delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side: 35 Neither showed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shown to Israel.
CHAP. 9.
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]
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. [2]
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. [3]
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? [4]
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. [5]
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: [6]
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. [7]
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. [8]
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. [9]
