Judges 9

1And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and spake with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,

1Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem and said to them and to his mother's entire family,

2Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are threescore and ten persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.

2'Ask all the leaders of Shechem: Is it better for you to be ruled by seventy men—all the sons of Jerubbaal—or by just one man? Remember, I am your own relative.'

3And his mother’s brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.

3His mother’s brothers repeated these words to all the leaders of Shechem, and they were won over to Abimelech because they said, 'He is our brother.'

4And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed him.

4They gave him seventy silver pieces from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech used the money to hire reckless and dangerous men to follow him.

5And he went unto his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.

5He went to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, on a single stone. Only Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, escaped by hiding himself.

6And all the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem.

6Then all the leaders of Shechem and all the people of Beth-millo gathered together by the great tree and the stone pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelech king.

7And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.

7When Jotham heard about this, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, 'Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, so that God may listen to you!'

8The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive-tree, Reign thou over us.

8'One day the trees went out to appoint a king to rule over them. They said to the olive tree, "Be our king."

9But the olive-tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees?

9But the olive tree answered, "Should I stop producing my oil, which is used to honor God and people, just to go and sway over the trees?"

10And the trees said to the fig-tree, Come thou, and reign over us.

10Then the trees said to the fig tree, "You come and be our king."

11But the fig-tree said unto them, Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave to and fro over the trees?

11But the fig tree answered, "Should I stop producing my sweetness and my good fruit just to go and sway over the trees?"

12And the trees said unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.

12Then the trees said to the grapevine, "You come and be our king."

13And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my new wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees?

13But the grapevine answered, "Should I stop producing my wine, which cheers God and people, just to go and sway over the trees?"

14Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.

14Finally, all the trees said to the thornbush, "You come and be our king."

15And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

15The thornbush said to the trees, "If you really want to appoint me king over you, come and find shade in my shadow; but if not, let fire come out of the thornbush and burn up the cedars of Lebanon!"

16Now therefore, if ye have dealt truly and uprightly, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands

16'Now then, have you acted honorably and honestly in making Abimelech king? Have you treated Jerubbaal and his family well, and have you paid him back for what he did for you?

17(for my father fought for you, and adventured his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:

17Remember that my father fought for you and risked his life to rescue you from the power of Midian.

18and ye are risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maid-servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother);

18But today you have turned against my father’s family and killed his seventy sons on a single stone. You have made Abimelech, the son of his slave woman, king over the leaders of Shechem just because he is your relative.

19if ye then have dealt truly and uprightly with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:

19If you have acted honorably and honestly toward Jerubbaal and his family today, then may you be happy with Abimelech, and may he be happy with you.

20but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.

20But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and burn up the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo, and let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo to destroy Abimelech!'

21And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

21Then Jotham ran away and fled to Beer, and he stayed there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.

22And Abimelech was prince over Israel three years.

22Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years.

23And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:

23Then God sent a spirit of trouble between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and they turned against Abimelech.

24that the violence done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brethren.

24This happened so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal would be paid back, and the responsibility for their blood would fall on their brother Abimelech, who killed them, and on the leaders of Shechem, who helped him do it.

25And the men of Shechem set liers-in-wait for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.

25The leaders of Shechem set up ambushes against Abimelech on the mountaintops, and they robbed everyone who passed by them on the road. Abimelech was told about this.

26And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him.

26Then Gaal son of Ebed moved into Shechem with his brothers, and the leaders of Shechem put their trust in him.

27And they went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trodthe grapes, and held festival, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.

27They went out into the fields, harvested grapes, trod them in the winepress, and had a festival. They went into the temple of their god and ate and drank and insulted Abimelech.

28And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve ye the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: but why should we serve him?

28Gaal son of Ebed said, 'Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Isn't he the son of Jerubbaal, and isn't Zebul his officer? Serve the descendants of Hamor, Shechem’s father! Why should we serve Abimelech?

29And would that this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.

29If I were in charge of these people, I would get rid of Abimelech! I would tell him, "Get your army ready and come out and fight!"'

30And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.

30When Zebul, the governor of the city, heard what Gaal son of Ebed was saying, he was very angry.

31And he sent messengers unto Abimelech craftily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren are come to Shechem; and, behold, they constrain the city to take part against thee.

31He secretly sent messengers to Abimelech, saying, 'Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem, and they are stirring up the city against you.

32Now therefore, up by night, thou and the people that are with thee, and lie in wait in the field:

32Now then, come by night with your men and hide in the fields.

33and it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and rush upon the city; and, behold, when he and the people that are with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion.

33In the morning, as soon as the sun comes up, rush the city. When Gaal and his men come out to fight you, do to them whatever you can.'

34And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.

34So Abimelech and all his men got up at night and hid near Shechem in four groups.

35And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from the ambushment.

35Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate. Then Abimelech and his men came out from their hiding places.

36And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the tops of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.

36When Gaal saw the men, he said to Zebul, 'Look, people are coming down from the mountaintops!' Zebul replied, 'You are just seeing the shadows of the mountains; they look like men.'

37And Gaal spake again and said, See, there come people down by the middle of the land, and one company cometh by the way of the oak of Meonenim.

37But Gaal spoke up again, 'Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and one group is coming from the direction of the Diviners' Oak.'

38Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, that thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out now, I pray, and fight with them.

38Then Zebul said to him, 'Where is your big talk now? You said, "Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?" These are the very men you looked down on! Go out now and fight them!'

39And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

39So Gaal led the leaders of Shechem out and fought Abimelech.

40And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and there fell many wounded, even unto the entrance of the gate.

40Abimelech chased Gaal, who ran away from him. Many people fell wounded all the way to the city gate.

41And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.

41Abimelech stayed at Arumah, while Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem.

42And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.

42The next day the people of Shechem went out into the fields, and Abimelech was told about it.

43And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field; and he looked, and, behold, the people came forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them.

43He took his men, divided them into three groups, and hid in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose up and attacked them.

44And Abimelech, and the companies that were with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and the two companies rushed upon all that were in the field, and smote them.

44Abimelech and his group rushed forward to the city gate, while the other two groups rushed those in the fields and killed them.

45And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that were therein: and he beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

45Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city, killed its people, and then destroyed the city and scattered salt over the ground.

46And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard thereof, they entered into the stronghold of the house of Elberith.

46When the leaders inside the Tower of Shechem heard this, they went into the inner room of the temple of El-Berith.

47And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.

47Abimelech was told that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem had gathered there.

48And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it up, and laid it on his shoulder: and he said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.

48So Abimelech and all his men went up Mount Zalmon. He took an axe, cut a branch from a tree, and put it on his shoulder. He said to his men, 'Hurry and do exactly what I have done!'

49And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.

49So all the men cut branches and followed Abimelech. They piled the branches against the inner room and set it on fire with the people inside. So everyone in the Tower of Shechem died—about a thousand men and women.

50Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.

50Then Abimelech went to Thebez, surrounded it, and captured it.

51But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut themselves in, and gat them up to the roof of the tower.

51But there was a strong tower inside the city. All the men and women and leaders of the city fled to it, locked themselves in, and went up onto the roof.

52And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and drew near unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

52Abimelech reached the tower and attacked it. As he approached the entrance to set it on fire,

53And a certain woman cast an upper millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and brake his skull.

53a woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and cracked his skull.

54Then he called hastily unto the young man his armorbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and kill me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

54He quickly called to his young armor-bearer and said, 'Draw your sword and kill me, so that people won't say, "A woman killed him."' So the young man stabbed him through, and he died.

55And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.

55When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home.

56Thus God requited the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren;

56In this way, God paid back Abimelech for the evil he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers.

57and all the wickedness of the men of Shechem did God requite upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

57God also brought back all the evil of the men of Shechem on their own heads. The curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came true for them.