9Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to his mother's brothers at Shechem and spoke to them and to all his maternal grandfather's clan, saying,H40H1121H3378H3212H7927H517H251H1696H4940H1004H517H1H5592"Please speak in the presence of all the lords of Shechem, 'Is it better for you that 70 men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you or that one man rule over you?' Remember that I am your own flesh and blood."H1696H241H1167H7927H2896H1121H3378H7657H376H4910H259H4910H2142H6106H13203His mother's relatives spoke all these words about him in the presence of all the lords of Shechem, and they were favorable to Abimelech, for they said, "He is our brother."H517H251H1696H241H1167H7927H1697H3820H5186H310H40H559H2514So they gave him 70 pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-berith. Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men with this money, and they followed him.H5414H7657H3701H1004H1170H40H7936H7386H6348H582H3212H3105He went to his father's house in Ophrah and killed his 70 brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, on top of a large stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid himself.H935H1H1004H6084H2026H251H1121H3378H7657H376H259H68H3147H6996H1121H3378H3498H22446Then all the lords of Shechem and of Beth-millo gathered together and proceeded to make Abimelech king at the oak of the pillar in Shechem.H1167H7927H622H1004H4407H1037H3212H4427H40H4428H436H5324H79277When they told Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim, raised his voice, and called to them: Listen to me, lords of Shechem, and may God listen to you:H5046H3147H3212H5975H7218H2022H1630H5375H6963H7121H559H8085H1167H7927H430H80858The trees set out to anoint a king over themselves. They said to the olive tree, "Reign over us."H6086H1980H1980H4886H4428H559H2132H44279But the olive tree said to them, "Should I stop giving my oil that honors both God and man, and rule over the trees?"H2132H559H2308H1880H3513H430H582H1980H5128H608610Then the trees said to the fig tree, "Come and reign over us."H6086H559H8384H3212H442711But the fig tree said to them, "Should I stop giving my sweetness and my good fruit, and rule over trees?"H8384H559H2308H4987H2896H8570H1980H5128H608612Later, the trees said to the grapevine, "Come and reign over us."H559H6086H1612H3212H442713But the grapevine said to them, "Should I stop giving my wine that cheers both God and man, and rule over trees?"H1612H559H2308H8492H8055H430H582H1980H5128H608614Finally, all the trees said to the bramble, "Come and reign over us."H559H6086H329H3212H442715The bramble said to the trees, "If you really are anointing me as king over you, come and find refuge in my shade. But if not, may fire come out from the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon."H329H559H6086H571H4886H4428H935H2620H6738H784H3318H329H398H730H384416"Now if you have acted faithfully and honestly in making Abimelech king, if you have done well by Jerubbaal and his family, and if you have rewarded him appropriately for what he did—H6213H571H8549H40H4427H6213H2896H3378H1004H6213H1576H302717for my father fought for you, risked his life, and delivered you from the hand of Midian,H1H3898H7993H5315H5048H5337H3027H408018and now you have attacked my father's house today, killed his 70 sons on top of a large stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his slave, king over the lords of Shechem 'because he is your brother'—H6965H1H1004H3117H2026H1121H7657H376H259H68H40H1121H519H4427H1167H7927H25119if then, you have acted faithfully and honestly with Jerubbaal and his house this day, rejoice in Abimelech and may he also rejoice in you.H6213H571H8549H3378H1004H3117H8055H40H805520But if not, may fire come from Abimelech and consume the lords of Shechem and Beth-millo, and may fire come from the lords of Shechem and Beth-millo and consume Abimelech."H784H3318H40H398H1167H7927H1004H4407H1037H784H3318H1167H7927H1004H4407H1037H398H4021Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and lived there because of his brother Abimelech.H3147H1272H5127H3212H876H3427H6440H40H25122When Abimelech had ruled over Israel three years,H40H7786H7969H8141H347823God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the lords of Shechem. They treated Abimelech deceitfully,H430H7971H7451H7307H40H1167H7927H1167H7927H898H4024so that the crime against the 70 sons of Jerubbaal might come to justice and their blood would be avenged on their brother Abimelech, who killed them, and on the lords of Shechem, who had helped him kill his brothers.H2555H7657H1121H3378H935H1818H7760H40H251H2026H1167H7927H2388H3027H2026H25125The lords of Shechem rebelled against him by putting people on the tops of the mountains to ambush and rob everyone who passed by them on the road. So this was reported to Abimelech.H1167H7927H7760H693H7218H2022H1497H5674H1870H5046H4026Gaal son of Ebed came with his brothers and crossed into Shechem, and the lords of Shechem trusted him.H1603H1121H5651H935H251H5674H7927H1167H7927H98227So they went out to the countryside and harvested grapes from their vineyards. They trod the grapes and held a celebration. Then they went to the house of their god, and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech.H3318H7704H1219H3754H1869H6213H1974H935H1004H430H398H8354H7043H4028Gaal son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem that we should serve him? Isn't he the son of Jerubbaal, and isn't Zebul his officer? You are to serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem. Why should we serve Abimelech?H1603H1121H5651H559H40H7927H5647H1121H3378H2083H6496H5647H582H2544H1H7927H564729If only these people were in my power, I would remove Abimelech." So he said to Abimelech, "Gather your army and come out."H5971H5414H3027H5493H40H559H40H7235H6635H331830When Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he was angry.H2083H8269H5892H8085H1697H1603H1121H5651H639H273431So he sent messengers secretly to Abimelech, saying, "Look, Gaal son of Ebed, with his brothers, have come to Shechem and are turning the city against you.H7971H4397H40H8649H559H1603H1121H5651H251H935H7927H6696H589232Now tonight, you and the people with you are to come wait in ambush in the countryside.H6965H3915H5971H693H770433Then get up early and at sunrise, charge the city. When he and the people who are with him come out against you, do to him whatever you can."H1242H8121H2224H7925H6584H5892H5971H3318H6213H3027H467234So Abimelech and all the people with him got up at night and waited in ambush for Shechem in four units.H40H6965H5971H3915H693H7927H702H721835Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate. Then Abimelech and the people who were with him got up from their ambush.H1603H1121H5651H3318H5975H6607H8179H5892H40H6965H5971H399336When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, "Look, people are coming down from the mountaintops!" But Zebul said to him, "The shadows of the mountains look like men to you."H1603H7200H5971H559H2083H3381H5971H3381H7218H2022H2083H559H7200H6738H2022H58237Then Gaal spoke again: "Look, people are coming down from the central part of the land, and one unit is coming from the direction of the Diviners' Oak."H1603H1696H3254H559H3381H5971H3381H2872H776H259H7218H935H436H1870H604938Zebul replied, "Where is your mouthing off now? You said, 'Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?' Aren't these the people you despised? Now go and fight them!"H559H2083H645H6310H559H40H5647H5971H3988H3318H4994H389839So Gaal went out leading the lords of Shechem and fought against Abimelech,H1603H3318H6440H1167H7927H3898H4040but Abimelech pursued him, and Gaal fled before him. Many wounded died as far as the entrance of the gate.H40H7291H5127H6440H7227H5307H2491H6607H817941Abimelech stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers from Shechem.H40H3427H725H2083H1644H1603H251H3427H792742The next day when the people went into the countryside, this was reported to Abimelech.H4283H5971H3318H7704H5046H4043He took the people, divided them into three companies, and waited in ambush in the countryside. He looked, and the people were coming out of the city, so he arose against them and struck them down.H3947H5971H2673H7969H7218H693H7704H7200H5971H3318H5892H6965H522144Then Abimelech and the units that were with him rushed forward and took their stand at the entrance of the city gate. The other two units rushed against all who were in the countryside and struck them down.H40H7218H6584H5975H6607H8179H5892H8147H7218H6584H7704H522145So Abimelech fought against the city that entire day, captured it, and killed the people who were in it. Then he tore down the city and sowed it with salt.H40H3898H5892H3117H3920H5892H2026H5971H5422H5892H2232H441746When all the lords of the Tower of Shechem heard, they entered the inner chamber of the temple of El-berith.H1167H4026H7927H8085H935H6877H1004H410H128647Then it was reported to Abimelech that all the lords of the Tower of Shechem had gathered together.H5046H40H1167H4026H7927H690848So Abimelech and all the people who were with him went up to Mount Zalmon. Abimelech took his ax in his hand and cut a branch from the trees. He picked up the branch, put it on his shoulder, and said to the people who were with him, "Hurry and do what you have seen me do."H40H5927H2022H6756H5971H40H3947H7134H3027H3772H7754H6086H5375H7760H7926H559H5971H7200H6213H4116H6213H364449Each person also cut his own branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches against the inner chamber and set it on fire around the people, and all the people in the Tower of Shechem died— about 1,000 men and women.H5971H3772H376H7754H3212H310H40H7760H6877H3341H6877H784H582H4026H7927H4191H505H376H80250Abimelech went to Thebez, camped against it, and captured it.H3212H40H8405H2583H8405H392051There was a strong tower inside the city, and all the men, women, and lords of the city fled there. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof of the tower.H5797H4026H8432H5892H5127H582H802H1167H5892H5462H5927H1406H402652When Abimelech came to attack the tower, he approached its entrance to set it on fire.H40H935H4026H3898H5066H6607H4026H8313H78453But a woman threw the upper portion of a millstone on Abimelech's head and fractured his skull.H259H802H7993H6400H7393H40H7218H7533H153854He quickly called his armor-bearer and said to him, "Draw your sword and kill me, or they'll say about me, 'A woman killed him.' " So his armor-bearer thrust him through, and he died.H7121H4120H5288H5375H3627H559H8025H2719H4191H559H802H2026H5288H1856H419155When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home.H376H3478H7200H40H4191H3212H376H472556In this way, the evil that Abimelech had done against his father, by killing his 70 brothers, God turned back on him.H430H7725H7451H40H6213H1H2026H7657H25157And God also returned all the evil of the men of Shechem on their heads. So the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came on them.H7451H582H7927H430H7725H7218H935H7045H3147H1121H3378
Dublin, OH
