Judges 9:1-6 ▼

1 Now Abimelech (my father is king) son of Jerubbaal (let Baal contend) went to his mother’s brothers at Shechem (shoulder) and said to them and to all the clan of his mother,

2 “Please ask all the leaders of Shechem (shoulder), ‘Is it better for you⁺ that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal (let Baal contend), rule over you⁺, or just one man?’ Remember that I am your⁺ own flesh and blood.”

3 And when his mother’s brothers spoke all these words about him in the presence of all the leaders of Shechem (shoulder), their hearts were inclined to follow Abimelech (my father is king), for they said, “He is our brother.”

4 So they gave him seventy shekels of silver <1.76 lb / 797.8 g> from the temple of Baal-berith (lord of the covenant), with which Abimelech (my father is king) hired some worthless and reckless men to follow him.

5 He went to his father’s house in Ophrah (fawn), and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal (let Baal contend). But Jotham (YHWH is perfect), the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid himself.

6 Then all the leaders of Shechem (shoulder) and Beth-millo (house of Millo) gathered beside the oak (terebinth) at the pillar in Shechem and proceeded to make Abimelech (my father is king) their king.