Judges, Chapter 9:

Verses from Judges, Chapter 9 of the book of Judges in the Bible.

Abimelech is made king

• 1. Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to his mother's brothers in Shechem and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother's family:
• 2. “Question all the citizens of Shechem about what is best for them: to have all seventy sons of Jerubbaal rule over them or just one man? Remember that I am of the same lineage as you.”
• 3. His mother's brothers repeated everything to the citizens of Shechem, and they were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said: “He is our relative.”
• 4. They gave him seventy pieces of silver taken from the temple of Baal-Berite, and Abimelech used this money to hire idle and disorderly men, who became his followers.
• 5. He went to his father's house in Ophrah and killed his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, on a rock. However, Jerubbaal's youngest son, Jotham, managed to hide and escape.
• 6. Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Milo gathered together at the Oak of Shechem, by the pillar, to crown Abimelech as king.
• 7. When Jotham heard this, he went up to the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them: “Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God will listen to you.
• 8. There was a day when the trees decided to anoint a king. They said to the olive tree: 'Reign over us!'
• 9. But the olive tree replied: 'Should I abandon my olive, with which both God and men are honored, to rule over the trees?'
• 10. Then the trees said to the fig tree, 'Come and reign over us!'
• 11. But the fig tree replied, 'Should I abandon my sweet and savory fruit to rule over the trees?'
• 12. Then the trees said to the vine, 'Come and reign over us!'
• 13. But the vine replied, 'Should I give up my wine, which pleases both God and men, to rule over the trees?'
• 14. Then all the trees said to the thornbush, 'Come and reign over us!'
• 15. And the thornbush said to the trees, 'If you really want me as king, come and take refuge under my shadow. Otherwise, fire will come out of the thornbush and consume even the cedars of Lebanon!'
• 16. Did you act sincerely in making Abimelech king? Did you treat Jerubaal and his family fairly? Did you repay him for the good he did for you?
• 17. My father fought for you and risked his life to rescue you from the hands of Midian.
• 18. Now you have rebelled against my father's family, killed his seventy sons on a rock, and crowned Abimelech, the son of one of your servants, as king over the citizens of Shechem because they are his relatives.
• 19. If you acted with sincerity and loyalty towards Jerubbaal and his family, then rejoice with Abimelech, and may he rejoice with you!
• 20. However, if they did not act sincerely, may fire come out of Abimelech and consume the citizens of Shechem and Beth-Milo, and may fire come out of the citizens of Shechem and Beth-Milo and consume Abimelech!”
• 21. After that, Jotham fled to Beer and lived there, far from his brother Abimelech.
• 22. Abimelech ruled Israel for three years.
• 23. Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem, and they acted treacherously against Abimelech.
• 24. This happened so that the crime committed against the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, the shedding of their blood, would be avenged on Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem who supported him in the murder of their brothers.
• 25. The citizens of Shechem sent men to ambush those passing through the hills, and Abimelech was informed of this.
• 26. Meanwhile, Gaal son of Ebed and his relatives moved to Shechem, and the citizens of Shechem trusted them.
• 27. They went out into the field, gathered the grapes, crushed them, and celebrated in the temple of their god. As they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech.
• 28. Then Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech that we should serve him? Who is Shechem? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal? And is not Zebul your representative? Serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem! Why should we serve Abimelech?
• 29. If only I had control over these people! I would get rid of Abimelech.” And Gaal exclaimed: “Mobilize your army and come, Abimelech!”
• 30. When Zebul, the governor of the city, heard about the words of Gaal, son of Ebed, he was indignant.
• 31. Secretly he sent messengers to Abimelech, saying: “Gaal son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you.
• 32. Come at night, you and your men, and hide in the field.
• 33. When dawn breaks, attack the city. When Gaal and his army advance, do with them as you see fit.”
• 34. Then Abimelech and all his men departed during the night and hid near Shechem in four groups.
• 35. Gaal, the son of Ebed, went out and stood at the entrance to the city. When Abimelech and his men came out of the ambush,
• 36. Gaal saw them and said to Zebul, “Look, there are people coming down from the hills!” Zebul replied, “You are seeing shadows from the hills and mistaking them for men.”
• 37. But Gaal insisted: “No, look! There are people going down through the middle of the country, and a group is coming along the path of the Diviners' Oak.”
• 38. Then Zebul said to Gaal, “Where are all your words? You said, 'Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?' Aren't these the men you ridiculed? Come out and fight them!”
• 39. Gaal went out in front of the citizens of Shechem and fought against Abimelech.
• 40. Abimelech pursued him, and Gaal fled. Many men of Shechem fell dead along the way, until the entrance to the city.
• 41. Abimelech remained in Arumah, and Zebul expelled Gaal and his relatives from Shechem.
• 42. The next day the people of Shechem went out into the field, and Abimelech was informed of this.
• 43. Then he divided his men into three groups and set up ambushes in the field. When he saw the people leaving the city, he attacked them.
• 44. Abimelech and his group advanced to the entrance of the city, while two other groups attacked those in the field and killed them.
• 45. Abimelech attacked the city all day until he conquered it and killed the people who lived there. Then he destroyed the city and sprinkled salt over it.
• 46. When the citizens who were in the tower of Shechem heard about this, they took refuge in the fortress of the temple of El-Berite.
• 47. Abimelech was told that they were all gathered there.
• 48. Then he went up Mount Zalmon with his whole army, took an axe, cut down a branch of a tree, and put it on his shoulders. And he said to his men: “Do as I do!”
• 49. So they all cut down branches and followed Abimelech. Then they piled the branches next to the fortress and set it on fire, killing about a thousand men and women who were in the tower of Shechem.
• 50. Then Abimelech went to Thebesh, surrounded it and conquered it.
• 51. But there was a fortified tower within the city, to which all the men and women, all the people of the city, fled. They locked themselves inside and climbed to the roof of the tower.
• 52. Abimelech approached the tower and attacked it. When I was near the entrance, to set it on fire,
• 53. A woman threw a millstone at Abimelech's head and cracked his skull.
• 54. Immediately he called his armor-bearer and ordered him: “Take my life, so that they will not say that I was killed by a woman.” The young man ran him through with his sword, and Abimelech died.
• 55. When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they returned home.
• 56. Thus God repaid Abimelech for the evil he had done to his father, killing his seventy brothers.
• 57. In the same way, God made all the residents of Shechem suffer the consequences of their wickedness. The curse pronounced by Jotham, son of Jerubbaal, fell upon them.

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