ULT by section JDG 9:1

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The Book of Judges 9

9 Now Abimelek, the son of Jerubbaal, went to Shechem to the brothers of his mother, and he spoke to them and to all of the clan of the house of the father of his mother, saying, 2 “Please speak in the ears of all of the lords of Shechem, ‘What is better for you, 70 men ruling over you, all of the sons of Jerubbaal, or one man ruling over you?’ Now remember that I am your bone and your flesh.” 3 And the brothers of his mother spoke all of these things for him in the ears of all of the lords of Shechem, and their heart turned after Abimelek, for they said, “He is our brother.” 4 Then they gave 70 silver to him from the house of Baal-Berith, and with them Abimelek hired worthless and reckless men, and they went after him. 5 Then he went to the house of his father in Ophrah and he killed his brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, 70 men upon one stone. But Jotham was left, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, for he had hidden himself. 6 Then all of the lords of Shechem and all of Beth Millo gathered themselves, and they went and made Abimelek reign as king beside the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem.

7 And they declared to Jotham, and he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and he lifted his voice and cried out and said to them, “Listen to me, lords of Shechem, that God may listen to you! 8 Going, the trees went to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’ 9 But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I discontinue my fatness, which, by it, they honor gods and men, that I should go to wave over the trees?’ 10 So the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come, you reign over us.’ 11 But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I discontinue my sweetness and my good fruit, that I should go to wave over the trees?’ 12 So the trees said to the vine, ‘Come, you reign over us.’ 13 But the vine said to them, ‘Should I discontinue my new wine, cheering gods and men, that I should go to wave over the trees?’ 14 So all of the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come, you reign over us.’ 15 And the thornbush said to the trees, ‘If in truth you are anointing me as king over you, come, shelter in my shade. But if not, may fire go forth from the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’ 16 So now, if you have acted in truth and in integrity and made Abimelek reign, and if you have done good with Jerubbaal and with his house, and if according to the deserving of his hands you have done to him, 17 that my father fought for you and threw his life in front and delivered you from the hand of Midian— 18 but today you have arisen against the house of my father and have killed his sons, 70 men upon one stone, and you have made Abimelek, the son of his female slave, reign over the lords of Shechem because he is your brother— 19 now if you have acted in truth and in integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, rejoice in Abimelek, and may he also rejoice in you. 20 But if not, may fire go forth from Abimelek, and may it consume the lords of Shechem and Beth Millo, and may fire go forth from the lords of Shechem and from Beth Millo, and may it consume Abimelek.” 21 Then Jotham escaped and fled, and he went to Beer. And he dwelled there from the face of Abimelek his brother.

22 And Abimelek ruled over Israel three years. 23 Then God sent a bad spirit between Abimelek and between the lords of Shechem, and the lords of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelek, 24 the violence of the 70 sons of Jerubbaal to come, and their blood to put, upon Abimelek their brother who killed them and upon the lords of Shechem who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. 25 And the lords of Shechem put ambushers against him on the tops of the hills, and they robbed everyone who passed by them on the road, and it was told to Abimelek.

26 Then Gaal, the son of Ebed, came with his brothers and they went over into Shechem. And the lords of Shechem trusted in him. 27 And they went out into the field and cut off their vineyards and trod, and they made offerings and went into the house of their god, and they ate and drank and cursed Abimelek. 28 Then Gaal, the son of Ebed, said, “Who is Abimelek, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his deputy? Serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem. But why should we ourselves serve him? 29 Now who will give this people into my hand? Then I would remove Abimelek.” And he said to Abimelek, “Increase your army and come out.”

30 And Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard the words of Gaal, the son of Ebed, and his nose burned. 31 And he sent messengers to Abimelek in deceit, saying, “Behold, Gaal, the son of Ebed, and his brothers are come to Shechem, and behold, they are inciting the city against you. 32 So now arise at night, you and the people who are with you, and hide in the field. 33 And it shall happen in the morning, as the sun rises, you shall start early and you shall rush against the city. And behold, he and the people who are with him will be coming out against you, and you shall do to him according to what your hand finds.”

34 So Abimelek and all of the people who were with him arose at night, and they ambushed 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 Abimelek and the people who were with him arose from the ambush. 36 And Gaal saw the people and he said to Zebul, “Behold, a people is coming down from the tops of the hills!” But Zebul said to him, “The shadow of the hills, you are seeing as men.” 37 And Gaal resumed to speak more and he said, “Behold, people are coming down from the navel of the land, and one company is coming along the way of the Oak of the Diviners.” 38 Then Zebul said to him, “Where now is your mouth, by which you said, ‘Who is Abimelek, that we should serve him?’ Is this not the people that you despised? Indeed, go out now and fight with it.” 39 So Gaal went out to the face of the lords of Shechem, and he fought with Abimelek. 40 And Abimelek pursued him, and he fled from his face. And many wounded fell, up to the entrance of the gate.

41 Then Abimelek dwelt in Arumah. And Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers from dwelling in Shechem. 42 And it happened on the next day that the people went out to the field, and they reported this to Abimelek. 43 So he took the people and divided them into three companies and hid in the field. Then he saw and behold, the people were gone out from the city, and he arose against them and killed them. 44 For Abimelek and the companies that were with him rushed out. And they stood at the entrance of the gate of the city, while two of the companies rushed against all who were in the field and killed them. 45 And Abimelek fought with the city all of that day. And he captured the city, and he killed the people who were in it. Then he tore down the city and sowed it with salt.

46 And all of the lords of the tower of Shechem heard, and they entered into the citadel of the house of El-Berith. 47 And it was reported to Abimelek that all of the lords of the tower of Shechem had assembled themselves. 48 So Abimelek went up Mount Zalmon, he and all of the people who were with him, and Abimelek took axes in his hand. And he cut a branch of the trees and lifted it and set it on his shoulder and said to the people who were with him, “What you have seen I have done, hurry, do like me.” 49 So all the people also cut, a man a branch, and they went after Abimelek. And they set them against the citadel, and they burned the citadel upon them with fire. So all of the men of the tower of Shechem also died, about 1,000 men and women.

50 Then Abimelek went to Thebez and encamped against Thebez, and he captured it. 51 But a strong tower was in the midst of the city, and all of the men and women and all of the lords of the city fled there. And they closed it behind them and went up onto the roof of the tower. 52 Then Abimelek came to the tower and fought with it. And he came near to the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 But one woman threw an upper millstone onto the head of Abimelek, and it crushed his skull. 54 Then he cried hastily to the young man bearing his armor and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say about me, ‘A woman killed him.’ ” So his young man stabbed him, and he died. 55 And the men of Israel saw that Abimelek had died, and they went away, a man to his place. 56 So God turned back the evil of Abimelek, which he did to his father by killing his 70 brothers. 57 And all of the evil of the men of Shechem, God turned back upon their head, and the curse of Jotham, the son of Jerubbaal, came upon them.

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