Judges 9 · שופטים

And Avimelekh the son of Yerubba῾al went to Shekhem to his mother’s brethren, and spoke to them, and to all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,

Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shekhem, Which is better for you, that all the sons of Yerubba῾al, who are seventy persons, reign over you, or that one should reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.

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

And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Ba῾al-berit, with which Avimelekh hired vain and reckless persons, who followed him.

And he went to his father’s house at ῾Ofra, and slew his brothers, the sons of Yerubba῾al, seventy persons, upon one stone: yet Yotam the youngest son of Yerubba῾al was left; for he hid him-self.

And all the men of Shekhem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Avimelekh king, by the oak of the pillar that was in Shekhem.

And when they told it to Yotam, he went and stood at the top of mount Gerizzim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said to them, Hearken to me, men of Shekhem, that God may hearken to you.

The trees went out to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive tree, Reign over us.

But the olive tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness, with which by me they honour God and man, and go to hold sway over the trees?

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

But the fig tree said to them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to hold sway over the trees?

Then said the trees to the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.

And the vine said to them, Should I leave my wine, which cheers God and man, and go to hold sway over the trees?

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

And the bramble said to the trees, If in truth you anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, fire will issue from the bramble, and devour the cedars of Levanon.

Now therefore, if you have done truly and sincerely, in making Avimelekh king, and if you have dealt well with Yerubba῾al and his house, and have done to him according to the deserving of his hands;

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

and you have risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, seventy men, upon one stone, and have made Avimelekh, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shekhem, because he is your brother;)

if you then have dealt truly and sincerely with Yerubba῾al and with his house this day, then rejoice in Avimelekh, and let him also rejoice in you:

but if not, fire will come out from Avimelekh, and devour the men of Shekhem, and the house of Millo; and fire will come out from the men of Shekhem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Avimelekh.

And Yotam ran away, and fled, and went to Be᾽er, and dwelt there, for fear of Avimelekh his brother.

When Avimelekh had reigned three years over Yisra᾽el,

then God sent an evil spirit between Avimelekh and the men of Shekhem; and the men of Shekhem dealt treacherously with Avimelekh:

that the violence done to the seventy sons of Yerubba῾al might come, and their blood be laid upon Avimelekh their brother, who slew them; and upon the men of Shekhem, who had aided him in the killing of his brothers.

And the men of Shekhem set liers in wait for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all that passed them on the highway: and it was told Avimelekh.

And Ga῾al the son of ῾Eved came with his brethren, and passed through Shekhem: and the men of Shekhem put their confidence in him.

And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Avimelekh.

And Ga῾al the son of ῾Eved said, Who is Avimelekh, and who is Shekhem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Yerubba῾al? and Zevul his officer? serve rather the men of Ḥamor the father of Shekhem: for why should we serve him?

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

And when Zevul the ruler of the city heard the words of Ga῾al the son of ῾Eved, his anger burned.

And he sent messengers to Avimelekh privately, saying, Behold, Ga῾al the son of ῾Eved and his brethren have come to Shekhem; and they are fortifying the city against thee.

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

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

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

And Ga῾al the son of ῾Eved went out, and stood in the entrance of the city gate: and Avimelekh rose up, and the people that were with him, from the ambush.

And when Ga῾al saw the people, he said to Zevul, Behold, there come people down from the tops of the mountains. And Zevul said to him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.

And Ga῾al spoke again and said, See there come people down from the knoll of the land, and another company come along by the oak of Me῾onenim.

Then Zevul said to him, Where is now thy mouth, with which thou didst say, Who is Avimelekh, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.

And Ga῾al went out before the men of Shekhem, and fought with Avimelekh.

And Avimelekh chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown, and wounded, right up to the entrance of the gate.

And Avimelekh dwelt at Aruma: and Zevul thrust out Ga῾al and his brothers, that they should not dwell in Shekhem.

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

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

And Avimelekh, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the city gate: and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew them.

And Avimelekh fought against the city, all that day, and he took the city, and slew the people that were in it, and pulled down the city, and sowed it with salt.

And when all the men of the tower of Shekhem heard that, they entered the stronghold of Bet-el-berit.

And it was told Avimelekh, that all the men of the tower of Shekhem were gathered together.

And Avimelekh went up to mount Żalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Avimelekh took an ax in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said to the people that were with him, What you have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.

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

Then Avimelekh went to Teveż, and encamped against Teveż, and took it.

But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women, and all they of the city fled there, and shut themselves in, and went up to the top of the tower.

And Avimelekh came to the tower, and fought against it, and approached right up to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

And a woman cast an upper millstone upon Avimelekh’s head, and crushed his skull.

Then he called hastily to the lad, his armourbearer, and said to him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, so that men should not say of me, A woman slew him. And his lad pierced him, and he died.

And when the men of Yisra᾽el saw that Avimelekh was dead, they departed every man to his place.

Thus God made reparation for the wickedness of Avimelekh, which he did to his father, in slaying his seventy brothers:

and all the evil of the men of Shekhem did God requite upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Yotam the son of Yerubba῾al.