Judges 9
9
Abimelech Becomes King
1Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem and spoke to his uncles and to his mother’s whole clan, saying, 2“Please speak in the hearing of all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Is it better for you that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal,#Jdg 6:32 rule over you or that one man rule over you? ’ Remember that I am your own flesh and blood.”#9:2 Lit your bone and your flesh
3His mother’s relatives spoke all these words about him in the hearing of all the citizens of Shechem, and they were favorable to Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.” 4So they gave him seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-berith.#9:4 Lit Baal of the Covenant, or Lord of the Covenant Abimelech used it to hire worthless and reckless men, and they followed him. 5He went to his father’s house in Ophrah and killed his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, on top of a large stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid. 6Then all the citizens of Shechem and of Beth-millo gathered together and proceeded to make Abimelech king at the oak of the pillar in Shechem.
Jotham’s Parable
7When they told Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim,#Dt 11:29; 27:12; Jos 8:33 raised his voice, and called to them:
Listen to me, citizens of Shechem,
and may God listen to you:
8The trees decided
to anoint a king over themselves.
They said to the olive tree, “Reign over us.”
9But the olive tree said to them,
“Should I stop giving my oil
that people use to honor both God and men,
and rule#9:9 Lit and go to sway, also in vv. 11,13 over the trees?”
10Then the trees said to the fig tree,
“Come and reign over us.”
11But the fig tree said to them,
“Should I stop giving
my sweetness and my good fruit,
and rule over trees?”
12Later, the trees said to the grapevine,
“Come and reign over us.”
13But the grapevine said to them,
“Should I stop giving my wine
that cheers both God and man,
and rule over trees?”
14Finally, all the trees said to the bramble,
“Come and reign over us.”
15The bramble said to the trees,
“If you really are anointing me
as king over you,
come and find refuge in my shade.
But if not,
may fire come out from the bramble
and consume the cedars of Lebanon.”
16“Now if you have acted faithfully#1Sm 12:24; 1Kg 2:4; Ps 111:8; Pr 29:14; Jr 32:41 and honestly#Jos 24:14; Ps 84:11 in making Abimelech king, if you have done well by Jerubbaal and his family, and if you have rewarded him appropriately for what he did — 17for my father fought for you, risked his life, and rescued you from Midian, 18and now you have attacked my father’s family today, killed his seventy sons on top of a large stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his slave woman, king over the citizens of Shechem ‘because he is your brother’ — 19so if you have acted faithfully and honestly with Jerubbaal and his house this day, rejoice in Abimelech and may he also rejoice in you. 20But if not, may fire come from Abimelech and consume the citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo, and may fire come from the citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo and consume Abimelech.” 21Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and lived there because of his brother Abimelech.
Abimelech’s Punishment
22When Abimelech had ruled over Israel three years, 23God sent an evil spirit#1Sm 16:14–23; 18:10–12; 19:9; 2Kg 19:7 between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem. They treated Abimelech deceitfully, 24so that the crime against the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come to justice and their blood would be avenged on their brother Abimelech, who killed them, and on the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him kill his brothers. 25The citizens of Shechem rebelled against him by putting men in ambush#Jos 8:2; 1Sm 15:5; 2Ch 20:22; Ezr 8:31; Ps 10:9; Pr 1:11; Jr 9:8 on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed everyone who passed by them on the road. So this was reported to Abimelech.
26Gaal son of Ebed came with his brothers and crossed into Shechem, and the citizens of Shechem trusted him. 27So they went out to the countryside and harvested grapes from their vineyards. They trampled the grapes and held a celebration.#Lv 19:24; Jdg 21:20–21 Then they went to the house of their god, and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech. 28Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem that we should serve him? Isn’t he the son of Jerubbaal, and isn’t Zebul his officer? You are to serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem.#Gn 33:19; 34:2–26; Jos 24:32 Why should we serve Abimelech? 29If only these people were in my power, I would remove Abimelech.” So he said#9:29 DSS read They said; LXX reads I would say to Abimelech, “Gather your army and come out.”
30When Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he was angry. 31So he secretly sent messengers to Abimelech, saying, “Beware! Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem and are turning the city against you.#9:31 Hb obscure 32Now tonight, you and the troops with you, come and wait in ambush in the countryside. 33Then get up early, and at sunrise attack the city. When he and the troops who are with him come out against you, do to him whatever you can.” 34So Abimelech and all the troops with him got up at night and waited in ambush for Shechem in four units.
35Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate. Then Abimelech and the troops who were with him got up from their ambush. 36When Gaal saw the troops, he said to Zebul, “Look, troops are coming down from the mountaintops!” But Zebul said to him, “The shadows of the mountains look like men to you.”
37Then Gaal spoke again, “Look, troops are coming down from the central part of the land,#Ezk 38:12 and one unit is coming from the direction of the Diviners’ Oak.” 38Zebul replied, “What do you have to say now? You said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him? ’ Aren’t these the troops you despised? Now go and fight them!”
39So Gaal went out leading the citizens of Shechem and fought against Abimelech, 40but Abimelech pursued him, and Gaal fled before him. Numerous bodies were strewn#1Sm 17:52; 2Ch 13:17; Ezk 6:4,7; Dn 11:26 as far as the entrance of the city gate. 41Abimelech stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers from Shechem.
42The next day when the people of Shechem#9:42 of Shechem supplied for clarity went into the countryside, this was reported to Abimelech. 43He took the troops, divided them into three companies, and waited in ambush in the countryside. He looked, and the people were coming out of the city, so he arose against them and struck them down. 44Then Abimelech and the units that were with him rushed forward and took their stand at the entrance of the city gate. The other two units rushed against all who were in the countryside and struck them down. 45So Abimelech fought against the city that entire day, captured it, and killed the people who were in it. Then he tore down the city and sowed it with salt.#Dt 29:23; Ezk 47:11; Zph 2:9
46When all the citizens of the Tower of Shechem heard, they entered the inner chamber#9:46 Or the crypt, or the vault of the temple of El-berith.#9:46 = God of the Covenant 47Then it was reported to Abimelech that all the citizens of the Tower of Shechem had gathered. 48So Abimelech and all the troops who were with him went up to Mount Zalmon. Abimelech took his ax in his hand and cut a branch from the trees. He picked up the branch, put it on his shoulder, and said to the troops who were with him, “Hurry and do what you have seen me do.” 49Each of the troops also cut his own branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches against the inner chamber and set it on fire; about a thousand men and women died, including all the men of the Tower of Shechem.
50Abimelech went to Thebez,#2Sm 11:21 camped against it, and captured it. 51There was a strong tower inside the city,#Ps 61:3; Pr 18:10 and all the men, women, and citizens of the city fled there. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof of the tower. 52When Abimelech came to attack the tower, he approached its entrance to set it on fire. 53But a woman threw the upper portion of a millstone on Abimelech’s head and fractured his skull. 54He quickly called his armor-bearer and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, or they’ll say about me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his armor-bearer ran him through, and he died. 55When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home.
56In this way, God brought back Abimelech’s evil—the evil that Abimelech had done to his father when he killed his seventy brothers. 57God also brought back to the men of Shechem all their evil.#Jos 2:19; 1Sm 25:39; 1Kg 2:37,44; 8:32; 2Ch 6:23; Ps 7:16; Ezk 9:10; 11:21; 17:19; 22:31; 33:4; Jl 3:4; Ob 15 So the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came upon them.#Jdg 9:20
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Judges 9
9
Abimelech
1Gideon's son Abimelech went to the town of Shechem, where all his mother's relatives lived, and told them 2to ask the men of Shechem, “Which would you prefer? To be governed by all seventy of Gideon's sons or by just one man? Remember that Abimelech is your own flesh and blood.” 3His mother's relatives talked to the men of Shechem about this for him, and the men of Shechem decided to follow Abimelech because he was their relative. 4They gave him seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-of-the-Covenant, and with this money he hired a bunch of worthless scoundrels to join him. 5He went to his father's house at Ophrah, and there on the top of a single stone he killed his seventy brothers, Gideon's sons. But Jotham, Gideon's youngest son, hid and was not killed. 6Then all the men of Shechem and Bethmillo got together and went to the sacred oak tree at Shechem, where they made Abimelech king.
7When Jotham heard about this, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim and shouted out to them, “Listen to me, you men of Shechem, and God may listen to you! 8Once upon a time the trees got together to choose a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king.’ 9The olive tree answered, ‘In order to govern you, I would have to stop producing my oil, which is used to honour gods and human beings.’ 10Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and be our king.’ 11But the fig tree answered, ‘In order to govern you, I would have to stop producing my good sweet fruit.’ 12So the trees then said to the grapevine, ‘You come and be our king.’ 13But the vine answered, ‘In order to govern you, I would have to stop producing my wine, that makes gods and human beings happy.’ 14So then all the trees said to the thorn bush, ‘You come and be our king.’ 15The thorn bush answered, ‘If you really want to make me your king, then come and take shelter in my shade. If you don't, fire will blaze out of my thorny branches and burn up the cedars of Lebanon.’
16“Now then,” Jotham continued, “were you really honest and sincere when you made Abimelech king? Did you respect Gideon's memory and treat his family properly, as his actions deserved? 17Remember that my father fought for you. He risked his life to save you from the Midianites. 18But today you turned against my father's family. You killed his sons — seventy men on a single stone — and just because Abimelech, his son by his servant woman, is your relative, you have made him king of Shechem. 19Now then, if what you did today to Gideon and his family was sincere and honest, then be happy with Abimelech and let him be happy with you. 20But if not, may fire blaze out from Abimelech and burn up the men of Shechem and Bethmillo. May fire blaze out from the men of Shechem and Bethmillo and burn Abimelech up.” 21Then because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech, Jotham ran away and went to live at Beer.
22Abimelech ruled Israel for three years. 23Then God made Abimelech and the men of Shechem hostile to each other, and they rebelled against him. 24This happened so that Abimelech and the men of Shechem, who encouraged him to murder Gideon's seventy sons, would pay for their crime. 25The men of Shechem put men in ambush against Abimelech on the mountain tops, and they robbed everyone who passed their way. Abimelech was told about this.
26Then Gaal son of Ebed came to Shechem with his brothers, and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him. 27They all went out into their vineyards and picked the grapes, made wine from them, and held a festival. They went into the temple of their god, where they ate and drank and spoke scornfully of Abimelech. 28Gaal said, “What kind of men are we in Shechem? Why are we serving Abimelech? Who is he, anyway? The son of Gideon! And Zebul takes orders from him, but why should we serve him? Be loyal to your ancestor Hamor, who founded your clan! 29I wish I were leading this people! I would get rid of Abimelech! I would say#9.29 One ancient translation I would say; Hebrew He said. to him, ‘Reinforce your army, come on out and fight!’ ”
30Zebul, the ruler of the city, became angry when he heard what Gaal had said. 31He sent messengers to Abimelech at Arumah#9.31 Probable text Arumah; Hebrew unclear. to say, “Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem, and they are not going to let you into the city. 32Now then, you and your men should move by night and hide in the fields. 33Get up tomorrow morning at sunrise and make a sudden attack on the city. Then when Gaal and his men come out against you, hit them as hard as you can!”
34So Abimelech and all his men made their move at night and hid outside Shechem in four groups. 35When Abimelech and his men saw Gaal come out and stand at the city gate, they got up from their hiding places. 36Gaal saw them and said to Zebul, “Look! There are men coming down from the mountain tops!”
“Those are not men,” Zebul answered. “They are just shadows on the mountains.”
37Gaal said again, “Look! There are men coming down the crest of the mountain and one group is coming along the road from the oak tree of the fortune tellers!”
38Then Zebul said to him, “Where is all your big talk now? You were the one who asked why we should serve this man Abimelech. These are the men you were treating so scornfully. Go on out now and fight them.” 39Gaal led the men of Shechem out and fought Abimelech. 40Gaal fled, and Abimelech pursued him. Many were wounded, even at the city gate. 41Abimelech lived in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem, so that they could no longer live there.
42The next day Abimelech found out that the people of Shechem were planning to go out into the fields, 43so he took his men, divided them into three groups, and hid in the fields, waiting. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he came out of hiding to kill them. 44While Abimelech and his group hurried forward to guard the city gate, the other two companies attacked the people in the fields and killed them all. 45The fighting continued all day long. Abimelech captured the city, killed its people, tore it down, and covered the ground with salt.
46When all the leading men in the fort at Shechem heard about this, they sought safety in the stronghold of the temple of Baal-of-the-Covenant. 47Abimelech was told that they had gathered there, 48so he went up to Mount Zalmon with his men. There he took an axe, cut a branch off a tree, and put it on his shoulder. He told his men to be quick and do the same thing. 49So every man cut off a branch of a tree; then they followed Abimelech and piled the wood up against the stronghold. They set it on fire, with the people inside, and all the people of the fort died — about a thousand men and women.
50Then Abimelech went to Thebez, surrounded that city, and captured it. 51There was a strong tower there, and every man and woman in the city, including the leaders, ran to it. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof. 52When Abimelech came to attack the tower, he went up to the door to set the tower on fire. 53#2 Sam 11.21But a woman threw a millstone down on his head and fractured his skull. 54Then he quickly called the young man who was carrying his weapons and ordered, “Draw your sword and kill me. I don't want it said that a woman killed me.” So the young man ran him through, and he died. 55When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home.
56In this way God paid Abimelech back for the crime that he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers. 57God also made the men of Shechem suffer for their wickedness, just as Jotham, Gideon's son, said they would when he cursed them.
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.