THE BOOK OF JUDGES

 

Judges Chapter 9

1 ¶ Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s family, and said to them, and to all the kinsmen of his mother’s father,

2 Go, I pray you, and say to all the men of Shechem, Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your flesh and bone.

3 And his mother’s brethren spoke all these words on his behalf to all the men of Shechem: and they were inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.

4 And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and foolhardy men, who followed him.

5 And he went to his father’s house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone: but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal escaped; for he hid himself.

6 And all the men of Shechem, and all the house of Millo, gathered together and made Abimelech king, by the oak at the pillar in Shechem.

7 ¶ And when Jotham was told of it, he went and stood on the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and shouted to them, Listen to me, you men of Shechem, so that God may listen to you.

8 The trees once went forth to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive tree, Reign over us.

9 But the olive tree said to them, Should I stop giving oil, which honors both God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

10 And the trees said to the fig tree, Come and reign over us.

11 But the fig tree said to them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

12 Then the trees said to the vine, Come, and reign over us.

13 And the vine said to them, Should I leave my wine, which cheers God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

14 Then all the trees said to the bramble, Come, and reign over us.

15 And the bramble said to the trees, If in truth you 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 you have acted faithfully and honestly, in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his family, and have done to him what his deeds deserved;

17 (For my father fought for you, and risked his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:

18 And you have risen up against my father’s house this day, and have killed his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)

19 If you then have dealt faithfully and honestly with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:

20 But if not, let fire come from Abimelech, and consume the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and consume Abimelech.

21 Then Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and stayed there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

22 ¶ After Abimelech had reigned over Israel for 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 cruelty done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come to justice, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, who aided him in killing his brothers.

25 And the men of Shechem set ambushes for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way: and Abimelech was told of it.

26 And Gaal the son of Ebed moved to Shechem, with his brothers: and the men of Shechem put their trust in him.

27 So they went out into the fields, and gathered grapes from their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.

28 And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Did not the son of Jerubbaal, and Zebul his officer, serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem? Why should we serve him?

29 If only these people were under my command! then I would remove Abimelech. So he said to Abimelech, Gather your army, and come out.

30 And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, he became angry.

31 And he secretly sent messengers to Abimelech, saying, Look, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem; and they are turning the city against you.

32 Therefore tonight, you and the people who are with you, come up and lie in wait in the field:

33 And in the morning, rise as soon as the sun is up, and attack the city: and, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, then you may do to them as the occasion offers.

34 So Abimelech, and all the people who were with him, got up by night, and waited in ambush for Shechem in four companies.

35 And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood at the entrance of the city gate: and Abimelech, and the people who were with him, rose up from lying in wait.

36 And when Gaal saw the men, he said to Zebul, Look, there are men coming down from the mountain tops. And Zebul said to him, The shadow of the mountains looks to you like men.

37 Then Gaal again said, Look men are coming down the middle of the mountain, and another company is coming from the oak of Meonenim.

38 Then Zebul said to him, Where is your boast now, you said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? are these not the people that you despised? go out 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 fell wounded, up to the entrance of the gate.

41 And Abimelech stayed at Arumah: and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem.

42 On the next day, the men went out into the fields; and Abimelech was told.

43 And he took his men, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and he watched, and when he saw the men coming out of the city; he rose up against them, and killed them.

44 And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood at the entrance of the city gate: while the two other companies rushed upon all who were in the fields, and slew them.

45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and killed the people who were in it, and demolished the city, and sowed it with salt.

46 And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered into a stronghold in the house of the god Berith.

47 And Abimelech was told, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered there.

48 And Abimelech went 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 branch from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said to the men who were with him, Hurry and do what you have seen me do.

49 So every man likewise cut down a branch, and followed Abimelech, and put the branches against the stronghold, and set them on fire; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand men and women.

50 ¶ Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.

51 But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the people of the city, men and women, fled there and shut themselves in, and went up to the top of the tower.

52 And Abimelech came to the tower, and fought against it, and drew near the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

53 And a certain woman threw a piece of a millstone down on Abimelech’s head, and broke his skull.

54 Then he quickly called his armor-bearer, and said to him, Draw your sword, and kill me, so that men do not say of me, A woman killed 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 to his home.

56 Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did to his father, by killing his seventy brothers:

57 And God returned all the evil of the men of Shechem upon their heads: and caused the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal to come upon them.