Judges 9
9Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem to his uncles and all his mother's relatives and said to them,H40H1121H3378H3212H7927H517H251H1696H4940H1004H517H1H5592"Ask all the leading men of Shechem, 'What do you think is best, that seventy men rule you—all those sons of Jerub-Baal—or that one man rule? You'll remember that I am your own flesh and blood.'"H1696H241H1167H7927H2896H1121H3378H7657H376H4910H259H4910H2142H6106H13203His mother's relatives reported the proposal to the leaders of Shechem. They were inclined to take Abimelech. "Because," they said, "he is, after all, one of us."H517H251H1696H241H1167H7927H1697H3820H5186H310H40H559H2514They gave him seventy silver pieces from the shrine of Baal-of-the-Covenant. With the money he hired some reckless riff-raff soldiers and they followed along after him.H5414H7657H3701H1004H1170H40H7936H7386H6348H582H3212H3105He went to his father's house in Ophrah and killed his half brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal—seventy men! And on one stone! The youngest, Jotham son of Jerub-Baal, managed to hide, the only survivor.H935H1H1004H6084H2026H251H1121H3378H7657H376H259H68H3147H6996H1121H3378H3498H22446Then all the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered at the Oak by the Standing Stone at Shechem and crowned Abimelech king.H1167H7927H622H1004H4407H1037H3212H4427H40H4428H436H5324H79277When this was all told to Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim, raised his voice, and shouted: Listen to me, leaders of Shechem. And let God listen to you!H5046H3147H3212H5975H7218H2022H1630H5375H6963H7121H559H8085H1167H7927H430H80858The trees set out one day to anoint a king for themselves. They said to Olive Tree, "Rule over us."H6086H1980H1980H4886H4428H559H2132H44279But Olive Tree told them, "Am I no longer good for making oil That gives glory to gods and men, and to be demoted to waving over trees?"H2132H559H2308H1880H3513H430H582H1980H5128H608610The trees then said to Fig Tree, "You come and rule over us."H6086H559H8384H3212H442711But Fig Tree said to them, "Am I no longer good for making sweets, My mouthwatering sweet fruits, and to be demoted to waving over trees?"H8384H559H2308H4987H2896H8570H1980H5128H608612The trees then said to Vine, "You come and rule over us."H559H6086H1612H3212H442713But Vine said to them, "Am I no longer good for making wine, Wine that cheers gods and men, and to be demoted to waving over trees?"H1612H559H2308H8492H8055H430H582H1980H5128H608614All the trees then said to Tumbleweed, "You come and reign over us."H559H6086H329H3212H442715But Tumbleweed said to the trees: "If you're serious about making me your king, Come and find shelter in my shade. But if not, let fire shoot from Tumbleweed and burn down the cedars of Lebanon!"H329H559H6086H571H4886H4428H935H2620H6738H784H3318H329H398H730H384416"Now listen: Do you think you did a right and honorable thing when you made Abimelech king? Do you think you treated Jerub-Baal and his family well, did for him what he deserved?H6213H571H8549H40H4427H6213H2896H3378H1004H6213H1576H302717My father fought for you, risked his own life, and rescued you from Midian's tyranny,H1H3898H7993H5315H5048H5337H3027H408018and you have, just now, betrayed him. You massacred his sons—seventy men on a single stone! You made Abimelech, the son by his maidservant, king over Shechem's leaders because he's your relative.H6965H1H1004H3117H2026H1121H7657H376H259H68H40H1121H519H4427H1167H7927H25119If you think that this is an honest day's work, this way you have treated Jerub-Baal today, then enjoy Abimelech and let him enjoy you.H6213H571H8549H3378H1004H3117H8055H40H805520But if not, let fire break from Abimelech and burn up the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo. And let fire break from the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo and burn up Abimelech."H784H3318H40H398H1167H7927H1004H4407H1037H784H3318H1167H7927H1004H4407H1037H398H4021And Jotham fled. He ran for his life. He went to Beer and settled down there, because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.H3147H1272H5127H3212H876H3427H6440H40H25122Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years.H40H7786H7969H8141H347823Then God brought bad blood between Abimelech and Shechem's leaders, who now worked treacherously behind his back.H430H7971H7451H7307H40H1167H7927H1167H7927H898H4024Violence boomeranged: The murderous violence that killed the seventy brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal, was now loose among Abimelech and Shechem's leaders, who had supported the violence.H2555H7657H1121H3378H935H1818H7760H40H251H2026H1167H7927H2388H3027H2026H25125To undermine Abimelech, Shechem's leaders put men in ambush on the mountain passes who robbed travelers on those roads. And Abimelech was told.H1167H7927H7760H693H7218H2022H1497H5674H1870H5046H4026At that time Gaal son of Ebed arrived with his relatives and moved into Shechem. The leaders of Shechem trusted him.H1603H1121H5651H935H251H5674H7927H1167H7927H98227One day they went out into the fields, gathered grapes in the vineyards, and trod them in the winepress. Then they held a celebration in their god's temple, a feast, eating and drinking. And then they started putting down Abimelech.H3318H7704H1219H3754H1869H6213H1974H935H1004H430H398H8354H7043H4028Gaal son of Ebed said, "Who is this Abimelech? And who are we Shechemites to take orders from him? Isn't he the son of Jerub-Baal, and isn't this his henchman Zebul? We belong to the race of Hamor and bear the noble name of Shechem. Why should we be toadies of Abimelech?H1603H1121H5651H559H40H7927H5647H1121H3378H2083H6496H5647H582H2544H1H7927H564729If I were in charge of this people, the first thing I'd do is get rid of Abimelech! I'd say, 'Show me your stuff, Abimelech—let's see who's boss here!'"H5971H5414H3027H5493H40H559H40H7235H6635H331830Zebul, governor of the city, heard what Gaal son of Ebed was saying and got angry.H2083H8269H5892H8085H1697H1603H1121H5651H639H273431Secretly he sent messengers to Abimelech with the message, "Gaal son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem and are stirring up trouble against you.H7971H4397H40H8649H559H1603H1121H5651H251H935H7927H6696H589232Here's what you do: Tonight bring your troops and wait in ambush in the field.H6965H3915H5971H693H770433In the morning, as soon as the sun breaks, get moving and charge the city. Gaal and his troops will come out to you, and you'll know what to do next."H1242H8121H2224H7925H6584H5892H5971H3318H6213H3027H467234Abimelech and his troops, four companies of them, went up that night and waited in ambush approaching Shechem.H40H6965H5971H3915H693H7927H702H721835Gaal son of Ebed had gotten up and was standing in the city gate. Abimelech and his troops left their cover.H1603H1121H5651H3318H5975H6607H8179H5892H40H6965H5971H399336When Gaal saw them he said to Zebul, "Look at that, people coming down from the tops of the mountains!" Zebul said, "That's nothing but mountain shadows; they just look like men." Gaal kept chattering away.H1603H7200H5971H559H2083H3381H5971H3381H7218H2022H2083H559H7200H6738H2022H58237Then he said again, "Look at the troops coming down off Tabbur-erez (the Navel of the World)—and one company coming straight from the Oracle Oak."H1603H1696H3254H559H3381H5971H3381H2872H776H259H7218H935H436H1870H604938Zebul said, "Where is that big mouth of yours now? You who said, 'And who is Abimelech that we should take orders from him?' Well, there he is with the troops you ridiculed. Here's your chance. Fight away!"H559H2083H645H6310H559H40H5647H5971H3988H3318H4994H389839Gaal went out, backed by the leaders of Shechem, and did battle with Abimelech.H1603H3318H6440H1167H7927H3898H4040Abimelech chased him, and Gaal turned tail and ran. Many fell wounded, right up to the city gate.H40H7291H5127H6440H7227H5307H2491H6607H817941Abimelech set up his field headquarters at Arumah while Zebul kept Gaal and his relatives out of Shechem.H40H3427H725H2083H1644H1603H251H3427H792742The next day the people went out to the fields. This was reported to Abimelech.H4283H5971H3318H7704H5046H4043He took his troops, divided them into three companies, and placed them in ambush in the fields. When he saw that the people were well out in the open, he sprang up and attacked them.H3947H5971H2673H7969H7218H693H7704H7200H5971H3318H5892H6965H522144Abimelech and the company with him charged ahead and took control of the entrance to the city gate; the other two companies chased down those who were in the open fields and killed them.H40H7218H6584H5975H6607H8179H5892H8147H7218H6584H7704H522145Abimelech fought at the city all that day. He captured the city and massacred everyone in it. He leveled the city to the ground, then sowed it with salt.H40H3898H5892H3117H3920H5892H2026H5971H5422H5892H2232H441746When the leaders connected with Shechem's Tower heard this, they went into the fortified God-of-the-Covenant temple.H1167H4026H7927H8085H935H6877H1004H410H128647This was reported to Abimelech that the Shechem's Tower bunch were gathered together.H5046H40H1167H4026H7927H690848He and his troops climbed Mount Zalmon (Dark Mountain). Abimelech took his ax and chopped a bundle of firewood, picked it up, and put it on his shoulder. He said to his troops, "Do what you've seen me do, and quickly."H40H5927H2022H6756H5971H40H3947H7134H3027H3772H7754H6086H5375H7760H7926H559H5971H7200H6213H4116H6213H364449So each of his men cut his own bundle. They followed Abimelech, piled their bundles against the Tower fortifications, and set the whole structure on fire. Everyone in Shechem's Tower died, about a thousand men and women.H5971H3772H376H7754H3212H310H40H7760H6877H3341H6877H784H582H4026H7927H4191H505H376H80250Abimelech went on to Thebez. He camped at Thebez and captured it.H3212H40H8405H2583H8405H392051The Tower-of-Strength stood in the middle of the city; all the men and women of the city along with the city's leaders had fled there and locked themselves in. They were up on the tower roof.H5797H4026H8432H5892H5127H582H802H1167H5892H5462H5927H1406H402652Abimelech got as far as the tower and assaulted it. He came up to the tower door to set it on fire.H40H935H4026H3898H5066H6607H4026H8313H78453Just then some woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and crushed his skull.H259H802H7993H6400H7393H40H7218H7533H153854He called urgently to his young armor-bearer and said, "Draw your sword and kill me so they can't say of me, 'A woman killed him.'" His armor bearer drove in his sword, and Abimelech died.H7121H4120H5288H5375H3627H559H8025H2719H4191H559H802H2026H5288H1856H419155When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home.H376H3478H7200H40H4191H3212H376H472556God avenged the evil Abimelech had done to his father, murdering his seventy brothers.H430H7725H7451H40H6213H1H2026H7657H25157And God brought down on the heads of the men of Shechem all the evil that they had done, the curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal.H7451H582H7927H430H7725H7218H935H7045H3147H1121H3378
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