⁴ Moreover Absalom would say, ^(A)“Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has any suit or cause would come to me; then I would give him justice.”

^29 (A)If only this people were under my ^[a]authority! Then I would remove Abimelech.” So ^[b]he said to Abimelech, “Increase your army and come out!”

¹⁹ While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of ^[a]corruption; ^(A)for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into ^[b]bondage.

⁸ “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; ⁹ and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. ^10 (A)But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. ^11 (B)For whoever exalts himself will be ^[a]humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Abimelech’s Conspiracy

9 Then Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to ^(A)his mother’s brothers, and spoke with them and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying, ² “Please speak in the hearing of all the men of Shechem: ‘Which is better for you, that all ^(B)seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal reign over you, or that one reign over you?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and ^(C)bone.”

³ And his mother’s brothers spoke all these words concerning him in the hearing of all the men of Shechem; and their heart was inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our ^(D)brother.” ⁴ So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of ^(E)Baal-Berith, with which Abimelech hired ^(F)worthless and reckless men; and they followed him. ⁵ Then he went to his father’s house ^(G)at Ophrah and ^(H)killed his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, because he hid himself.