1 And Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] the son of Yeruba’al [let Ba’al defend] went to Sh’khem [Shoulder] unto his mother’s brethren, and communed 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 Sh’khem [Shoulder], Whether [is] better for you, either that all the sons of Yeruba’al [let Ba’al defend], [which are] threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I [am] your bone and your flesh.

3 And his mother’s brethren spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder] all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Avi-Melekh [My Father is King]; for they said, He [is] our brother.

4 And they gave him threescore and ten [pieces] of silver out of the house of Ba’al-B’rit [lord of the covenant], which Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] hired vain and light persons, which followed him.

5 And he went unto his father’s house at ‘Ofrah [Fawn], and killed his brethren the sons of Yeruba’al [let Ba’al defend], [being] threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Toram [Yehovah is Perfect] the youngest son of Yeruba’al [let Ba’al defend] was left; for he hid himself.

6 And all the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder] gathered together, and all the Beit-Millo [fortification (defensive structure) or mound] [House of the Fortification (defensive structure)], and went, and made Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] king, by the plain of the pillar that [was] in Sh’khem [Shoulder].

7 And when they told [it] to Toram [Yehovah is Perfect], he went and stood in the top of mount G’rizim [Cuttings Off], and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Listen unto me, you2f men of Sh’khem [Shoulder], that God-Elōhīm (The Living Word) [The Many Powered] 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 youi over us.

9 But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, which by me they honour God-Elōhīm (The Living Word) [The Many Powered] and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

10 And the trees said to the fig tree, Come youi, [and] reign over us.

11 But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

12 Then said the trees unto the vine, Come youi, [and] reign over us.

13 And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheers God-Elōhīm (The Living Word) [The Many Powered] and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

14 Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come youi, [and] reign over us.

15 And the bramble said unto the trees, If in tyou2f anoint me king over you, [then] come [and] put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of L’vanon [Whiteness].

16 Now therefore, if you2f have done truly and sincerely, in that you2f have made Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] king, and if you2f have dealt well with Yeruba’al [let Ba’al defend] 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 far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midyan [Strife]:

18 And you2f 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 Avi-Melekh [My Father is King], the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder], because he [is] your brother;)

19 If you2f then have dealt truly and sincerely with Yeruba’al [let Ba’al defend] and with his house this day, [then] rejoice you2f in Avi-Melekh [My Father is King], and let him also rejoice in you:

20 But if not, let fire come out from Avi-Melekh [My Father is King], and devour the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder], and the Beit-Millo [fortification (defensive structure) or mound] [House of the Fortification (defensive structure)]; and let fire come out from the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder], and from the Beit-Millo [fortification (defensive structure) or mound] [House of the Fortification (defensive structure)], and devour Avi-Melekh [My Father is King].

21 And Toram [Yehovah is Perfect] ran away, and fled, and went to Be’er [Well], and dwelt there, for fear of Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] his brother.

22 When Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] had reigned three years over Yisra’el [He Holds Onto The Heel Of God],

23 Then God-Elōhīm (The Living Word) [The Many Powered] sent an evil spirit between Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] and the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder]; and the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder] dealt treacherously with Avi-Melekh [My Father is King]:

24 That the cruelty [done] to the threescore and ten sons of Yeruba’al [let Ba’al defend] might come, and their blood be laid upon Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] their brother, which killed them; and upon the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder], which aided him in the killing of his brethren.

25 And the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder] set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Avi-Melekh [My Father is King].

26 And Ga’al [Loathing] the son of Eved [A Slave] came with his brethren, and went over to Sh’khem [Shoulder]: and the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder] put their confidence in him.

27 And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trampled [the grapes], and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Avi-Melekh [My Father is King].

28 And Ga’al [Loathing] the son of Eved [A Slave] said, Who [is] Avi-Melekh [My Father is King], and who [is] Sh’khem [Shoulder], that we should serve him? [is] not [he] the son of Yeruba’al [let Ba’al defend]? and Z’vul [Exalted] his officer? serve the men of Hamor [male-donkey (ass)] the father of Sh’khem [Shoulder]: for why should we serve him?

29 And would to God-Elōhīm (The Living Word) [The Many Powered] this people were under my hand! then would I remove Avi-Melekh [My Father is King]. And he said to Avi-Melekh [My Father is King], Increase youi army, and come out.

30 And when Z’vul [Exalted] the ruler of the city heard the words of Ga’al [Loathing] the son of Eved [A Slave], his anger was kindled.

31 And he sent messengers unto Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] privately, saying, Behold, Ga’al [Loathing] the son of Eved [A Slave] and his brethren be come to Sh’khem [Shoulder]; and, behold, they fortify the city against youi.

32 Now therefore up by night, youi and the people that [is] with youi, and lie in wait in the field:

33 And it shall be, [that] in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, youi shall rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold, [when] he and the people that [is] with him come out against youi, then may youi do to them as youi shall find occasion.

34 And Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] rose up, and all the people that [were] with him, by night, and they laid wait against Sh’khem [Shoulder] in four companies.

35 And Ga’al [Loathing] the son of Eved [A Slave] went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] rose up, and the people that [were] with him, from lying in wait.

36 And when Ga’al [Loathing] saw the people, he said to Z’vul [Exalted], Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Z’vul [Exalted] said unto him, youi see the shadow of the mountains as [if they were] men.

37 And Ga’al [Loathing] spoke again and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of M’on’nim [Fortune Teller].

38 Then said Z’vul [Exalted] unto him, Where [is] now youi mouth, which youi said, Who [is] Avi-Melekh [My Father is King], that we should serve him? [is] not this the people that youi have despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.

39 And Ga’al [Loathing] went out before the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder], and fought with Avi-Melekh [My Father is King].

40 And Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown [and] wounded, [even] unto the entering of the gate.

41 And Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] dwelt at Arumah: and Z’vul [Exalted] thrust out Ga’al [Loathing] and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Sh’khem [Shoulder].

42 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Avi-Melekh [My Father is King].

43 And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people [were] come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and struck them.

44 And Avi-Melekh [My Father is King], and the company that [was] with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two [other] companies ran upon all [the people] that [were] in the fields, and killed them.

45 And Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and killed the people that [was] in it, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

46 And when all the men of the tower of Sh’khem [Shoulder] heard [that], they entered into an hold of the temple of El-B’rit [(the) god Berith].

47 And it was told Avi-Melekh [My Father is King], that all the men of the tower of Sh’khem [Shoulder] were gathered together.

48 And Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] got him up to Mount Tzalmon [Shady], he and all the people that [were] with him; and Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid [it] on his shoulder, and said unto the people that [were] with him, What you2f 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 Avi-Melekh [My Father is King], and put [them] to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Sh’khem [Shoulder] died also, about a thousand men and women.

50 Then went Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] to Tevetz [Conspicuous], and encamped against Tevetz [Conspicuous], and took it.

51 But there was a strong tower within the city, and there fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut [it] to them, and got them up to the top of the tower.

52 And Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

53 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Avi-Melekh’s [My Father is King]’s head, and all to (to do entirely, do wholly) broke his skull.

54 Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw youri sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman killed him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

55 And when the men of Yisra’el [He Holds Onto The Heel Of God] saw that Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] was dead, they departed every man unto his place.

56 Thus God-Elōhīm (The Living Word) [The Many Powered] rendered the wickedness of Avi-Melekh [My Father is King], which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:

57 And all the evil of the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder] did God-Elōhīm (The Living Word) [The Many Powered] render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Toram [Yehovah is Perfect] the son of Yeruba’al [let Ba’al defend].