The Book of Judges 9

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1 And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's brethren, and spoke to them and to all the family of his mother's father, and said:
2 Command ye all the inhabitants of Shechem: What is the best thing for you, that all the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might possess you, or that you possess one? And remember that I am your bone and your flesh.
3 The brothers of his mother inspired him all these words to the inhabitants of Shechem; And their heart leaned against Abimelech, for they said: He is our brother.
4 And they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the house of Baalberith; Abimelech hired those idle and self-willed people who followed him.
5 And he came to his father's house in Ophrah, and slew his brothers, seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. Only Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, remained, because he disappeared.
6th And all the inhabitants of Shechem and all the house of Millo assembled, and went and set Abimelech king by the oak that is near Shechem.

7th When they told Jotham about this, he went and stood on the top of Mount Garizim and, raising his voice, shouted and said to them: "Listen to me, the inhabitants of Shechem, and God will listen to you!"
8 And they went forth to anoint the king over him, and said to the olive tree, "Reign over us."
9 Olive said to them: Shall I leave my fat, which they honor the gods and men, and go to wander through the trees?
10 And the trees said to the fig tree, "Go up, reign over us."
eleven The fig tree said to them, "Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and go up and wander about the trees?"
12 And the trees said to the vine, Go ye, reign over us.
13 The vine said to them, "Will I leave my juice, which cheers the gods and men, and will I go about wandering around the trees?"
14 Finally all the trees said to the bramble: "Go, reign over us."
15 The bramble said to the trees, "If you truly set me king over you, then go, rest under my shadow; If not, then fire will come out of the bramble and burn the cedars of Lebanon.
16 Therefore see if, in truth, and in truth, you have done, placing Abimelech king? And did you act well with Jerubbaal and his house, and did you do according to his good deeds?
17th For you my father fought, did not treasure his life, and delivered you from the hands of the Midianites;
18 And now you have risen against my father's house, and have killed my father's seventy sons in one stone, and put Abimelech, the son of his maidservant over the inhabitants of Shechem, because he is your brother.
19 If you now, in truth and in truth, have dealt with Jerubbaal and his house, rejoice in Abimelech, and let him rejoice over you;
20 If not, then may the fire from Abimelech go out and burn the inhabitants of Shechem and the whole house of Millau, and let the fire come out from the inhabitants of Shechem and from the house of Millo, and let Abimelech burn.
21 And Jotham fled, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, [sheltering] from his brother Abimelech.

22 Abimelech reigned over Israel for three years.
23 And God sent a wicked spirit between Abimelech and the inhabitants of Shechem, and the inhabitants of Shechem did not submit to Abimelech,
24 So that the vengeance for the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might be accomplished, and their blood turned to Abimelech, their brother who killed them, and to the inhabitants of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brethren.
25 The inhabitants of Shechem put an ambush against him on top of mountains, who robbed anyone passing them on the road. This was reported to Abimelech.
26th Then Gaal the son of Ebed also came with his brothers to Shechem, and they went in Shechem, and the inhabitants of Shechem relied on him.
27th And they went out into the field, and gathered their grapes, and pressed in the winepresses, and made feasts, went to the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.
28 And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and what is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and did not Zevul his chief ruler? Serve better than the descendants of Emmor, the father of Sichem, but why should we serve him?
29 If anyone had given this people into my hands, I would have driven Abimelech out. And it was said to Abimelech, "Increase your army and go out."
thirty Zebul the chief of the city, heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, and his wrath was kindled.
31 He cunningly sends messengers to Abimelech to say, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed, and his brethren have come to Shechem, and, behold, they have provoked the city against you;
32 Therefore, arise at night, you and the people who are with you, and put an ambush in the field;
33 In the morning, when the sun rises, get up early and proceed to the city; And when he and the people that are with him come to you, then do with them what your hand can do.
34 And Abimelech rose up in the night, and all the people that were with him, and ambushed at Shechem four bands.
35 Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood at the gate of the city; And Abimelech and the people that were with him rose from the ambush.
36 Gaal, seeing the people, says to Zebulun: Behold, the people come down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said to him, "The shadow of the mountains seems to be men."
37 Gaal again spoke and said: behold, the people come down from the hill, and one troop comes from the oak Meonnim.
38 And Zebul said unto him, Where are thy mouth, which said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? This is the people you neglected; Come out now and fight with him.
39 And Gaal went before the inhabitants of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.
40 And Abimelech pursued after him, and he fled from him, and many slain fell to the very gates of the city.
41 And Abimelech remained in Arum, and Gaal and his brethren Zebul drove them out so that they did not dwell in Shechem.
42 The next day the people went out into the field, and they told this to Abimelech.
43 He took his people and divided it into three detachments and ambushed him in the field. And when he saw that the people went out of the city, he arose against them and beat them.
44 While Abimelech and the troops that were with him came and stood at the gate of the city, the other two detachments attacked all who were in the field and killed them.
45 And Abimelech fought with the city all that day, and took the city, and smote the people that were in him, and destroyed the city and sowed it with salt.
46 Hearing of this, all those who were in the tower of Shechem went to the tower of the temple [Baal-Verif].
47 Abimelechu was informed that all those who were in the tower of Shechem were gathered there.
48 And Abimelech went up to mount Selmon, himself, and all the people that were with him, and took Abimelech with his axes with him, and cut the branches of the wood, and put it on his shoulders, and said to the people who were with him: you saw what I did; Rather do the same as I do.
49 And he cut every one of the whole people, and went after Abimelech, and laid him to the tower, and they burned the tower with fire by their fire, and all those who were in the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women.

50 Then Abimelech went to Tevetz, and besieged Tevets and took him.
51 There was a strong tower in the city, and all the men and women and all the people of the city fled there and locked themselves up and went up to the roof of the tower.
52 Abimelech came to the tower and surrounded her and went to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
53 Then one woman threw a piece of a millstone on the head of Abimelech and broke his skull.
54 [Abimelech] immediately called the boy, his armourbearer, and said to him: Draw your sword and kill me, so that they will not say of me: a woman killed him. And his young man pierced him, and he died.
55 The Israelites, seeing that Abimelech had died, went each to his place.
56 Thus God gave to Abimelech for the evil which he did unto his father, killing his seventy brethren.
57 And all the wickedness of the inhabitants of Shechem drew God upon their head; And the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal struck at them.

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