Judges 9

1And AbimelechH40 the sonH1121 of JerubbaalH3378 went to ShechemH7927 unto his mother’sH517 brethren, and spake with them, and with all the familyH4940 of the houseH1004 of his mother’sH517 fatherH1, sayingH559, 2SpeakH1696, I pray you, in the earsH241 of all the menH376 of ShechemH7927, Whether is betterH2896 for you, that all the sonsH1121 of JerubbaalH3378, who are threescore and ten personsH376, ruleH4910 over you, or that oneH259 ruleH4910 over you? rememberH2142 also that I am your boneH6106 and your fleshH1320. 3And his mother’sH517 brethren spake of him in the earsH241 of all the men of ShechemH7927 all these wordsH1697: and their heartsH3820 inclinedH5186 to follow AbimelechH40; for they saidH559, He is our brotherH251. 4And they gaveH5414 him threescore and ten pieces of silverH3701 out of the houseH1004 of Baal-berithH1170, wherewith AbimelechH40 hiredH7936 vain and light fellows, who followed him. 5And he wentH935 unto his father’sH1 houseH1004 at OphrahH6084, and slewH2026 his brethren the sonsH1121 of JerubbaalH3378, being threescore and ten personsH376, upon oneH259 stoneH68: but JothamH3147 the youngestH6996 sonH1121 of JerubbaalH3378 was leftH3498; for he hidH2244 himself. 6And all the men of ShechemH7927 assembled themselves together, and all the houseH1004 of MilloH4407, and went and made AbimelechH40 kingH4428, by the oak of the pillar that was in ShechemH7927.

7And when they toldH5046 it to JothamH3147, he went and stoodH5975 on the topH7218 of mount GerizimH1630, and liftedH5375 up his voiceH6963, and cried, and saidH559 unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of ShechemH7927, that GodH430 may hearken unto you. 8The treesH6086 wentH1980 forth on a time to anointH4886 a kingH4428 over them; and they saidH559 unto the olive-tree, ReignH4427 thou over us. 9But the olive-tree saidH559 unto them, Should I leave my fatnessH1880, wherewith by me they honorH3513 GodH430 and manH376, and goH1980 to wave to and fro over the treesH6086? 10And the treesH6086 saidH559 to the fig-tree, Come thou, and reignH4427 over us. 11But the fig-tree saidH559 unto them, Should I leave my sweetness, and my goodH2896 fruitH8570, and goH1980 to wave to and fro over the treesH6086? 12And the treesH6086 saidH559 unto the vineH1612, Come thou, and reignH4427 over us. 13And the vineH1612 saidH559 unto them, Should I leave my newH8492 wineH8492, which cheereth GodH430 and manH376, and goH1980 to wave to and fro over the treesH6086? 14Then saidH559 all the treesH6086 unto the bramble, Come thou, and reignH4427 over us. 15And the bramble saidH559 unto the treesH6086, If in truthH571 ye anointH4886 me kingH4428 over you, then comeH935 and takeH2620 refugeH2620 in my shadeH6738; and if not, let fireH784 comeH935 out of the bramble, and devourH398 the cedarsH730 of LebanonH3844. 16NowH6258 thereforeH6258, if ye have dealt truly and uprightly, in that ye have madeH6213 AbimelechH40 kingH4427, and if ye have dealt wellH2895 with JerubbaalH3378 and his houseH1004, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his handsH3027 17(for my fatherH1 foughtH3898 for you, and adventured his lifeH5315, and deliveredH5337 you out of the handH3027 of MidianH4080: 18and ye are risenH6965 up against my father’sH1 houseH1004 this dayH3117, and have slainH2026 his sonsH1121, threescore and ten personsH376, upon oneH259 stoneH68, and have made AbimelechH40, the sonH1121 of his maid-servant, kingH4427 over the menH376 of ShechemH7927, because he is your brotherH251); 19if ye then have dealt truly and uprightly with JerubbaalH3378 and with his houseH1004 this dayH3117, then rejoiceH8055 ye in AbimelechH40, and let him alsoH1571 rejoiceH8055 in you: 20but if not, let fireH784 comeH3318 out from AbimelechH40, and devourH398 the men of ShechemH7927, and the houseH1004 of MilloH4407; and let fireH784 comeH3318 out from the men of ShechemH7927, and from the houseH1004 of MilloH4407, and devourH398 AbimelechH40. 21And JothamH3147 ran awayH1272, and fledH5127, and went to BeerH876, and dweltH3427 there, for fear of AbimelechH40 his brotherH251.

22And AbimelechH40 was prince over IsraelH3478 threeH7969 yearsH8141. 23And GodH430 sentH7971 an evilH7451 spiritH7307 between AbimelechH40 and the men of ShechemH7927; and the men of ShechemH7927 dealtH898 treacherouslyH898 with AbimelechH40: 24that the violenceH2555 done to the threescore and ten sonsH1121 of JerubbaalH3378 might comeH935, and that their bloodH1818 might be laid upon AbimelechH40 their brotherH251, who slewH2026 them, and upon the men of ShechemH7927, who strengthenedH2388 his handsH3027 to slayH2026 his brethren. 25And the men of ShechemH7927 setH7760 liers-in-wait for him on the topsH7218 of the mountainsH2022, and they robbedH1497 all that came along that wayH1870 by them: and it was toldH5046 AbimelechH40.

26And GaalH1603 the sonH1121 of EbedH5651 cameH935 with his brethren, and wentH935 over to ShechemH7927; and the men of ShechemH7927 put their trustH982 in him. 27And they wentH3318 out into the fieldH7704, and gatheredH1219 their vineyardsH3754, and trodH1869the grapes, and held festival, and wentH3318 into the houseH1004 of their godH430, and did eatH398 and drinkH8354, and cursedH7043 AbimelechH40. 28And GaalH1603 the sonH1121 of EbedH5651 saidH559, Who is AbimelechH40, and who is ShechemH7927, that we should serveH5647 him? is not he the sonH1121 of JerubbaalH3378? and ZebulH2083 his officerH6496? serveH5647 ye the menH376 of HamorH2544 the fatherH1 of ShechemH7927: but whyH4069 should we serveH5647 him? 29And would that this peopleH5971 were under my handH3027! then would I removeH5493 AbimelechH40. And he saidH559 to AbimelechH40, IncreaseH7235 thine armyH6635, and comeH3318 out.

30And when ZebulH2083 the ruler of the cityH5892 heardH8085 the wordsH1697 of GaalH1603 the sonH1121 of EbedH5651, his angerH639 was kindled. 31And he sentH7971 messengersH4397 unto AbimelechH40 craftily, sayingH559, Behold, GaalH1603 the sonH1121 of EbedH5651 and his brethren are comeH935 to ShechemH7927; and, behold, they constrain the cityH5892 to take part against thee. 32NowH6258 thereforeH6258, up by nightH3915, thou and the peopleH5971 that are with thee, and lieH693 in waitH693 in the fieldH7704: 33and it shall beH1961, that in the morningH1242, as soon as the sunH8121 is up, thou shalt riseH7925 earlyH7925, and rush upon the cityH5892; and, behold, when he and the peopleH5971 that are with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt findH4672 occasion.

34And AbimelechH40 roseH6965 up, and all the peopleH5971 that were with him, by nightH3915, and they laid waitH693 against ShechemH7927 in fourH702 companiesH7218. 35And GaalH1603 the sonH1121 of EbedH5651 wentH3318 out, and stoodH5975 in the entranceH6607 of the gateH8179 of the cityH5892: and AbimelechH40 roseH6965 up, and the peopleH5971 that were with him, from the ambushment. 36And when GaalH1603 sawH7200 the peopleH5971, he saidH559 to ZebulH2083, Behold, there comeH3381 peopleH5971 downH3381 from the topsH7218 of the mountainsH2022. And ZebulH2083 saidH559 unto him, Thou seest the shadowH6738 of the mountainsH2022 as if they were menH376. 37And GaalH1603 spake againH5750 and saidH559, See, there comeH935 peopleH5971 downH3381 by the middle of the landH776, and oneH259 companyH7218 cometh by the wayH1870 of the oak of Meonenim. 38ThenH645 saidH559 ZebulH2083 unto him, WhereH834 is nowH6258 thy mouthH6310, that thou saidst, Who is AbimelechH40, that we should serveH5647 him? is not this the peopleH5971 that thou hast despised? goH3318 out nowH6258, I pray, and fightH3898 with them. 39And GaalH1603 wentH3318 out before the men of ShechemH7927, and foughtH3898 with AbimelechH40. 40And AbimelechH40 chased him, and he fledH5127 before him, and there fellH5307 manyH7227 woundedH2491, even unto the entranceH6607 of the gateH8179.

41And AbimelechH40 dweltH3427 at Arumah: and ZebulH2083 droveH1644 out GaalH1603 and his brethren, that they should not dwellH3427 in ShechemH7927. 42And it came to pass on the morrow, that the peopleH5971 wentH3318 out into the fieldH7704; and they toldH5046 AbimelechH40. 43And he tookH3947 the peopleH5971, and dividedH2673 them into threeH7969 companiesH7218, and laid waitH693 in the fieldH7704; and he lookedH7200, and, behold, the peopleH5971 cameH3318 forthH3318 out of the cityH5892; and he roseH6965 up against them, and smote them. 44And AbimelechH40, and the companiesH7218 that were with him, rushed forward, and stoodH5975 in the entranceH6607 of the gateH8179 of the cityH5892: and the twoH8147 companiesH7218 rushed upon all that were in the fieldH7704, and smote them. 45And AbimelechH40 foughtH3898 against the cityH5892 all that dayH3117; and he tookH3920 the cityH5892, and slewH2026 the peopleH5971 that were therein: and he beat down the cityH5892, and sowedH2232 it with saltH4417.

46And when all the men of the towerH4026 of ShechemH7927 heardH8085 thereof, they entered into the stronghold of the houseH1004 of Elberith. 47And it was toldH5046 AbimelechH40 that all the men of the towerH4026 of ShechemH7927 were gatheredH6908 togetherH6908. 48And AbimelechH40 gat him up to mount ZalmonH6756, he and all the peopleH5971 that were with him; and AbimelechH40 tookH3947 an axeH7134 in his handH3027, and cutH3772 down a bough from the treesH6086, and tookH3947 it up, and laid it on his shoulderH7926: and he saidH559 unto the peopleH5971 that were with him, What ye have seenH7200 me do, makeH7760 hasteH4116, and do as I have done. 49And all the peopleH5971 likewise cutH3772 down every manH376 his bough, and followed AbimelechH40, and putH4191 them to the stronghold, and setH7760 the stronghold on fireH784 upon them; so that all the menH376 of the towerH4026 of ShechemH7927 diedH4191 alsoH1571, about a thousandH505 menH376 and womenH802.

50Then went AbimelechH40 to ThebezH8405, and encampedH2583 against ThebezH8405, and tookH3920 it. 51But there wasH1961 a strong towerH4026 within the cityH5892, and thither fledH5127 all the menH376 and womenH802, and all they of the cityH5892, and shutH5462 themselves in, and gat them up to the roofH1406 of the towerH4026. 52And AbimelechH40 cameH935 unto the towerH4026, and foughtH3898 against it, and drewH5066 near unto the doorH6607 of the towerH4026 to burnH8313 it with fireH784. 53And a certain womanH802 castH7993 an upperH7393 millstoneH7393 upon Abimelech’s headH7218, and brake his skullH1538. 54Then he calledH7121 hastily unto the youngH5288 manH5288 his armorbearer, and saidH559 unto him, DrawH8025 thy swordH2719, and killH2026 me, that menH5288 sayH559 not of me, A womanH802 slewH2026 him. And his youngH5288 manH5288 thrust him through, and he diedH4191. 55And when the menH376 of IsraelH3478 sawH7200 that AbimelechH40 was deadH4191, they departed every manH376 unto his placeH4725. 56Thus GodH430 requited the wickednessH7451 of AbimelechH40, which he did unto his fatherH1, in slaying his seventyH7657 brethren; 57and all the wickednessH7451 of the menH376 of ShechemH7927 did GodH430 requite upon their headsH7218: and upon them cameH935 the curseH7045 of JothamH3147 the sonH1121 of JerubbaalH3378.