9
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, ‘Is
it 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.
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
reckless 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 with 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, cried
out, and said
to them, “Listen
to me, you
men of Shechem,
that God may
listen to you.
8 The
trees set out
to anoint a
king over
themselves. They said
to the olive
tree, ‘Reign over
us.’
9 “But
the olive tree said
to them, ‘Should
I stop producing
my oil, with which
they honor God
and man by me,
and go to
wave back and
forth over the
trees?’
10 “The
trees said to the
fig tree, ‘Come
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 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
all the trees said
to the bramble, ‘Come
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, risked
his life, and
delivered you out
of the hand
of Midian;
18 and
you have risen
up against my
father’s house
today and have
slain his sons,
seventy persons, on
one stone, and
have made Abimelech,
the son of
his female 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 today,
then rejoice
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 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 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 an ambush for
him on the
tops of the
mountains, and
they robbed all
who came along
that way by
them; and Abimelech
was told about
it.
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,
harvested their
vineyards, trod
the grapes, celebrated,
and went into
the house of
their god and ate
and drank, 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? Isn’t
Zebul his officer?
Serve the men
of Hamor the
father of Shechem,
but why should
we serve him?
29 I
wish that this
people were under
my hand! Then
I would
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 burned.
31 He
sent messengers
to Abimelech craftily, saying, “Behold, Gaal the son
of Ebed and
his brothers have
come to Shechem;
and behold,
they incite the
city against you.
32 Now
therefore, go up
by night, you
and the people
who are with
you, and lie
in wait in the
field.
33 It
shall be that
in the morning,
as soon as
the sun is
up, you shall
rise early and
rush on the
city. 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. Abimelech
rose up, and
the people who
were with him,
from the ambush.
36 When
Gaal saw the
people, he said to
Zebul, “Behold,
people are coming
down from the
tops of the
mountains.”
Zebul said to him,
“You see the
shadows of the
mountains as if
they were men.”
37 Gaal
spoke again and
said, “Behold,
people are coming
down by the
middle of the land,
and one company
comes by the
way of the oak
of Meonenim.”
38 Then
Zebul said to
him, “Now where
is your mouth,
that you said, ‘Who
is Abimelech, that
we should serve
him?’ Isn’t this
the people that
you have despised?
Please go out
now 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 many
fell 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 On
the next day,
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
out of the
city. So, 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 in it.
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 Abimelech
was told that
all the men
of the tower
of Shechem were
gathered together.
48 Abimelech
went up to
Mount Zalmon, he
and all the
people who were
with him;
and Abimelech took
an ax in his
hand, and cut
down a bough
from the trees,
and took it
up, and laid
it on his
shoulder. Then
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 each cut
down his bough,
followed Abimelech, and
put them at
the base of
the stronghold, and
set the stronghold
on fire over
them, so that
all the people
of the tower
of Shechem died
also, 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
men and women of
the city fled
there, and shut
themselves in, and
went up to
the roof of
the tower.
52 Abimelech
came to the
tower and fought
against it, and
came 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 each
departed to his
place.
56 Thus God
repaid the
wickedness of Abimelech,
which he did
to his father in
killing his
seventy brothers;
57 and God
repaid all the
wickedness of the
men of Shechem
on their heads;
and the curse
of Jotham the
son of Jerubbaal
came on them.