Judges 9
9Abimelek son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother's brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother's clan,H40H1121H3378H3212H7927H517H251H1696H4940H1004H517H1H5592"Ask all the citizens of Shechem, 'Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal's sons rule over you, or just one man?' Remember, I am your flesh and blood."H1696H241H1167H7927H2896H1121H3378H7657H376H4910H259H4910H2142H6106H13203When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelek, for they said, "He is related to us."H517H251H1696H241H1167H7927H1697H3820H5186H310H40H559H2514They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels, who became his followers.H5414H7657H3701H1004H1170H40H7936H7386H6348H582H3212H3105He went to his father's home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, escaped by hiding.H935H1H1004H6084H2026H251H1121H3378H7657H376H259H68H3147H6996H1121H3378H3498H22446Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered beside the great tree at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelek king.H1167H7927H622H1004H4407H1037H3212H4427H40H4428H436H5324H79277When Jotham was told about this, he climbed up on the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, "Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you.H5046H3147H3212H5975H7218H2022H1630H5375H6963H7121H559H8085H1167H7927H430H80858One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, 'Be our king.'H6086H1980H1980H4886H4428H559H2132H44279"But the olive tree answered, 'Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and human beings are honored, to hold sway over the trees?'H2132H559H2308H1880H3513H430H582H1980H5128H608610"Next, the trees said to the fig tree, 'Come and be our king.'H6086H559H8384H3212H442711"But the fig tree replied, 'Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?'H8384H559H2308H4987H2896H8570H1980H5128H608612"Then the trees said to the vine, 'Come and be our king.'H559H6086H1612H3212H442713"But the vine answered, 'Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and human beings, to hold sway over the trees?'H1612H559H2308H8492H8055H430H582H1980H5128H608614"Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, 'Come and be our king.'H559H6086H329H3212H442715"The thornbush said to the trees, 'If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!'H329H559H6086H571H4886H4428H935H2620H6738H784H3318H329H398H730H384416"Have you have acted honorably and in good faith by making Abimelek king? Have you been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family? Have you treated him as he deserves?H6213H571H8549H40H4427H6213H2896H3378H1004H6213H1576H302717Remember that my father fought for you and risked his life to rescue you from the hand of Midian.H1H3898H7993H5315H5048H5337H3027H408018But today you have revolted against my father's family. You have murdered his seventy sons on a single stone and have made Abimelek, the son of his female slave, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is related to you.H6965H1H1004H3117H2026H1121H7657H376H259H68H40H1121H519H4427H1167H7927H25119So have you acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today? If you have, may Abimelek be your joy, and may you be his, too!H6213H571H8549H3378H1004H3117H8055H40H805520But if you have not, let fire come out from Abimelek and consume you, the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelek!"H784H3318H40H398H1167H7927H1004H4407H1037H784H3318H1167H7927H1004H4407H1037H398H4021Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and he lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelek.H3147H1272H5127H3212H876H3427H6440H40H25122After Abimelek had governed Israel three years,H40H7786H7969H8141H347823God stirred up animosity between Abimelek and the citizens of Shechem so that they acted treacherously against Abimelek.H430H7971H7451H7307H40H1167H7927H1167H7927H898H4024God did this in order that the crime against Jerub-Baal's seventy sons, the shedding of their blood, might be avenged on their brother Abimelek and on the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers.H2555H7657H1121H3378H935H1818H7760H40H251H2026H1167H7927H2388H3027H2026H25125In opposition to him these citizens of Shechem set an ambush on the hilltops to rob everyone who passed by, and this was reported to Abimelek.H1167H7927H7760H693H7218H2022H1497H5674H1870H5046H4026Now Gaal son of Ebed moved with his brothers into Shechem, and its citizens put their confidence in him.H1603H1121H5651H935H251H5674H7927H1167H7927H98227After they had gone out into the fields and gathered the grapes and trodden them, they held a festival in the temple of their god. While they were eating and drinking, they cursed Abimelek.H3318H7704H1219H3754H1869H6213H1974H935H1004H430H398H8354H7043H4028Then Gaal son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelek, and who is Shechem, that we should be subject to him? Isn't he Jerub-Baal's son, and isn't Zebul his deputy? Serve the people of Hamor, Shechem's father! Why should we serve Abimelek?H1603H1121H5651H559H40H7927H5647H1121H3378H2083H6496H5647H582H2544H1H7927H564729If only this people were under my command! Then I would get rid of him. I would say to Abimelek, 'Call out your whole army!' "H5971H5414H3027H5493H40H559H40H7235H6635H331830When Zebul the governor of the city heard what Gaal son of Ebed said, he was very angry.H2083H8269H5892H8085H1697H1603H1121H5651H639H273431Under cover he sent messengers to Abimelek, saying, "Gaal son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you.H7971H4397H40H8649H559H1603H1121H5651H251H935H7927H6696H589232Now then, during the night you and your men should come and lie in wait in the fields.H6965H3915H5971H693H770433In the morning at sunrise, advance against the city. When Gaal and his men come out against you, do whatever your hand finds to do."H1242H8121H2224H7925H6584H5892H5971H3318H6213H3027H467234So Abimelek and all his troops set out by night and took up concealed positions near Shechem in four companies.H40H6965H5971H3915H693H7927H702H721835Now Gaal son of Ebed had gone out and was standing at the entrance of the city gate just as Abimelek and his troops came out from their hiding place.H1603H1121H5651H3318H5975H6607H8179H5892H40H6965H5971H399336When Gaal saw them, he said to Zebul, "Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!" Zebul replied, "You mistake the shadows of the mountains for men."H1603H7200H5971H559H2083H3381H5971H3381H7218H2022H2083H559H7200H6738H2022H58237But Gaal spoke up again: "Look, people are coming down from the central hill, and a company is coming from the direction of the diviners' tree."H1603H1696H3254H559H3381H5971H3381H2872H776H259H7218H935H436H1870H604938Then Zebul said to him, "Where is your big talk now, you who said, 'Who is Abimelek that we should be subject to him?' Aren't these the men you ridiculed? Go out and fight them!"H559H2083H645H6310H559H40H5647H5971H3988H3318H4994H389839So Gaal led out the citizens of Shechem and fought Abimelek.H1603H3318H6440H1167H7927H3898H4040Abimelek chased him all the way to the entrance of the gate, and many fell slain as they fled.H40H7291H5127H6440H7227H5307H2491H6607H817941Abimelek stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his relatives out of Shechem.H40H3427H725H2083H1644H1603H251H3427H792742The next day the people of Shechem went out to the fields, and this was reported to Abimelek.H4283H5971H3318H7704H5046H4043So he took his troops, divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose to attack them.H3947H5971H2673H7969H7218H693H7704H7200H5971H3318H5892H6965H522144Abimelek and the companies with him rushed forward to a position at the entrance of the city gate. Then two companies attacked those in the fields and struck them down.H40H7218H6584H5975H6607H8179H5892H8147H7218H6584H7704H522145All that day Abimelek pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city and scattered salt over it.H40H3898H5892H3117H3920H5892H2026H5971H5422H5892H2232H441746On hearing this, the citizens in the tower of Shechem went into the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith.H1167H4026H7927H8085H935H6877H1004H410H128647When Abimelek heard that they had assembled there,H5046H40H1167H4026H7927H690848he and all his men went up Mount Zalmon. He took an ax and cut off some branches, which he lifted to his shoulders. He ordered the men with him, "Quick! Do what you have seen me do!"H40H5927H2022H6756H5971H40H3947H7134H3027H3772H7754H6086H5375H7760H7926H559H5971H7200H6213H4116H6213H364449So all the men cut branches and followed Abimelek. They piled them against the stronghold and set it on fire with the people still inside. So all the people in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, also died.H5971H3772H376H7754H3212H310H40H7760H6877H3341H6877H784H582H4026H7927H4191H505H376H80250Next Abimelek went to Thebez and besieged it and captured it.H3212H40H8405H2583H8405H392051Inside the city, however, was a strong tower, to which all the men and women—all the people of the city—had fled. They had locked themselves in and climbed up on the tower roof.H5797H4026H8432H5892H5127H582H802H1167H5892H5462H5927H1406H402652Abimelek went to the tower and attacked it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire,H40H935H4026H3898H5066H6607H4026H8313H78453a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull.H259H802H7993H6400H7393H40H7218H7533H153854Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can't say, 'A woman killed him.' " So his servant ran him through, and he died.H7121H4120H5288H5375H3627H559H8025H2719H4191H559H802H2026H5288H1856H419155When the Israelites saw that Abimelek was dead, they went home.H376H3478H7200H40H4191H3212H376H472556Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelek had done to his father by murdering his seventy brothers.H430H7725H7451H40H6213H1H2026H7657H25157God also made the people of Shechem pay for all their wickedness. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal came on them.H7451H582H7927H430H7725H7218H935H7045H3147H1121H3378
Columbus, OH
