| [an error occurred while processing this directive] | New International Version |
| 1[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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." |
| 3[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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." |
| 4[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 4They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels, who became his followers. |
| 5[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 5He 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. |
| 6[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 6Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered beside the great tree at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelek king. |
| 7[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 8[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 8One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, 'Be our king.' |
| 9[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 10"Next, the trees said to the fig tree, 'Come and be our king.' |
| 11[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 11"But the fig tree replied, 'Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?' |
| 12[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 12"Then the trees said to the vine, 'Come and be our king.' |
| 13[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 13"But the vine answered, 'Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and humans, to hold sway over the trees?' |
| 14[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 14"Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, 'Come and be our king.' |
| 15[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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? |
| 17[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 17Remember that my father fought for you and risked his life to rescue you from the hand of Midian. |
| 18[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 19[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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! |
| 20[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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!" |
| 21[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 21Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and he lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelek. |
| 22[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 22After Abimelek had governed Israel three years, |
| 23[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 23God stirred up animosity between Abimelek and the citizens of Shechem so that they acted treacherously against Abimelek. |
| 24[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 25[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 26[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 26Now Gaal son of Ebed moved with his clan into Shechem, and its citizens put their confidence in him. |
| 27[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 28[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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? |
| 29[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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!'" |
| 30[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 30When Zebul the governor of the city heard what Gaal son of Ebed said, he was very angry. |
| 31[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 32[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 32Now then, during the night you and your men should come and lie in wait in the fields. |
| 33[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 33In the morning at sunrise, advance against the city. When Gaal and his men come out against you, seize the opportunity to attack them." |
| 34[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 34So Abimelek and all his troops set out by night and took up concealed positions near Shechem in four companies. |
| 35[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 36[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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." |
| 37[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 37But Gaal spoke up again: "Look, people are coming down from the central hill, and a company is coming from the direction of the diviners' tree." |
| 38[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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!" |
| 39[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 39So Gaal led out the citizens of Shechem and fought Abimelek. |
| 40[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 40Abimelek chased him all the way to the entrance of the gate, and many were killed as they fled. |
| 41[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 41Then Abimelek stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his clan out of Shechem. |
| 42[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 42The next day the people of Shechem went out to the fields, and this was reported to Abimelek. |
| 43[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 44[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 45[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 46[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 46On hearing this, the citizens in the tower of Shechem went into the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith. |
| 47[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 47When Abimelek heard that they had assembled there, |
| 48[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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!" |
| 49[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 50[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 50Next Abimelek went to Thebez and besieged it and captured it. |
| 51[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 52[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 52Abimelek went to the tower and attacked it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, |
| 53[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 53a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull. |
| 54[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 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. |
| 55[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 55When the Israelites saw that Abimelek was dead, they went home. |
| 56[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 56Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelek had done to his father by murdering his seventy brothers. |
| 57[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 57God also made the people of Shechem pay for all their wickedness. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal came on them. |
| [an error occurred while processing this directive] | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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