Judges 9:22-11:28
1599 Geneva Bible
22 So Abimelech reigned three years over Israel.
23 But God [a]sent an evil spirit between Abimelech, and the men of Shechem: and the men of Shechem brake their promise to Abimelech,
24 That the cruelty toward the seventy sons of Jerubbaal and their blood might come and be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which had slain them, and upon the men of Shechem, which had aided him to kill his brethren.
25 So the men of Shechem set men in wait for him in the tops of the mountains: who robbed all that passed that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.
26 Then Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and they went to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.
27 Therefore they [b]went out into the field, and gathered in their grapes, and trode them, and made merry, and went into the house of their gods, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.
28 Then Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech? and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul is his officer? Serve rather the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?
29 Now would God this people were under mine hand: then would I put away Abimelech. And he said to [c]Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.
30 ¶ And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his wrath was kindled.
31 Therefore he sent messengers unto Abimelech [d]privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem, and behold, they fortify the city against thee.
32 Now therefore arise by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field.
33 And rise early in the morning as soon as the sun is up, and assault the city: and when he and the people that is with him, shall come out against thee, do to him [e]what thou canst.
34 ¶ So Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him by night: and they lay in wait against Shechem in four bands.
35 Then Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the folk that were with him, from lying in wait.
36 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the tops of the mountains: and Zebul said unto him, The [f]shadow of the mountains seem men unto thee.
37 And Gaal spake again, and said, See, there come folk down [g]by the middle of the land, and another band cometh by the way of the plain of [h]Meonenim.
38 Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth that said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? Is not this the people that thou hast despised? Go out now, I pray thee and fight with them.
39 And Gaal [i]went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.
40 But Abimelech pursued him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded even unto the entering of the gate.
41 And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren that they should not dwell in Shechem.
42 ¶ And on the morrow, the people went out into the field: which was told Abimelech.
43 And he took the [j]people, and divided them into three bands, and laid wait in the fields, and looked, and behold, the people were come out of the city, and he rose up against them, and smote them.
44 And Abimelech, and the bands that were with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other bands ran upon all the people that were in the field, and slew them.
45 And when Abimelech had fought against the city all that day, he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and destroyed the city, and sowed [k]salt in it.
46 ¶ And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard it, they entered into an hold of the house of the god [l]Berith.
47 And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
48 And Abimelech got him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him: and Abimelech took axes with him, and cut down boughs of trees, and took them, and bare them on his shoulder, and said unto the folk that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do like me.
49 Then all the people also cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire with them so all the men of the tower of Shechem [m]died also, about a thousand men and women.
50 ¶ Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and besieged Thebez, and took it.
51 But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all the chiefs of the city, and shut it to them, and went up to the top of the tower.
52 And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to set it on fire.
53 But a certain woman (A)cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and brake his brainpan.
54 Then Abimelech called hastily his page that bore his harness, and said unto him, Draw thy sword and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his page [n]thrust him through, and he died.
55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his own place.
56 Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father in slaying his seventy brethren.
57 Also all the wickedness of the men of Shechem did God bring upon their heads. So upon them came the [o]curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
10 2 Tola dieth. 5 Jair also dieth. 7 The Israelites are punished for their sins. 10 They cry unto God, 16 and he hath pity on them.
1 After Abimelech, there arose to defend Israel, Tola, the son of Puah, the son of [p]Dodo, a man of Issachar, which dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.
2 And he [q]judged Israel three and twenty years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.
3 ¶ And after him arose Jair a Gileadite, and judged Israel two and twenty years.
4 And he had thirty sons that [r]rode on thirty asscolts, and they had thirty cities, which are called [s]Havoth Jair unto this day, and are in the land of Gilead.
5 And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.
6 ¶ (B)And the children of Israel wrought wickedness again in the sight of the Lord, and served Baal and (C)Ashtoreth, and the gods of [t]Aram, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord and served not him.
7 Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he [u]sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon:
8 Who from that year vexed and oppressed the children of Israel eighteen years, [v]even all the children of Israel that were beyond Jordan, in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.
9 Moreover, the children of Ammon went over Jordan to fight against Judah and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim: so that Israel was sore tormented.
10 Then the children of Israel [w]cried unto the Lord, saying, We have sinned against thee, even because we have forsaken our own God, and have served Baal.
11 And the Lord [x]said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?
12 The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites did oppress you, and ye cried to me, and I saved you out of their hands.
13 Yet ye (D)have forsaken me, and served other gods: Wherefore I will deliver you no more.
14 Go, and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen: let them save you in the time of your tribulation.
15 And the children of Israel said unto the Lord, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever please thee: only we pray thee to deliver us [y]this day.
16 Then they put away the strange gods from among them, and [z]served the Lord: and [aa]his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.
17 Then the children of Ammon gathered themselves together, and pitched in Gilead: and the children of Israel assembled themselves, and pitched in Mizpah.
18 And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, Whosoever will begin the battle against the children of Ammon, the same shall be (E)head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
11 2 Jephthah being chased away by his brethren, was after made captain over Israel. 30 He maketh a rash vow. 32 He vanquisheth the Ammonites, 39 and sacrificeth his daughter according to his vow.
1 Then Gilead begat Jephthah, and Jephthah the Gileadite was [ab]a valiant man, but the son of an [ac]harlot.
2 And Gilead’s wife bare him sons, and when the woman’s children were come to age, they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house: for thou art the son of a [ad]strange woman.
3 Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of [ae]Tob: and there gathered idle fellows to Jephthah, and [af]went out with him.
4 ¶ And in process of time, the children of Ammon made war with Israel.
5 And when the children of Ammon fought with Israel, the [ag]Elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob.
6 And they said unto Jephthah, Come and be our captain, that we may fight [ah]with the children of Ammon.
7 Jephthah then answered the Elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and [ai]expel me out of my father’s house? how then come you unto me now in time of your tribulation?
8 Then the Elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
9 And Jephthah said unto the Elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, if the Lord give them before me, shall I be your head?
10 And the Elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The Lord [aj]be witness between us, if we do not according to thy words.
11 Then Jephthah went with the Elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah rehearsed all his words before the Lord in Mizpah.
12 ¶ Then Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me, to fight in my land?
13 And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, (F)Because Israel took my land, when they came up from Egypt, from Arnon unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands [ak]quietly.
14 Yet Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon,
15 And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, (G)Israel took not the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon.
16 But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the red sea, then they came to Kadesh.
17 (H)And Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, go through thy land: but the king of Edom would not consent: and also they sent unto the king of Moab, but he would not: therefore Israel abode in Kadesh.
18 Then they went through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the Eastside of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, (I)and came not within the coast of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.
19 Also Israel (J)sent messengers unto Sihon, king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon, and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, by thy land unto our [al]place.
20 But Sihon [am]consented not to Israel, that he should go through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.
21 And the Lord God of Israel gave Sihon, and all his folk into the hands of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country:
22 And they possessed (K)all the coast of the Amorites, from Arnon unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.
23 Now therefore the Lord God of Israel hath cast out the Amorites before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?
24 Wouldest not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the [an]Lord our God driveth out before us, them will we possess.
25 (L)And art thou now far better than Balak the son of Zippor king of Moab? did he not strive with Israel and fight against them,
26 When Israel dwelt in Heshbon and in her towns, and in Aroer and in her towns, and in all the cities that are by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why did ye not then recover [ao]them in that space?
27 Wherefore I have not offended thee: but thou doest me wrong to war against me. The Lord the Judge [ap]be judge this day between the children of Israel, and the children of Ammon.
28 Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah, which he had sent him.
Footnotes
- Judges 9:23 Because the people consented with the king in shedding innocent blood, therefore God destroyeth both one and the other.
- Judges 9:27 Before they were afraid of Abimelech’s power, and durst not go out of the city.
- Judges 9:29 Braggingly, as though he had been present, or to his captain Zebul.
- Judges 9:31 Hebrew, craftily.
- Judges 9:33 Hebrew, what thine hand can find.
- Judges 9:36 Thou art afraid of a shadow.
- Judges 9:37 Hebrew, by the navel.
- Judges 9:37 Or, charmers.
- Judges 9:39 As their captain.
- Judges 9:43 Which were in his company.
- Judges 9:45 That it should be unfruitful, and never serve to any use.
- Judges 9:46 That is, of Baal-Berith, as Judg. 8:33.
- Judges 9:49 Meaning, that all were destroyed as well they in the tower, as the other.
- Judges 9:54 Thus God by such miserable death taketh vengeance on tyrants even in this life.
- Judges 9:57 For making a tyrant their king.
- Judges 10:1 Or, his uncle.
- Judges 10:2 Or, governed.
- Judges 10:4 Signifying, they were men of authority.
- Judges 10:4 Or, the towns of Jair, as Deut. 3:14.
- Judges 10:6 Or, Syrian.
- Judges 10:7 Or, delivered.
- Judges 10:8 As the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh.
- Judges 10:10 They prayed to the Lord, and confessed their sins.
- Judges 10:11 By stirring them up some prophets, as Judg. 6:8.
- Judges 10:15 That is, from this present danger.
- Judges 10:16 This is true repentance, to put away the evil, and to serve God aright.
- Judges 10:16 Or, he pitied.
- Judges 11:1 Hebrew, a man of mighty force.
- Judges 11:1 Or, victualler.
- Judges 11:2 That is, of an harlot as verse 1.
- Judges 11:3 Where the governor of the country was called Tob.
- Judges 11:3 Joined with him, as some think, against his brethren.
- Judges 11:5 Or, ambassadors, sent for that purpose.
- Judges 11:6 Men oft times are constrained to desire help of them, whom before they have refused.
- Judges 11:7 Oft times those things which men reject, God chooseth to do great enterprises by.
- Judges 11:10 Hebrew, be the bearer.
- Judges 11:13 Hebrew, in peace.
- Judges 11:19 Or, country.
- Judges 11:20 He trusted them not to go through his country.
- Judges 11:24 For we ought more to believe and obey God, than thou thine idols.
- Judges 11:26 Meaning, their towns.
- Judges 11:27 To punish the offender.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
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