Beginning
Gideon Pursues Zebah and Zalmunna
8 The men of Ephraim said to him, “What is this thing you have done to us, not calling us when you went to fight against the Midianites?”[a] And they quarreled with him severely. 2 And he said to them, “What I have done now in comparison with you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? 3 God has given into your hand the commanders of Midian, Oreb, and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?” And their anger[b] against him subsided when he said that.[c]
4 Then Gideon came to the Jordan, crossing it with the three hundred men who were with him, weary and pursuing. 5 He said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who are following me,[d] for they are weary, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6 The officials of Succoth said, “Is the hand[e] of Zebah and Zalmunna in your hand now, that we should give bread to your army?” 7 Gideon said, “Well then, when Yahweh gives Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will trample your flesh with the thorns and briers of the wilderness.” 8 He went from there to Penuel, and he spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth answered. 9 And he said also to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I return safely,[f] I will tear down this tower.”
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand men remained from the entire army[g] of the people of the east; those that fell in battle were one hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen.[h] 11 And Gideon went up the route of those who dwell in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked the army[i] when it was off its guard.[j] 12 And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and he routed[k] the entire army.[l]
13 Then Gideon son of Jehoash returned from the battle by way of[m] the ascent of Heres.[n] 14 He captured a young man from Succoth[o] and questioned him. The young man listed[p] for him the commanders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. 15 He came to the men of Succoth, and he said, “Here is Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Is the palm[q] of Zebah and Zalmunna in your hand now, that we should give food to your weary men?’” 16 He took the elders of the city and the thorn bushes and briers of the wilderness, and he trampled[r] the men of Succoth with them. 17 He broke down the tower of Penuel, and he killed the men of the city.
18 And he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What type were the men whom you killed at Tabor?” And they said, “They were like you;[s] each one of them had the appearance of the sons of the king.” 19 He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As Yahweh lives, if you had kept them alive I would not kill you.” 20 And he said to Jether, his firstborn, “Get up, kill them.” But the boy did not draw his sword, for he was afraid because he was still a boy. 21 Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Get up yourself, and strike us, for as is the man, so is his power.”[t] So Gideon got up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.
22 The men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your sons, and your sons’ son, for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian. 23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; Yahweh will rule over you.” 24 And Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you,[u] that each of you give to me an ornamental ring from his plunder.” (They had ornamental rings of gold, because they were Ishmaelites.) 25 They said, “We will gladly give them,” and they spread out a garment, and everyone threw there an ornamental ring of his plunder. 26 The weight of the ornamental rings of gold that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, apart from the crescents, pendants, and purple garments that were on the kings of Midian, and apart from the pendants that were on the necks of their camels. 27 Gideon made an ephod out of it, and he put it in his town in Ophrah, and all Israel prostituted themselves to it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family. 28 And Midian was subdued before the Israelites,[v] and they did not again lift up their head, and the land rested for forty years in the days of Gideon.
The Death of Gideon
29 Jerub-Baal son of Joash lived in his own house. 30 Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring,[w] for he had many wives. 31 His concubine who was in Shechem also bore for him a son, and he named him[x] Abimelech. 32 And Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age, and he was buried in the tomb of Jehoash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.[y]
33 And it happened, as soon as Gideon died, the Israelites[z] returned and prostituted themselves after the Baals, and they made for themselves Baal-Berith as god. 34 The Israelites[aa] did not remember Yahweh their God, who had delivered them from the hand of their enemies from all around, 35 nor did they show favor[ab] to the house of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) in accordance with all the good that he did for Israel.
Abimelech Attempts to Become King
9 And Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem, to the relatives of his mother, and he said to them and to the house of his mother’s father, 2 “Speak to[ac] the lords of Shechem, ‘What is better for you, that seventy men all from the sons of Jerub-Baal rule over you, or that one man rules over you?’ Remember that I am your bone and your flesh.” 3 And his mother’s relatives spoke all these words concerning him to[ad] all the lords of Shechem; and they supported Abimelech,[ae] for they said, “He is our relative.”[af] 4 And they gave to him seventy pieces of silver from the temple[ag] of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech hired with them[ah] worthless and reckless men, and they followed him.[ai] 5 And he went to his father’s house at Ophrah, and he killed his brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerub-Baal survived, because he hid himself. 6 All the lords of Shechem and Beth-Millo gathered, and they went and made Abimelech as king, near the oak[aj] of the pillar that is at Shechem.
7 And they told Jotham, and he went up and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and he cried out loud[ak] and said to them, “Listen to me, lords of Shechem, so that God may listen to you.
8 “The trees went certainly,
to anoint a king over themselves.
And they said to the olive tree,
‘Rule over us.’
9 And the olive tree replied,
‘Should I stop producing my oil,
which by me gods and men are honored,
to go sway over the trees?’
10 Then the trees said to the fig tree,
‘You, come rule over us.’
11 But the fig tree said to them,
‘Should I stop producing my sweetness,
and my good crop,
to go sway over the trees?’
12 And the trees said to the vine,
‘You, come rule over us.’
13 But the vine said to them,
‘Should I stop producing my wine
that makes the gods and men happy,
to go sway over the trees?’
14 So all the trees said to the thornbush,
‘You, come rule over us.’
15 And the thornbush said to the trees,
‘If in good faith[al] you are anointing
me as king over you,
then come and take refuge in my shade;
if not, may fire go out from the thornbush
and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’
16 “So then, if you have acted in good faith[am] and sincerity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerub-Baal and his house, and have dealt with him according to his accomplishments[an]— 17 for my father fought and risked his life[ao] for you and delivered you from the hand of Midian; 18 but today you have risen against the house of my father and killed his sons, seventy men on one stone, and you have made Abimelech, the son of his slave woman, a king over the lords of Shechem, because he is your relative[ap]— 19 if you have acted in good faith[aq] and sincerity with Jerub-Baal and his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. 20 But if not, let a fire come out from Abimelech and let it devour the lords of Shechem and Beth-Millo; and let a fire come out from the lords of Shechem, and from Beth-Millo, and let it devour Abimelech.” 21 And Jotham escaped and fled, and went to Beer; he remained there because of Abimelech his brother.
The Downfall of Shechem and Abimelech
22 Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. 23 And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the lords of Shechem, and the lords of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, 24 so that the violence done to the seventy brothers of Abimelech would be avenged and their blood be placed on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the lords of Shechem, who helped[ar] to kill his brothers. 25 And the lords of Shechem set for him ambushes on the top of the mountains, and they robbed all who passed by them along the road; and it was reported to Abimelech.
26 And Gaal son of Ebel and his relatives came, and they crossed over into Shechem, and the lords of Shechem gave him confidence.[as] 27 They went out into the field and harvested their vineyards and trod them, and they held a festival.[at] And they went into the temple[au] of their god, and they ate and drank and cursed Abimelech. 28 Then Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who are we of Shechem that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerub-Baal, and is not Zebul his chief officer?[av] Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem. Why should we serve him?[aw] 29 If only this people were in my command![ax] Then I would remove Abimelech, and I would have said,[ay] ‘Increase your army and come out!’”
30 When Zebul the commander of the city heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he became angry,[az] 31 and he sent messengers to Abimelech in Tormah, saying, “Look, Gaal son of Ebed and his relatives are coming to Shechem, and they are stirring up the city against you. 32 So then, get up by night, you and the army that is with you, and lie in ambush in the field. 33 And in the morning at sunrise, get up and rush the city; and look, when he and the troops who are with him come out to you, you must act according to whatever opportunity offers itself.[ba]
34 So Abimelech and all the army that was with him got up by night, and they lay in ambush against Shechem in four divisions.[bb] 35 Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate, and Abimelech and the army that was with him got up from the ambush. 36 When Gaal saw the army, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the top of the mountains!” And Zebul said to him, “The shadows of the mountains look like people to you.”[bc] 37 And Gaal spoke again[bd] and said, “Look, people are coming down from Tabbur-erez, and one division[be] is coming from the direction of Elon-meonenim.”[bf] 38 And Zebul said to him, “Where then is your boast,[bg] you who said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Is this not the army that you rejected? Please, go out now and fight against them.”[bh] 39 So Gaal went out before the lords of Shechem and fought against Abimelech. 40 And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him; many fell slain up to the entrance of the gate. 41 So Abimelech resided at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his relatives[bi] from living in Shechem.
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,[bj] 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[bk] 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[bl] of the temple[bm] 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[bn] 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[bo] 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[bp] 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[bq] stabbed him, and he died. 55 When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, each one went to his home.[br] 56 So God repaid[bs] the wickedness[bt] that Abimelech committed against his father by killing his seventy brothers. 57 And God also repaid all the wickedness[bu] of the men of Shechem on their heads, and the curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal fell on them.
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