Judges 9:26-41
Legacy Standard Bible
26 Then Gaal the son of Ebed came with his [a]relatives, and they crossed over into Shechem; and the lords of Shechem put their trust in him. 27 And they went out into the field and gathered the grapes of their vineyards and trod them and celebrated a [b]festival; and they came into the house of (A)their god and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech. 28 Then Gaal the son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is Zebul not his [c]officer? Serve the men of (B)Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? 29 [d](C)Would, therefore, that this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech.” And he said to Abimelech, “Increase your army and come out.”
30 Then Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, and his anger burned. 31 And he sent messengers to Abimelech [e]deceitfully, saying, “Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his [f]relatives have come to Shechem; and behold, they are [g]stirring up the city against you. 32 So now, arise by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field. 33 And it will be in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, that you shall rise early and rush upon the city; and behold, he and the people who are with him will come out against you, and you shall (D)do to them [h]whatever your hand finds pleasing.”
34 So Abimelech and all the people who were with him arose by night and lay in wait against Shechem in four [i]companies. 35 And Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the city gate; and Abimelech and the people who were with him arose from the ambush. 36 Then Gaal saw the people and said to Zebul, “Behold, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains.” But Zebul said to him, “You are seeing the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.” 37 Yet Gaal spoke again and said, “Behold, people are coming down from (E)the [j]highest part of the land, and one [k]company comes by the way of [l]the soothsayers’ [m]oak.” 38 Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your [n]boasting now with which you said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Is this not the people whom you rejected? Go out now and fight with them!” 39 So Gaal went out before the lords of Shechem and fought with Abimelech. 40 And Abimelech pursued him, and he fled before him; and many fell slain up to the entrance of the gate. 41 Then Abimelech remained at Arumah, but Zebul drove out Gaal and his [o]relatives so that they could not remain in Shechem.
Read full chapterNotas al pie
- Judges 9:26 Lit brothers
- Judges 9:27 Lit rejoicing
- Judges 9:28 Lit overseer
- Judges 9:29 Lit And who will give this people into my hand
- Judges 9:31 Or in Tormah
- Judges 9:31 Lit brothers
- Judges 9:31 Lit besieging
- Judges 9:33 Lit as your hand can find
- Judges 9:34 Lit heads
- Judges 9:37 Or center
- Judges 9:37 Lit head
- Judges 9:37 Heb Elommeonenim
- Judges 9:37 Or terebinth
- Judges 9:38 Lit mouth
- Judges 9:41 Lit brothers
Judges 9:26-41
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
26 When Gaal son of Ebed moved into Shechem with his kinsfolk, the lords of Shechem put confidence in him. 27 They went out into the field and gathered the grapes from their vineyards, trod them, and celebrated. Then they went into the temple of their god, ate and drank, and ridiculed Abimelech.(A) 28 Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Did not the son of Jerubbaal and Zebul his officer serve the men of Hamor father of Shechem? Why then should we serve him?(B) 29 If only this people were under my command! Then I would remove Abimelech; I would say[a] to him, ‘Increase your army and come out.’ ”(C)
30 When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. 31 He sent messengers to Abimelech at Arumah,[b] saying, “Look, Gaal son of Ebed and his kinsfolk have come to Shechem, and they are stirring up[c] the city against you. 32 Now therefore, go by night, you and the troops who are with you, and lie in wait in the fields. 33 Then early in the morning, as soon as the sun rises, get up and rush on the city, and when he and the troops who are with him come out against you, you may deal with them as best you can.”(D)
34 So Abimelech and all the troops with him got up by night and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies. 35 When Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city, Abimelech and the troops with him rose from the ambush. 36 And when Gaal saw them, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the mountaintops!” And Zebul said to him, “The shadows on the mountains look like people to you.” 37 Gaal spoke again and said, “Look, people are coming down from Tabbur-erez, and one company is coming from the direction of Elon-meonenim.”[d](E) 38 Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your boast[e] now, you who said, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Are not these the troops you made light of? Go out now and fight with them.”(F) 39 So Gaal went out at the head of the lords of Shechem and fought with Abimelech.(G) 40 Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him. Many fell wounded, up to the entrance of the gate. 41 So Abimelech resided at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his kinsfolk, so that they could not live on at Shechem.
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.