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JUD-9:1 And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto
his mother's brethren, and communed with them, and with all the
family of the house of his mother's father, saying,
JUD-9:2 Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem,
Whether [is] better for you, either that all the sons of
Jerubbaal, [which are] threescore and ten persons, reign over
you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I [am] your
bone and your flesh.
JUD-9:3 And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of
all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts
inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He [is] our brother.
JUD-9:4 And they gave him threescore and ten [pieces] of silver
out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain
and light persons, which followed him.
JUD-9:5 And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew
his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, [being] threescore and ten
persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest
son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.
JUD-9:6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all
the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the
plain of the pillar that [was] in Shechem.
JUD-9:7 And when they told [it] to Jotham, he went and stood in
the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried,
and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God
may hearken unto you.
JUD-9:8 The trees went forth [on a time] to anoint a king over
them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.
JUD-9:9 But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my
fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be
promoted over the trees?
JUD-9:10 And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, [and]
reign over us.
JUD-9:11 But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my
sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the
trees?
JUD-9:12 Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, [and]
reign over us.
JUD-9:13 And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine,
which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
JUD-9:14 Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou,
[and] reign over us.
JUD-9:15 And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye
anoint me king over you, [then] come [and] put your trust in my
shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour
the cedars of Lebanon.
JUD-9:16 Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in
that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with
Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the
deserving of his hands;
JUD-9:17 (For my father fought for you, and adventured his life
far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:
JUD-9:18 And ye are risen up against my father's house this day,
and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one
stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king
over the men of Shechem, because he [is] your brother;)
JUD-9:19 If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with
Jerubbaal and with his house this day, [then] rejoice ye in
Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:
JUD-9:20 But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and
devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire
come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo,
and devour Abimelech.
JUD-9:21 And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and
dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
JUD-9:22 When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,
JUD-9:23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the
men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with
Abimelech:
JUD-9:24 That the cruelty [done] to the threescore and ten sons
of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech
their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem,
which aided him in the killing of his brethren.
JUD-9:25 And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the
top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that
way by them: and it was told Abimelech.
JUD-9:26 And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and
went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their
confidence in him.
JUD-9:27 And they went out into the fields, and gathered their
vineyards, and trode [the grapes], and made merry, and went into
the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed
Abimelech.
JUD-9:28 And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who [is] Abimelech, and
who [is] Shechem, that we should serve him? [is] not [he] the
son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor
the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?
JUD-9:29 And would to God this people were under my hand! then
would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase
thine army, and come out.
JUD-9:30 And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of
Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.
JUD-9:31 And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying,
Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem;
and, behold, they fortify the city against thee.
JUD-9:32 Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that
[is] with thee, and lie in wait in the field:
JUD-9:33 And it shall be, [that] in the morning, as soon as the
sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city: and,
behold, [when] he and the people that [is] with him come out
against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find
occasion.
JUD-9:34 And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that [were]
with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four
companies.
JUD-9:35 And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the
entering of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the
people that [were] with him, from lying in wait.
JUD-9:36 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold,
there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul
said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as [if
they were] men.
JUD-9:37 And Gaal spake again and said, See there come people
down by the middle of the land, and another company come along
by the plain of Meonenim.
JUD-9:38 Then said Zebul unto him, Where [is] now thy mouth,
wherewith thou saidst, Who [is] Abimelech, that we should serve
him? [is] not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I
pray now, and fight with them.
JUD-9:39 And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought
with Abimelech.
JUD-9:40 And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and
many were overthrown [and] wounded, [even] unto the entering of
the gate.
JUD-9:41 And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out
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