rd

Judges 9

1 Abimélech vſurpeth the kingdome, and putteth his brethren to death 7 Iothám propoſeth a parable. 23 Hatred betwene Abimélech & the Shechemites. 26 Gaál conſpireth againſt him, and is ouercome. 53 Abimélech is wounded to death by a woman.
1.THen Abimélech the ſonne of Ierubbáal went to Shechém vnto his a mo-thers brethren, and cõmuned with them, and with all the familie, and houſe of his mothers father, ſaying,
2.Say, I pray you, in the audience of all the men of Shechém, whether is better for you, that all ŷ ſonnes of Ierubbáal, which are ſeuentie perſones, reigne ouer you, ether that one reigne ouer you? Remember alſo, that I am your b bone, and your fleſh.
3.Then his mothers brethren ſpake of him in the audiẽce of all the men of Shechém, all theſe wordes: and their heartes were moued to followe Abimélech, for ſaid they, He is our brother.
4.And they gaue him ſeuentie pieces of ſiluer out of the houſe of Baal-beríth, whe-rewith Abimélech hired " vaine and light fellowes which followed him.
5.And he went vnto his fathers houſe at O-phráh, and c ſlewe his brethren, the ſon-nes of Ierubbáal, about ſeuentie perſones vpon one ſtone: yet Iothám the yongeſt ſonne of Ierubbáal was left: for he hid him ſelfe.
6.¶ And all the men of Shechém gathered together with all the houſe of d Milló, and came and made Abimélech King in the plaine, where the ſtone was erected in Shechém.
7.And when they tolde it to Iothám, he went and ſtode in the top of mount Geri-zím, and lift vp his voyce, and cryed, and ſaid vnto them, Hearken vnto me, you men of Shechém, that God may hearken vnto you.
8.e The trees wẽt forthe to anointe a King ouer them, and ſaid vnto the oliue tre, Reigne thou ouer vs.
9.But the oliue tre ſaid vnto them, Shulde I leaue my fatnes, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to auance me aboue the trees?
10.Then the trees ſaid to the fig tre, Come thou, and be King ouer vs.
11.But the fig tre anſwered them, Shulde I forſake my ſwetenes, and my good frute, and go to auance me aboue the trees?
12.Then ſaid the trees vnto the vine, Come thou & be King ouer vs.
13.But the vine ſaid vnto them, Shulde I leaue my wine, whereby I cheare God and man, and go to " auance me aboue the trees?
14.Thẽ ſaid all the trees vnto the bramble, Come thou and reigne ouer vs.
15.And the bramble ſaid vnto the trees, If ye wil in dede anoint me King ouer you, come, & put your truſt vnder my ſhadow: and if not, the f fire ſhal come out of the bramble, and conſume the cedres of Lebanón.
16.Now therefore, if ye do truely and vncorruptly to make Abimélech King, & if ye haue dealt wel with Ierubbáal & with his houſe, & haue done vnto him according to the deſeruing of his hands,
17.(For my father fought for you, and " aduentured his life, & deliuered you out of the hands of Midián.
18.And ye are riſen vp againſt my fathers houſe this day, and haue ſlayne his children, about ſeuentie perſones vpon one ſtone, & haue made Abimélech the ſonne of his maide ſeruant, King ouer the men of Shechém, becauſe he is your brother)
19.If ye then haue delt truely and purely with Ierubbáal, and with his houſe this day, then g reioyce ye with Abimélech, and let him reioyce with you.
20.But if not, let a fire come out from Abimélech, and conſume the men of Shechém and the houſe of Milló: alſo let a fire come fro the fro the men of Shechém, & from the houſe of Milló, and conſume Abimélech.
21.And Iothám ranne away, and fled, & wẽt to Beér and dwelt there for feare of Abimélech his brother.
22.So Abimélech reigned thre yere ouer Iſraél.
23.But God h ſent an euil ſpirit betwene Abimélech, and the men of Shechém: and the mẽ of Shechém brake their promes to Abimélech,
24.That the crueltie towarde the ſeuentie ſonnes of Ierubbáal & their blood might come and be laide vpon Abimélech their brother, which had ſlayne them, and vpon ye men of Shechém, which had aided him to kil his brethren.
25.So ye men of Shechém ſet men in waite for him in the tops of the mountaines: who robbed all that paſſed that way by them: and it was tolde Abimélech.
26.Then Gáal the ſonne of Ebéd came with his brethren, and thei went to Shechém: and the men of Shechém put their confidence in him.
27.Therefore thei i went out into the field, & gathered in their grapes & troade them, and made mery, and went into the houſe of their gods, and did eat & drinke, and curſed Abimélech.
28.Thẽ Gáal the ſonne of Ebéd ſaid, Who is Abimélech? and who is Shechém, that we ſhulde ſerue him? Is he not the ſonne of Ierubbáal? & Zebúl is his officer? Serue rather the men of Hamór the father of Shechém: for why ſhulde we ſerue him?
29.Now wolde God this people were vnder mine hãd: then wolde I put away Abimélech. And he ſaid to k Abimélech, Increaſe thine armie, and come out.
30.¶ And when Zebúl the ruler of the citie heard the wordes of Gáal the ſonne of Ebéd, his wrath was kindled.
31.Therefore he ſent meſſengers vnto Abimélech " priuely, ſaying, Beholde, Gáal the ſonne of Ebéd and his brethren be come to Shechém, and beholde, thei fortifie the citie againſt thee.
32.Now therefore ariſe by night, thou and ye people that is with thee, & lie in wayte in the field.
33.And riſe early in the morning as ſoone as the ſunne is vp, and aſſalt the citie: and when he and the people that is with him, ſhal come out agaĩſt thee, do to him " what thou canſt.
34.¶ So Abimélech roſe vp, & all the people that were with him by night: and thei laie in waite agaĩſt Shechém in foure bandes.
35.Then Gáal the ſonne of Ebéd went out and ſtode in the entring of the gate of the citie: and Abimélech roſe vp, and the folke that were with him, frõ liyng in waite.
36.And when Gáal ſawe the people, he ſaid to Zebúl, Beholde, there come people downe from the tops of the mountaines: and Zebúl ſaid vnto him, The l ſhadowe of the mountaines ſeme men vnto thee.
37.And Gáal ſpake againe, & ſaid, Se, there come folke downe " by the middle of the land, & an other band cometh by the way of the plaine of " Meonením.
38.Then ſaid Zebúl vnto him, Where is now thy mouth, that ſaid, Who is Abimélech, that we ſhulde ſerue him? Is not this the people that thou haſt deſpiſed? Go out now, I pray thee, and fight with them.
39.And Gáal m went out before the men of Shechém, and fought with Abimélech.
40.But Abimélech purſued him, & he fled before him, and many were ouerthrowen and wounded, euen vnto the entring of the gate.
41.And Abimélech dwelt at Arumáh: and Zebúl thruſt out Gáal and his brethren that thei ſhulde not dwel in Shechém.
42.¶ And on the morowe, the people went out into the field: which was tolde Abimélech.
43.And he toke the n people, and deuided them into thre bandes, and laid waite in
44.And Abimélech, and the bandes that were with him, ruſſhed forwarde, & ſtode in the entring of the gate of ŷ citie: and ŷ two other bādes ranne vpon all the people that were in the field and ſlewe them.
45.And whē Abimélech had fought againſt the citie all that day, he toke the citie, and ſlewe the people that was therein, & deſtroyed the citie and ſowed o ſalt in it.
46.¶ And when all the men of the towre of Shechém heard it, thei entred into an holde of the houſe of the god p Beríth.
47.And it was tolde Abimélech, that all the men of the towre of Shechém were gathe-red together.
48.And Abimélech gate him vp to mount Zalmón, he and all the people that were with him: and Abimélech toke axes with him and cut downe boughes of trees and toke them, and bare them on his ſhulder, and ſaid vnto the folke that were with him, What ye haue ſene me do, make haſte, and do like me.
49.Thē all the people alſo cut downe euery man his bough, and followed Abimélech, & put them to the holde, and ſet the holde on fire ŵ them: ſo all the men of the towre of Shechém q dyed alſo, about a thouſand men and women.
50.¶ Then went Abimélech to Tebéz, and beſieged Tebéz, and toke it.
51.But there was a ſtrong towre within the citie, and thether fled all the men and women, and all the chief of the citie, and ſhut it to them, and went vp to the top of the towre.
52.And Abimélech came vnto the towre & fought againſt it, and went hard vnto the dore of the towre to ſet it on fire.
53.But a certaine woman * caſt a piece of a milſtone vpon Abimélechs head, & brake his braine pan.
54.Thē Abimélech called haſtely his page that bare his harnes, and ſaid vnto him, Drawe thy ſworde & ſlay me, that mé ſay not of me, A woman ſlewe him. And his page r thruſt him through, and he dyed.
55.And when the men of Iſraél ſawe that Abimélech was dead, thei departed euery man vnto his owne place.
56.Thus God rendred the wickednes of A-bimélech, which he did vnto his father, in ſlaying his ſeuenty brethren.
57.Alſo all the wickednes of the mé of She-chém did God bring vpon their heades. So vpon thē came the s curſe of Iothám the ſonne of Ierubbáal.

Notes

1:a.
To practiſe with his kinſfolkes for the atteining of ŷ kingdome.
2:b.
Of your kindred by my mothers ſide.
4:".
Or, idle felowes and vacabõds.
5:c.
Thus tyrãts to eſtabliſhe their vſurped power ſpare not the innocent blood, 2 King 10, 7. 2. chro 21.4.
6:d.
Which was as the towne houſe or comũ hal, which he calleth the towre of Shechém verſ 49
8:e.
By this parable he declareth, that thoſe that are not ambitious, are moſte worthy of honour, and that the ambitious abuſe their honour bothe to their owne deſtruction and others.
13:".
Or, ſhiſtel, or beare.
15:f.
Abimélech ſhal deſtroye the nobles of Shechém
17:".
Ebr. he caſt his life farre from him.
19:g.
That he is your King, and you his ſubiectes.
23:h.
Becauſe the people conſented with the King in ſhedĩg innocẽt blood: therefore God deſtroyeth bothe the one & the other.
27:i.
Before they were afrayed of Abimelechs power, & durſt not go out of the citie.
29:k.
Braggingly as thogh he had bene preſent, or to his capitaine Zebúl.
31:".
Ebr. craftely.
33:".
Ebr. what thine hãd cã finde
36:l.
Thou art afrayed of a ſhadowe
37:".
Ebr. by the nauel
37:".
Or, charmers.
39:m.
As their capitaine.
43:n.
Which were of his companie.
45:o.
That it ſhulde be vnfruteful and neuer ſerue to any vſe.
46:p.
That is, of Baal-berith, as Chap.8.33.
49:q.
Meaning all were deſtroyed, aſwel they in ye towre as the other.
53:*.
2.Sam.11.21.
54:r.
Thus God by ſuche miſerable death taketh vengeance on tyrāts euen in this life.
57:s.
For making a tyrant their king.