Judges 9:1-25 ▼

1 AND Abimeleck the son of Nedo-baal went to Shechem to his mother's brothers, and spoke to them and to all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

2 Speak, before all the lords of Shechem, Which is better for you, that all the seventy men, the sons of Nedo-baal, rule over you, or that one man rule over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.

3 And his mother's brothers spoke of him before all the lords of Shechem all these words; and their hearts inclined to follow Abimeleck; for they said, He is our brother.

4 And they gave him seventy pieces of silver from the house of Baal-kiama, with which Abimeleck hired vain and wanton persons, who followed him.

5 And he went to his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brothers, the sons of Nedo-baal, seventy men, upon one stone; but Jotham the youngest son of Nedo-baal was left; for he hid himself.

6 And all the lords of Shechem gathered together, and all the people of Beth-millo, and went and made Abimeleck king over them, by the oak of Mazpiah which is in Shechem.

7 And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice and cried, and said to them, Hearken to me, O lords of Shechem, that God may hearken to you.

8 Once upon a time the trees went forth to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive tree, Reign over us.

9 But the olive tree said to them, Should I leave my fertility, by which gods and men are honored, to be abominated for reigning over the trees?

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

11 But the fig tree said to them, I am not going to leave my sweetness and my good fruit, to be abominated for reigning over the trees.

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

13 But the vine said to them, I am not going to leave my wine which cheers the hearts of gods and men, to be abominated for reigning over the trees.

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

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

16 Now therefore, if you have done truly and sincerely, in that you have made Abimeleck king, and if you have dealt well with Nedo-baal and his household, and have rewarded him according to the deeds of his hands;

17 (For my father fought for you, and ventured his life afar, and delivered you from the hand of Midian;

18 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 Abimeleck, the son of his maidservant, king over the lords of Shechem, because he is your brother;)

19 If you then have dealt truly and sincerely with Nedo-baal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimeleck, and let him also rejoice in you;

20 But if not, let fire come out from Abimeleck, and devour the lords of Shechem and the lords of Millo; and let fire come out from the lords of Shechem and from the lords of Millo, and devour Abimeleck.

21 And Jotham ran away and escaped, and went to Debir, and dwelt there, the place where Abimeleck had lived before.

22 When Abimeleck had reigned over Israel three years,

23 Then God sent an evil spirit upon Abimeleck and upon the lords of Shechem; and the lords of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimeleck,

24 That the cruelty done to the seventy sons of Nedo-baal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimeleck their brother, who slew them; and upon the lords of Shechem, who strengthened his hands in the killing of his brothers.

25 And the men of Shechem laid an ambush against him on the top of the mountain, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way; and it was told Abimeleck.