42 The next day when the people of Shechem[a] went into the countryside, this was reported to Abimelech. 43 He took the troops, divided them into three companies, and waited in ambush in the countryside. He looked, and the people were coming out of the city, so he arose against them and struck them down. 44 Then Abimelech and the units that were with him rushed forward and took their stand at the entrance of the city gate. The other two units rushed against all who were in the countryside and struck them down. 45 So Abimelech fought against the city that entire day, captured it, and killed the people who were in it. Then he tore down the city and sowed it with salt.(A)

46 When all the citizens of the Tower of Shechem heard, they entered the inner chamber[b] of the temple of El-berith.[c] 47 Then it was reported to Abimelech that all the citizens of the Tower of Shechem had gathered. 48 So Abimelech and all the troops who were with him went up to Mount Zalmon. Abimelech took his ax in his hand and cut a branch from the trees. He picked up the branch, put it on his shoulder, and said to the troops who were with him, “Hurry and do what you have seen me do.” 49 Each of the troops also cut his own branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches against the inner chamber and set it on fire; about a thousand men and women died, including all the men of the Tower of Shechem.

50 Abimelech went to Thebez,(B) camped against it, and captured it. 51 There was a strong tower inside the city,(C) and all the men, women, and citizens of the city fled there. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof of the tower. 52 When Abimelech came to attack the tower, he approached its entrance to set it on fire. 53 But a woman threw the upper portion of a millstone on Abimelech’s head and fractured his skull. 54 He quickly called his armor-bearer and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, or they’ll say about me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his armor-bearer ran him through, and he died. 55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home.

56 In this way, God brought back Abimelech’s evil—the evil that Abimelech had done to his father when he killed his seventy brothers. 57 God also brought back to the men of Shechem all their evil.(D) So the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came upon them.(E)

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Notas al pie

  1. 9:42 of Shechem supplied for clarity
  2. 9:46 Or the crypt, or the vault
  3. 9:46 = God of the Covenant

42 On the next day the people went out to the field; and it was reported to Abimelech, 43 so he took the army and divided them into three divisions,[a] and he laid an ambush in the field. And he saw the people were coming out from the city, and he arose against them and killed them. 44 Then Abimelech and the divisions[b] that were with him dashed out and stood at the entrance of the city gate, and the two divisions dashed out against all who were in the field, and they killed them. 45 Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and he captured the city and killed the people that were in it; then he broke down the city and sowed it with salt.

46 When all the lords of the tower of Shechem heard, they went to the vault[c] of the temple[d] of El-Berith. 47 It was told to Abimelech that all the lords of the tower of Shechem had gathered. 48 So Abimelech went up Mount Zalmon, he and all his army that were with him, and Abimelech took the ax[e] in his hand and cut down a bundle of brushwood, and he lifted it and put it on his shoulder. And he said to the army that was with him, “What you have seen me do, quickly do also.” 49 So the whole army cut down each one branch for himself and followed Abimelech, and they put them against the vault[f] and set the vault ablaze with fire on those inside, so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women.

50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and he encamped against Thebez and captured it. 51 But there was a strong tower in the middle of the city, and all the men, women, and lords of the city fled there and shut themselves in; and they went up to the roof of the tower. 52 Abimelech came up to the tower and fought against it, and he came near the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 But a certain woman[g] threw an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and cracked open his skull. 54 He called quickly to the young man carrying his weapons, and he said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that they will not say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So the young man[h] stabbed him, and he died. 55 When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, each one went to his home.[i] 56 So God repaid[j] the wickedness[k] that Abimelech committed against his father by killing his seventy brothers. 57 And God also repaid all the wickedness[l] of the men of Shechem on their heads, and the curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal fell on them.

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Notas al pie

  1. Judges 9:43 Or “companies”
  2. Judges 9:44 Or “companies”
  3. Judges 9:46 Or “cellar”
  4. Judges 9:46 Or “house”
  5. Judges 9:48 Hebrew “axes”
  6. Judges 9:49 Or “cellar”
  7. Judges 9:53 Or “But one woman”
  8. Judges 9:54 Hebrew “his young man”
  9. Judges 9:55 Or “place”
  10. Judges 9:56 Or “returned”
  11. Judges 9:56 Or “evil”
  12. Judges 9:57 Or “evil”