Judges:9

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* And Abimelech son of Jerobaal went to Sychem to his mother ’s brethren ; and he spoke to them and to all the kindred of the house of his mother ’s father , saying , * Speak , I pray you , in the ears of all the men of Sychem , saying , Which is better for you , that seventy men , even all the sons of Jerobaal , should reign over you , or that one man should reign over you ? and remember that I am your bone and your flesh . * And his mother ’s brethren spoke concerning him in the ears of all the men of Sychem all these words ; and their heart turned after Abimelech , for they said , He is our brother . * And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith ; and Abimelech hired for himself vain and cowardly men , and they went after him . * And he went to the house of his father to Ephratha , and slew his brethren the sons of Jerobaal , seventy men upon one stone ; but Joatham the youngest son of Jerobaal was left , for he hid himself . * And all the men of Sicima , and all the house of Bethmaalo , were gathered together , and they went and made Abimelech king by the oak (note :)Hebrews . bum ; this is an instance of double translation , stasewv being given for bum , and eureth having reference to the word aum to find ; but Alex . rightly omits eureth (:note ) of Sedition , which was at Sicima . * And it was reported to Joatham , and he went and stood on the top of mount Garizin , and lifted up his voice , and wept , and said to them , Hear me , ye men of Sicima , and God shall hear you . * The trees (note :)Gr . went going (:note ) went forth on a time to anoint a king over them ; and they said to the olive , Reign over us . * But the olives said to them , Shall I leave my fatness , with which men shall glorify God , and go to be (note :)Gr . moved (:note ) promoted over the trees ? * And the trees said to the fig-tree , Come , reign over us . * But the fig-tree said to them , Shall I leave my sweetness an my good fruits , and go to be promoted over the trees ? * And the trees said to the vine , Come , reign over us . * And the vine said to them , Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men , and go to be promoted over the trees ? * Then all the trees said to the bramble , Come thou and reign over us . * And the bramble said to the trees , If ye in truth anoint me to reign over you , come , stand under my shadow ; and if not , let fire come out from me and devour the cedars of Libanus . * And now , if ye have done it in truth and integrity , and have made Abimelech king , and if ye have wrought well with Jerobaal , and with his house , and if ye have done to him according to the reward of his hand , * as my father fought for you , and put his life in jeopardy , and delivered you out of the hand of Madiam ; * and ye are risen up this day against the house of my father , and have slain his sons , being seventy men , upon one stone , and have made Abimelech the son of his bondwoman king over the men of Sicima , because he is your brother : * if then ye have done truly and faithfully with Jerobaal , and with his house this day , rejoice ye in Abimelech , and let him also rejoice over you : * but if not , let fire come out from Abimelech , and devour the men of Sicima , and the house of Bethmaalo ; and let fire come out from the men of Sicima and from the house of Bethmaalo , and devour Abimelech . * And Joatham fled , and ran away , and went as far as Baeer , and dwelt there out of the way of his brother Abimelech . * And Abimelech reigned over Israel three years . * And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Sicima ; and the men of Sicima (note :)Or , despised (:note ) dealt treacherously Gr . in the house ; Hebraism with the house of Abimelech : * to bring the injury done to the seventy sons of Jerobaal , and to lay their blood upon their brother Abimelech , who slew them , and upon the men of Sicima , because they strengthened his hands to slay his brethren . * And the men of Sicima set liers in wait against him on the top of the mountains , and robbed every one who passed by them on the way ; and it was reported to the king Abimelech . * And Gaal son of Jobel came , and his brethren , and passed by Sicima , and the men of Sicima trusted in him . * And they went out into the field , and gathered their (note :)Gr . vines (:note ) grapes , and trod them , and Gr . made ellulim ; a Hebrew word ; Alex . corouv made merry ; and they brought the grapes into the house of their god , and ate and drank , and cursed Abimelech . * And Gaal the son of Jobel said , Who is Abimelech , and who is the son of Sychem , that we should serve him ? Is he not the son of Jerobaal , and is not Zebul his steward , his servant with the son of Emmor the father of Sychem ? and why should we serve him ? * And would that this people were under my hand ! (note :)Gr . and I will (:note ) then would I remove Abimelech , and I would say to him , Multiply thy host , and come out . * And Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Jobel , and he was very angry . * And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly , saying , Behold , Gaal the son of Jobel and his brethren are come to Sychem ; and behold , they have besieged the city against thee . * And now rise up by night , thou and the people with thee , and lay wait in the field . * And it shall come to pass in the morning at sunrising , thou shalt rise up early and draw toward the city ; and behold , he and the people with him (note :)Gr . are coming , etc .(:note ) will come forth against thee , and thou shalt do to him Gr . whatsoever thy hand shall find according to thy power . * And Abimelech and all the people with him rose up by night , and formed an ambuscade against Sychem in four companies . * And Gaal the son of Jobel went forth , and stood by the door of the gate of the city : and Abimelech and the people with him rose up from the ambuscade . * And Gaal the son of Jobel saw the people , and said to Zebul , Behold , a people comes down from the top of the mountains : and Zebul said to him , Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as men . * And Gaal continued to speak and said , Behold , a people comes down (note :)Or , by the sea ; A double rendering , perhaps to Mem , the first kata yalassan —second , apo tou ecomena (:note ) westward from the part bordering on the middle of the land , and another company comes by Alex . translates the words "the way of the oak of the seers " the way of Helon Maonenim . * And Zebul said to him , And where is thy mouth as thou spokest , Who is Abimelech that we should serve him ? Is not this the people whom thou despisedst ? go forth now , and set the battle in array against him . * And Gaal went forth before the men of Sychem , and set the battle in array against Abimelech . * And Abimelech pursued him , and he fled from before him ; and many fell down slain as far as the door of the gate . * And Abimelech entered into Arema , and Zebul cast out Gaal and his brethren , so that they should not dwell in Sychem . * And it came to pass on the second day that the people went out into the field , and one brought word to Abimelech . * And he took the people , and divided them into three companies , and formed an ambush in the field ; and he looked , and , behold , the people went forth out of the city , and he rose up against them , and smote them . * And Abimelech and the chiefs of companies that were with him rushed forward , and stood by the door of the gate of the city ; and the two other companies rushed forward upon all that were in the field , and smote them . * And Abimelech fought against the city all that day , and took the city , and slew the people that were in it , and destroyed the city , and sowed it with salt . * And all the men of the tower of Sychem heard , and came to the (note :)Some read ocurwma (:note ) gathering of Baethel-berith . * And it was reported to Abimelech , that all the men of the tower of Sychem were gathered together . * And Abimelech went up to the mount of Selmon , and all the people that were with him ; and Abimelech took (note :)Gr . axes (:note ) an axe in his hand , and cut down a branch of a tree , and took it , and laid it on his shoulders ; and said to the people that were with him , What ye see me doing , do quickly as I . * And they cut down likewise even every man a branch , and went after Abimelech , and laid them against the place of gathering , and burnt the place of gathering over them with fire ; and they died , even all the men of the tower of Sicima , about a thousand men and women . * And Abimelech went out of Baethel-berith , and encamped (note :)Gr . in (:note ) against Thebes , and took it . * And there was a strong tower in the midst of the city ; and thither all the men and the women of the city fled , and shut the door without them , and went up on the roof of the tower . * And Abimelech drew near to the tower , and they besieged it ; and Abimelech drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire . * And a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon the head of Abimelech , and broke his skull . * And he cried out quickly to the young man his armour-bearer , and said to him , Draw thy sword , and slay me , lest at any time they should say , A woman slew him : and his young man thrust him through and he died . * And the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead ; and they went each to his place . * So God requited the wickedness of Abimelech , which he wrought against his father , in slaying his seventy brethren . * And all the wickedness of the men of Sychem God requited upon their head ; and the curse of Joatham the son of Jerobaal came upon them .

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