Judges 9:1-25 ▼

1 And Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to the brothers of his mother, and he spoke to them and to all the family of the house of the father of his mother, saying,

2 “Speak, please, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, ‘What is better for you?, that seventy men reign over you?, all sons of Jerubbaal, or that one man reigns over you??’ And remember that I am your? bone and your? flesh.”

3 And the brothers of his mother spoke concerning him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words, and their heart was inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.”

4 And they gave to him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-berith, and Abimelech hired with them worthless and reckless men, and they followed him.

5 And he went into the house of his father at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. And Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, was left, because he hid himself.

6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all of Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king beside the oak at the pillar that was in Shechem.

7 And they told Jotham, and he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and he lifted his voice and cried out and said to them, “Listen to me, O masters of Shechem, that God may listen to you?.

8 The trees have diligently gone to anoint over them a king. And they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’

9 And the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I cease giving my oil, with which they honor God and men, and go to sway over the trees?’

10 And the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come you, reign over us.’

11 And the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I cease my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to sway over the trees?’

12 And the trees said to the vine, ‘Come you, reign over us.’

13 And the vine said to them, ‘Should I cease my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to sway over the trees?’

14 And all the trees said to the bramble, ‘Come you, reign over us.’

15 And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you? anoint me as king over you?, come, take refuge in my shade. But if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’

16 And now, if in truth and sincerity you? have acted in making Abimelech king, and if you? have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and if according to the deed of his hands you? have done to him—

17 for my father fought for you? and cast away his life from him, and delivered you? out of the hand of Midian.

18 And you? have risen up against the house of my father this day and killed his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and made Abimelech son of his maidservant king over the men of Shechem, because he is your? brother—

19 and if then in truth and sincerity you? have acted with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech and let him rejoice also in you?.

20 But if not, let fire come from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and Beth-millo, and let come fire from the men of Shechem and Beth-millo, and devour Abimelech.”

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

22 And Abimelech had reigned over Israel three years,

23 and God sent a spirit of animosity between Abimelech and between the men of Shechem, and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,

24 for the coming in of the violence to the seventy the sons of Jerubbaal, and to place their blood on Abimelech their brother who killed them, and on the men of Shechem who aided him in the killing of his brothers.

25 And the men of Shechem set against him an ambush on the tops of the hills, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way. And it was told to Abimelech.