Judges 9:1-6

Lexham English Bible

Abimelech Attempts to Become King

9 And Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem, to the relatives of his mother, and he said to them and to the house of his mother’s father, ² “Speak to^[a] the lords of Shechem, ‘What is better for you, that seventy men all from the sons of Jerub-Baal rule over you, or that one man rules over you?’ Remember that I am your bone and your flesh.” ³ And his mother’s relatives spoke all these words concerning him to^[b] all the lords of Shechem; and they supported Abimelech,^[c] for they said, “He is our relative.”^{[d] 4} And they gave to him seventy pieces of silver from the temple^[e] of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech hired with them^[f] worthless and reckless men, and they followed him.^{[g] 5} And he went to his father’s house at Ophrah, and he killed his brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerub-Baal survived, because he hid himself. ⁶ All the lords of Shechem and Beth-Millo gathered, and they went and made Abimelech as king, near the oak^[h] of the pillar that is at Shechem.