rd

Judges 9

1 Abimélech usurpeth the kingdome, and putteth his brethren to death 7 Jothám proposeth a parable. 23 Hatred betwene Abimélech & the Shechemites. 26 Gáal conspireth against him, & is overcome. 53 Abimélech is wounded to death by a woman.
1.Then Abimélech the sonne of Jerubbáal went to Shechém unto his amothers brethren, and communed 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 the sonnes of Jerubbáal, which Abimélech. Judges 9 are seventie persones, reigne over you, ether that one reign over you? Remember also, that I am your bbone, and your flesh.
3.Then his mothers brethren spake of him in the audience of all the men of Shechém, all these words: and their heartes were moved to followe Abimélech. for said they, He is our brother.
4.And they gave him seventie pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-beríth, wherewith Abimélech hired ^vaine and light fellowes which followed him.
5.And he went unto his fathers house at Ophráh, and cslewe his brethren, the sonnes of Jerubbáal, about seventy persones upon one stone: yet Jothám the yongest sonne of Jerubbáal was left: for he hid him selfe.
6.¶ And all the men of Shechém gathered together with all the house of dMilló, and came and made Abimélech King in the plaine, where the stone was erected in Shechém.
7.And when they tolde it to Jothám, he went and stode in the top of mount Gerizím, and lift up his voyce, and cryed, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, you men of Shechém, that God may hearken unto you.
8.eThe trees went forthe to anointe a King over them, and said unto the olive tre, Reigne thou over us.
9.But the olive tre said unto them, Shulde I leave my fatnes, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to avance me above the trees?
10.Then the trees said to the fig tre, Come thou, and be King over us.
11.But the fig tre answered them, Shulde I forsake my swetenes, and my good frute, and go to avance me above the trees?
12.Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou and be King over us.
13.But the vine said unto them, Shulde I leave my wine, whereby I cheare God and man, and go to avance me above the trees?
14.Then said all the trees unto the ^bramble, Come thou and reign over us.
15.And the bramble said unto the trees, If ye wil in dede anoint me King over you, come, and put your trust under my shadow: and if not, the ffire shal come out of the bramble, and consume the cedres of Lebanón.
16.Now therefore, if ye do truly & uncorruptly to make Abimélech King, and if ye have dealt wel with Jerubbáal and with 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, and delivered you out of the hands of Midián.
18.And ye are risen up against my fathers house this day, and have slayne his children, about seventie persones upon one stone, and have made Abimélech the sonne of his maideservant, King over the men of Shechém, because he is your brother)
19.If ye then have delt truly and purely with Jerubbáal, and with his house this day, then grejoyce ye with Abimélech, and let him rejoyce 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 forthe from the men of Shechém, and from the house of Milló, and consume Abimélech.
21.And Jothám ranne away, and fled, and went to Beér and dwelt there for feare of Abimélech his brother.
22.So Abimélech reigned thre yere over Israél.
23.But God hsent an evil spirit betwene Abimélech, and the men of Shechém: and the men of Shechém brake their promes to Abimélech,
24.That the crueltie towarde the seventie sonnes of Jerubbáal and their blood might come and be laide upon Abimélech their brother, which had slayne them, and upon the men of Shechém, which had aided him to kil his brethren.
25.So the 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, & they went to Shechém: and the men of Shechém put their confidence in him.
27.Therefore thei iwent out into the field, and gathered in their grapes and troade them, and made mery, and went into the house of their gods, and did eat & drinke, and cursed Abimélech.
28.Then Gáal the sonne of Ebéd said, Who is Abimélech? and who is Shechém, that we shulde serve him? Is he not the sonne of Jerubbáal? and Zebúl is his officer? Serve rather the men of Hamór the father of Shechém: for why shulde we serve him?
29.Now wolde God this people were under mine hand: then wolde I put away Abimélech. And he said to kAbimélech, 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 unto Abimélech ^prively, saying, Beholde, Gáal the sonne of Ebéd and his brethren be come to Shechém, & beholde, thei fortifie the citie against thee.
32.Now therefore arise by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wayte in the field.
33.And rise early in the morning as soone as the sunne is up, and assalt the citie: and when he and the people that is with him, shal come out against thee, do to him ^what thou canst.
34.¶ So Abimélech rose up, and all the people that were with him by night: and thei laie in waite against 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 up, and the folke that were with him, from lying 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 unto him, The lshadowe of the mountaines seme men to thee.
37.And Gáal spake againe, & said, Se, there come folke downe ^by the middle of the land, and an other band cometh by the way of the plaine of ^Meonením.
38.Then said Zebúl unto him, Where is now thy mouth, that said, Who is Abimélech, that we shulde serve him? Is not this the people that thou hast despised? Go out now, I pray thee, and fight with them. Abimélech is slaine. Judges
39.And Gáal mwent out before the men of Shechém, and fought with Abimélech.
40.But Abimélech pursued him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrowen and wounded, even unto the entring of the gate.
41.And Abimélech dwelt at Arumáh: and Zebúl thrust out Gáal and his brethren that they 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 npeople, and devided them into thre bandes, and laid waite in the fields, and loked, and beholde, the people were come out of the citie, and he rose up against them, and smote them.
44.And Abimélech, and the bandes that were with him, rushed forwarde, and stode in the entring of the gate of the citie: and the two other bandes ranne upon all the people that were in the field and slewe them.
45.And when Abimélech had fought against the citie all that day, he toke the citie, and slewe the people that was therein, and destroyed the citie and sowed osalt 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 pBeríth.
47.And it was tolde Abimélech, that all the men of the towre of Shechém were gathered together.
48.And Abimélech gate him up to mount Zalmón, he and all the people that were with him: and Abimélech toke axes with him and cut downe boughs of trees and toke them, and bare them on his shulder, and said unto the folke that were with him, What ye have sene me do, make haste, and do like me.
49.Then all the people also cut downe every man his bough, and followed Abimélech, and put them to the holde, and set the holde of fire with them: so all the men of the towre of Shechém qdyed 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 up to the top of the towre.
52.And Abimélech came unto the towre and fought against it, and went hard unto the dore of the towre to set it on fire.
53.But a certaine woman *cast a piece of a milstone upon Abimélechs head, and brake his braine pan.
54.Then Abimélech called hastely his page that bare his harnes, and said unto him, Drawe thy sworde and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slewe him. And his page rthrust him through, and he dyed.
55.And when the men of Israél sawe that Abimélech was dead, thei departed every man unto his owne place.
56.Thus God rendred the wickednes of Abimélech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren.
57.Also all the wickednes of the men of Shechém did God bring upon their heads. So upon them came the scurse of Jothám the sonne of Jerubbáal.

Notes

1-a.
To practice with his kinfolks for the attaining of the kingdom.
2-b.
Of your kindred by my mother’s side.
4-^.
Or, idle fellows and vagabonds.
5-c.
Thus tyrants to establish their usurped power spare not the innocent blood, 2 King 10.7, 2 Chron. 21.4.
6-d.
Which was as the town house or common hall, which he called the town of Shechem verse 49.
8-e.
By this parable he declares, that those that are not ambitious, are most worthy of honour, and that the ambitious abuse their honour both to their own destruction and others.
14-^.
Or, thistle, or brier.
15-f.
Abimelech shall destroy the nobles of Shechem.
17-^.
Ebr., he cast his life far from him.
19-g.
That he is your King, and you his subjects. 9 Geneva Bible 1560
23-h.
Because the people consented with the King in sheading innocent blood: therefore God destroyed both the one and the other.
27-i.
Before they were afraid of Abimelech’s power, and dare not go out of the city.
29-k.
Braggingly as though he had been present, or to his captain Zebul.
31-^.
Ebr., craftily.
33-^.
Ebr., what your hand can find.
36-l.
You are afraid of a shadow.
37-^.
Ebr., by the navel.
37-^-1.
Or, charmers.
39-m.
As their captain.
43-n.
Which were of his company.
45-o.
That it should be unfruitful and never serve to any use.
46-p.
That is, of Baal-berith, as Chap. 8.33.
49-q.
Meaning, that all were destroyed, aswel they in the tower as the other.
53-*.
2 Sam. 11.21.
54-r.
Thus God by such miserable death takes vengeance on tyrants even in this life.
57-s.
For making a tyrant their King. 1 Geneva Bible 1560