B. C. 1252-1233. wise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Suc- 8 this tower. Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with 10 them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword. And Gideon went 11 up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure. And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, 12 and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host. AND Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the 13 sun was up, 'and caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and 14 inquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men. And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah 15 and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary? And he took the elders 16 of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. And he beat down the 17 tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city. THEN said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of 18 men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king. And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of 19 my mother: as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you. And he said unto Jether his first-born, Up, 20 and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth. Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, 21 Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels' necks. THEN the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, 22 both thou, and thy son, and thy sons' son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. And Gideon said unto them, 23 I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you. AND Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, 24 that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) And 25 And they spread they answered, We will willingly give them. a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey. And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested 26 was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks. And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his 27 city, even in Ophrah; and all Israel went thither a whoring 2 B2 317 after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon and to his house. THUS was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so 28 that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon. And Jerubbaal 29 the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house. And Gideon 30 had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives. And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also 31 bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech. And Gideon 32 the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites. 2 AND it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the 33 children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god. And the children of Israel re- 34 membered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side: neither 35 showed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had showed unto Israel. AND Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto 9 his mother's brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying, Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, 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. And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all the 3 men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said. He is our brother. And they 4 gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him. And he went unto his father's house at 5 Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding, yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left: for he hid himself. And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the 6 house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem. AND when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the 7 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. The trees went forth on a time to anoint a 8 king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my 9 fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? And the trees said to the fig tree, 10 Come thon, and reign over us. But the fig tree said unto them, 11 Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? Then said the trees unto the vine, 12 Come thou, and reign over us. And the vine said unto them, 13 Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? Then said all the trees unto the 14 bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. And the bramble said 15 unto the trees, If in truth ye 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 Lebanon. Now 16 therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, 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; (for my father fought for you, and adven- 17 tured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian: and ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have 18 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;) if ye then 19 have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and 20 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. And Jotham ran away, and fled, 21 and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother. WHEN Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel, 'then 22 God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech that the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons 24 of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren. And the men 25 of Shechem 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 Abimelech. And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his 26 brethren, and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him. And they went out into the fields, 27 and gathered their vineyards, and troile the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. And Gaal the son of Ebed said, 28 Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him? And would to God this people were under my 29 hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out. And when Zebul the 30 ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. And he sent messengers unto Abimelech 31 privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee. Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is 32 with thee, and lie in wait in the field: and it shall be, that in the 33 morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion. And Abimelech rose up, and all the people 34 that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies. And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and 35 stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait. And 36 when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men. And Gaal spake again, and said, See, there come 37 people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim. Then said Zebul unto 38 him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them. And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with 39 Abimelech. And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before 40 him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate. And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and 41 Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem. And it came to pass on the morrow, that 42 the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech. And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, 43 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 smote them. And Abimelech, and the company that was 44 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 slew them. And Abimelech fought 45 against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt. AND when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, 46 they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith. And 47 it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechien were gathered together. And Abimelech gat him up to mount 48 Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an ax 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 ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done. And all the people likewise cut 49 down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women. Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against The 50 bez, and took it. But there was a strong tower within the city, 51 and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower. And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and 52 went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire. And 53 a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his scull. Then he called hastily unto 54 the young man his armor-bearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died. 'And when 55 the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place. Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he 56 did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren: and all the 57 evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal. AND after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the10 son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim. And he judged Israel twenty-and- 2 three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir. 4 AND after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twen- 3 ty-and-two years. And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havoth-jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead. And Jair died, 5 and was buried in Camon. AND the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the 6 LORD, and served Baalium, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him. And the anger of the 7 LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon. And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel 8 eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight 9 also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed. AND the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We 10 have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim. And the LORD said unto the 11 children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the 12 Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. Yet ye have forsaken me, and served 13 other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry 14 unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation. And the children of Israel said unto 15 the LORD, We have sinned: do thon unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day. And they put away the strange gods from among them, and 16 served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. THEN the children of Ammon were gathered together, and 17 encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh. And the people 18 |