1
And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to▵ the brothers of his mother, and spoke to▵ them, and to▵ all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying:
2
Speak, I pray◦ you, in the ears of all the citizens of Shechem, Which is better for you, that seventy men◦, all the sons of Jerubbaal, shall rule over you, or that one man◦ rule over you? and remember that I◦ am your bone and your flesh.
3
And his mother’s brothers spoke of him in the ears of all the citizens of Shechem all these words; and their hearts inclined after Abimelech: for they said, He◦ is our brother.
4
And they gave him seventy pieces of silver from the house of Baal-berith, and Abimelech hired with them empty and fickle men◦, and they went after him.
5
And he came to his father’s house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men◦ upon one stone; and there was left Jotham the youngest◦ son of Jerubbaal, for he hid··himself.
6
And all the citizens of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and they went and made Abimelech to reign as king by the oak··grove of the statue which is in Shechem.
7
And they told it to Jotham, and he went and stood on◦ the head of Mount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and called out and said to them, Hearken to▵ me, ye citizens of Shechem, and God will Hearken to▵ you.
8
The trees went◦ to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive··tree, Reign thou over us.
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But the olive··tree said to them, Shall I desist··from my fatness, with which by me they glorify God and men◦, and go◦ to hold sway over the trees?
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And the trees said unto the fig··tree, Come thou◦, reign over us.
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But the fig··tree said to them, Shall I desist··from my sweetness, and my bounty of goodness, and go◦ to hold sway over the trees?
12
And the trees said unto the vine, Come thou◦, reign over us.
13
And the vine said unto them, Should I desist··from my must*, which makes··glad God and man▵, and go◦ to hold sway over the trees?
14
And all the trees said unto▵ the buckthorn*, Come thou◦, reign over us.
15
And the buckthorn said to▵ the trees, If in truth you◦ anoint me for a king over you, Come have··confidence in my shadow; and if not◦, fire shall go··out from the buckthorn, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
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And now, if you have done truth and integrity by making· Abimelech ·king, and if you have done well with Jerubbaal and with his house, and if you have done to him as his hands should be recompensed,
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in that my father fought for▵ you, and cast· his soul ·away in··front··of you, and rescued you out··of the hand of Midian,
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and you◦ have arisen against my father’s house today, and have killed his sons, seventy men◦ upon one stone, and have made· Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, ·king over the citizens of Shechem, because◦ he◦ is your brother:
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and if you have done truth and integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, be··glad in Abimelech, and let him also be··glad in you.
20
But if not◦, let fire go··out from Abimelech, and eat··up the citizens of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire go··out from the citizens of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and eat··up Abimelech.
21
And Jotham fled, and ran··away and went to Beer, and dwelt there, away from the faces of Abimelech his brother.
22
And Abimelech was··prince over Israel three years.
23
And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem; and the citizens of Shechem acted··treacherously with Abimelech;
24
that the violence to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal and their blood come upon Abimelech their brother who killed them, and upon the citizens of Shechem who confirmed his hands in the killing of his brothers.
25
And for him the citizens of Shechem set an ambush on the heads of the mountains, and they robbed all that passed··by them in the way; and it was told to Abimelech.
26
And Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers came··in and crossed··over to Shechem; and the citizens of Shechem trusted in him.
27
And they went··out into the field and gathered··the··vintage of their vineyards and trod them, and made praises, and came··into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and reviled Abimelech.
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 overseer? serve the men◦ of Hamor the father of Shechem; and why should we◦ serve him?
29
And who gives this people into my hand? And I will remove Abimelech. And he said unto Abimelech, Multiply thine army and come··out.
30
And Zebul the prince of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, and his anger was··fierce.
31
And he sent messengers unto▵ Abimelech with deceit, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers come to Shechem; and, behold, they make· the city ·an··adversary against thee.
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And now, arise by night, thou◦ and the people that are with◦ thee, and set··an··ambush in the field.
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And it shall be in the morning, when the sun rises◦, thou shalt get··up··early, and attack the city; and behold, he◦ and the people that are with◦ him will go··out against thee, and thou shalt do to▵ him as◦ thy hand finds.
34
And Abimelech arose, and all the people that were with him, by night, and set··an··ambush against Shechem under four heads.
35
And Gaal the son of Ebed went··out, and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city; and Abimelech and the people that were with◦ him arose from the ambush.
36
And Gaal saw the people, and said to▵ Zebul, Behold, a people come··down from the heads of the mountains. And Zebul said to▵ him, Thou◦ seest the shadow of the mountains as men◦.
37
And Gaal spoke again, and said, Behold, there come· people ·down from the center* of the land, and one company◦ comes from the way of the oak··grove of the wizards.
38
And Zebul said unto▵ him, Where◦ is now thy mouth, that thou saidst, Who is Abimelech that we should serve him? Is not this the people that thou hast rejected? Go··out now, I pray◦ thee, and fight with them.
39
And Gaal went··out before the citizens of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.
40
And Abimelech pursued him, and he fled from before him, and many fell slain even◦ at the entrance of the gate.
41
And Abimelech dwelt in Arumah; and Zebul drove··out Gaal and his brothers from dwelling in Shechem.
42
And it was, on the morrow, that the people went··out into the field, and they told Abimelech.
43
And he took the people and divided them into three companies◦, and set··an··ambush in the field; and he saw, and behold, the people came··out from the city; and he rose··up against them, and smote them.
44
And Abimelech, and the companies◦ that were with him, attacked them, and they stood at the entrance of the gate of the city; and two companies◦ attacked all who were in the field and smote them.
45
And Abimelech fought against◦ the city all that◦ day; and he captured the city, and killed the people that was therein, and tore··down the city, and sowed it with salt.
46
And all the citizens of the tower of Shechem heard, and they came to▵ the hold of the house of the god◦ Berith.
47
And it was··told Abimelech that all the citizens of the tower of Shechem were come··together.
48
And Abimelech went··up Mount Tsalmon, he◦ and all the people that were with◦ him. And Abimelech took an axe◦ in his hand, and cut··off a bough◦ from the trees, and lifted it and set it on his shoulder, and said unto▵ the people who were with him, What you have seen me do, hasten and do as▵ I.
49
And all the people also cut··off each··man◦ his bough◦, and went after Abimelech, and they set them on the hold, and kindled the hold with fire upon them; and all the men◦ of the tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand, man◦ and woman.
50
And Abimelech went to Thebez, and encamped against▵ Thebez, and captured it.
51
And there was a tower of strength in the midst of the city, and thither fled all the men◦ and the women, and all the citizens of the city, and closed it against▫ them, and went··up on the roof of the tower.
52
And Abimelech came to◦ the tower, and fought··against it, and he approached the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire.
53
And one woman cast a piece◦ of an upper··millstone on the head of Abimelech, and fractured his skull.
54
And he called hastily to▵ the lad carrying his weapons◦, and said to him, Draw▵ thy sword and put· me ·to··death, lest they say of me, A woman killed him; and his youth thrust· him ·through, and he died.
55
And the men◦ of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, and they went every man◦ unto his place.
56
And God returned the evil of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in killing his seventy brothers.
57
And all the evil of the men◦ of Shechem did God return on◦ their heads; and on them came the curse◦ of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
