke his skull. 54 Then he called hastily to the
young man his armor bearer, and said to him, Draw your sword, and kill me,
that men not say of me, A woman killed him. His young man thrust him through,
and he died. 55 When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they
departed every man to his place. 56 Thus God requited the wickedness of
Abimelech, which he did to his father, in killing his seventy brothers;
57 and all the wickedness of the men of Shechem did God requite on their
heads: and on them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
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