Judges 9
1 Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mother’s brothers, and spoke to them and to the whole clan of his mother’s father’s household, saying:
2 “Please say this in the hearing of all the citizens of Shechem: ‘Which is better for you: for seventy men, all sons of Jerubbaal, to rule over you, or for one man to rule over you?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and blood.”
3 His mother’s brothers spoke about him to all the citizens of Shechem, repeating all these words, and their hearts turned toward Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.”
4 They gave him seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-berith, and with it Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men, who followed him.
5 He went to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal—seventy men—on one stone. But Jotham, Jerubbaal’s youngest son, survived because he hid himself.
6 All the citizens of Shechem and all Beth-millo gathered, went out, and made Abimelech king by the oak beside the pillar at Shechem.
7 When Jotham was told, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. He raised his voice and called out, “Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, and may God listen to you.
8 The trees set out to anoint a king over themselves, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Rule over us.’
9 But the olive tree replied, ‘Should I give up my oil, which honors God and people, and go sway over the trees?’
10 The trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come, rule over us.’
11 But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I give up my sweetness and my good fruit, and go sway over the trees?’”
12 “The trees said to the vine, ‘Come, rule over us.’
13 But the vine replied, ‘Should I give up my wine, which gladdens God and people, and go sway over the trees?’
14 Then all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come, rule over us.’
15 The thornbush replied to the trees, ‘If you truly anoint me king over you, come and take shelter in my shade. But if not, let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’
16 Now, then, have you acted with sincerity and integrity by making Abimelech king? Have you done right by Jerubbaal and his household? Have you treated him as his deeds deserved?
17 My father fought for you, risked his life, and rescued you from the hand of Midian.
18 But today you have risen against my father’s household and killed his sons—seventy men—on one stone. You have made Abimelech, the son of his slave woman, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is your brother.
19 So if you have acted today with sincerity and integrity toward Jerubbaal and his household, then celebrate with Abimelech, and may he too celebrate with you.
20 But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume the citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo and consume Abimelech.”
21 Then Jotham fled. He escaped to Beer and lived there, away from his brother Abimelech.
22 Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years.
23 God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem, and the citizens of Shechem betrayed Abimelech.
24 This was so that the violence done to Jerubbaal’s seventy sons would be avenged, and their blood would be laid on their brother Abimelech, who killed them, and on the citizens of Shechem, who strengthened his hand to kill his brothers.
25 The citizens of Shechem set ambushes for him on the mountain peaks and robbed everyone who passed by on the road. This was reported to Abimelech.
26 Gaal son of Ebed came with his brothers and settled in Shechem, and the citizens of Shechem put their trust in him.
27 They went out into the fields, gathered their grapes, trod them, and held a celebration. They entered the temple of their god, ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.
28 Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Isn’t he the son of Jerubbaal, with Zebul as his officer? Serve the men of Hamor, Shechem’s father! Why should we serve Abimelech?
29 If only this people were in my hands! I would remove Abimelech.” Then he said to Abimelech, “Build up your army and come out!”
30 Zebul, the city’s governor, heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, and he was furious.
31 He sent messengers to Abimelech at Tormah, saying, “Look, Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem, and they are stirring up the city against you.
32 Now get up by night—you and the troops with you—and lie in ambush in the field.
33 In the morning, at sunrise, get up early and attack the city. When he and the troops with him come out against you, do to him whatever you can.”
34 So Abimelech and all the troops with him got up by night and lay in ambush against Shechem in four groups.
35 Gaal son of Ebed came out and stood at the entrance to the city gate, while Abimelech and the troops with him rose from their ambush.
36 When Gaal saw the troops, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the mountain peaks.” Zebul replied, “You’re seeing the shadows of the mountains as if they were men.”
37 Gaal spoke again: “Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and one group is coming by the road of the Diviners’ Oak.”
38 Zebul said to him, “Where is your big talk now, when you said, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Aren’t these the troops you despised? Go out now and fight them!”
39 Gaal went out at the head of the citizens of Shechem and fought Abimelech.
40 Abimelech chased him, and Gaal fled before him. Many fell dead as far as the entrance to the gate.
41 Abimelech stayed at Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out so they could not live in Shechem.
42 The next day, the people went out into the fields, and this was reported to Abimelech.
43 He took his troops, divided them into three groups, and lay in ambush in the field. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he attacked them and struck them down.
44 Abimelech and the groups with him advanced and took up positions at the entrance to the city gate, while the other two groups advanced against everyone in the fields and struck them down.
45 Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city, killed the people in it, tore the city down, and scattered salt over it.
46 When all the citizens of the tower of Shechem heard this, they went into the stronghold of the temple of El-berith.
47 Abimelech was told that all the citizens of the tower of Shechem had gathered there.
48 Abimelech went up Mount Zalmon with all the troops with him. He took an ax in his hand, cut a branch from a tree, lifted it onto his shoulder, and said to the troops with him, “You saw what I did. Hurry and do the same.”
49 So all the troops also cut branches, each one a branch, and followed Abimelech. They laid the branches against the stronghold and set it on fire over them. So all the people in the tower of Shechem died too—about a thousand men and women.
50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez, camped against Thebez, and captured it.
51 There was a strong tower in the middle of the city, and all the men and women—all the citizens of the city—fled there. They shut themselves inside and went up to the roof of the tower.
52 Abimelech came to the tower and attacked it. He approached the entrance of the tower to burn it down.
53 But a woman dropped an upper millstone onto Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.
54 He quickly called to the young man who carried his weapons and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, so they won’t say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his young man ran him through, and he died.
55 When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, each went home.
56 So God repaid Abimelech for the evil he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers.
57 And God repaid the men of Shechem for all their evil, and the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came upon them.
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