Juízes 9

Ko Apīmereke hei Kīngi i Hekeme

1 Nā, ka haere a Apīmereke tama a Ierupāra ki Hekeme ki ngā tungāne o tōna whaea, ā, ka kōrero ki a rātou, ki te hapū katoa anō hoki o te whare o te pāpā o tōna whaea, ka mea, 2 "Tēnā, kī atu ki ngā taringa o ngā tāngata katoa o Hekeme, ‘Ko tēhea te mea pai ki a koutou, ko ngā tāngata e whitu tekau, ko ngā tama katoa a Ierupāra, hei kīngi mō koutou, kia kotahi rānei te tangata hei kīngi mō koutou?’ Kia mahara hoki he wheua, ahau nō koutou, he kikokiko nō koutou."

3 Nā, ka kōrerotia e ngā tungāne o tōna whaea ēnei kupu katoa mōna ki ngā taringa o ngā tāngata katoa o Hekeme, ā, ka anga ō rātou ngākau ki te aru i a Apīmereke; i mea hoki rātou, "Ko tō tātou teina ia." 4 Nā, ka hōmai e rātou ki a ia ētahi hiriwa, e whitu tekau, i roto i te whare o Paara-Periti, ā, ka utua e Apīmereke ki aua mea ētahi tāngata wairangi, he hunga hīkaka, ā, aru ana rātou i a ia. 5 Nā, ka haere ia ki te whare o tōna pāpā ki Opora, ā, patua iho e ia ōna tuākana, ōna tēina, ngā tama a Ierupāra, e whitu tekau ngā tāngata, i runga i te kōhatu kotahi; otiia i mahue a Iotama te tama whakaotinga a Ierupāra; i piri hoki ia. 6 Nā, ka huihui ngā tāngata katoa o Hekeme, rātou ko te whare katoa o Miro, ā, ka haere, ka mea i a Apīmereke hei kīngi, ki te oki i te pou i Hekeme.

Te Kōrero Kupu Whakarite o ngā Rākau

7 Ā, ka kōrerotia ki a Iotama, nā, ka haere ia, ā, tū ana i runga i te tihi o Maunga Keritimi; nā, ka ara tōna reo, ka karanga, ka mea ki a rātou, "Whakarongo mai ki ahau, e ngā tāngata o Hekeme, kia whakarongo ai te Atua ki a koutou. 8 I haere ngā rākau ki te whakawahi i tētahi kīngi mō rātou, ā, ka mea ki te ōriwa, ‘Ko koe hei kīngi mō mātou.’

9 "Nā, ka mea te ōriwa ki a rātou, ‘Kia whakarērea koia e ahau tōku mōmonatanga, tāku mea i whai korōria ai te Atua, te tangata, ā, kia haere ki runga i ngā rākau tīwhaiwhai ai?’

10 "Nā, ka mea ngā rākau ki te piki, ‘Haere mai hei kīngi mō mātou.’

11 "Anō rā ko te piki ki a rātou, ‘Kia whakarērea koia e ahau tōku reka me ōku hua pai, ā, kia haere ki runga i ngā rākau tīwhaiwhai ai?’

12 "Kātahi ka mea ngā rākau ki te wāina, ‘Haere mai koe hei kīngi mō mātou.’

13 "Nā, ka mea te wāina ki a rātou, ‘Kia whakarērea koia e ahau tōku wāina e whakahari nei i te Atua, i te tangata, ā, kia haere ki runga i ngā rākau tīwhaiwhai ai?’

14 "Nā, ka mea ngā rākau katoa ki te taraheke, ‘Haere mai hei kīngi mō mātou.’

15 "Nā, ka mea te taraheke ki ngā rākau, ‘Ki te mea he pono tā koutou whakawahi i ahau hei kīngi mō koutou, haere mai ki raro ki tōku taumarumarutanga iho okioki ai, ā, ki te kāhore, kia puta atu he ahi i roto i te taraheke hei kai i ngā hīta o Repanōna.’

16 "Nā, ki te mea he pono, he tika, tā koutou mahi, i a koutou i mea nei i a Apīmereke hei kīngi, ki te pai hoki tā koutou mahi ki a Ierupāra rātou ko tōna whare, ki te mea hoki i rite ki ngā mahi a ōna ringa tā koutou i mea ai ki a ia – 17 nā tōku pāpā hoki i whawhai ā koutou whawhai, ā, tāruke ana ki te mate; ā, ora ake koutou i te ringa o Miriana. 18 Nā, kua whakatika nei koutou i tēnei rā ki te whare o tōku pāpā, ā, patua iho āna tama, e whitu tekau tāngata, ki runga ki te kōhatu kotahi, ā, meinga ana a Apīmereke, tama a tāna pononga wahine hei kīngi mō ngā tāngata o Hekeme, nō te mea ko tō koutou teina ia – 19 nā, ki te mea he pono, he tika, tā koutou i mea ai ki a Ierupāra rātou ko tōna whare i tēnei rā, kia hari ki a Apīmereke, kia hari hoki ia ki a koutou. 20 Ki te kāhore ia kia puta he ahi i a Apīmereke hei kai i ngā tāngata o Hekeme, rātou ko te whare o Miro; kia puta hoki he ahi i ngā tāngata o Hekeme, i te whare hoki o Miro, hei kai i a Apīmereke."

21 Nā, ko te rerenga i rere ai a Iotama, haere ana ki Pēre, ā, noho ana i reira i te wehi o tōna tuakana, o Apīmereke.

Te Hinganga o Apīmereke

22 Ā, e toru ngā tau o Apīmereke e kāwana ana i a Īharaira. 23 Nā, ka ungā e te Atua he wairua kino hei wehe i a Apīmereke rātou ko ngā tāngata o Hekeme; ā, ka mahi tinihanga ngā tāngata o Hekeme ki a Apīmereke. 24 He mea mō te tūkinotanga i ngā tama e whitu tekau a Ierupāra kia eke mai, kia utaina ō rātou toto ki runga ki tō rātou teina, ki a Apīmereke, nāna nei rātou i patu; ki runga anō hoki i ngā tāngata o Hekeme nāna nei i whakakaha ōna ringa i patua ai ōna tuākana, ōna tēina. 25 Nā, ka whakanohoia e ngā tāngata o Hekeme he kaiwhanga mōna ki ngā tihi o ngā maunga, ā, pāhuatia ana e rātou te hunga katoa i puta ki a rātou i te ara, ā, ka kōrerotia ki a Apīmereke.

26 Nā, ka haere mai a Kāra tama a Ēpere rātou ko ōna tēina, ā, ka tae atu ki Hekeme; nā, ka whakawhirinaki ngā tāngata o Hekeme ki a ia. 27 Nā, ka haere rātou ki te māra, ā, whakia ana ngā hua o ā rātou māra wāina, takahia ana. Nā, ka tuku hākari rātou, ā, ka haere ki te whare o tō rātou atua, ka kai, ka inu, ā, kohukohua ana e rātou a Apīmereke.

28 I mea anō a Kāra tama a Ēpere, "Ko wai a Apīmereke, ko wai hoki a Hekeme e mahi ai tātou ki a ia? Ehara ianei ia i te tama a Ierupāra? Ko Tepūru hoki tāna kaiwhakahauhau? Me mahi koutou ki ngā tāngata a Hāmora, a te pāpā o Hekeme; engari he aha tātou ka mahi ai ki a ia? 29 Nā, me i pai te Atua ki tēnei iwi ki raro ki tōku ringa! Inā, kua peia e ahau a Apīmereke. Kātahi ia ka mea ki a Apīmereke, ‘Whakanuia tōu ope, puta mai hoki.’ "

30 Ā, nō te rongonga o Tepūru rangatira o te pā ki ngā kupu a Kāra tama a Ēpere, ka mura tōna riri. 31 Nā, ka tono puku ia i ētahi tāngata ki a Apīmereke hei mea, "Ko Kāra tama a Ēpere tēnei, rātou ko ōna tēina, kua tae mai ki Hekeme; ā, kei te whakatūtehu rātou i te pā kia tū atu ki a koe. 32 Nā reira whakatika i te pō, ā, koe me āu tāngata, ka takoto tauwhanga ai i te pārae. 33 Ā, ka whiti te rā i te ata, ka maranga wawe koe, ka huaki ki te pā; ā, ka puta ia, rātou ko āna tāngata ki te whawhai ki a koe, māu e mea ki a ia tāu e kite ai."

34 Nā, ko te whakatikanga ake o Apīmereke rātou ko āna tāngata katoa i te pō, ā, e whā ō rātou matua i takoto tauwhanga ai mō Hekeme. 35 Ā, ka puta atu a Kāra tama a Ēpere, ka tū i te tomokanga ki te kūwaha o te pā; nā, kua whakatika ake a Apīmereke rātou ko āna tāngata i te pehipehi.

36 Ā, i te kitenga o Kāra i aua tāngata, ka mea ia ki a Tepūru, "Nanā, he tangata e heke mai rā i ngā tihi o ngā maunga."

Nā, ka mea a Tepūru ki a ia, "Ko te ata o ngā maunga tāu e kite nā, me te mea he tangata."

37 Nā, ka kōrero anō a Kāra, ka mea, "Nanā, titiro ki te hunga e heke mai rā mā waenganui o te whenua; kotahi hoki tērā matua e haere mai rā i te ara i te oki o Meonenimi."

38 Nā, ka mea a Tepūru ki a ia, "Kei hea rā tōu māngai i mea rā koe, ‘Ko wai a Apīmereke, e mahi ai tātou ki a ia?’ Ehara ianei tēnei i te iwi i whakahāweatia rā e koe? Nā, haere atu ināianei ki te whawhai ki a ia."

39 Nā, ka haere a Kāra i te aroaro o ngā tāngata o Hekeme ki te whawhai ki a Apīmereke. 40 Nā, ka whāia ia e Apīmereke, ā, rere ana ia i tōna aroaro, ā, he tokomaha i hinga, i patua, ā te tomokanga rā anō o te kūwaha. 41 Nā, ka noho a Apīmereke ki Aruma; ā, ka peia a Kāra rātou ko ōna tēina e Tepūru, kei noho ki Hekeme.

42 Ā, i te aonga ake ka puta atu ngā tāngata ki te pārae; ā, ka kōrerotia e rātou ki a Apīmereke. 43 Nā, ka mau ia ki ngā tāngata, ā, wehea ana e ia kia toru ngā matua, ā, ka tauwhanga i te pārae. Ā, ka kite ia, nā, kua puta mai te iwi i roto i te pā, ka whakatika ia ki a rātou, ā, patua iho. 44 I kōkiri hoki a Apīmereke rātou ko āna ngohi, ā, tū ana i te tomokanga ki te kūwaha o te pā; ā, kōkiri ana ngā ngohi e rua ki te hunga katoa i te pārae, ā, patua iho. 45 Ā, whakapaua ana e Apīmereke taua rā ki te whawhai ki te pā, ā, horo ana te pā i a ia, patua iho hoki ngā tāngata katoa i roto; nā, wāhia ana e ia te pā, ruia iho ki te tote.

46 Ā, nō te rongonga o ngā tāngata katoa o te pourewa o Hekeme, ka haere rātou ki roto ki te taumaihi o te whare o te atua, o Periti. 47 Ā, ka kōrerotia ki a Apīmereke kua huihui katoa ngā tāngata o te pourewa o Hekeme. 48 Kātahi ka piki atu a Apīmereke ki Maunga Taramono, rātou ko āna tāngata katoa; i mauria atu anō i Apīmereke he toki i tōna ringa. Nā, ka tapahia e ia he rākau, ā, hāpainga ana, amohia ana e ia i runga i ōna pokohiwi, me te mea anō ki āna tāngata, "Ko tā koutou i kite nei e meatia ana e ahau, kia hohoro tā koutou pērā." 49 Nā, ka tapahia he peka e tēnei, e tēnei o te iwi katoa, ā, haere ana ki te whai i a Apīmereke. Nā, ka whakatakotoria e rātou ki te taha o te taumaihi, ā, tahuna ana te taumaihi ki te ahi ki runga ki a rātou. Nā, ka mate anō hoki ngā tāngata katoa o te pourewa o Hekeme; ki te whakaaro iho kotahi mano ngā tāne, ngā wāhine.

50 Kātahi ka haere a Apīmereke ki Tepehe, ā, whakapaea ana a Tepehe e ia, ā, horo ana i a ia. 51 Nā, i waenganui o te pā he pourewa kaha, ā, ka rere ki reira ngā tāne katoa, me ngā wāhine, ngā tāngata katoa o te pā, ā, tūtakina ana mai rātou ki roto, ā, piki ana rātou ki runga ki te tuanui o te pourewa. 52 Nā, ko te haerenga atu o Apīmereke ki te pourewa, tauria ana e ia, ka whakatata hoki ki te kūwaha o te pourewa, he tahu ki te ahi. 53 Ko te tino makanga iho a tētahi wahine i tō runga kōhatu mira ki runga ki te mātenga o Apīmereke, nā, ngawhā iho tōna angaanga.

54 Nā, hohoro tonu tāna karanga ki te tangata i mau i āna patu, ka mea ki a ia, "Unuhia tāu hoari, whakamatea hoki ahau, kei kōrerotia ahau, ‘He wahine nāna ia i patu.’ " Nā, werohia ana ia e tāna tangata, ā, ka mate. 55 Ā, nō te kitenga o ngā tāngata o Īharaira kua mate a Apīmereke, ka haere rātou ki tōna wāhi, ki tōna wāhi.

56 Nā, i pēnei te whakautu a te Atua i te kino a Apīmereke i meatia e ia ki tōna pāpā, i a ia i patu ai i ōna tuākana, i ōna tēina, e whitu tekau; 57 me te kino hoki a ngā tāngata o Hekeme, i whakautua katoatia e te Atua ki runga ki ō rātou mātenga; ā, ka tau iho ki a rātou te kanga a Iotama tama a Ierupāra.

1 And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and spake with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying, 2 Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are threescore and ten persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. 3 And his mother’s brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother. 4 And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed him. 5 And he went unto his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself. 6 And all the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem.

7 And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you. 8 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive-tree, Reign thou over us. 9 But the olive-tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? 10 And the trees said to the fig-tree, Come thou, and reign over us. 11 But the fig-tree said unto them, Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? 12 And the trees said unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us. 13 And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my new wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? 14 Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. 15 And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon. 16 Now therefore, if ye have dealt truly and uprightly, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands 17 (for my father fought for you, and adventured his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian: 18 and ye are risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maid-servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother); 19 if ye then have dealt truly and uprightly with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: 20 but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech. 21 And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

22 And Abimelech was prince over Israel three years. 23 And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: 24 that the violence done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brethren. 25 And the men of Shechem set liers-in-wait for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.

26 And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him. 27 And they went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and held festival, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. 28 And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve ye the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: but why should we serve him? 29 And would that this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.

30 And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. 31 And he sent messengers unto Abimelech craftily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren are come to Shechem; and, behold, they constrain the city to take part against thee. 32 Now therefore, up by night, thou and the people that are with thee, and lie in wait in the field: 33 and it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and rush upon the city; and, behold, when he and the people that are with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion.

34 And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies. 35 And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from the ambushment. 36 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the tops of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men. 37 And Gaal spake again and said, See, there come people down by the middle of the land, and one company cometh by the way of the oak of Meonenim. 38 Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, that thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out now, I pray, and fight with them. 39 And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech. 40 And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and there fell many wounded, even unto the entrance of the gate.

41 And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem. 42 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech. 43 And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field; and he looked, and, behold, the people came forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them. 44 And Abimelech, and the companies that were with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and the two companies rushed upon all that were in the field, and smote them. 45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that were therein: and he beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

46 And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard thereof, they entered into the stronghold of the house of Elberith. 47 And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. 48 And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it up, and laid it on his shoulder: and he said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done. 49 And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.

50 Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it. 51 But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut themselves in, and gat them up to the roof of the tower. 52 And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and drew near unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 And a certain woman cast an upper millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and brake his skull. 54 Then he called hastily unto the young man his armorbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and kill me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died. 55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place. 56 Thus God requited the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren; 57 and all the wickedness of the men of Shechem did God requite upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.