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
,
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
.
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
.
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
.
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.
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
.
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.
The trees went forth
on a time to anoint
a king
over them; and they said
unto the olive tree
, Reign
thou over us.
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
?
And the trees said
to the fig tree
, Come
thou, and reign
over us.
But the fig tree said
unto them, Should I forsake
my sweetness
, and my good
fruit
, and go
to be promoted
over the trees
?
Then said the trees
unto the vine
, Come
thou, and reign
over us.
And the vine said
unto them, Should I leave
my wine
, which cheereth
God
and man
, and go
to be promoted
over the trees
?
Then said all the trees
unto the bramble
, Come
thou, and reign
over us.
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
.
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
;
(For my father fought
for you, and adventured
his life
far
, and delivered
you out of the hand
of Midian
:
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
;)
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:
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
.
And Jotham ran away
, and fled
, and went
to Beer
, and dwelt
there, for fear
of Abimelech
his brother
.
When Abimelech had reigned
three
years
over Israel
,
Then God sent
an evil
spirit
between Abimelech
and the men
of Shechem
; and the men
of Shechem
dealt treacherously
with Abimelech
:
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
.
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
.
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.
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
.
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?
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
.
And when Zebul the ruler
of the city
heard
the words
of Gaal
the son
of Ebed
, his anger
was kindled
.
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.
Now therefore up by night
, thou and the people
that is with thee, and lie in wait
in the field
:
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
.
And Abimelech rose up
, and all the people
that were with him, by night
, and they laid wait
against Shechem
in four
companies
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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.
And Gaal went out
before
the men
of Shechem
, and fought
with Abimelech
.
And Abimelech chased
him, and he fled
before
him, and many
were overthrown
and wounded
, even unto the entering
of the gate
.
And Abimelech dwelt
at Arumah
: and Zebul
thrust out
Gaal
and his brethren
, that they should not dwell
in Shechem
.
And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people
went out
into the field
; and they told
Abimelech
.
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.
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.
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
.
And when all the men of the tower
of Shechem
heard
that , they entered
into an hold
of the house
of the god
Berith
.
And it was told Abimelech
, that all the men
of the tower
of Shechem
were gathered together
.
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 .
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
.
Then went Abimelech
to Thebez
, and encamped
against Thebez
, and took
it.
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
.
And Abimelech came
unto the tower
, and fought
against it, and went hard
unto the door
of the tower
to burn
it with fire
.
And a certain woman
cast
a piece
of a millstone
upon Abimelech's
head
, and all to brake
his skull
.
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
.
And when the men of Israel
saw
that Abimelech
was dead
, they departed
every man
unto his place
.
Thus God rendered
the wickedness
of Abimelech
, which he did
unto his father
, in slaying
his seventy
brethren
:
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
.