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And the brethren of his mother spake of him all these words to all the men of Shechem; and they bowed their hearts after Abimelech, and said, He is our brother. (And his mother’s kinsmen spoke all these words about him to all the men of Shechem; and they turned their hearts to Abimelech, and said, He is our kinsman.)

And they gave to him seventy pieces of silver (out) of the temple of Baalberith; and he hired to him thereof men poor and having no certain dwelling (and with it he hired men to join him who were poor, and who had no certain dwelling), and they followed him.

And he came into the house of his father in Ophrah, and killed his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. And Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, was left, and hid. (And he came to his father’s house in Ophrah, and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, was left alive, for he had hid himself.)

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When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelek, for they said, “He is related to us.” They gave him seventy shekels[a] of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith,(A) and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels,(B) who became his followers. He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers,(C) the sons of Jerub-Baal. But Jotham,(D) the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, escaped by hiding.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 9:4 That is, about 1 3/4 pounds or about 800 grams