¹ And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s brethren, and talked with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,

² Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Which is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are seventy persons, should reign over you, or that one should reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.¹

1. Whether...: Heb. What is good? whether, etc

³ And his mother’s brethren spoke 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.¹

1. to follow: Heb. after

⁴ And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and light persons, who followed him.

⁵ And he went to his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being seventy persons, upon one stone: however Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.

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.¹

1. plain: or, oak

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 to them, Hearken to me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken to you.

⁸ The trees went forth once to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive tree, Reign thou over us.

⁹ But the olive tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness, with which by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?¹

1. go...: or, go up and down for other trees

¹⁰ And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us.

¹¹ But the fig tree said to them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

¹² Then said the trees to the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.

¹³ And the vine said to them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

¹⁴ Then said all the trees to the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.¹

1. bramble: or, thistle

¹⁵ And the bramble said to 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.

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 to him according to the deserving of his hands;

¹⁷ (For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you from the hand of Midian:¹

1. adventured...: Heb. cast his life

¹⁸ And ye have risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, seventy persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)

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:

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.

²¹ And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

²² When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,

²³ Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:

²⁴ That the cruelty done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, who aided him in the killing of his brethren.¹

1. aided...: Heb. strengthened his hands to kill

²⁵ And the men of Shechem set an ambush for him on the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.

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.

²⁷ And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.¹

1. merry: or, songs

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?

²⁹ And would that this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thy army, and come out.

³⁰ And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.¹

1. kindled: or, hot

³¹ And he sent messengers to Abimelech deceitfully, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren are come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee.¹

1. privily: Heb. craftily or, to Tormah

³² Now therefore rise up by night, thou and the people that are with thee, and lie in wait in the field:

³³ And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun hath risen, thou shalt rise early, and rush upon the city: and, behold, when he and the people that are with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion.¹

1. as thou shalt...: Heb. as thine hand shall find

³⁴ And Abimelech rose, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.

³⁵ And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait.

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 to him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.

³⁷ And Gaal spoke again and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim.¹²

1. middle: Heb. navel
2. Meonenim: or, the regarders of times

³⁸ Then said Zebul to him, Where is now thy mouth, with which thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? are not these the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.

³⁹ And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.