士師記 第 9 章

And Abimelech son of Ierobaal went to Sychem to his mother's brothers, and he spoke to them and to all the kindred of the house of his mother's father, saying,

"Speak, please, in the ears of all the men of Sychem: 'What is good for you, that seventy men, all the sons of Ierobaal, rule over you, or that one man rule over you?' And remember that I am your bone and your flesh."

And his mother's brothers spoke about him in the ears of all the men of Sychem all these words; and their heart inclined after Abimelech, for they said, "He is our brother."

And they gave him seventy pieces of silver from the house of Baalberith; and Abimelech hired for himself empty and cowardly men, and they went after him.

And he went into his father's house at Ephratha and killed his brothers, the sons of Ierobaal, seventy men, on one stone; and Ioathan the youngest son of Ierobaal was left, for he had hidden himself.

And all the men of Sikima gathered together, and all the house of Bethmaalon, and they went and made Abimelech king by the oak, the one found, of the pillar that is in Sikima.

And it was reported to Ioathan, and he went and stood on the top of Mount Garizin and lifted up his voice and wept, and he said to them, "Listen to me, men of Sikima, and God will listen to you."

The trees went forth to anoint a king over themselves, and they said to the olive tree, "Reign over us."

But the olive tree said to them, "Shall I leave my fatness, by which men will glorify God, and go to sway over the trees?"

And the trees said to the fig tree, "Come, reign over us."

But the fig tree said to them, "Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruits, and go to sway over the trees?"

And the trees said to the vine, "Come, you reign over us."

But the vine said to them, "Shall I leave my wine, which gladdens God and men, and go to sway over the trees?"

And all the trees said to the bramble, "Come, you reign over us."

And the bramble said to the trees, "If in truth you are anointing me to reign over you, come, take shelter in my shade; but if not, let fire come out from me and devour the cedars of Lebanon."

And now, if in truth and completeness you acted and made Abimelech king, and if you did goodness with Ierobaal and with his house, and if you did to him according to the recompense of his hand -

as my father drew up in battle for you and flung away his life in the face of the foe and rescued you from the hand of Midian,

but you have risen up today against my father's house and killed his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and you made Abimelech, the son of his slave woman, king over the men of Sikima, because he is your brother -

if, then, on this day you have acted in truth and completeness with Ierobaal and with his house, may you rejoice in Abimelech, and may he also rejoice over you.

But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the men of Sikima and the house of Bethmaallon; and let fire come out from the men of Sikima and from the house of Bethmaallon and devour Abimelech."

And Ioathan fled and ran away and went as far as Baier and dwelt there, away from the presence of Abimelech his brother.

And Abimelech ruled over Israel three years.

And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Sikima, and the men of Sikima dealt treacherously in the house of Abimelech.

so as to bring upon them the injustice done to the seventy sons of Ierobaal, and their blood, to set it upon Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and upon the men of Sikimon, because they strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.

And the men of Sikimon set men lying in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they plundered everyone who passed by them on the road; and it was reported to King Abimelech.

And Gaal son of Iobel came, and his brothers, and they passed through in Sikima, and the men of Sikimon set their hope in him.

And they went out into the field and gathered the vintage of their vineyards and trod them and made ellulim, and brought it into the house of their god, and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech.

And Gaal son of Iobel said: Who is Abimelech, and who is the son of Sychem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Ierobaal, and Zeboul his overseer his servant, together with the men of Emmor the father of Sychem? And why should we ourselves serve him?

And who would give this people into my hand? Then I would remove Abimelech, and I would say to him: Multiply your force and come out!

And Zeboul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal son of Iobel, and he himself was angered with wrath.

And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying: Behold, Gaal son of Iobel and his brothers are coming to Sychem; and behold, they are encircling the city against you.

And now rise up by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in ambush in the field.

And it shall be in the morning, as soon as the sun rises, you shall rise early and deploy against the city; and behold, he and the people who are with him are coming out to you, and you shall do to him whatever your hand finds.

And Abimelech rose, and all the people with him, by night, and they lay in ambush against Sychem in four companies.

And Gaal son of Iobel went out and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city; and Abimelech rose up, and the people with him, from the ambush.

And Gaal son of Iobel saw the people and said to Zeboul: Behold, a people is coming down from the tops of the mountains. And Zeboul said to him: You are seeing the shadow of the mountains as men.

And Gaal continued still to speak, and he said: Behold, a people is coming down toward the sea from the region next to the navel of the land, and another company is coming by the road of Elonmaonenim.

And Zeboul said to him: And where is your mouth, with which you spoke: Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? Is not this the people whom you despised? Go out now and array yourself in battle against him.

And Gaal went out before the men of Sychem and arrayed himself in battle against Abimelech.

And Abimelech pursued him, and he fled from before him, and many fell wounded as far as the entrance of the gate.

And Abimelech entered into Arema; and Zeboul drove out Gaal and his brothers, that they should not dwell in Sychem.

And it came to pass on the next day that the people went out into the field, and word was brought to Abimelech.

And he took the people and divided them into three companies and lay in ambush in a field; and he looked, and behold, the people came out of the city, and he rose up against them and struck them.

And Abimelech and the chiefs with him pressed forward and stood by the entrance of the gate of the city, and the two companies pressed forward against all who were in the field, and they struck them.

And Abimelech was arrayed in battle against the city all that day, and he seized the city, and the people in it he killed, and he tore down the city and sowed it for salt.

And all the men of the towers of Sychem heard, and they went into the assembly-place of Baithelberith.

And it was reported to Abimelech that all the men of the towers of Sychem were gathered together.

And Abimelech went up to Mount Ermon, he and all the people with him; and Abimelech took the axes in his hand and cut a branch of a tree and lifted it and put it on his shoulders, and said to the people with him: What you have seen me doing, do quickly as I have.

And they also cut, each man a branch, every man, and they went after Abimelech and laid them on the assembly-place and set the assembly-place on fire over them with fire; and they also all died, the men of the tower of Sikimon, about a thousand men and women.

And Abimelech went from Baithelberith and encamped at Thebes and captured it.

And there was a strong tower in the midst of the city, and all the men and the women of the city fled there and shut it on the outside of them, and went up onto the roof of the tower.

And Abimelech came as far as the tower, and they arrayed themselves in battle against him; and Abimelech drew near as far as the door of the tower, to burn it with fire.

And one woman threw a piece of an upper millstone upon the head of Abimelech, and broke his skull.

And he cried out quickly to the lad who bore his armour and said to him: Draw my sword and put me to death, lest they say, A woman killed him. And his lad ran him through, and he died.

And the man of Israel saw that Abimelech had died, and they went, each man to his own place.

And God turned back the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did to his father in killing his seventy brothers.

And all the wickedness of the men of Sychem God turned back upon their head; and the curse of Ioathan son of Ierobaal came upon them.