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Judges
Chapter 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, 2
"Speak,
please/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 {70} persons,
reign
over you,
or
that one reign over you?
Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh."
3
And his mother's brethren spoke of him
in
the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words.
And
their hearts/'right lobes'
inclined
to follow Abimelech . . .
for
they said, 'He is our brother.'
4
And they gave him threescore and ten {70} pieces of silver
out
of the house of Baal-Berith,
wherewith
Abimelech hired vain/empty/worthless
and
'reckless acting' persons,
who
followed him.
5
And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah,
and
slew his brethren, the sons of Jerubbaal,
being
threescore and ten {70} persons,
upon
'a unique'/one stone.
Notwithstanding
yet
Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal,
survived
. . . 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.
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,
"
'Hear, listen and obey' {shama`} unto me,
you
men of Shechem,
that
'Elohiym/Godhead
may
'hear, listen and obey' {shama`} unto you. 8
The
trees went forth
on
a time to anoint a king over them.
And
they said unto the olive tree,
'Reign
you over us.' 9
But
the olive tree said unto them,
'Should
I leave my prosperity/fatness,
wherewith
by me they honor 'Elohiym/Godhead and man,
and
go to be promoted over the trees?' 10
And
the trees said to the fig tree,
'Come
you, and reign over us.' 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?' 12
Then
said the trees unto the vine,
'Come
you, and reign over us.' 13
And
the vine said unto them,
'Should
I leave my wine, which cheers 'Elohiym/Godhead and man,
and
go to be promoted over the trees?' 14
Then
said all the trees unto the thorn/bramble,
'Come
you, and reign over us.' 15
And
the bramble said unto the trees,
'If
in truth you 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
you have done truly and sincerely,
in
that you have made Abimelech king,
and
if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house,
and
have done unto him
according
to the deserving of his hands . . . 17
(for
my father fought for you,
and
adventured his life far,
and
delivered you out of the hand of Midian 18
and
you are risen up against my father's house this day,
and
have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons {70},
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
you then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal
and
with his house this day,
then
rejoice you 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
'Elohiym/Godhead 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 threescore and ten {70} 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.
25
And the men of Shechem set 'liers in wait'/ambushers
for
him in 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
trode/stomped the grapes {making wine},
and
made merry,
and
went into the house of their 'Elohiym/Godhead,
and
did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.
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 I wish this people were under my hand!
Then would I remove Abimelech."
And
he said to Abimelech,
"Enlarge
your army, and come out."
30
And when Zebul, the ruler of the city,
heard
the words/'doctrinal communications' {dabar}
of
Gaal, the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.
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