Judges 9:26-41
New American Standard Bible
26 Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with his relatives, and crossed over into Shechem; and the [a]leaders of Shechem trusted him. 27 So they went out to the field and gathered the grapes of their vineyards and trampled them, and held a festival; and they went 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 governor? Serve the men of (B)Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? 29 [b](C)If only this people were under my authority! Then I would do away with Abimelech.” And he said to Abimelech, “Enlarge your army and come out!”
30 When Zebul the leader of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger burned. 31 So using deception, he successfully sent messengers to Abimelech, saying, “Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem; and behold, they are [c]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 Then in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, you shall rise early and attack the city; and behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you shall (D)do to them [d]whatever you can.”
34 So Abimelech and all the people who were with him got up at night, and lay in wait against Shechem, in four [e]units. 35 Now Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate; and Abimelech and the people who were with him arose from the ambush. 36 When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “[f]Look, 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 people.” 37 And Gaal spoke yet again and said, “Look, people are coming down from (E)the [g]highest part of the land, and one [h]unit is coming by way of [i]the diviners’ [j]oak.” 38 Then Zebul said to him, “Where then is your [k]boasting 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 them!” 39 So Gaal went out [l]in the sight of the [m]leaders of Shechem and fought Abimelech. 40 But Abimelech chased him, and he fled from him; and many fell wounded up to the entrance of the gate. 41 Then Abimelech stayed in Arumah, but Zebul drove out Gaal and his relatives so that they could not stay in Shechem.
Read full chapterNotas al pie
- Judges 9:26 Or landowners
- Judges 9:29 Lit And who will hand this people over to me
- Judges 9:31 Or besieging
- Judges 9:33 Lit as your hand finds
- Judges 9:34 Lit heads
- Judges 9:36 Lit Behold
- Judges 9:37 Lit center
- Judges 9:37 Lit head
- Judges 9:37 Heb Elon-meonenim
- Judges 9:37 Or terebinth
- Judges 9:38 Lit mouth
- Judges 9:39 Or at the head of
- Judges 9:39 Or landowners
Judges 9:26-41
New King James Version
26 Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brothers and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him. 27 So they went out into the fields, and gathered grapes from their vineyards and trod them, and [a]made merry. And they went into (A)the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech. 28 Then Gaal the son of Ebed said, (B)“Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? Serve the men of (C)Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? 29 (D)If only this people were under my [b]authority! Then I would remove Abimelech.” So [c]he said to Abimelech, “Increase your army and come out!”
30 When Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was aroused. 31 And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, “Take note! Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem; and here they are, fortifying the city against you. 32 Now therefore, get up by night, you and the people who are with you, and [d]lie in wait in the field. 33 And it shall be, as soon as the sun is up in the morning, that you shall rise early and rush upon the city; and when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you may then do to them [e]as you find opportunity.”
34 So Abimelech and all the people who were with him rose by night, and [f]lay in wait against Shechem in four companies. 35 When Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance to the city gate, Abimelech and the people who were with him rose from lying in wait. 36 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!”
But Zebul said to him, “You see the shadows of the mountains as if they were men.”
37 So Gaal spoke again and said, “See, people are coming down from the center of the land, and another company is coming from the [g]Diviners’ Terebinth Tree.”
38 Then Zebul said to him, “Where indeed is your mouth now, with which you (E)said, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Are not these the people whom you despised? Go out, if you will, and fight with them now.”
39 So Gaal went out, leading the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech. 40 And Abimelech chased him, and he fled from him; and many fell wounded, to the very entrance of the gate. 41 Then Abimelech dwelt at Arumah, and Zebul [h]drove out Gaal and his brothers, so that they would not dwell in Shechem.
Read full chapterNotas al pie
- Judges 9:27 rejoiced
- Judges 9:29 Lit. hand
- Judges 9:29 So with MT, Tg.; DSS they; LXX I
- Judges 9:32 Set up an ambush
- Judges 9:33 Lit. as your hand can find
- Judges 9:34 Set up an ambush
- Judges 9:37 Heb. Meonenim
- Judges 9:41 exiled
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
