ASV_Strong : Judges 9
1. And Abimelech[H40] the son[H1121] of Jerubbaal[H3378] went[H3212] to Shechem[H7927] unto his mother[H517]'s brethren[H251], and spake[H1696] with them[H4940], and with all the family of the house[H1004] of his mother[H517]'s father[H1], saying[H559],
2. Speak[H1696], I pray you[H241], in the ears of all the men[H1167] of Shechem[H7927], Whether is better[H2896] for you[H1121], that all the sons of Jerubbaal[H3378], who are threescore and ten[H7657] persons[H376], rule[H4910] over you[H259], or that one rule[H4910] over you[H2142]? remember also that I am your bone[H6106] and your flesh[H1320].
3. And his mother[H517]'s brethren[H251] spake[H1696] of him in the ears[H241] of all the men[H1167] of Shechem[H7927] all these words[H1697]: and their hearts[H3820] inclined[H5186] to follow[H310] Abimelech[H40]; for they said[H559], He is our brother[H251].
4. And they gave[H5414] him threescore and ten[H7657] pieces of silver[H3701] out of the house[H1004] of Baal-berith[H1170], wherewith Abimelech[H40] hired[H7936] vain[H7386] and light[H6348] fellows[H582], who followed[H3212] him[H310].
5. And he went[H935] unto his father[H1]'s house[H1004] at Ophrah[H6084], and slew[H2026] his brethren[H251] the sons[H1121] of Jerubbaal[H3378], being threescore and ten[H7657] persons[H376], upon one[H259] stone[H68]: but Jotham[H3147] the youngest[H6996] son[H1121] of Jerubbaal[H3378] was left[H3498]; for he hid himself[H2244].
6. And all the men[H1167] of Shechem[H7927] assembled themselves together[H622], and all the house[H1004] of Millo[H4407], and went[H3212] and made[H4427] Abimelech[H40] king[H4428], by the oak[H436] of the pillar[H5324] that was in Shechem[H7927].
7. And when they told[H5046] it to Jotham[H3147], he went[H3212] and stood[H5975] on the top[H7218] of mount[H2022] Gerizim[H1630], and lifted up[H5375] his voice[H6963], and cried[H7121], and said[H559] unto them[H8085], Hearken unto me[H1167], ye men of Shechem[H7927], that God[H430] may hearken unto you[H8085].
8. The trees[H6086] went forth[H1980] on a time to anoint[H4886] a king[H4428] over them[H559]; and they said unto the olive-tree[H2132], Reign thou over us[H4427].
9. But the olive-tree[H2132] said[H559] unto them[H2308], Should I leave my fatness[H1880], wherewith by me they honor[H3513] God[H430] and man[H582], and go[H1980] to wave[H5128] to and fro over the trees[H6086]?
10. And the trees[H6086] said[H559] to the fig-tree[H8384], Come[H3212] thou[H4427], and reign over us.
11. But the fig-tree[H8384] said[H559] unto them[H2308], Should I leave my sweetness[H4987], and my good[H2896] fruit[H8570], and go[H1980] to wave[H5128] to and fro over the trees[H6086]?
12. And the trees[H6086] said[H559] unto the vine[H1612], Come[H3212] thou[H4427], and reign over us.
13. And the vine[H1612] said[H559] unto them[H2308], Should I leave my new wine[H8492], which cheereth[H8055] God[H430] and man[H582], and go[H1980] to wave[H5128] to and fro over the trees[H6086]?
14. Then said[H559] all the trees[H6086] unto the bramble[H329], Come[H3212] thou[H4427], and reign over us.
15. And the bramble[H329] said[H559] unto the trees[H6086], If in truth[H571] ye anoint[H4886] me king[H4428] over you[H935], then come and take refuge[H2620] in my shade[H6738]; and if not[H784], let fire come out[H3318] of the bramble[H329], and devour[H398] the cedars[H730] of Lebanon[H3844].
16. Now therefore[H6213], if ye have dealt truly[H571] and uprightly[H8549], in that ye have made Abimelech[H40] king[H4427], and if ye have dealt[H6213] well[H2896] with Jerubbaal[H3378] and his house[H1004], and have done[H6213] unto him according to the deserving[H1576] of his hands[H3027]
17. (for my father[H1] fought[H3898] for you[H7993], and adventured his life[H5315], [H5048] and delivered[H5337] you out of the hand[H3027] of Midian[H4080]:
18. and ye are risen up[H6965] against my father[H1]'s house[H1004] this day[H3117], and have slain[H2026] his sons[H1121], threescore and ten[H7657] persons[H376], upon one[H259] stone[H68], and have made Abimelech[H40], the son[H1121] of his maid-servant[H519], king[H4427] over the men[H1167] of Shechem[H7927], because he is your brother[H251]);
19. if ye then have dealt[H6213] truly[H571] and uprightly[H8549] with Jerubbaal[H3378] and with his house[H1004] this day[H3117], then rejoice[H8055] ye in Abimelech[H40], and let him also rejoice in you[H8055]:
20. but if not[H784], let fire come out[H3318] from Abimelech[H40], and devour[H398] the men[H1167] of Shechem[H7927], and the house[H1004] of Millo[H4407]; and let fire[H784] come out[H3318] from the men[H1167] of Shechem[H7927], and from the house[H1004] of Millo[H4407], and devour[H398] Abimelech[H40].
21. And Jotham[H3147] ran away[H1272], and fled[H5127], and went[H3212] to Beer[H876], and dwelt[H3427] there[H6440], for fear of Abimelech[H40] his brother[H251].
22. And Abimelech[H40] was prince[H7786] over Israel[H3478] three[H7969] years[H8141].
23. And God[H430] sent[H7971] an evil[H7451] spirit[H7307] between Abimelech[H40] and the men[H1167] of Shechem[H7927]; and the men[H1167] of Shechem[H7927] dealt treacherously[H898] with Abimelech[H40]:
24. that the violence[H2555] done to the threescore and ten[H7657] sons[H1121] of Jerubbaal[H3378] might come[H935], and that their blood[H1818] might be laid[H7760] upon Abimelech[H40] their brother[H251], who slew[H2026] them[H1167], and upon the men of Shechem[H7927], who strengthened[H2388] his hands to slay[H2026] his brethren[H251].
25. And the men[H1167] of Shechem[H7927] set[H7760] liers-in[H693]-wait for him on the tops[H7218] of the mountains[H2022], and they robbed[H1497] all that came[H5674] along that way[H1870] by them[H5046]: and it was told Abimelech[H40].
26. And Gaal[H1603] the son[H1121] of Ebed[H5651] came[H935] with his brethren[H251], and went over[H5674] to Shechem[H7927]; and the men[H1167] of Shechem[H7927] put their trust in him[H982].
27. And they went out[H3318] into the field[H7704], and gathered[H1219] their vineyards[H3754], and trod[H1869] the grapes[H6213], and held festival[H1974], and went[H935] into the house[H1004] of their god[H430], and did eat[H398] and drink[H8354], and cursed[H7043] Abimelech[H40].
28. And Gaal[H1603] the son[H1121] of Ebed[H5651] said[H559], Who is Abimelech[H40], and who is Shechem[H7927], that we should serve[H5647] him[H1121]? is not he the son of Jerubbaal[H3378]? and Zebul[H2083] his officer[H6496]? serve[H5647] ye the men[H582] of Hamor[H2544] the father[H1] of Shechem[H7927]: but why should we serve him[H5647]?
29. And would that this people[H5971] were under[H5414] my hand[H3027]! then would I remove[H5493] Abimelech[H40]. And he said[H559] to Abimelech[H40], Increase[H7235] thine army[H6635], and come out[H3318].
30. And when Zebul[H2083] the ruler[H8269] of the city[H5892] heard[H8085] the words[H1697] of Gaal[H1603] the son[H1121] of Ebed[H5651], his anger[H639] was kindled[H2734].
31. And he sent[H7971] messengers[H4397] unto Abimelech[H40] craftily[H8649], saying[H559], Behold[H1603], Gaal the son[H1121] of Ebed[H5651] and his brethren[H251] are come[H935] to Shechem[H7927]; and[H6696], behold, they constrain the city to take part against thee[H5892].
32. Now therefore[H6965], up by night[H3915], thou and the people[H5971] that are with thee[H693], and lie in wait in the field[H7704]:
33. and it shall be[H1242], that in the morning, as soon as the sun[H8121] is up[H2224], thou shalt rise early[H7925], and rush upon the city[H5892]; and[H5971], behold, when he and the people that are with him come out[H3318] against thee[H3027], then mayest thou do[H6213] to them as thou[H3027] shalt find occasion[H4672].
34. And Abimelech[H40] rose up[H6965], and all the people[H5971] that were with him[H3915], by night, and they laid wait[H693] against Shechem[H7927] in four[H702] companies[H7218].
35. And Gaal[H1603] the son[H1121] of Ebed[H5651] went out[H3318], and stood[H5975] in the entrance[H6607] of the gate[H8179] of the city[H5892]: and Abimelech[H40] rose up[H6965], and the people[H5971] that were with him[H3993], from the ambushment.
36. And when Gaal[H1603] saw[H7200] the people[H5971], he said[H559] to Zebul[H2083], Behold[H3381], there come people[H5971] down[H3381] from the tops[H7218] of the mountains[H2022]. And Zebul[H2083] said[H559] unto him[H7200], Thou seest the shadow[H6738] of the mountains[H2022] as if they were men[H582].
37. And Gaal[H1603] spake[H1696] again[H3254] and said[H559], See[H3381], there come people[H5971] down[H3381] by the middle[H2872] of the land[H776], and one company[H7218] cometh[H935] by the way of[H1870] the oak[H436] of[H1870] Meonenim[H6049].
38. Then said[H559] Zebul[H2083] unto him[H645], Where is now thy mouth[H6310], that thou saidst[H559], Who is Abimelech[H40], that we should serve[H5647] him[H5971]? is not this the people that thou hast despised[H3988]? go out[H3318] now[H4994], I pray[H3898], and fight with them.
39. And Gaal[H1603] went out[H3318] before[H6440] the men[H1167] of Shechem[H7927], and fought[H3898] with Abimelech[H40].
40. And Abimelech[H40] chased[H7291] him[H5127], and he fled before[H6440] him[H5307], and there fell many[H7227] wounded[H2491], even unto the entrance[H6607] of the gate[H8179].
41. And Abimelech[H40] dwelt[H3427] at Arumah[H725]: and Zebul[H2083] drove out[H1644] Gaal[H1603] and his brethren[H251], that they should not dwell[H3427] in Shechem[H7927].
42. And it came to pass on the morrow[H4283], that the people[H5971] went out[H3318] into the field[H7704]; and they told[H5046] Abimelech[H40].
43. And he took[H3947] the people[H5971], and divided[H2673] them into three[H7969] companies[H7218], and laid wait[H693] in the field[H7704]; and he looked[H7200], and[H5971], behold, the people came forth[H3318] out of the city[H5892]; And he rose up[H6965] against them[H5221], and smote them.
44. And Abimelech[H40], and the companies[H7218] that were with him[H6584], rushed forward, and stood[H5975] in the entrance[H6607] of the gate[H8179] of the city[H5892]: and the two[H8147] companies[H7218] rushed upon[H6584] all that were in the field[H7704], and smote them[H5221].
45. And Abimelech[H40] fought[H3898] against the city[H5892] all that day[H3117]; and he took[H3920] the city[H5892], and slew[H2026] the people[H5971] that were therein[H5422]: and he beat down the city[H5892], and sowed[H2232] it with salt[H4417].
46. And when all the men[H1167] of the tower[H4026] of Shechem[H7927] heard[H8085] thereof[H935], they entered into the stronghold[H6877] of the house[H1004] of[H410] El-berith[H1286].
47. And it was told[H5046] Abimelech[H40] that all the men[H1167] of the tower[H4026] of Shechem[H7927] were gathered together[H6908].
48. And Abimelech[H40] gat him up[H5927] to mount[H2022] Zalmon[H6756], he and all the people[H5971] that were with him[H40]; and Abimelech took[H3947] an axe[H7134] in his hand[H3027], and cut down[H3772] a bough[H7754] from the trees[H6086], and took[H5375] it up[H7760], and laid it on his shoulder[H7926]: and he said[H559] unto the people[H5971] that were with him[H7200], What ye have seen me do[H6213], make haste[H4116], and do[H6213] as I have done[H3644].
49. And all the people[H5971] likewise cut down[H3772] every man[H376] his bough[H7754], and followed[H3212] Abimelech[H40], and put[H7760] them to the stronghold[H6877], and set[H3341] the stronghold[H6877] on fire[H784] upon them[H582]; so that all the men of the tower[H4026] of Shechem[H7927] died[H4191] also[H505], about a thousand men[H376] and women[H802].
50. Then went[H3212] Abimelech[H40] to Thebez[H8405], and encamped[H2583] against Thebez[H8405], and took it[H3920].
51. But there was a strong[H5797] tower[H4026] within[H8432] the city[H5892], and thither fled[H5127] all the men[H582] and women[H802], and all they[H1167] of the city[H5892], and shut[H5462] themselves in[H5927], and gat them up to the roof[H1406] of the tower[H4026].
52. And Abimelech[H40] came[H935] unto the tower[H4026], and fought[H3898] against it[H5066], and drew near unto the door[H6607] of the tower[H4026] to burn[H8313] it with fire[H784].
53. And a certain[H259] woman[H802] cast[H7993] an upper[H6400] millstone[H7393] upon Abimelech[H40]'s head[H7218], and brake[H7533] his skull[H1538].
54. Then he called[H7121] hastily[H4120] unto the young man[H5288] his armorbearer[H5375], and said[H559] unto him[H8025], Draw thy sword[H2719], and kill[H4191] me[H559], that men say not of me[H802], A woman slew[H2026] him[H5288]. And his young man thrust him through[H1856], and he died[H4191].
55. And when the men[H376] of Israel[H3478] saw[H7200] that Abimelech[H40] was dead[H4191], they departed[H3212] every man[H376] unto his place[H4725].
56. Thus God[H430] requited[H7725] the wickedness[H7451] of Abimelech[H40], which he did[H6213] unto his father[H1], in slaying[H2026] his seventy[H7657] brethren[H251];
57. and all the wickedness[H7451] of the men[H582] of Shechem[H7927] did God[H430] requite[H7725] upon their heads[H7218]: and upon them came[H935] the curse[H7045] of Jotham[H3147] the son[H1121] of Jerubbaal[H3378].
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