Judges 9:9 - Prayer Tents



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Judges 9
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Abimelech Attempts to Establish a Monarchy

9Now Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's kinsfolk and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother's family,H40H1121H3378H3212H7927H517H251H1696H4940H1004H517H1H559 2"Say in the hearing of all the lords of Shechem, 'Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?' Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh."H1696H241H1167H7927H2896H1121H3378H7657H376H4910H259H4910H2142H6106H1320 3So his mother's kinsfolk spoke all these words on his behalf in the hearing of all the lords of Shechem; and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, "He is our brother."H517H251H1696H241H1167H7927H1697H3820H5186H310H40H559H251 4They gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the temple of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him.H5414H7657H3701H1004H1170H40H7936H7386H6348H582H3212H310 5He went to his father's house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone; but Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, for he hid himself.H935H1H1004H6084H2026H251H1121H3378H7657H376H259H68H3147H6996H1121H3378H3498H2244 6Then all the lords of Shechem and all Beth-millo came together, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem.H1167H7927H622H1004H4407H1037H3212H4427H40H4428H436H5324H7927

The Parable of the Trees

7When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and cried aloud and said to them, "Listen to me, you lords of Shechem, so that God may listen to you.H5046H3147H3212H5975H7218H2022H1630H5375H6963H7121H559H8085H1167H7927H430H8085 8The trees once went out to anoint a king over themselves. So they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us.'H6086H1980H1980H4886H4428H559H2132H4427 9The olive tree answered them, 'Shall I stop producing my rich oil by which gods and mortals are honored, and go to sway over the trees?'H2132H559H2308H1880H3513H430H582H1980H5128H6086 10Then the trees said to the fig tree, 'You come and reign over us.'H6086H559H8384H3212H4427 11But the fig tree answered them, 'Shall I stop producing my sweetness and my delicious fruit, and go to sway over the trees?'H8384H559H2308H4987H2896H8570H1980H5128H6086 12Then the trees said to the vine, 'You come and reign over us.'H559H6086H1612H3212H4427 13But the vine said to them, 'Shall I stop producing my wine that cheers gods and mortals, and go to sway over the trees?'H1612H559H2308H8492H8055H430H582H1980H5128H6086 14So all the trees said to the bramble, 'You come and reign over us.'H559H6086H329H3212H4427 15And 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.'H329H559H6086H571H4886H4428H935H2620H6738H784H3318H329H398H730H3844 16"Now therefore, if you acted in good faith and honor when you made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him as his actions deserved—H6213H571H8549H40H4427H6213H2896H3378H1004H6213H1576H3027 17for my father fought for you, and risked his life, and rescued you from the hand of Midian;H1H3898H7993H5315H5048H5337H3027H4080 18but you have risen up against my father's house this day, and have killed his sons, seventy men on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his slave woman, king over the lords of Shechem, because he is your kinsman—H6965H1H1004H3117H2026H1121H7657H376H259H68H40H1121H519H4427H1167H7927H251 19if, I say, you have acted in good faith and honor with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you;H6213H571H8549H3378H1004H3117H8055H40H8055 20but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the lords of Shechem, and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the lords of Shechem, and from Beth-millo, and devour Abimelech."H784H3318H40H398H1167H7927H1004H4407H1037H784H3318H1167H7927H1004H4407H1037H398H40 21Then Jotham ran away and fled, going to Beer, where he remained for fear of his brother Abimelech.H3147H1272H5127H3212H876H3427H6440H40H251

The Downfall of Abimelech

22Abimelech ruled over Israel three years.H40H7786H7969H8141H3478 23But God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the lords of Shechem; and the lords of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech.H430H7971H7451H7307H40H1167H7927H1167H7927H898H40 24This happened so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might be avenged and their blood be laid on their brother Abimelech, who killed them, and on the lords of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.H2555H7657H1121H3378H935H1818H7760H40H251H2026H1167H7927H2388H3027H2026H251 25So, out of hostility to him, the lords of Shechem set ambushes on the mountain tops. They robbed all who passed by them along that way; and it was reported to Abimelech.H1167H7927H7760H693H7218H2022H1497H5674H1870H5046H40 26When Gaal son of Ebed moved into Shechem with his kinsfolk, the lords of Shechem put confidence in him.H1603H1121H5651H935H251H5674H7927H1167H7927H982 27They went out into the field and gathered the grapes from their vineyards, trod them, and celebrated. Then they went into the temple of their god, ate and drank, and ridiculed Abimelech.H3318H7704H1219H3754H1869H6213H1974H935H1004H430H398H8354H7043H40 28Gaal son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Did not the son of Jerubbaal and Zebul his officer serve the men of Hamor father of Shechem? Why then should we serve him?H1603H1121H5651H559H40H7927H5647H1121H3378H2083H6496H5647H582H2544H1H7927H5647 29If only this people were under my command! Then I would remove Abimelech; I would say to him, 'Increase your army, and come out.'"H5971H5414H3027H5493H40H559H40H7235H6635H3318 30When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.H2083H8269H5892H8085H1697H1603H1121H5651H639H2734 31He sent messengers to Abimelech at Arumah, saying, "Look, Gaal son of Ebed and his kinsfolk have come to Shechem, and they are stirring up the city against you.H7971H4397H40H8649H559H1603H1121H5651H251H935H7927H6696H5892 32Now therefore, go by night, you and the troops that are with you, and lie in wait in the fields.H6965H3915H5971H693H7704 33Then early in the morning, as soon as the sun rises, get up and rush on the city; and when he and the troops that are with him come out against you, you may deal with them as best you can."H1242H8121H2224H7925H6584H5892H5971H3318H6213H3027H4672 34So Abimelech and all the troops with him got up by night and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.H40H6965H5971H3915H693H7927H702H7218 35When Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city, Abimelech and the troops with him rose from the ambush.H1603H1121H5651H3318H5975H6607H8179H5892H40H6965H5971H3993 36And when Gaal saw them, he said to Zebul, "Look, people are coming down from the mountain tops!" And Zebul said to him, "The shadows on the mountains look like people to you."H1603H7200H5971H559H2083H3381H5971H3381H7218H2022H2083H559H7200H6738H2022H582 37Gaal spoke again and said, "Look, people are coming down from Tabbur-erez, and one company is coming from the direction of Elon-meonenim."H1603H1696H3254H559H3381H5971H3381H2872H776H259H7218H935H436H1870H6049 38Then Zebul said to him, "Where is your boast now, you who said, 'Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?' Are not these the troops you made light of? Go out now and fight with them."H559H2083H645H6310H559H40H5647H5971H3988H3318H4994H3898 39So Gaal went out at the head of the lords of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.H1603H3318H6440H1167H7927H3898H40 40Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him. Many fell wounded, up to the entrance of the gate.H40H7291H5127H6440H7227H5307H2491H6607H8179 41So Abimelech resided at Arumah; and Zebul drove out Gaal and his kinsfolk, so that they could not live on at Shechem.H40H3427H725H2083H1644H1603H251H3427H7927 42On the following day the people went out into the fields. When Abimelech was told,H4283H5971H3318H7704H5046H40 43he took his troops and divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the fields. When he looked and saw the people coming out of the city, he rose against them and killed them.H3947H5971H2673H7969H7218H693H7704H7200H5971H3318H5892H6965H5221 44Abimelech and the company that was with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city, while the two companies rushed on all who were in the fields and killed them.H40H7218H6584H5975H6607H8179H5892H8147H7218H6584H7704H5221 45Abimelech fought against the city all that day; he took the city, and killed the people that were in it; and he razed the city and sowed it with salt.H40H3898H5892H3117H3920H5892H2026H5971H5422H5892H2232H4417 46When all the lords of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the stronghold of the temple of El-berith.H1167H4026H7927H8085H935H6877H1004H410H1286 47Abimelech was told that all the lords of the Tower of Shechem were gathered together.H5046H40H1167H4026H7927H6908 48So Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the troops that were with him. Abimelech took an ax in his hand, cut down a bundle of brushwood, and took it up and laid it on his shoulder. Then he said to the troops with him, "What you have seen me do, do quickly, as I have done."H40H5927H2022H6756H5971H40H3947H7134H3027H3772H7754H6086H5375H7760H7926H559H5971H7200H6213H4116H6213H3644 49So every one of the troops cut down a bundle and following Abimelech put it against the stronghold, and they set the stronghold on fire over them, so that all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand men and women.H5971H3772H376H7754H3212H310H40H7760H6877H3341H6877H784H582H4026H7927H4191H505H376H802 50Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.H3212H40H8405H2583H8405H3920 51But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women and all the lords of the city fled to it and shut themselves in; and they went to the roof of the tower.H5797H4026H8432H5892H5127H582H802H1167H5892H5462H5927H1406H4026 52Abimelech came to the tower, and fought against it, and came near to the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire.H40H935H4026H3898H5066H6607H4026H8313H784 53But a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech's head, and crushed his skull.H259H802H7993H6400H7393H40H7218H7533H1538 54Immediately he called to the young man who carried his armor and said to him, "Draw your sword and kill me, so people will not say about me, 'A woman killed him.'" So the young man thrust him through, and he died.H7121H4120H5288H5375H3627H559H8025H2719H4191H559H802H2026H5288H1856H4191 55When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home.H376H3478H7200H40H4191H3212H376H4725 56Thus God repaid Abimelech for the crime he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers;H430H7725H7451H40H6213H1H2026H7657H251 57and God also made all the wickedness of the people of Shechem fall back on their heads, and on them came the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal.H7451H582H7927H430H7725H7218H935H7045H3147H1121H3378


New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. More details.
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