1 E Abimeleque, filho de Jerubaal, foi a Siquém, aos irmãos de sua mãe, e falou-lhes e a toda a geração da casa do pai de sua mãe, dizendo:

2 Falai, peço-vos, aos ouvidos de todos os cidadãos de Siquém: Qual é melhor para vós, que setenta homens, todos os filhos de Jerubaal, dominem sobre vós, ou que um homem sobre vós domine? Lembrai-vos também de que sou osso vosso e carne vossa.

3 Então os irmãos de sua mãe falaram acerca dele perante os ouvidos de todos os cidadãos de Siquém todas aquelas palavras; e o coração deles se inclinou a seguir Abimeleque, porque disseram: É nosso irmão.

4 E deram-lhe setenta peças de prata, da casa de Baal-Berite; e com elas alugou Abimeleque uns homens ociosos e levianos, que o seguiram.

5 E veio à casa de seu pai, a Ofra, e matou a seus irmãos, os filhos de Jerubaal, setenta homens, sobre uma pedra. Porém Jotão, filho menor de Jerubaal, ficou, porque se tinha escondido.

6 Então se ajuntaram todos os cidadãos de Siquém, e toda a casa de Milo; e foram, e constituíram a Abimeleque rei, junto ao carvalho alto que está perto de Siquém.

7 E, dizendo-o a Jotão, foi e pôs-se no cume do monte de Gerizim, e levantou a sua voz, e clamou e disse-lhes: Ouvi-me, cidadãos de Siquém, e Deus vos ouvirá a vós;

8 Foram uma vez as árvores a ungir para si um rei, e disseram à oliveira: Reina tu sobre nós.

9 Porém a oliveira lhes disse: Deixaria eu a minha gordura, que Deus e os homens em mim prezam, e iria pairar sobre as árvores?

10 Então disseram as árvores à figueira: Vem tu, e reina sobre nós.

11 Porém a figueira lhes disse: Deixaria eu a minha doçura, o meu bom fruto, e iria pairar sobre as árvores?

12 Então disseram as árvores à videira: Vem tu, e reina sobre nós.

13 Porém a videira lhes disse: Deixaria eu o meu mosto, que alegra a Deus e aos homens, e iria pairar sobre as árvores?

14 Então todas as árvores disseram ao espinheiro: Vem tu, e reina sobre nós.

15 E disse o espinheiro às árvores: Se, na verdade, me ungis por rei sobre vós, vinde, e confiai-vos debaixo da minha sombra; mas, se não, saia fogo do espinheiro que consuma os cedros do Líbano.

16 Agora, pois, se é que em verdade e sinceridade agistes, fazendo rei a Abimeleque, e se bem fizestes para com Jerubaal e para com a sua casa, e se com ele usastes conforme ao merecimento das suas mãos

17 (Porque meu pai pelejou por vós, e desprezou a sua vida, e vos livrou da mão dos midianitas;

18 Porém vós hoje vos levantastes contra a casa de meu pai, e matastes a seus filhos, setenta homens, sobre uma pedra; e a Abimeleque, filho da sua serva, fizestes reinar sobre os cidadãos de Siquém, porque é vosso irmão);

19 Pois, se em verdade e sinceridade usastes com Jerubaal e com a sua casa hoje, alegrai-vos com Abimeleque, e também ele se alegre convosco.

20 Mas, se não, saia fogo de Abimeleque, e consuma aos cidadãos de Siquém, e a casa de Milo; e saia fogo dos cidadãos de Siquém, e da casa de Milo, que consuma a Abimeleque.

21 Então partiu Jotão, e fugiu e foi para Beer; e ali habitou por medo de Abimeleque, seu irmão.

22 Havendo, pois, Abimeleque dominado três anos sobre Israel,

23 Enviou Deus um mau espírito entre Abimeleque e os cidadãos de Siquém; e estes se houveram aleivosamente contra Abimeleque;

24 Para que a violência feita aos setenta filhos de Jerubaal viesse, e o seu sangue caísse sobre Abimeleque, seu irmão, que os matara, e sobre os cidadãos de Siquém, que fortaleceram as mãos dele para matar a seus irmãos;

25 E os cidadãos de Siquém puseram contra ele quem lhe armasse emboscadas sobre os cumes dos montes; e a todo aquele que passava pelo caminho junto a eles o assaltavam; e contou-se isso a Abimeleque.

26 Veio também Gaal, filho de Ebede, com seus irmãos, e passaram a Siquém; e os cidadãos de Siquém confiaram nele.

27 E saíram ao campo, e vindimaram as suas vinhas, e pisaram as uvas, e fizeram festas; e foram à casa de seu deus, e comeram, e beberam, e amaldiçoaram a Abimeleque.

28 E disse Gaal, filho de Ebede: Quem é Abimeleque, e quem é Siquém, para que o sirvamos? Não é porventura filho de Jerubaal? E não é Zebul o seu mordomo? Servi antes aos homens de Hamor, pai de Siquém; pois, por que razão serviríamos nós a ele?

29 Ah! se este povo estivera na minha mão, eu expulsaria a Abimeleque. E diria a Abimeleque: Multiplica o teu exército, e sai.

30 E, ouvindo Zebul, o maioral da cidade, as palavras de Gaal, filho de Ebede, se acendeu a sua ira;

31 E enviou astutamente mensageiros a Abimeleque, dizendo: Eis que Gaal, filho de Ebede, e seus irmãos vieram a Siquém, e eis que eles estão sublevando esta cidade contra ti.

32 Levanta-te, pois, de noite, tu e o povo que tiveres contigo, e põe emboscadas no campo.

33 E levanta-te pela manhã ao sair o sol, e dá de golpe sobre a cidade; e eis que, saindo contra ti, ele e o povo que tiver com ele, faze-lhe como puderes.

34 Levantou-se, pois, Abimeleque, e todo o povo que com ele havia, de noite, e puseram emboscadas a Siquém, com quatro tropas.

35 E Gaal, filho de Ebede, saiu, e pôs-se à entrada da porta da cidade; e Abimeleque, e todo o povo que com ele havia, se levantou das emboscadas.

36 E, vendo Gaal aquele povo, disse a Zebul: Eis que desce gente dos cumes dos montes. Zebul, ao contrário, lhe disse: As sombras dos montes vês como se fossem homens.

37 Porém Gaal ainda tornou a falar, e disse: Eis ali desce gente do meio da terra, e uma tropa vem do caminho do carvalho de Meonenim.

38 Então lhe disse Zebul: Onde está agora a tua boca, com a qual dizias: Quem é Abimeleque, para que o sirvamos? Não é este porventura o povo que desprezaste? Sai pois, peço-te, e peleja contra ele.

39 E saiu Gaal à vista dos cidadãos de Siquém, e pelejou contra Abimeleque.

40 E Abimeleque o perseguiu porquanto fugiu de diante dele; e muitos feridos caíram até à entrada da porta da cidade.

41 E Abimeleque ficou em Aruma. E Zebul expulsou a Gaal e a seus irmãos, para que não pudessem habitar em Siquém.

42 E sucedeu no dia seguinte que o povo saiu ao campo; disto foi avisado Abimeleque.

43 Então tomou o povo, e o repartiu em três tropas, e pôs emboscadas no campo; e olhou, e eis que o povo saía da cidade, e levantou-se contra ele, e o feriu.

44 Porque Abimeleque, e as tropas que com ele havia, romperam de improviso, e pararam à entrada da porta da cidade; e as outras duas tropas deram de improviso sobre todos quantos estavam no campo, e os feriram.

45 E Abimeleque pelejou contra a cidade todo aquele dia, e tomou a cidade, e matou o povo que nela havia; e assolou a cidade, e a semeou de sal.

46 O que ouvindo todos os cidadãos da torre de Siquém, entraram na fortaleza, na casa do deus Berite.

47 E contou-se a Abimeleque que todos os cidadãos da torre de Siquém se haviam congregado.

48 Subiu, pois, Abimeleque ao monte Salmom, ele e todo o povo que com ele havia; e Abimeleque tomou na sua mão um machado, e cortou um ramo de árvore, e o levantou, e pô-lo ao seu ombro, e disse ao povo, que com ele havia: O que me vistes fazer apressai-vos a fazê-lo assim como eu.

49 Assim, pois, cada um de todo o povo, também cortou o seu ramo e seguiu a Abimeleque; e pondo os ramos junto da fortaleza, queimaram-na a fogo com os que nela estavam, de modo que todos os da torre de Siquém morreram, uns mil homens e mulheres.

50 Então Abimeleque foi a Tebes e a sitiou, e a tomou.

51 Havia, porém, no meio da cidade uma torre forte; e todos os homens e mulheres, e todos os cidadãos da cidade se refugiaram nela, e fecharam após si as portas, e subiram ao eirado da torre.

52 E Abimeleque veio até à torre, e a combateu; e chegou-se até à porta da torre, para a incendiar.

53 Porém uma mulher lançou um pedaço de uma mó sobre a cabeça de Abimeleque; e quebrou-lhe o crânio.

54 Então chamou logo ao moço, que levava as suas armas, e disse-lhe: Desembainha a tua espada, e mata-me; para que não se diga de mim: Uma mulher o matou. E o moço o atravessou e ele morreu.

55 Vendo, pois, os homens de Israel que Abimeleque já era morto, foram-se cada um para o seu lugar.

56 Assim Deus fez tornar sobre Abimeleque o mal que tinha feito a seu pai, matando a seus setenta irmãos.

57 Como também todo o mal dos homens de Siquém fez tornar sobre a cabeça deles; e a maldição de Jotão, filho de Jerubaal, veio sobre eles.

1 Now Abimelech, the son of Jerubbaal, went to Shechem to his mother's family, and said to them and to all the family of his mother's father,

2 Say now in the ears of all the townsmen of Shechem, Is it better for you to be ruled by all the seventy sons of Jerubbaal or by one man only? And keep in mind that I am your bone and your flesh.

3 So his mother's family said all this about him in the ears of all the townsmen of Shechem: and their hearts were turned to Abimelech, for they said, He is our brother.

4 And they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech got the support of a number of uncontrolled and good-for-nothing persons.

5 Then he went to his father's house at Ophrah, and put his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, to death on the same stone; however, Jotham, the youngest, kept himself safe by going away to a secret place.

6 And all the townsmen of Shechem and all Beth-millo came together and went and made Abimelech their king, by the oak of the pillar in Shechem.

7 Now Jotham, on hearing of it, went to the top of Mount Gerizim, and crying out with a loud voice said to them, Give ear to me, you townsmen of Shechem, so that God may give ear to you.

8 One day the trees went out to make a king for themselves; and they said to the olive-tree, Be king over us.

9 But the olive-tree said to them, Am I to give up my wealth of oil, by which men give honour to God, and go waving over the trees?

10 Then the trees said to the fig-tree, You come and be king over us.

11 But the fig-tree said to them, Am I to give up my sweet taste and my good fruit and go waving over the trees?

12 Then the trees said to the vine, You come and be king over us.

13 But the vine said to them, Am I to give up my wine, which makes glad God and men, to go waving over the trees?

14 Then all the trees said to the thorn, You come and be king over us.

15 And the thorn said to the trees, If it is truly your desire to make me your king, then come and put your faith in my shade; and if not, may fire come out of the thorn, burning up the cedars of Lebanon.

16 So now, if you have done truly and uprightly in making Abimelech king, and if you have done well to Jerubbaal and his house in reward for the work of his hands;

17 (For my father made war for you, and put his life in danger, and made you free from the hands of Midian;

18 And you have gone against my father's family this day, and have put to death his sons, even seventy men on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his servant-wife, king over the townsmen of Shechem because he is your brother;)

19 If then you have done what is true and upright to Jerubbaal and his family this day, may you have joy in Abimelech, and may he have joy in you;

20 But if not, may fire come out from Abimelech, burning up the townsmen of Shechem and Beth-millo; and may fire come out from the townsmen of Shechem and Beth-millo, for the destruction of Abimelech.

21 Then Jotham straight away went in flight to Beer, and was living there for fear of his brother Abimelech.

22 So Abimelech was chief over Israel for three years.

23 And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the townsmen of Shechem; and the townsmen of Shechem were false to Abimelech;

24 So that punishment for the violent attack made on the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, and for their blood, might come on Abimelech, their brother, who put them to death, and on the townsmen of Shechem who gave him their help in putting his brothers to death.

25 And the townsmen of Shechem put secret watchers on the tops of the mountains, and they made attacks on all who went by on the road and took their goods; and word of this came to Abimelech.

26 Then Gaal, the son of Ebed, came with his brothers, and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their faith in him.

27 And they went out into their fields and got in the fruit of their vines, and when the grapes had been crushed, they made a holy feast and went into the house of their god, and over their food and drink they were cursing Abimelech.

28 And Gaal, the son of Ebed, said, Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem, that we are to be his servants? Is it not right for the son of Jerubbaal and Zebul his captain to be servants to the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem? But why are we to be his servants?

29 If only I had authority over this people! I would put Abimelech out of the way, and I would say to Abimelech, Make your army strong, and come out.

30 Now Zebul, the ruler of the town, hearing what Gaal, the son of Ebed, had said, was moved to wrath.

31 And he sent to Abimelech at Arumah, saying, See, Gaal, the son of Ebed, and his brothers have come to Shechem, and they are working up the town against you.

32 So now, get up by night, you and your people, and keep watch in the field secretly;

33 And in the morning, when the sun is up, get up early and make a rush on the town; and when he and his people come out against you, do to them whatever you have a chance to do.

34 So Abimelech and the people with him got up by night, in four bands, to make a surprise attack on Shechem.

35 And Gaal, the son of Ebed, went out, and took his place at the doorway into the town; then Abimelech and his people got up from the place where they had been waiting.

36 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, See! people are coming down from the tops of the mountains. And Zebul said to him, You see the shade of the mountains like men.

37 And Gaal said again, See! people are coming down from the middle of the land, and one band is coming by way of the oak-tree of the Seers.

38 Then Zebul said to him, Now where is your loud talk when you said, Who is Abimelech that we are to be his servants? Is this not the people whom you were rating so low? Go out now, and make war on them.

39 So Gaal went out at the head of the townsmen of Shechem and made war on Abimelech.

40 And Abimelech went after him and he went in flight before him; and a great number were falling by the sword all the way up to the town.

41 Then Abimelech went back to Arumah; and Zebul sent Gaal and his brothers away and would not let them go on living in Shechem.

42 Now the day after, the people went out into the fields; and news of it came to Abimelech.

43 And he took his people, separating them into three bands, and was waiting secretly in the field; and when he saw the people coming out of the town, he went up and made an attack on them.

44 And Abimelech with his band made a rush, and took up their position at the doorway into the town; and the other two bands made a rush on all those who were in the fields, and overcame them.

45 And all that day Abimelech was fighting against the town; and he took it, and put to death the people who were in it, and had the town pulled down and covered with salt.

46 Then all the townsmen of the tower of Shechem, hearing of it, went into the inner room of the house of El-berith.

47 And word was given to Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were there together.

48 Then Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, with all his people; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand and, cutting down branches of trees, took them and put them on his back. And he said to the people who were with him, Be quick and do as you have seen me do.

49 So all the people got branches, every man cutting down a branch, and they went with Abimelech at their head and, massing the branches against the inner room, put fire to the room over them; so all those who were in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, were burned to death with it.

50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and put his army in position against Thebez and took it.

51 But in the middle of the town there was a strong tower, to which all the men and women of the town went in flight and, shutting themselves in, went up to the roof of the tower.

52 And Abimelech came to the tower and made an attack on it, and got near to the door of the tower for the purpose of firing it.

53 But a certain woman sent a great stone, such as is used for crushing grain, on to the head of Abimelech, cracking the bone.

54 Then quickly crying out to his body-servant, he said to him, Take out your sword and put an end to me straight away, so that men may not say of me, His death was the work of a woman. So the young man put his sword through him, causing his death.

55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they went away, every man to his place.

56 In this way Abimelech was rewarded by God for the evil he had done to his father in putting his seventy brothers to death;

57 And God sent back on to the heads of the men of Shechem all the evil they had done, and the curse of Jotham, the son of Jerubbaal, came on them.