Judges 9:42-57
New American Standard Bible
42 Now it came about the next day, that the people went out to the field, and it was reported to Abimelech. 43 So he took [a]his people and divided them into three [b]units, and lay in wait in the field; when he looked and [c]saw the people coming out from the city, he [d]attacked them and killed them. 44 Then Abimelech and the [e]company who was with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the city gate; the other two [f]companies then attacked all who were in the field and killed them. 45 Abimelech fought against the city that whole day, and he captured the city and killed the people who were in it; then he (A)tore down the city and sowed it with salt.
46 When all the [g]leaders of the tower of Shechem heard about it, they entered the inner chamber of the [h]temple of (B)El-berith. 47 And it was reported to Abimelech that all the [i]leaders of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. 48 So Abimelech went up to Mount (C)Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him; and Abimelech took [j]an axe in his hand and cut down a branch from the trees, and lifted it and put it on his shoulder. Then he said to the people who were with him, “What you saw me do, hurry and do [k]likewise.” 49 So all the people also cut down, each one, his branch and followed Abimelech, and put them on top of the inner chamber and set the inner chamber on fire over those inside, so that all the people of the tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand men and women.
50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and he camped against Thebez and captured it. 51 But there was a strong tower in the center of the city, and all the men and women with all the [l]leaders of the city fled there and shut themselves in; and they went up on the roof of the tower. 52 So Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and approached the entrance of the tower to burn it down with fire. 53 But (D)a woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, crushing his skull. 54 Then (E)he called quickly to the young man, his armor bearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that it will not be said of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So [m]the young man pierced him through, and he died. 55 Now when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, each left for his [n]home. 56 So (F)God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father in killing his seventy brothers. 57 God also returned all the wickedness of the men of Shechem on their heads, and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came [o]upon them.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Judges 9:43 Lit the
- Judges 9:43 Lit heads
- Judges 9:43 Lit behold, the
- Judges 9:43 Lit rose against
- Judges 9:44 Lit heads
- Judges 9:44 Lit heads
- Judges 9:46 Or landowners
- Judges 9:46 Lit house
- Judges 9:47 Or landowners
- Judges 9:48 Lit the axes
- Judges 9:48 Lit like me
- Judges 9:51 Or landowners
- Judges 9:54 Lit his
- Judges 9:55 Lit place
- Judges 9:57 Lit to
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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