Judg 9
1
And Abimelech son of Jerobaal went to Sychem to his mother’s brethren; and he spoke
to them and to all the kindred of the house of his mother’s father, saying,
2
Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Sychem, saying, Which is better for
you, that seventy men, even all the sons of Jerobaal, should reign over you, or that
one man should reign over you? and remember that I am your bone and your flesh.
3
And his mother’s brethren spoke concerning him in the ears of all the men of Sychem
all these words; and their heart turned after Abimelech, for they said, He is our
brother.
4
And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith; and Abimelech
hired for himself vain and cowardly men, and they went after him.
5
And he went to the house of his father to Ephratha, and slew his brethren the sons
of Jerobaal, seventy men upon one stone; but Joatham the youngest son of Jerobaal
was left, for he hid himself.
6
And all the men of Sicima, and all the house of Bethmaalo, were gathered together,
and they went and made Abimelech king by the oak Heb. bum; this is an instance of double translation, stasewv being given
for bum,
and eureth having reference to the word aum to find; but Alex. rightly omits eureth of Sedition, which was at Sicima.
7
And it was reported to Joatham, and he went and stood on the top of mount Garizin,
and lifted up his voice, and wept, and said to them, Hear me, you men of Sicima, and
God shall hear you.
8
The trees Gr. went going went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive, Reign
over us.
9
But the olives said to them, Shall I leave my fatness, with which men shall glorify
God, and go to be Gr. moved promoted over the trees?
10
And the trees said to the fig-tree, Come, reign over us.
11
But the fig-tree said to them, Shall I leave my sweetness an my good fruits, and go
to be promoted over the trees?
12
And the trees said to the vine, Come, reign over us.
13
And the vine said to them, Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men, and go to
be promoted over the trees?
14
Then all the trees said to the bramble, Come you and reign over us.
15
And the bramble said to the trees, If you in truth anoint me to reign over you, come,
stand under my shadow; and if not, let fire come out from me and devour the cedars
of Libanus.
16
And now, if you have done it in truth and integrity, and have made Abimelech king,
and if you have wrought well with Jerobaal, and with his house, and if you have done
to him according to the reward of his hand,
17
as my father fought for you, and put his life in jeopardy, and delivered you out of
the hand of Madiam;
18
and you are risen up this day against the house of my father, and have slain his sons,
being seventy men, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech the son of his bondwoman
king over the men of Sicima, because he is your brother:
19
if then you have done truly and faithfully with Jerobaal, and with his house this
day, rejoice you in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice over you:
20
but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Sicima, and the
house of Bethmaalo; and let fire come out from the men of Sicima and from the house
of Bethmaalo, and devour Abimelech.
21
And Joatham fled, and ran away, and went as far as Baeer, and dwelt there out of the
way of his brother Abimelech.
22
And Abimelech reigned over Israel three years.
23
And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Sicima; and the men of
Sicima Or, despised dealt treacherously Gr. in the house; Hebraism with the house of Abimelech:
24
to bring the injury done to the seventy sons of Jerobaal, and to lay their blood upon
their brother Abimelech, who slew them, and upon the men of Sicima, because they strengthened
his hands to slay his brethren.
25
And the men of Sicima set liers in wait against him on the top of the mountains, and
robbed every one who passed by them on the way; and it was reported to the king Abimelech.
26
And Gaal son of Jobel came, and his brethren, and passed by Sicima, and the men of
Sicima trusted in him.
27
And they went out into the field, and gathered their Gr. vines grapes, and trod them, and Gr. made ellulim; a Hebrew word;
Alex. corouv made merry; and they brought the grapes into the house of their god, and ate and
drank, and cursed Abimelech.
28
And Gaal the son of Jobel said, Who is Abimelech, and who is the son of Sychem, that
we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerobaal, and is not Zebul his steward,
his servant with the son of Emmor the father of Sychem? and why should we serve him?
29
And would that this people were under my hand! Gr. and I will then would I remove Abimelech, and I would say to him, Multiply
your host, and come
out.
30
And Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Jobel, and he was
very angry.
31
And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Jobel
and his brethren are come to Sychem; and behold, they have besieged the city against
you.
32
And now rise up by night, you and the people with you, and lay wait in the field.
33
And it shall come to pass in the morning at sunrising, you shall rise up early and
draw toward the city; and behold, he and the people with him Gr. are coming, etc. will come forth against you, and you shall
do to him Gr. whatever your hand shall find according to your power.
34
And Abimelech and all the people with him rose up by night, and formed an ambuscade
against Sychem in four companies.
35
And Gaal the son of Jobel went forth, and stood by the door of the gate of the city:
and Abimelech and the people with him rose up from the ambuscade.
36
And Gaal the son of Jobel saw the people, and said to Zebul, Behold, a people comes
down from the top of the mountains: and Zebul said to him, You see the shadow of the
mountains as men.
37
And Gaal continued to speak and said, Behold, a people comes down Or, by the sea; A double rendering, perhaps to Mem, the
first kata yalassan—second,
apo tou ecomena westward from the part bordering on the middle of the land, and another company comes
by Alex. translates the words "the way of the oak of the seers" the way of Helon Maonenim.
38
And Zebul said to him, And where is your mouth as you spokest, Who is Abimelech that
we should serve him? Is not this the people whom you despisedst? go forth now, and
set the battle in array against him.
39
And Gaal went forth before the men of Sychem, and set the battle in array against
Abimelech.
40
And Abimelech pursued him, and he fled from before him; and many fell down slain as
far as the door of the gate.
41
And Abimelech entered into Arema, and Zebul cast out Gaal and his brethren, so that
they should not dwell in Sychem.
42
And it came to pass on the second day that the people went out into the field, and
one brought word to Abimelech.
43
And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and formed an ambush
in the field; and he looked, and, behold, the people went forth out of the city, and
he rose up against them, and smote them.
44
And Abimelech and the chiefs of companies that were with him rushed forward, and stood
by the door of the gate of the city; and the two other companies rushed forward upon
all that were in the field, and smote them.
45
And Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and took the city, and slew the
people that were in it, and destroyed the city, and sowed it with salt.
46
And all the men of the tower of Sychem heard, and came to the Some read ocurwma gathering of Baethel-berith.
47
And it was reported to Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Sychem were gathered
together.
48
And Abimelech went up to the mount of Selmon, and all the people that were with him;
and Abimelech took Gr. axes an axe in his hand, and cut down a branch of a tree, and took it, and laid it on
his shoulders; and said to the people that were with him, What you see me doing, do
quickly as I.
49
And they cut down likewise even every man a branch, and went after Abimelech, and
laid them against the place of gathering, and burnt the place of gathering over them
with fire; and they died, even all the men of the tower of Sicima, about a thousand
men and women.
50
And Abimelech went out of Baethel-berith, and encamped Gr. in against Thebes, and took it.
51
And there was a strong tower in the midst of the city; and there all the men and the
women of the city fled, and shut the door without them, and went up on the roof of
the tower.
52
And Abimelech drew near to the tower, and they besieged it; and Abimelech drew near
to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
53
And a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon the head of Abimelech, and broke his
skull.
54
And he cried out quickly to the young man his armour-bearer, and said to him, Draw
your sword, and slay me, lest at any time they should say, A woman slew him: and his
young man thrust him through and he died.
55
And the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead; and they went each to his place.
56
So God requited the wickedness of Abimelech, which he wrought against his father,
in slaying his seventy brethren.
57
And all the wickedness of the men of Sychem God requited upon their head; and the
curse of Joatham the son of Jerobaal came upon them.