Judges 9
The Bramble That Would Be King
← Judges 8 · Judges: all chapters · Judges 10 →
Abimelech Made King at Shechem
9:1Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mother’s brothers, and spoke to them and to all the kindred of his mother’s household, saying,
9:2“Speak now in the hearing of Shechem’s men: ‘Which is better—that seventy men, all Jerubbaal’s sons, rule over you, or that one man be your lord?’ Remember that I am your flesh and your bone.”
9:3His mother’s brothers spoke all these words about him in the hearing of all Shechem’s men. Their hearts inclined toward Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.”
9:4They gave him seventy pieces of silver from the house of Baal of the Covenant. With them Abimelech hired empty and startled men, who followed him.
9:5He entered his father’s house at Ephrathah and killed his brothers, Jerubbaal’s sons, seventy men upon one stone. But Jotham, Jerubbaal’s youngest son, remained, because he hid himself.
9:6All Shechem’s men and the whole house of Maallon gathered, went, and made Abimelech king beside the oak of the standing-place in Shechem.
Jotham’s Fable of the Trees
9:7They told Jotham. He went and stood on Mount Gerizim’s summit, raised his voice, and called out, saying to them, “Listen to me, men of Shechem, and may God listen to you.
9:8The trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’
9:9The olive tree said to them, ‘Should I leave my richness, which God and human beings have glorified in me, and go rule the trees?’
9:10The trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come, reign over us.’
9:11The fig tree said to them, ‘Should I leave my sweetness and my good produce and go rule the trees?’
9:12The trees said to the vine, ‘Come, reign over us.’
9:13The vine said to them, ‘Should I leave my wine, human beings’ gladness from God, and go rule the trees?’
9:14The trees said to the bramble, ‘Come yourself, reign over us.’
9:15The bramble said to the trees, ‘If you are truly anointing me as king over you, come, trust in my shelter. But if not, may fire come out from the bramble and consume Lebanon’s cedars.’
Jotham’s Curse
9:16Now, if you acted in truth and integrity when you made Abimelech king, and if you dealt well with Jerubbaal and his household, and if you treated him according to his hand’s recompense—
9:17for my father fought for you, cast his life into danger, and rescued you from Midian’s hand,
9:18but you rose against my father’s household today and killed his sons, seventy men upon one stone, and made Abimelech, his slave girl’s son, king over Shechem’s men because he is your brother—
9:19if you have dealt in truth and integrity with Jerubbaal and his household this day, may you be blessed and rejoice in Abimelech, and may he also rejoice in you.
9:20But if not, may fire come out from Abimelech and consume Shechem’s men and the house of Maallon; and if not, may fire come out from Shechem’s men and the house of Maallon and consume Abimelech.”
9:21Jotham ran away, went on the road, and fled to Rara. He dwelt there because of Abimelech his brother.
Shechem Turns Against Abimelech
9:22Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years.
9:23God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and Shechem’s men, and Shechem’s men acted faithlessly toward Abimelech’s house,
9:24so as to bring back the wrong against Jerubbaal’s seventy sons and lay their blood upon Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and upon Shechem’s men, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.
9:25Shechem’s men set an ambush against him on the mountaintops. They plundered everyone who passed them on the road, and Abimelech was told.
Gaal Son of Abed
9:26Gaal son of Abed and his brothers came to Shechem, and Shechem’s men trusted him.
9:27They went into the field, harvested their vineyards, trod the grapes, and held dances. They entered their god’s house, ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.
9:28Gaal son of Abed said, “What is Abimelech, and who is the son of Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not Jerubbaal’s son, and is not Zebul his overseer, his slave together with the men of Hamor, Shechem’s father? Why should we serve him?
9:29“Who would give this people into my hand? I will remove Abimelech and say to Abimelech, ‘Increase your force and come out!’”
9:30Zebul, the city’s ruler, heard the words of Gaal son of Abed, and he grew furious.
9:31He sent messengers to Abimelech with gifts, saying, “Look, Gaal son of Abed and his brothers have arrived in Shechem, and these men are besieging the city against you.
9:32Now arise by night, you and the people with you, and lie in ambush in the field.
9:33In the morning, as the sun rises, get up early and advance upon the city. Look, he and the people with him are coming out against you; then do to him whatever your hand finds possible.”
Abimelech Ambushes Shechem
9:34Abimelech and all the people with him arose by night and lay in ambush against Shechem in four companies.
9:35Morning came, and Gaal son of Abed went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate. Abimelech and the people with him arose from the ambushes.
9:36Gaal son of Abed saw the people and said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the mountaintops.” Zebul said to him, “You are seeing the mountains’ shadow as men.”
9:37Gaal spoke again, saying, “Look, people are coming down toward the sea from beside the Navel of the Land, and one company is arriving by the way of the Watchers’ Oak.”
9:38Zebul said to him, “Where now is your mouth that said, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Look, is this not the people you treated as nothing? Go out now and fight them.”
9:39Gaal went out from before Shechem’s men and fought Abimelech.
9:40Abimelech pursued him, and he fled before him. Many fell slain as far as the city’s entrances.
9:41Abimelech stayed in Arima. Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out so that they could not dwell in Shechem.
9:42The next day the people went out into the plain, and Abimelech was told.
9:43He took the people, divided them into three companies, and lay in ambush there. He saw the people coming out of the city, rose against them, and struck them.
9:44Abimelech and the companies with him advanced and stood beside the city gate. The two companies poured out upon everyone in the field, and he struck them.
9:45Abimelech fought in the city all that day. They captured the city, and he killed the people in it, demolished the city, and sowed it with salt.
The Tower of Shechem Burned
9:46All the men of Shechem’s Tower heard and entered the stronghold of the house of Baal of the Covenant.
9:47Abimelech was told that all the men of Shechem’s Tower had gathered.
9:48Abimelech went up Mount Zalmon, he and all the people with him. Abimelech took an ax in his hand, cut a load of wood, lifted it, and put it on his shoulders. He said to the people with him, “What you have seen me doing, do quickly as I have done.”
9:49They too each cut a load, lifted it, and followed Abimelech. They put it against the stronghold and burned the stronghold with fire over those inside. All the people of Shechem’s Tower died, about a thousand men and women.
The Death of Abimelech at Thebez
9:50Abimelech went to Thebez, besieged it, and captured it.
9:51There was a fortified tower inside the city. All the men and women and all the city’s leaders fled there, shut themselves in, and climbed onto the tower’s roof.
9:52Abimelech came to the tower, and they fought against him. Abimelech approached the tower entrance to burn it with fire.
9:53A woman threw a fragment of a millstone upon Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.
9:54He quickly called to the young man who carried his equipment and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say, ‘A woman killed him.’” His young man pierced him, and Abimelech died.
9:55The men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, and each went to his place.
9:56God returned the wickedness Abimelech had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers.
9:57God returned all the wickedness of Shechem’s men upon their own heads, and the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came upon them.
← Judges 8 · Judges: all chapters · Judges 10 →
Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V2 · working draft awaiting specialist review.