Judges 8-9 (21st Century King James Version)

Judges 8

 ¹And the men of Ephraim said unto him, "Why hast thou served us thus, that thou called us not when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites?" And they chided him sharply.

   
 ²And he said unto them, "What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

   
 ³God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And what was I able to do in comparison with you?" Then their anger was abated toward him when he had said that.

   
 ⁴And Gideon came to the Jordan and passed over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.

   
 ⁵And he said unto the men of Succoth, "Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people who follow me, for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian."

   
 ⁶And the princes of Succoth said, "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?"

   
 ⁷And Gideon said, "Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers."

   
 ⁸And he went up thence to Penuel and spoke unto them likewise, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.

   
 ⁹And he spoke also unto the men of Penuel, saying, "When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower."

   
 ¹⁰Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the East; for there fell a hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the sword.

   
 ¹¹And Gideon went up by the way of those who dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host; for the host was secure.

   
 ¹²And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.

   
 ¹³And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,

   
 ¹⁴and caught a young man of the men of Succoth and inquired of him; and he wrote down for him the princes of Succoth and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.

   
 ¹⁵And he came unto the men of Succoth and said, "Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, `Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men who are weary?'"

   
 ¹⁶And he took the elders of the city and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.

   
 ¹⁷And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.

   
 ¹⁸Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, "What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor?" And they answered, "As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king."

   
 ¹⁹And he said, "They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother. As the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you."

   
 ²⁰And he said unto Jether his firstborn, "Up, and slay them." But the youth drew not his sword; for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

   
 ²¹Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise thou, and fall upon us; for as the man is, so is his strength." And Gideon arose and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels' necks.

   
 ²²Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, "Rule thou over us, both thou and thy son and thy son's son also; for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian."

   
 ²³And Gideon said unto them, "I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you."

   
 ²⁴And Gideon said unto them, "I would make a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings from his spoil." (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

   
 ²⁵And they answered, "We will willingly give them." And they spread a garment, and cast therein every man the earrings from his spoil.

   
 ²⁶And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold, besides ornaments and collars and purple raiment that were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were about their camels' necks.

   
 ²⁷And Gideon made an ephod thereof and put it in his city, even in Ophrah. And all Israel went thither a whoring after it, which thing became a snare unto Gideon and to his house.

   
 ²⁸Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.

   
 ²⁹And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.

   
 ³⁰And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten, for he had many wives.

   
 ³¹And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.

   
 ³²And Gideon the son of Joash died at a good old age, and was buried in the sepulcher of Joash his father in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

   
 ³³And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again and went a whoring after the Baalim, and made Baalberith their god.

   
 ³⁴And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side;

   
 ³⁵neither showed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (namely, Gideon), according to all the goodness which he had shown unto Israel.

   

Judges 9

 ¹And 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, 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 threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you?' Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh."

   
 ³And 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."

   
 ⁴And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, with which Abimelech hired vain and light persons, who followed him.

   
 ⁵And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone. Notwithstanding, yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself.

   
 ⁶And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Bethmillo, and went and made Abimelech king by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.

   
 ⁷And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice and cried, and said unto them, "Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.

   
 ⁸The trees went forth once to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, `Reign thou over us.'

   
 ⁹But the olive tree said unto them, `Should I leave my fatness, withwhich by me they honor God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?'

   
 ¹⁰And the trees said to the fig tree, `Come thou, and reign over us.'

   
 ¹¹But the fig tree said unto them, `Should I forsake my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?'

   
 ¹²Then said the trees unto the vine, `Come thou, and reign over us.'

   
 ¹³And the vine said unto them, `Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?'

   
 ¹⁴Then said all the trees unto the bramble, `Come thou, and reign over us.'

   
 ¹⁵And the bramble said unto 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 unto him according to the deserving of his hands

   
 ¹⁷(for my father fought for you, and ventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian;

   
 ¹⁸and ye have risen up against my father's house this day and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother),

   
 ¹⁹if 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.

   
 ²⁰But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem and the house of Bethmillo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and from the house of Bethmillo, and devour Abimelech."

   
 ²¹And Jotham ran away and fled, and went to Beer and dwelt there for fear of Abimelech his brother.

   
 ²²When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,

   
 ²³then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,

   
 ²⁴that the cruelty done to the threescore and ten 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.

   
 ²⁵And the men of Shechem set liersinwait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all who came along that way by them; and it was told Abimelech.

   
 ²⁶And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren and went over to Shechem, and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.

   
 ²⁷And 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.

   
 ²⁸And 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?

   
 ²⁹And would to God this people were under my hand! Then would I remove Abimelech." And he said to Abimelech, "Increase thine army, and come out!"

   
 ³⁰And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.

   
 ³¹And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, "Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren have come to Shechem; and behold, they fortify the city against thee.

   
 ³²Now therefore, up by night, thou and the people who are with thee, and lie in wait in the field.

   
 ³³And it shall be that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early and set upon the city; and behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion."

   
 ³⁴And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.

   
 ³⁵And Gaal the son 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 him, from lying in wait.

   
 ³⁶And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, "Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains." And Zebul said unto him, "Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men."

   
 ³⁷And Gaal spoke again and said, "See, there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim."

   
 ³⁸Then said Zebul unto him, "Where now is thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, `Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?' Are not these the people whom thou hast despised? Go out, I pray now, and fight with them."

   
 ³⁹And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

   
 ⁴⁰And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him; and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entrance of the gate.

   
 ⁴¹And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah; and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.

   
 ⁴²And it came to pass on the morrow that the people went out into the field, and they told Abimelech.

   
 ⁴³And he took the people and divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field, and looked, and behold, the people had come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them and smote them.

   
 ⁴⁴And Abimelech and the company that was with him rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city; and the two other companies ran upon all the people who were in the fields and slew them.

   
 ⁴⁵And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people who were therein, and beat down the city and sowed it with salt.

   
 ⁴⁶And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into a stronghold of the house of the god Berith.

   
 ⁴⁷And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.

   
 ⁴⁸And Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him; and Abimelech took an ax in his hand and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people who were with him, "What ye have seen me do, make haste and do as I have done."

   
 ⁴⁹And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough and followed Abimelech, and put them to the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire upon them, so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.

   
 ⁵⁰Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez and took it.

   
 ⁵¹But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women and all those of the city, and shut it to them and went up to the top of the tower.

   
 ⁵²And Abimelech came unto the tower and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

   
 ⁵³And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head and broke his skull.

   
 ⁵⁴Then he called hastily unto the young man, his armorbearer, and said unto him, "Draw thy sword and slay me, that men say not of me, `A woman slew him.'" And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

   
 ⁵⁵And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.

   
 ⁵⁶Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father in slaying his seventy brethren.

   
 ⁵⁷And all the evil of the men of Shechem God returned upon their heads, and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.