Judges 9:31 - Prayer Tents



Share: Select All button

Previous ChapterNext ChapterReduce Font SizeIncrease Font Size
Judges 9
New International Version (1984) Help
9Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother's brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother's clan,H40H1121H3378H3212H7927H517H251H1696H4940H1004H517H1H559
2"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."H1696H241H1167H7927H2896H1121H3378H7657H376H4910H259H4910H2142H6106H1320
3When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, "He is our brother."H517H251H1696H241H1167H7927H1697H3820H5186H310H40H559H251
4They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech used it to hire reckless adventurers, who became his followers.H5414H7657H3701H1004H1170H40H7936H7386H6348H582H3212H310
5He 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.H935H1H1004H6084H2026H251H1121H3378H7657H376H259H68H3147H6996H1121H3378H3498H2244
6Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered beside the great tree at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelech king.H1167H7927H622H1004H4407H1037H3212H4427H40H4428H436H5324H7927
7When 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.H5046H3147H3212H5975H7218H2022H1630H5375H6963H7121H559H8085H1167H7927H430H8085
8One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, 'Be our king.'H6086H1980H1980H4886H4428H559H2132H4427
9"But the olive tree answered, 'Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and men are honored, to hold sway over the trees?'H2132H559H2308H1880H3513H430H582H1980H5128H6086
10"Next, the trees said to the fig tree, 'Come and be our king.'H6086H559H8384H3212H4427
11"But the fig tree replied, 'Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?'H8384H559H2308H4987H2896H8570H1980H5128H6086
12"Then the trees said to the vine, 'Come and be our king.'H559H6086H1612H3212H4427
13"But the vine answered, 'Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and men, to hold sway over the trees?'H1612H559H2308H8492H8055H430H582H1980H5128H6086
14"Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, 'Come and be our king.'H559H6086H329H3212H4427
15"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!'H329H559H6086H571H4886H4428H935H2620H6738H784H3318H329H398H730H3844
16"Now if you have acted honorably and in good faith when you made Abimelech king, and if you have been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family, and if you have treated him as he deserves--H6213H571H8549H40H4427H6213H2896H3378H1004H6213H1576H3027
17and to think that my father fought for you, risked his life to rescue you from the hand of MidianH1H3898H7993H5315H5048H5337H3027H4080
18(but today you have revolted against my father's family, murdered his seventy sons on a single stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his slave girl, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is your brother)--H6965H1H1004H3117H2026H1121H7657H376H259H68H40H1121H519H4427H1167H7927H251
19if then you have acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today, may Abimelech be your joy, and may you be his, too!H6213H571H8549H3378H1004H3117H8055H40H8055
20But if you have not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelech!"H784H3318H40H398H1167H7927H1004H4407H1037H784H3318H1167H7927H1004H4407H1037H398H40
21Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and he lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.H3147H1272H5127H3212H876H3427H6440H40H251
22After Abimelech had governed Israel three years,H40H7786H7969H8141H3478
23God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem, who acted treacherously against Abimelech.H430H7971H7451H7307H40H1167H7927H1167H7927H898H40
24God did this in order that the crime against Jerub-Baal's seventy sons, the shedding of their blood, might be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers.H2555H7657H1121H3378H935H1818H7760H40H251H2026H1167H7927H2388H3027H2026H251
25In opposition to him these citizens of Shechem set men on the hilltops to ambush and rob everyone who passed by, and this was reported to Abimelech.H1167H7927H7760H693H7218H2022H1497H5674H1870H5046H40
26Now Gaal son of Ebed moved with his brothers into Shechem, and its citizens put their confidence in him.H1603H1121H5651H935H251H5674H7927H1167H7927H982
27After 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 Abimelech.H3318H7704H1219H3754H1869H6213H1974H935H1004H430H398H8354H7043H40
28Then Gaal son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, 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 men of Hamor, Shechem's father! Why should we serve Abimelech?H1603H1121H5651H559H40H7927H5647H1121H3378H2083H6496H5647H582H2544H1H7927H5647
29If only this people were under my command! Then I would get rid of him. I would say to Abimelech, 'Call out your whole army!'"H5971H5414H3027H5493H40H559H40H7235H6635H3318
30When Zebul the governor of the city heard what Gaal son of Ebed said, he was very angry.H2083H8269H5892H8085H1697H1603H1121H5651H639H2734
31Under cover he sent messengers to Abimelech, saying, "Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you.H7971H4397H40H8649H559H1603H1121H5651H251H935H7927H6696H5892
32Now then, during the night you and your men should come and lie in wait in the fields.H6965H3915H5971H693H7704
33In the morning at sunrise, advance against the city. When Gaal and his men come out against you, do whatever your hand finds to do."H1242H8121H2224H7925H6584H5892H5971H3318H6213H3027H4672
34So Abimelech and all his troops set out by night and took up concealed positions near Shechem in four companies.H40H6965H5971H3915H693H7927H702H7218
35Now Gaal son of Ebed had gone out and was standing at the entrance to the city gate just as Abimelech and his soldiers came out from their hiding place.H1603H1121H5651H3318H5975H6607H8179H5892H40H6965H5971H3993
36When 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."H1603H7200H5971H559H2083H3381H5971H3381H7218H2022H2083H559H7200H6738H2022H582
37But Gaal spoke up again: "Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and a company is coming from the direction of the soothsayers' tree."H1603H1696H3254H559H3381H5971H3381H2872H776H259H7218H935H436H1870H6049
38Then Zebul said to him, "Where is your big talk now, you who said, 'Who is Abimelech that we should be subject to him?' Aren't these the men you ridiculed? Go out and fight them!"H559H2083H645H6310H559H40H5647H5971H3988H3318H4994H3898
39So Gaal led out the citizens of Shechem and fought Abimelech.H1603H3318H6440H1167H7927H3898H40
40Abimelech chased him, and many fell wounded in the flight--all the way to the entrance to the gate.H40H7291H5127H6440H7227H5307H2491H6607H8179
41Abimelech stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem.H40H3427H725H2083H1644H1603H251H3427H7927
42The next day the people of Shechem went out to the fields, and this was reported to Abimelech.H4283H5971H3318H7704H5046H40
43So he took his men, 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.H3947H5971H2673H7969H7218H693H7704H7200H5971H3318H5892H6965H5221
44Abimelech and the companies with him rushed forward to a position at the entrance to the city gate. Then two companies rushed upon those in the fields and struck them down.H40H7218H6584H5975H6607H8179H5892H8147H7218H6584H7704H5221
45All that day Abimelech 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.H40H3898H5892H3117H3920H5892H2026H5971H5422H5892H2232H4417
46On hearing this, the citizens in the tower of Shechem went into the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith.H1167H4026H7927H8085H935H6877H1004H410H1286
47When Abimelech heard that they had assembled there,H5046H40H1167H4026H7927H6908
48he 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!"H40H5927H2022H6756H5971H40H3947H7134H3027H3772H7754H6086H5375H7760H7926H559H5971H7200H6213H4116H6213H3644
49So all the men cut branches and followed Abimelech. They piled them against the stronghold and set it on fire over the people inside. So all the people in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, also died.H5971H3772H376H7754H3212H310H40H7760H6877H3341H6877H784H582H4026H7927H4191H505H376H802
50Next Abimelech went to Thebez and besieged it and captured it.H3212H40H8405H2583H8405H3920
51Inside the city, however, was a strong tower, to which all the men and women--all the people of the city--fled. They locked themselves in and climbed up on the tower roof.H5797H4026H8432H5892H5127H582H802H1167H5892H5462H5927H1406H4026
52Abimelech went to the tower and stormed it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire,H40H935H4026H3898H5066H6607H4026H8313H784
53a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull.H259H802H7993H6400H7393H40H7218H7533H1538
54Hurriedly 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.H7121H4120H5288H5375H3627H559H8025H2719H4191H559H802H2026H5288H1856H4191
55When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home.H376H3478H7200H40H4191H3212H376H4725
56Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father by murdering his seventy brothers.H430H7725H7451H40H6213H1H2026H7657H251
57God also made the men of Shechem pay for all their wickedness. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal came on them.H7451H582H7927H430H7725H7218H935H7045H3147H1121H3378


Old Testament
  • 25. Lamentations (5)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 29. Joel (3)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 31. Obadiah (1)
  • 1
  • 34. Nahum (3)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 35. Habakkuk (3)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 36. Zephaniah (3)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 37. Haggai (2)
  • 1
  • 2

New Testament
  • 50. Philippians (4)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 51. Colossians (4)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 52. 1 Thessalonians (5)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 53. 2 Thessalonians (3)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 55. 2 Timothy (4)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 56. Titus (3)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 57. Philemon (1)
  • 1
  • 61. 2 Peter (3)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 63. 2 John (1)
  • 1
  • 64. 3 John (1)
  • 1
  • 65. Jude (1)
  • 1
Please login to see history of your searches
Table of Contents
Hide Subtitles
Hide Footnotes
Spacing: 0 1 2 3
Verse Numbers Toggle
Strong Numbers Toggle
Info Language ArrowReturn to top