Judges 9
1. And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went * to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and communed * with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying * ,
2. Speak * , I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal,which are threescore and ten persons, reign * over you, or that one reign * over you? remember * also that I am your bone and your flesh.
3. And his mother's brethren spake * 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. And they gave * him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired * vain and light * persons, which followed * him.
5. And he went * unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew * his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone:notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left * ; for he hid * himself.
6. And all the men of Shechem gathered together * , and all the house of Millo * , and went * , and made * Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar * that was in Shechem.
7. And when they told * it to Jotham, he went * and stood * in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up * his voice, and cried * , and said * unto them, Hearken * unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken * unto you.
8. The trees went forth * on a time to anoint * a king over them; and they said * unto the olive tree,Reign * thou over us.
9. But the olive tree said * unto them, Should I leave * my fatness, wherewith by me they honour * God and man, and go * to be promoted * over the trees?
10. And the trees said * to the fig tree, Come * thou, and reign * over us.
11. But the fig tree said * unto them, Should I forsake * my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go * to be promoted * over the trees?
12. Then said * the trees unto the vine, Come * thou, and reign * over us.
13. And the vine said * unto them, Should I leave * my wine, which cheereth * God and man, and go * to be promoted * over the trees?
14. Then said * all the trees unto the bramble, Come * thou, and reign * over us.
15. And the bramble said * unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint * me king over you, then come * and put your trust * in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out * of the bramble, and devour * the cedars of Lebanon.
16. Now therefore, if ye have done * truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king * , and if ye have dealt * well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done * unto him according to the deserving of his hands;
17. (For my father fought * for you, and adventured * his life far, and delivered * you out of the hand of Midian:
18. And ye are risen up * against my father's house this day, and have slain * his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king * over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)
19. If ye then have dealt * truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice * ye 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. And Jotham ran away * , and fled * , and went * to Beer, and dwelt * there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
22. When Abimelech had reigned * three years over Israel,
23. Then God sent * an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously * with Abimelech:
24. That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come * , and their blood be laid * upon Abimelech their brother, which slew * them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided * him in the killing * of his brethren.
25. And the men of Shechem set * liers in wait * for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed * all that came * along that way by them: and it was told * Abimelech.
26. And Gaal the son of Ebed came * with his brethren, and went over * to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence * in him.
27. And they went out * into the fields,and gathered * their vineyards, and trode * the grapes, and made * merry, and went * into the house of their god, and did eat * and drink * , and cursed * Abimelech.
28. And Gaal the son of Ebed said * , Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem,that we should serve * him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve * the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve * him?
29. And would to God this people were under * my hand ! then would I remove * Abimelech. And he said * to Abimelech,Increase * thine army, and come out * .
30. And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard * the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled * .
31. And he sent * messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying * , Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come * to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify * the city against thee.
32. Now therefore up * by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait * in the field:
33. And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up * , thou shalt rise early * , and set * upon the city:and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come out * against thee, then mayest thou do * to them as thou shalt find occasion * .
34. And Abimelech rose up * , and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait * against Shechem in four companies.
35. And Gaal the son of Ebed went out * , and stood * in the entering of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up * , and the people that were with him, from lying in wait.
36. And when Gaal saw * the people,he said * to Zebul, Behold, there come * people down * from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said * unto him, Thou seest * the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.
37. And Gaal spake * again * and said * , See there come * people down * by the middle of the land, and another company come * along by the plain of Meonenim * .
38. Then said * Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst * , Who is Abimelech, that we should serve * him? is not this the people that thou hast despised * ? go out * , I pray now, and fight * with them.
39. And Gaal went out * before the men of Shechem, and fought * with Abimelech.
40. And Abimelech chased * him, and he fled * before him, and many were overthrown * and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.
41. And Abimelech dwelt * at Arumah:and Zebul thrust out * Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell * in Shechem.
42. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out * into the field; and they told * Abimelech.
43. And he took * the people, and divided * them into three companies, and laid wait * in the field, and looked * , and, behold, the people were come forth * out of the city; and he rose up * against them, and smote * them.
44. And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward * , and stood * in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other companies ran upon * all the people that were in the fields, and slew * them.
45. And Abimelech fought * against the city all that day; and he took * the city, and slew * the people that was therein, and beat down * the city, and sowed * it with salt.
46. And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard * that, they entered * into an hold of the house of the god Berith.
47. And it was told * Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together * .
48. And Abimelech gat him 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, and laid * it on his shoulder, and said * unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen * me do * , make haste * , and do * as I have done.
49. And all the people likewise cut down * every man his bough, and followed * Abimelech, and put * them to the hold, and set * the hold on fire upon 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 thither fled * all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut * it to them, and gat them up * to the top of the tower.
52. And Abimelech came * unto the tower, and fought * against it, and went hard * unto the door of the tower to burn * it with fire.
53. And a certain woman cast * a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake * his skull.
54. Then he called * hastily unto the young man his armourbearer * , and said * unto him, Draw * thy sword,and slay * me, that men say * not of me, A woman slew * him. And his young man thrust him through * , and he died * .
55. And when the men of Israel saw * that Abimelech was dead * , they departed * every man unto his place.
56. Thus God rendered * the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did * unto his father, in slaying * his seventy brethren:
57. And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render * upon their heads: and upon them came * the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
