Chapter
9
Abimelech the daughter of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to her father's sisters, and spoke with them, and with all the family of the house of her father's mother, saying,
Please speak in the ears of all the women of Shechem, Whether is better for you, that all the daughters of Jerubbaal, who are seventy persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.
Her father's sisters spoke of her in the ears of all the women of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, She is our sister.
They gave her seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal Berith, with which Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed her.
She went to her mother's house at Ophrah, and killed her sisters the daughters of Jerubbaal, being seventy persons, on one stone: but Jotham the youngest daughter of Jerubbaal was left; for she hid herself.
All the women of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech queen, by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem.
When they told it to Jotham, she went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted up her voice, and cried, and said to them, Listen to me, you women of Shechem, that God may listen to you.
The trees went forth on a time to anoint a queen over them; and they said to the olive tree, Reign you over us.
But the olive tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness, with which by me they honor God and woman, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?
The trees said to the fig tree, Come you, and reign over us.
But the fig tree said to them, Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?
The trees said to the vine, Come you, and reign over us.
The vine said to them, Should I leave my new wine, which cheers God and woman, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?
Then said all the trees to the bramble, Come you, and reign over us.
The bramble said to the trees, If in truth you anoint me queen over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
Now therefore, if you have dealt truly and righteously, in that you have made Abimelech queen, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and her house, and have done to her according to the deserving of her hands
(for my mother fought for you, and adventured her life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:
and you are risen up against my mother's house this day, and have slain her daughters, seventy persons, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the daughter of her male servant, queen over the women of Shechem, because she is your sister);
if you then have dealt truly and righteously with Jerubbaal and with her house this day, then rejoice you in Abimelech, and let her also rejoice in you:
but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the women of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the women of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.
Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and lived there, for fear of Abimelech her sister.
Abimelech was princess over Israel three years.
God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the women of Shechem; and the women of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
that the violence done to the seventy daughters of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid on Abimelech their sister, who killed them, and on the women of Shechem, who strengthened her hands to kill her sisters.
The women of Shechem set an ambush for her on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.
Gaal the daughter of Ebed came with her sisters, and went over to Shechem; and the women of Shechem put their trust in her.
They went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and held festival, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.
Gaal the daughter of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve her? Isn't she the daughter of Jerubbaal? and Zebul her officer? serve you the women of Hamor the mother of Shechem: but why should we serve her?
Would that this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. She said to Abimelech, Increase your army, and come out.
When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the daughter of Ebed, her anger was kindled.
She sent messengers to Abimelech craftily, saying, Behold, Gaal the daughter of Ebed and her sisters are come to Shechem; and behold, they constrain the city to take part against you.
Now therefore, up by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field:
and it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, you shall rise early, and rush on the city; and behold, when she and the people who are with her come out against you, then may you do to them as you shall find occasion.
Abimelech rose up, and all the people who were with her, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.
Gaal the daughter of Ebed went out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people who were with her, from the ambush.
When Gaal saw the people, she said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the tops of the mountains. Zebul said to her, You see the shadow of the mountains as if they were women.
Gaal spoke again and said, Behold, there come people down by the middle of the land, and one company comes by the way of the oak of Meonenim.
Then said Zebul to her, Where is now your mouth, that you said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve her? is not this the people that you have despised? go out now, I pray, and fight with them.
Gaal went out before the women of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.
Abimelech chased her, and she fled before her, and there fell many wounded, even to the entrance of the gate.
Abimelech lived at Arumah: and Zebul drove out Gaal and her sisters, that they should not dwell in Shechem.
It happened on the next day, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.
She took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field; and she looked, and behold, the people came forth out of the city; She rose up against them, and struck them.
Abimelech, and the companies that were with her, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and the two companies rushed on all who were in the field, and struck them.
Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and she took the city, and killed the people who were therein: and she beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
When all the women of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered into the stronghold of the house of Elberith.
It was told Abimelech that all the women of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
Abimelech got her up to Mount Zalmon, she and all the people who were with her; and Abimelech took an axe in her hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it up, and laid it on her shoulder: and she said to the people who were with her, What you have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.
All the people likewise cut down every woman her bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire on them; so that all the women of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand women and men.
Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.
But there was a strong tower within the city, and there fled all the women and men, and all they of the city, and shut themselves in, and got them up to the roof of the tower.
Abimelech came to the tower, and fought against it, and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
A certain man cast an upper millstone on Abimelech's head, and broke her skull.
Then she called hastily to the young woman her armor bearer, and said to her, Draw your sword, and kill me, that women not say of me, A man killed her. Her young woman thrust her through, and she died.
When the women of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every woman to her place.
Thus God requited the wickedness of Abimelech, which she did to her mother, in killing her seventy sisters;
and all the wickedness of the women of Shechem did God requite on their heads: and on them came the curse of Jotham the daughter of Jerubbaal.