Judges 9:1-57 NIV
Abimelek
1Abimelek son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother’s brothers in
Shechem and said to them and to all his mother’s clan, 2“Ask all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you: to
have all seventy of Jerub-Baal’s sons rule over you, or just one man?’
Remember, I am your flesh and blood.”
3When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem,
they were inclined to follow Abimelek, for they said, “He is related to us.” 4They gave him seventy shekelsa of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith,
and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels, who became his followers. 5 He went
to his father’s home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers,
the sons of Jerub-Baal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, escaped by
hiding.
6Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered beside
the great tree at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelek king.
7When Jotham was told about this, he climbed up on the top of
Mount Gerizim and shouted to them,
“Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that
GOD May Listen to you.
8One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves.
They
said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king.’
9“But the olive tree answered, ‘Should I give up my oil, by which
both gods and humans are honored, to hold sway over the trees?’
10“Next, the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and be our king.’
11“But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I give up my fruit, so good
and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?’
12“Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come and be our king.’
13“But the vine answered, ‘Should I give up my wine, which cheers
both gods and humans, to hold sway over the trees?’
14“Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and be our
king.’
15“The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to anoint
me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire
come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’
16“Have you acted honorably and in good faith by making Abimelek
king? Have you been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family? Have you treated him as
he deserves? 17Remember that my father fought for you and risked his life to
rescue you from the hand of Midian.
18But today you have revolted against my father’s family. You have
murdered his seventy sons on a single stone and have made Abimelek, the son of
his female slave, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is related to
you. 19So have you acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal
and his family today? If you have, may Abimelek be your joy, and may you be
his, too! 20But if
you have not, let fire come out from Abimelek and consume you, the citizens of
Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, the citizens of Shechem
and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelek!”
21Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and he lived there because
he was afraid of his brother Abimelek.
22After Abimelek had governed Israel three years, 23GOD Stirred Up animosity between Abimelek and the citizens of
Shechem so that they acted treacherously against Abimelek. 24GOD Did this in order that the crime against Jerub-Baal’s
seventy sons, the shedding of their blood, might be avenged on their brother
Abimelek and on the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him murder his
brothers. 25In opposition to him these citizens of Shechem set men on the
hilltops to ambush and rob everyone who passed by, and this was reported to
Abimelek.
26Now Gaal son of Ebed moved with his clan into Shechem, and its
citizens put their confidence in him.27After they had gone out into the fields and gathered the grapes
and trodden them, they held a festival in the temple of their god. While they
were eating and drinking, they cursed Abimelek.
28Then Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelek, and why should we
Shechemites be subject to him? Isn’t he Jerub-Baal’s son, and isn’t Zebul his
deputy? Serve the family of Hamor, Shechem’s father! Why should we serve
Abimelek? 29If only this people were under my command! Then I would get rid
of him. I would say to Abimelek, ‘Call out your whole army!’ ”b
30When Zebul the governor of the city heard what Gaal son of Ebed
said, he was very angry. 31Under cover he sent messengers to Abimelek, saying, “Gaal son of
Ebed and his clan have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against
you. 32Now then, during the night you and your men should come and lie
in wait in the fields. 33In the morning at sunrise, advance against the city. When Gaal
and his men come out against you, seize the opportunity to attack them.”
34So Abimelek and all his troops set out by night and took up
concealed positions near Shechem in four companies. 35Now Gaal son of Ebed had gone out and was standing at the
entrance of the city gate just as Abimelek and his troops came out from their
hiding place.
36When Gaal saw them, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming
down from the tops of the mountains!”
Zebul replied, “You mistake the
shadows of the mountains for men.”
37But Gaal spoke up again: “Look, people are coming down from the
central hill,c and a company is coming from the direction
of the diviners’ tree.”
38Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your big talk now, you who
said, ‘Who is Abimelek that we should be subject to him?’ Aren’t these the men
you ridiculed? Go out and fight them!”
39So Gaal led out the citizens of Shechem and fought
Abimelek. 40Abimelek chased him all the way to the entrance of the gate, and
many were killed as they fled. 41Then Abimelek stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his
clan out of Shechem.
42The next day the people of Shechem went out to the fields, and
this was reported to Abimelek. 43So he took his men, divided them into three companies and set an
ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose to
attack them. 44Abimelek and the companies with him rushed forward to a position
at the entrance of the city gate. Then two companies attacked those in the fields
and struck them down. 45All that day Abimelek pressed his attack against the city until
he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city and
scattered salt over it.
46On hearing this, the citizens in the tower of Shechem went into
the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith. 47When Abimelek heard that they had assembled there, 48he and all his men went up Mount Zalmon. He took an ax and cut
off some branches, which he lifted to his shoulders. He ordered the men with
him, “Quick! Do what you have seen me do!” 49So all the men cut branches and followed Abimelek. They piled
them against the stronghold and set it on fire with the people still inside. So
all the people in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, also
died.
50Next Abimelek went to Thebez and besieged it and captured it. 51Inside the city, however, was a strong tower, to which all the men
and women—all the people of the city—had fled. They had locked themselves in
and climbed up on the tower roof. 52Abimelek went to the tower and attacked it. But as he approached
the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, 53a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his
skull.
54Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and
kill me, so that they can’t say, ‘A woman killed him.’ ” So his servant ran him
through, and he died. 55When the Israelites saw that Abimelek was dead, they went home.
56Thus GOD Repaid the wickedness that Abimelek had done to his
father by murdering his seventy brothers. 57GOD also Made the people of Shechem pay for all their
wickedness. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal came on them.
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