⁴ Then Absalom would say, ^(A)“Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.”

²⁹ Would that this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech. I would say^[a] to Abimelech, ‘Increase your army, and come out.’”

¹⁹ They promise them ^(A)freedom, ^(B)but they themselves are slaves^[a] of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.

⁸ “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, ⁹ and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, ^(A)so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. ¹¹ For ^(B)everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Abimelech's Conspiracy

9 Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to ^(A)his mother's relatives and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother's family, ² “Say in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you, that all ^(B)seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?’ Remember also that ^(C)I am ^(D)your bone and your flesh.”

³ And his mother's relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, ^(E)“He is our brother.” ⁴ And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of ^(F)Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired ^(G)worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him. ⁵ And he went to his father's house at ^(H)Ophrah ^(I)and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself.