1 And Abimelech 40 the son 1121 of Jerubbaal 3378 went 3212 to Shechem 7927 unto his mother's 517 brethren 251, and communed 1696 with them, and with all the family 4940 of the house 1004 of his mother's 517 father 1, saying 559,
2 Speak 1696, I pray you, in the ears 241 of all the men 1167 of Shechem 7927, Whether is better 2896 for you, either that all the sons 1121 of Jerubbaal 3378, which are threescore and ten 7657 persons 376, reign 4910 over you, or that one 259 reign 4910 over you? remember 2142 also that I am your bone 6106 and your flesh 1320.
3 And his mother's 517 brethren 251 spake 1696 of him in the ears 241 of all the men 1167 of Shechem 7927 all these words 1697: and their hearts 3820 inclined 5186 to follow 310 Abimelech 40; for they said 559, He is our brother 251.
4 And they gave 5414 him threescore and ten 7657 pieces of silver 3701 out of the house 1004 of Baalberith 1170, wherewith Abimelech 40 hired 7936 vain 7386 and light 6348 persons 582, which followed 3212 him 310.
5 And he went 935 unto his father's 1 house 1004 at Ophrah 6084, and slew 2026 his brethren 251 the sons 1121 of Jerubbaal 3378, being threescore and ten 7657 persons 376, upon one 259 stone 68: notwithstanding yet Jotham 3147 the youngest 6996 son 1121 of Jerubbaal 3378 was left 3498; for he hid 2244 himself.
6 And all the men 1167 of Shechem 7927 gathered together 622, and all the house 1004 of Millo 4407 1037, and went 3212, and made 4427 Abimelech 40 king 4428, by the plain 436 of the pillar 5324 that was in Shechem 7927.
7 And when they told 5046 it to Jotham 3147, he went 3212 and stood 5975 in the top 7218 of mount 2022 Gerizim 1630, and lifted up 5375 his voice 6963, and cried 7121, and said 559 unto them, Hearken 8085 unto me, ye men 1167 of Shechem 7927, that God 430 may hearken 8085 unto you.
8 The trees 6086 went forth 1980 1980 on a time to anoint 4886 a king 4428 over them; and they said 559 unto the olive tree 2132, Reign 4427 thou over us.
9 But the olive tree 2132 said 559 unto them, Should I leave 2308 my fatness 1880, wherewith by me they honour 3513 God 430 and man 582, and go 1980 to be promoted 5128 over the trees 6086?
10 And the trees 6086 said 559 to the fig tree 8384, Come 3212 thou, and reign 4427 over us.
11 But the fig tree 8384 said 559 unto them, Should I forsake 2308 my sweetness 4987, and my good 2896 fruit 8570, and go 1980 to be promoted 5128 over the trees 6086?
12 Then said 559 the trees 6086 unto the vine 1612, Come 3212 thou, and reign 4427 over us.
13 And the vine 1612 said 559 unto them, Should I leave 2308 my wine 8492, which cheereth 8055 God 430 and man 582, and go 1980 to be promoted 5128 over the trees 6086?
14 Then said 559 all the trees 6086 unto the bramble 329, Come 3212 thou, and reign 4427 over us.
15 And the bramble 329 said 559 unto the trees 6086, If in truth 571 ye anoint 4886 me king 4428 over you, then come 935 and put your trust 2620 in my shadow 6738: and if not, let fire 784 come out 3318 of the bramble 329, and devour 398 the cedars 730 of Lebanon 3844.
16 Now therefore, if ye have done 6213 truly 571 and sincerely 8549, in that ye have made Abimelech 40 king 4427, and if ye have dealt 6213 well 2896 with Jerubbaal 3378 and his house 1004, and have done 6213 unto him according to the deserving 1576 of his hands 3027;
17 (For my father 1 fought 3898 for you, and adventured 7993 his life 5315 far 5048, and delivered 5337 you out of the hand 3027 of Midian 4080:
18 And ye are risen up 6965 against my father's 1 house 1004 this day 3117, and have slain 2026 his sons 1121, threescore and ten 7657 persons 376, upon one 259 stone 68, and have made Abimelech 40, the son 1121 of his maidservant 519, king 4427 over the men 1167 of Shechem 7927, because he is your brother 251;)
19 If ye then have dealt 6213 truly 571 and sincerely 8549 with Jerubbaal 3378 and with his house 1004 this day 3117, then rejoice 8055 ye in Abimelech 40, and let him also rejoice 8055 in you:
20 But if not, let fire 784 come out 3318 from Abimelech 40, and devour 398 the men 1167 of Shechem 7927, and the house 1004 of Millo 4407 1037; and let fire 784 come out 3318 from the men 1167 of Shechem 7927, and from the house 1004 of Millo 4407 1037, and devour 398 Abimelech 40.
21 And Jotham 3147 ran away 1272, and fled 5127, and went 3212 to Beer 876, and dwelt 3427 there, for fear 6440 of Abimelech 40 his brother 251.
22 When Abimelech 40 had reigned 7786 three 7969 years 8141 over Israel 3478,
23 Then God 430 sent 7971 an evil 7451 spirit 7307 between Abimelech 40 and the men 1167 of Shechem 7927; and the men 1167 of Shechem 7927 dealt treacherously 898 with Abimelech 40:
24 That the cruelty 2555 done to the threescore and ten 7657 sons 1121 of Jerubbaal 3378 might come 935, and their blood 1818 be laid 7760 upon Abimelech 40 their brother 251, which slew 2026 them; and upon the men 1167 of Shechem 7927, which aided 2388 3027 him in the killing 2026 of his brethren 251.
25 And the men 1167 of Shechem 7927 set 7760 liers in wait 693 for him in the top 7218 of the mountains 2022, and they robbed 1497 all that came 5674 along that way 1870 by them: and it was told 5046 Abimelech 40.
26 And Gaal 1603 the son 1121 of Ebed 5651 came 935 with his brethren 251, and went over 5674 to Shechem 7927: and the men 1167 of Shechem 7927 put their confidence 982 in him.
27 And they went out 3318 into the fields 7704, and gathered 1219 their vineyards 3754, and trode 1869 the grapes, and made 6213 merry 1974, and went 935 into the house 1004 of their god 430, and did eat 398 and drink 8354, and cursed 7043 Abimelech 40.
28 And Gaal 1603 the son 1121 of Ebed 5651 said 559, Who is Abimelech 40, and who is Shechem 7927, that we should serve 5647 him? is not he the son 1121 of Jerubbaal 3378? and Zebul 2083 his officer 6496? serve 5647 the men 582 of Hamor 2544 the father 1 of Shechem 7927: for why should we serve 5647 him?
29 And would to God this people 5971 were under 5414 my hand 3027! then would I remove 5493 Abimelech 40. And he said 559 to Abimelech 40, Increase 7235 thine army 6635, and come out 3318.
30 And when Zebul 2083 the ruler 8269 of the city 5892 heard 8085 the words 1697 of Gaal 1603 the son 1121 of Ebed 5651, his anger 639 was kindled 2734.
31 And he sent 7971 messengers 4397 unto Abimelech 40 privily 8649, saying 559, Behold, Gaal 1603 the son 1121 of Ebed 5651 and his brethren 251 be come 935 to Shechem 7927; and, behold, they fortify 6696 the city 5892 against thee.
32 Now therefore up 6965 by night 3915, thou and the people 5971 that is with thee, and lie in wait 693 in the field 7704:
33 And it shall be, that in the morning 1242, as soon as the sun 8121 is up 2224, thou shalt rise early 7925, and set 6584 upon the city 5892: and, behold, when he and the people 5971 that is with him come out 3318 against thee, then mayest thou do 6213 to them as thou 3027 shalt find occasion 4672.
34 And Abimelech 40 rose up 6965, and all the people 5971 that were with him, by night 3915, and they laid wait 693 against Shechem 7927 in four 702 companies 7218.
35 And Gaal 1603 the son 1121 of Ebed 5651 went out 3318, and stood 5975 in the entering 6607 of the gate 8179 of the city 5892: and Abimelech 40 rose up 6965, and the people 5971 that were with him, from lying in wait 3993.
36 And when Gaal 1603 saw 7200 the people 5971, he said 559 to Zebul 2083, Behold, there come 3381 0 people 5971 down 3381 from the top 7218 of the mountains 2022. And Zebul 2083 said 559 unto him, Thou seest 7200 the shadow 6738 of the mountains 2022 as if they were men 582.
37 And Gaal 1603 spake 1696 again 3254 and said 559, See there come 3381 0 people 5971 down 3381 by the middle 2872 of the land 776, and another 259 company 7218 come 935 along by the plain 436 of 1870 Meonenim 6049.
38 Then said 559 Zebul 2083 unto him, Where is now 645 thy mouth 6310, wherewith thou saidst 559, Who is Abimelech 40, that we should serve 5647 him? is not this the people 5971 that thou hast despised 3988? go out 3318, I pray now 4994, and fight 3898 with them.
39 And Gaal 1603 went out 3318 before 6440 the men 1167 of Shechem 7927, and fought 3898 with Abimelech 40.
40 And Abimelech 40 chased 7291 him, and he fled 5127 before 6440 him, and many 7227 were overthrown 5307 and wounded 2491, even unto the entering 6607 of the gate 8179.
41 And Abimelech 40 dwelt 3427 at Arumah 725: and Zebul 2083 thrust out 1644 Gaal 1603 and his brethren 251, that they should not dwell 3427 in Shechem 7927.
42 And it came to pass on the morrow 4283, that the people 5971 went out 3318 into the field 7704; and they told 5046 Abimelech 40.
43 And he took 3947 the people 5971, and divided 2673 them into three 7969 companies 7218, and laid wait 693 in the field 7704, and looked 7200, and, behold, the people 5971 were come forth 3318 out of the city 5892; and he rose up 6965 against them, and smote 5221 them.
44 And Abimelech 40, and the company 7218 that was with him, rushed forward 6584, and stood 5975 in the entering 6607 of the gate 8179 of the city 5892: and the two 8147 other companies 7218 ran upon 6584 all the people that were in the fields 7704, and slew 5221 them.
45 And Abimelech 40 fought 3898 against the city 5892 all that day 3117; and he took 3920 the city 5892, and slew 2026 the people 5971 that was therein, and beat down 5422 the city 5892, and sowed 2232 it with salt 4417.
46 And when all the men 1167 of the tower 4026 of Shechem 7927 heard 8085 that, they entered 935 into an hold 6877 of the house 1004 of the god 410 Berith 1286.
47 And it was told 5046 Abimelech 40, that all the men 1167 of the tower 4026 of Shechem 7927 were gathered together 6908.
48 And Abimelech 40 gat him up 5927 to mount 2022 Zalmon 6756, he and all the people 5971 that were with him; and Abimelech 40 took 3947 an axe 7134 in his hand 3027, and cut down 3772 a bough 7754 from the trees 6086, and took 5375 it, and laid 7760 it on his shoulder 7926, and said 559 unto the people 5971 that were with him, What ye have seen 7200 me do 6213, make haste 4116, and do 6213 as I 3644 have done.
49 And all the people 5971 likewise cut down 3772 every man 376 his bough 7754, and followed 3212 310 Abimelech 40, and put 7760 them to the hold 6877, and set 3341 the hold 6877 on fire 784 upon them; so that all the men 582 of the tower 4026 of Shechem 7927 died 4191 also, about a thousand 505 men 376 and women 802.
50 Then went 3212 Abimelech 40 to Thebez 8405, and encamped 2583 against Thebez 8405, and took 3920 it.
51 But there was a strong 5797 tower 4026 within 8432 the city 5892, and thither fled 5127 all the men 582 and women 802, and all they 1167 of the city 5892, and shut 5462 it to them, and gat them up 5927 to the top 1406 of the tower 4026.
52 And Abimelech 40 came 935 unto the tower 4026, and fought 3898 against it, and went hard 5066 unto the door 6607 of the tower 4026 to burn 8313 it with fire 784.
53 And a certain 259 woman 802 cast 7993 a piece 6400 of a millstone 7393 upon Abimelech's 40 head 7218, and all to brake 7533 his skull 1538.
54 Then he called 7121 hastily 4120 unto the young man 5288 his armourbearer 5375 3627, and said 559 unto him, Draw 8025 thy sword 2719, and slay 4191 me, that men say 559 not of me, A woman 802 slew 2026 him. And his young man 5288 thrust him through 1856, and he died 4191.
55 And when the men 376 of Israel 3478 saw 7200 that Abimelech 40 was dead 4191, they departed 3212 every man 376 unto his place 4725.
56 Thus God 430 rendered 7725 the wickedness 7451 of Abimelech 40, which he did 6213 unto his father 1, in slaying 2026 his seventy 7657 brethren 251:
57 And all the evil 7451 of the men 582 of Shechem 7927 did God 430 render 7725 upon their heads 7218: and upon them came 935 the curse 7045 of Jotham 3147 the son 1121 of Jerubbaal 3378.