Judges 9:42-57
Lexham English Bible
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.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Judges 9:43 Or “companies”
- Judges 9:44 Or “companies”
- Judges 9:46 Or “cellar”
- Judges 9:46 Or “house”
- Judges 9:48 Hebrew “axes”
- Judges 9:49 Or “cellar”
- Judges 9:53 Or “But one woman”
- Judges 9:54 Hebrew “his young man”
- Judges 9:55 Or “place”
- Judges 9:56 Or “returned”
- Judges 9:56 Or “evil”
- Judges 9:57 Or “evil”
Judges 9:42-57
Common English Bible
42 The next day, the men of Shechem went out into the fields. When it was reported to Abimelech, 43 he took his men, divided them into three companies, and set an ambush in the fields. As soon as he saw the men coming from the city, he sprang upon them and attacked them. 44 Abimelech and his company charged forward and took a position at the entrance of the city’s gate, while the other two companies charged at all those in the fields and attacked them. 45 Abimelech fought against the city that entire day. He captured the city and killed its people. Then he leveled the city and scattered salt over it.
46 When all the leaders in the Tower of Shechem heard about this, they entered the side rooms in the El-berith temple. 47 It was reported to Abimelech that all the leaders from the Tower of Shechem had gathered in one place. 48 So Abimelech and all the men who were with him went up on Mount Zalmon. He grabbed an ax, cut off a bundle of branches, and hoisted them onto his shoulder. Then he ordered the men who were with him, “Hurry up and do what you’ve seen me do!” 49 Each one of the men cut off a bundle as well and followed Abimelech. They piled them up against the side rooms and set fire to the side rooms above them. So all the people in the Tower of Shechem died too, about one thousand men and women.
50 Then Abimelech moved on to Thebez, set up camp against it, and captured it. 51 But there was a strong tower inside the city. All the men and women and all the city’s leaders had fled there, shut themselves inside, and climbed to the tower’s roof. 52 Abimelech came to the tower to storm it. But when he approached the tower’s entrance to set it on fire, 53 a woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and cracked his skull. 54 He quickly cried out to the servant who carried his armor, “Draw your sword and kill me. Don’t let it be said of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his servant stabbed him, and he died. 55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home.
56 Thus God paid back Abimelech for the evil he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers. 57 God also paid back the people of Shechem for their evil. The curse of Jotham, Jerubbaal’s son, had come upon them.
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