9NOW ABIMELECH son of Jerubbaal (Gideon) went to Shechem to his mother's kinsmen and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother's family,H40H1121H3378H3212H7927H517H251H1696H4940H1004H517H1H5592Say, I pray you, in the hearing of all the men of Shechem, Which is better for you: that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal reign over you, or that one man rule over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.H1696H241H1167H7927H2896H1121H3378H7657H376H4910H259H4910H2142H6106H13203And his mother's kinsmen spoke all these words concerning him in the hearing of all the men of Shechem, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, He is our brother.H517H251H1696H241H1167H7927H1697H3820H5186H310H40H559H2514And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and foolhardy men who followed him.H5414H7657H3701H1004H1170H40H7936H7386H6348H582H3212H3105And he went to his father's house at Ophrah and slew his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, was left, for he hid himself.H935H1H1004H6084H2026H251H1121H3378H7657H376H259H68H3147H6996H1121H3378H3498H22446And all the men of Shechem gathered together and all of Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king by the oak (terebinth) of the pillar at Shechem.H1167H7927H622H1004H4407H1037H3212H4427H40H4428H436H5324H79277When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood at the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, Hear me, men of Shechem, that God may hear you.H5046H3147H3212H5975H7218H2022H1630H5375H6963H7121H559H8085H1167H7927H430H80858One time the trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, Reign over us.H6086H1980H1980H4886H4428H559H2132H44279But the olive tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness, by which God and man are honored, and go to wave over the trees?H2132H559H2308H1880H3513H430H582H1980H5128H608610Then the trees said to the fig tree, You come and reign over us.H6086H559H8384H3212H442711But the fig tree said to them, Should I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go to wave over the trees?H8384H559H2308H4987H2896H8570H1980H5128H608612Then the trees said to the vine (grapevine), You come and reign over us.H559H6086H1612H3212H442713And the vine (grapevine) replied, Should I leave my new wine, which rejoices God and man, and go to wave over the trees?H1612H559H2308H8492H8055H430H582H1980H5128H608614Then all the trees said to the bramble, You come and reign over us.H559H6086H329H3212H442715And the bramble said to the trees, If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.H329H559H6086H571H4886H4428H935H2620H6738H784H3318H329H398H730H384416Now therefore, if you acted sincerely and honorably when you made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house and have done to him as his deeds deserved--H6213H571H8549H40H4427H6213H2896H3378H1004H6213H1576H302717For my father fought for you, jeopardized his life, and rescued you from the hand of Midian;H1H3898H7993H5315H5048H5337H3027H408018And you have risen up against my father's house this day and have slain his sons, seventy men, on one stone and have made Abimelech, son of his maidservant, king over the people of Shechem because he is your kinsman--H6965H1H1004H3117H2026H1121H7657H376H259H68H40H1121H519H4427H1167H7927H25119If you then have acted sincerely and honorably with Jerubbaal and his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you;H6213H571H8549H3378H1004H3117H8055H40H805520But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the people of Shechem and Beth-millo, and let fire come out from the people of Shechem and Beth-millo and devour Abimelech.H784H3318H40H398H1167H7927H1004H4407H1037H784H3318H1167H7927H1004H4407H1037H398H4021And Jotham ran away and fled, and went to Beer and dwelt there for fear of Abimelech his brother.H3147H1272H5127H3212H876H3427H6440H40H25122Abimelech reigned three years over Israel.H40H7786H7969H8141H347823And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,H430H7971H7451H7307H40H1167H7927H1167H7927H898H4024That the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brothers.H2555H7657H1121H3378H935H1818H7760H40H251H2026H1167H7927H2388H3027H2026H25125And the men of Shechem set men in ambush against [Abimelech] on the mountaintops, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way; and it was told to Abimelech.H1167H7927H7760H693H7218H2022H1497H5674H1870H5046H4026And Gaal son of Ebed came with his kinsmen and moved into Shechem, and the men of Shechem put confidence in him.H1603H1121H5651H935H251H5674H7927H1167H7927H98227And they went out into the field, gathered their vineyard fruits and trod them, and held a festival; and going into the house of their god, they ate and drank and cursed Abimelech.H3318H7704H1219H3754H1869H6213H1974H935H1004H430H398H8354H7043H4028Gaal son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Were not the son of Jerubbaal and Zebul, his officer, servants of the men of Hamor the father {and} founder of Shechem? Then why should we serve him?H1603H1121H5651H559H40H7927H5647H1121H3378H2083H6496H5647H582H2544H1H7927H564729Would that this people were under my hand! Then would I remove Abimelech and say to him, Increase your army and come out.H5971H5414H3027H5493H40H559H40H7235H6635H331830When Zebul the city's mayor heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.H2083H8269H5892H8085H1697H1603H1121H5651H639H273431And he sent messengers to Abimelech slyly, saying, Behold, Gaal son of Ebed and his kinsmen have come to Shechem; and behold, they stir up the city to rise against you.H7971H4397H40H8649H559H1603H1121H5651H251H935H7927H6696H589232Now therefore, rise up by night, you and the men with you, and lie in wait in the field.H6965H3915H5971H693H770433Then in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, rise early and set upon the city; and when Gaal and the men with him come out against you, do to them as opportunity permits.H1242H8121H2224H7925H6584H5892H5971H3318H6213H3027H467234And Abimelech rose up by night, and all the men with him, and they laid in wait against Shechem in four companies.H40H6965H5971H3915H693H7927H702H721835And Gaal son of Ebed came out and stood in the entrance of the city's gate. Then Abimelech and the men with him rose up from ambush.H1603H1121H5651H3318H5975H6607H8179H5892H40H6965H5971H399336When Gaal saw the men, he said to Zebul, Look, men are coming down from the mountaintops! Zebul said to him, The shadow of the mountains looks to you like men.H1603H7200H5971H559H2083H3381H5971H3381H7218H2022H2083H559H7200H6738H2022H58237And Gaal spoke again and said, See, men are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming from the direction of the oak of Meonenim [the sorcerers].H1603H1696H3254H559H3381H5971H3381H2872H776H259H7218H935H436H1870H604938Then said Zebul to Gaal, Where is your [big] mouth now, you who said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? Are not these the men whom you have despised? Go out now and fight with them.H559H2083H645H6310H559H40H5647H5971H3988H3318H4994H389839And Gaal went out ahead of the men of Shechem and fought with Abimelech.H1603H3318H6440H1167H7927H3898H4040And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him; and many fell wounded--even to the entrance of the gate.H40H7291H5127H6440H7227H5307H2491H6607H817941And Abimelech lodged at Arumah, and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his kinsmen so that they could not live in Shechem.H40H3427H725H2083H1644H1603H251H3427H792742The next day the men went out into the fields, and Abimelech was told.H4283H5971H3318H7704H5046H4043He took his men and divided them into three companies and laid in wait in the field; and he looked and behold, the people were coming out of the city. And he rose up against them and smote them.H3947H5971H2673H7969H7218H693H7704H7200H5971H3318H5892H6965H522144And Abimelech and the company with him rushed forward and stood in the entrance of the city's gate, while the two other companies rushed upon all who were in the field and slew them.H40H7218H6584H5975H6607H8179H5892H8147H7218H6584H7704H522145And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He took the city and slew the people who were in it. He demolished the city and sowed it with salt.H40H3898H5892H3117H3920H5892H2026H5971H5422H5892H2232H441746And when all the men of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the stronghold of the house of El-berith [the god of Berith].H1167H4026H7927H8085H935H6877H1004H410H128647Abimelech was told that all the people of the Tower of Shechem were gathered together.H5046H40H1167H4026H7927H690848And Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the men with him; and Abimelech took an ax in his hand and cut down a bundle of brush, picked it up, and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the men with him, What you have seen me do, make haste to do also.H40H5927H2022H6756H5971H40H3947H7134H3027H3772H7754H6086H5375H7760H7926H559H5971H7200H6213H4116H6213H364449So each of the men cut down his bundle and following Abimelech put it against the stronghold and set [the stronghold] on fire over the people in it, so that all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died, about 1,000 men and women.H5971H3772H376H7754H3212H310H40H7760H6877H3341H6877H784H582H4026H7927H4191H505H376H80250Then Abimelech went to Thebez and encamped against Thebez and took it.H3212H40H8405H2583H8405H392051But there was a strong tower in the city, and all the people of the city--men and women--fled to it, shut themselves in, and went to the roof of the tower.H5797H4026H8432H5892H5127H582H802H1167H5892H5462H5927H1406H402652And Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it and drew near the door of the tower to burn it with fire.H40H935H4026H3898H5066H6607H4026H8313H78453But a certain woman cast an upper millstone [down] upon Abimelech's head and broke his skull.H259H802H7993H6400H7393H40H7218H7533H153854Then he called hastily to the young man, his armor-bearer, and said to him, Draw your sword and slay me, so that men may not say of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.H7121H4120H5288H5375H3627H559H8025H2719H4191H559H802H2026H5288H1856H419155And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed each man to his home.H376H3478H7200H40H4191H3212H376H472556Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech which he had done to his father [Gideon] by slaying his seventy brothers;H430H7725H7451H40H6213H1H2026H7657H25157And all the wickedness of the men of Shechem God repaid upon their heads and caused to come upon them the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal.H7451H582H7927H430H7725H7218H935H7045H3147H1121H3378
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