Judges, 9

1. Abimelech son of Jerubbaal confronted his mother's brothers at Shechem and, to them and to the whole clan of his maternal grandfather's family, he said,

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. 'Please put this question to the leading men of Shechem: Which is better for you: to be ruled by seventy people -- all Jerubbaal's sons -- or to be ruled by one? Remember too that I am your own flesh and bone.'

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. His mother's brothers said all this on his behalf to all the leading men of Shechem, and their feelings swayed them to follow Abimelech, since they argued, 'He is our brother.'

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. So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and with this Abimelech paid violent adventurers to follow him.

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. He then went to his father's house at Ophrah and put his brothers, Jerubbaal's seventy sons, to death on one and the same stone. Jotham, however, Jerubbaal's youngest son, escaped by going into hiding.

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. All the leading men of Shechem and all Beth-Millo then met and proclaimed Abimelech king at the oak of the cultic stone at Shechem.

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. News of this was brought to Jotham. He went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted at the top of his voice: Hear me, leaders of Shechem, so that God may also hear you!

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. One day the trees went out to anoint a king to rule them. They said to the olive tree, 'Be our king!'

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. The olive tree replied, 'Must I forgo my oil which gives honour to gods and men, to stand and sway over the trees?'

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. Then the trees said to the fig tree, 'You come and be our king!'

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

11. The fig tree replied, 'Must I forgo my sweetness, forgo my excellent fruit, to go and sway over the trees?'

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 the trees said to the vine, 'You come and be our king!'

12. Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, [and] reign over us.

13. The vine replied, 'Must I forgo my wine which cheers gods and men, to go and sway over the trees?'

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 the trees all said to the thorn bush, 'You come and be our king!'

14. Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, [and] reign over us.

15. And the thorn bush replied to the trees, 'If you are anointing me in good faith to be your king, come and shelter in my shade. But, if not, fire will come out of the thorn bush and devour the cedars of Lebanon.'

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 then, if you have acted in sincerity and good faith in making Abimelech king, if you have dealt honourably with Jerubbaal and his family, and have treated him as his actions deserved,

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. my father having fought for you, risked his life and rescued you from the power of Midian,

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

18. and you today having risen up against my father's family, murdered his sons -- seventy of them on one and the same stone -- and appointed Abimelech, his slave-girl's son, to rule the leading men of Shechem, because he is your brother!-

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, I say, you have acted in sincerity and good faith towards Jerubbaal and his family, then may Abimelech be your joy and may you be his!

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. If not, may fire come out of Abimelech and devour the leading men of Shechem and Beth-Millo, and fire come out of the leading men of Shechem and Beth-Millo to devour Abimelech!'

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 then took to his heels; he fled and made his way to Beer; and there he stayed, to be out of his brother Abimelech's reach.

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

22. Abimelech ruled Israel for three years.

22. When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,

23. God then sent a spirit of discord between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem betrayed Abimelech.

23. Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:

24. And this was so that the crime committed against Jerubbaal's seventy sons should be avenged, and their blood recoil on their brother Abimelech who had murdered them, and on those leaders of Shechem who had helped him to murder his brothers.

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. The leaders of Shechem put men to ambush him on the mountain tops, and these robbed anyone travelling their way. Abimelech was told of this.

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. Gaal son of Obed, with his brothers, happened to pass through Shechem and win the confidence of the leaders of Shechem.

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. These went out into the countryside to harvest their vineyards; they trod the grapes and made merry and went into the temple of their god. They ate and drank there and cursed Abimelech.

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. Gaal son of Obed said, 'Who is Abimelech, and what is Shechem, for us to be his slaves? Should not Jerubbaal's son and his lieutenant, Zebul, be serving the men of Hamor, father of Shechem? Why should we be his slaves?

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. Who will put this people under my command, so that I can expel Abimelech? I should say to him, "Reinforce your army and come out!" '

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. Zebul the governor of the town was told what Gaal son of Obed had said, and he was furious.

30. And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.

31. He sent messengers secretly to Abimelech to say, 'Look! Gaal son of Obed has come to Shechem with his brothers, and they are stirring up the town against you.

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. So, move under cover of dark, you and the men you have with you, and take up concealed positions in the countryside;

32. Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that [is] with thee, and lie in wait in the field:

33. then in the morning at sunrise, break cover and rush on the town. When Gaal and his supporters come out to meet you, treat them as occasion offers.'

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. So Abimelech set off under cover of dark with all his own supporters and took up concealed positions over against Shechem, in four groups.

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. As Gaal son of Obed was coming out and pausing at the entrance of the town gate, Abimelech and his supporters rose from their ambush.

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. Gaal saw these men and said to Zebul, 'Look, there are men coming down from the tops of the mountains!' Zebul answered, 'You mistake the shadow of the mountains for men.'

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. But Gaal insisted, 'Look, there are men coming down from the Navel of the Earth and another group is coming from the direction of the Diviners' Oak.'

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. Zebul then said, 'Where are your mouthings now about "Who is Abimelech, for us to be his slaves?" Are not these the men you made light of? Sally out, then, and fight him.'

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. Gaal sallied out at the head of the leaders of Shechem and engaged Abimelech.

39. And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

40. Abimelech drove Gaal off, who turned tail, many of his men falling dead before they could reach the gate.

40. And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown [and] wounded, [even] unto the entering of the gate.

41. Abimelech then stayed at Aruma, and Zebul expelled Gaal and his brothers and prevented them from living in Shechem.

41. And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.

42. Next day, when the people went out into the countryside, Abimelech was told of this.

42. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.

43. He took his men, divided them into three groups and lay in wait in the fields. When he saw the people leaving the town, he bore down on them and slaughtered them.

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. While Abimelech and his group rushed forward and took position at the entrance to the town gate, the two other groups fell on everyone in the fields and slaughtered 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. All that day Abimelech attacked the town. He stormed it and slaughtered the people inside, razed the town and sowed it with salt.

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. On hearing this, all the leading men inside Migdal-Shechem took refuge in the crypt of the temple of El-Berith.

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. As soon as Abimelech heard that the leading men inside Migdal-Shechem had all gathered there,

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

48. he went up Mount Zalmon with all his men. Then taking an axe in his hands, he cut off the branch of a tree, picked it up and put it on his shoulder, and said to the men with him, 'Hurry and do what you have seen me do.'

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. Each of his men similarly cut off a branch; then, following Abimelech, they piled the branches over the crypt and set it on fire over those who were inside; so that all the people in Migdal-Shechem died too, about a thousand men and women.

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. Abimelech then marched on Thebez, besieged it and captured it.

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

51. In the middle of the town there was a fortified tower in which all the men and women and all the leading men of the town took refuge. They locked the door behind them and climbed up to the roof of the tower.

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. Abimelech reached the tower and attacked it. As he was approaching the door of the tower to set it on fire,

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. a woman threw down a millstone on his head and cracked his skull.

53. And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull.

54. He instantly called his young armour-bearer and said, 'Draw your sword and kill me, so that it will not be said of me that "A woman killed him".' His armour-bearer ran him through, and he died.

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. When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they dispersed to their homes.

55. And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.

56. Thus God made to recoil on Abimelech the evil he had done his father by murdering his seventy brothers,

56. Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:

57. and all the evil that the men of Shechem had done God made recoil on their heads too. And so the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came true for them.

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.