Judges 9:16-25

English Standard Version

¹⁶ “Now therefore, if you acted in good faith and integrity when you made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with ^(A)Jerubbaal and his house and have done to him ^(B)as his deeds deserved— ¹⁷ for my father fought for you and risked his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian, ¹⁸ and you have risen up against my father's house this day ^(C)and have killed his sons, seventy men on one stone, and have made ^(D)Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the leaders of Shechem, ^(E)because he is your relative— ¹⁹ if you then have acted in good faith and integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then ^(F)rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. ²⁰ But if not, ^(G)let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem and from Beth-millo and devour Abimelech.” ²¹ And Jotham ran away and fled and went to ^(H)Beer and lived there, because of Abimelech his brother.

The Downfall of Abimelech

²² Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. ^23 (I)And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem ^(J)dealt treacherously with Abimelech, ^24 (K)that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. ²⁵ And the leaders of Shechem put men in ambush against him on the mountaintops, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way. And it was told to Abimelech.