Abimelech Tries To Be King
1 Abimelech the son of Gideon went to Shechem. While there, he met with his mother's relatives 2 and told them to say to the leaders of Shechem, “Do you think it would be good to have all 70 of Gideon's sons ruling us? Wouldn't you rather have just one man be king? Abimelech would make a good king, and he's related to us.”
3 Abimelech's uncles talked it over with the leaders of Shechem who agreed, “Yes, it would be better for one of our relatives to be king.” 4 Then they gave Abimelech 70 pieces of silver from the temple of their god Baal Berith.
Abimelech used the silver to hire a gang of rough soldiers who would do anything for money. 5 Abimelech and his soldiers went to his father's home in Ophrah and brought out Gideon's other sons to a large rock, where they murdered all 70 of them. Gideon's youngest son Jotham hid from the soldiers, but he was the only one who escaped.
6 The leaders of Shechem, including the priests and the military officers, met at the tree next to the sacred rock in Shechem to crown Abimelech king. 7 Jotham heard what they were doing. So he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted down to the people who were there at the meeting:
Leaders of Shechem,
listen to me,
and maybe God
will listen to you.
8 Once the trees searched
for someone to be king;
they asked the olive tree,
“Will you be our king?”
9 But the olive tree replied,
“My oil brings honor
to people and gods.
I won't stop making oil,
just so my branches can wave
above the other trees.”
10 Then they asked the fig tree,
“Will you be our king?”
11 But the fig tree replied,
“I won't stop growing
my delicious fruit,
just so my branches can wave
above the other trees.”
12 Next they asked the grape vine,
“Will you be our king?”
13 But the grape vine replied,
“My wine brings cheer
to people and gods.
I won't stop making wine,
just so my branches can wave
above the other trees.”
14 Finally, they went
to the thornbush and asked,
“Will you be our king?”
15 The thornbush replied,
“If you really want me
to be your king,
then come into my shade
and I will protect you.
But if you're deceiving me,
I'll start a fire
that will spread out and destroy
the cedars of Lebanon.”
After Jotham had finished telling this story, he said:
16-18 My father Gideon risked his life for you when he fought to rescue you from the Midianites. Did you reward Gideon by being kind to his family? No, you did not! You attacked his family and killed all 70 of his sons on that rock.
And was it right to make Abimelech your king? He's merely the son of my father's slave girl. But just because he's your relative, you made him king of Shechem.
19 So, you leaders of Shechem, if you treated Gideon and his family the way you should have, then I hope you and Abimelech will make each other very happy. 20 But if it was wrong to treat Gideon and his family the way you did, then I pray that Abimelech will destroy you with fire, and I pray that you will do the same to him.
21 Jotham ran off and went to live in the town of Beer, where he could be safe from his brother Abimelech.
Abimelech Destroys Shechem
22 Abimelech had been a military commander of Israel for three years, 23-24 when God decided to punish him and the leaders of Shechem for killing Gideon's 70 sons.
So God turned the leaders of Shechem against Abimelech. 25 Then they sent some men to hide on the hilltops and watch for Abimelech and his troops, while they sent others to rob everyone that went by on the road. But Abimelech found out what they were doing.
26 One day, Gaal son of Ebed went to live in Shechem. His brothers moved there too, and soon the leaders of Shechem started trusting him.
27 The time came for the grape harvest, and the people of Shechem went into their vineyards and picked the grapes. They gathered the grapes and made wine. Then they went into the temple of their god and threw a big party. There was a lot of eating and drinking, and before long they were cursing Abimelech.
28 Gaal said:
Hamor was the founder of Shechem, and one of his descendants should be our ruler. But Abimelech's father was Gideon, so Abimelech isn't really one of us. He shouldn't be our king, and we shouldn't have to obey him or Zebul, who rules Shechem for him. 29 If I were the ruler of Shechem, I'd get rid of that Abimelech. I'd tell him, “Get yourself an even bigger army, and we will still defeat you.”
30 Zebul was angry when he found out what Gaal had said. 31 And so he sent some messengers to Abimelech. But they had to pretend to be doing something else, or they would not have been allowed to leave Shechem. Zebul told the messengers to say:
Gaal the son of Ebed has come to Shechem along with his brothers, and they have persuaded the people to let Gaal rule Shechem instead of you. 32 This is what I think you should do. Lead your army here during the night and hide in the fields. 33 Get up the next morning at sunrise and rush out of your hiding places to attack the town. Gaal and his followers will come out to fight you, but you will easily defeat them.
34 So one night, Abimelech led his soldiers to Shechem. He divided them into four groups, and they all hid near the town.
35 The next morning, Gaal went out and stood in the opening of the town gate. Abimelech and his soldiers left their hiding places, 36 and Gaal saw them. Zebul was standing there with Gaal, and Gaal remarked, “Zebul, that looks like a crowd of people coming down from the mountaintops.”
“No,” Zebul answered, “it's just the shadows of the mountains. It only looks like people moving.”
37 “But Zebul, look over there,” Gaal said. “There's a crowd coming down from the sacred mountain, and another group is coming along the road from the tree where people talk with the spirits of the dead.”
38 Then Zebul replied, “What good is all of your bragging now? You were the one who said Abimelech shouldn't be the ruler of Shechem. Out there is the army that you made fun of. So go out and fight them!”
39 Gaal and the leaders of Shechem went out and fought Abimelech. 40 Soon the people of Shechem turned and ran back into the town. However, Abimelech and his troops were close behind and killed many of them along the way.
41 Abimelech stayed at Arumah, and Zebul forced Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem.
42 The next morning, the people of Shechem were getting ready to work in their fields as usual, but someone told Abimelech about it. 43 Abimelech divided his army into three groups and set up an ambush in the fields near Shechem. When the people came out of the town, he and his army rushed out from their hiding places and attacked. 44 Abimelech and the troops with him ran to the town gate and took control of it, while two other groups attacked and killed the people who were in the fields. 45 He and his troops fought in Shechem all day, until they had killed everyone in town. Then he and his men tore down the houses and buildings and scattered salt everywhere.
46 Earlier that day, the leaders of the temple of El Berith at Shechem had heard about the attack. So they went into the temple fortress, 47 but Abimelech found out where they were. 48 He led his troops to Mount Zalmon, where he took an ax and chopped off a tree branch. He lifted the branch onto his shoulder and shouted, “Hurry! Cut off a branch just as I did.”
49 When they all had branches, they followed Abimelech back to Shechem. They piled the branches against the fortress and set them on fire, burning down the fortress and killing about 1,000 men and women.
50 After destroying Shechem, Abimelech went to Thebez. He surrounded the town and captured it. 51 But there was a tall fortress in the middle of the town, and the town leaders and everyone else went inside. Then they barred the gates and went up to the flat roof.
52 Abimelech and his army rushed to the fortress and tried to force their way inside. Abimelech himself was about to set the heavy wooden doors on fire, 53 when a woman on the roof dropped a large rock on his head and cracked his skull. 54 The soldier who carried his weapons was nearby, and Abimelech told him, “Take out your sword and kill me. I don't want people to say that I was killed by a woman!”
So the soldier ran his sword through Abimelech. 55 And when the Israelite soldiers saw that their leader was dead, they went back home.
56 That's how God punished Abimelech for killing his brothers and bringing shame on his father's family. 57 God also punished the people of Shechem for helping Abimelech. Everything happened just as Jotham's curse said it would.
Abimelek
1 Nu Abimelek, omuzandu wa Jerubbaal, wa ya kOsikem komuhoko waina. Neye wa hungira kuna wo a tja: 2 “Arikaneye, kapureye otjiṋa hi ongahukiro kovature avehe va Sikem: ‘Tji tji ri otjiwa ku eṋe otjikeṋa, okongwi okuhonaparerwa i ovarumendu omirongo hambombari, avehe ovazandu va Jerubbaal, poo okongwi okuhonaparerwa i omurumendu umwe?’ Nu wina rizemburukeye kutja ami owami onyama nombinḓu yeṋu.” 3 Momuhoko waina ve kemuhungirira omambo nga aehe ongahukiro kovature va Sikem. Nowo ve ripura okukongorera Abimelek, tjinga ava tja: “Eye omuzamumwe wetu.” 4 Owo opu ve mu pera ovimariva ovisilveri omirongo hambombari okuza mondjuwo onḓere ya Baal-Beret. Novimariva mbi Abimelek wa kuta na vyo ovandu ovehinohepero novehinaunongo kutja ve mu kongorere. 5 Neye wa ya kondjuwo ya ihe mOofra na kazepera ovangu ve kewe rimwe, imba ovazandu va Jerubbaal, ovarumendu omirongo hambombari; nungwari Jotam, omuzandu wa Jerubbaal ongero, ongwa hupa po, tjinga a kaṱara. 6 Okuzambo ovature avehe va Sikem nova Milo otji va worongana, nave kazikira Abimelek pOmumbonde-wOtjizemburukiro mbu ri mOsikem a rire ombara.
7 Nowo tji va tjivisa otjiṋa hi ku Jotam, eye arire tja kakurama kondomba yondundu Garisim na yere eraka re ama ravaere nai ku wo: “Purateneye ku ami, vature va Sikem, kutja Ndjambi a puratene ku eṋe wina! 8 Eyuva rimwe omiti vya ya okukazika ombara yavyo navi katja nai komuṋinga: ‘Rira ombara yetu!’ 9 Nungwari imbwi omuṋinga wa zira au tja: ‘Hi ise okupitisa omaze wandje, ovisenginina novandu ngu ve ndji tangera, nu mbi katengerere kombanda yomiti are?’ 10 Nomiti arire tji vya tja komukuyu: ‘Ove indjo u karire ombara yetu!’ 11 Nungwari imbwi omukuyu wa tja nai ku vyo: ‘Hi ise okupitisa oruaze rwandje novihape vyandje oviwa, nu mbi katengerere kombanda yomiti are?’ 12 Nomiti arire tji vya tja komuvite: ‘Ove indjo u karire ombara yetu!’ 13 Nungwari imbwi omuvite wa tja nai ku vyo: ‘Hi ise okupitisa omeva wandje womandjembere nge yorokisa ovisenginina novandu, nu mbi katengerere kombanda yomiti are?’ 14 Nomiti avihe arire tji vya tja kotjimbuku: ‘Ove indjo u karire ombara yetu!’ 15 Notjimbuku tja tja nai komiti: ‘Eṋe tji mamu vanga katjotjiri okundjitwirisa mbi rire ombara yeṋu, indjeye mu wame momuzire wandje; ape he ri nao, omuriro mau zu motjimbuku nau seseta otupapa twa Libanon!’ ”
16 Jotam wa hungira komurungu na tja: “Eṋe nao mwa tjita mouatjiri na mouṱakame, tji mwa zika Abimelek a rire ombara are? Eṋe nao mwa tjita ouwa ku Jerubbaal neṱunḓu re, tji mwa tjita ku ye otja komayenenisiro wozondjito ze are? 17 Zemburukeye kutja tate wa rwira eṋe. Eye ka yamene omuinyo we mokumuyama kOvamidian. 18 Nungwari ndinondi eṋe mwa sekamena ondjuwo ya tate. Eṋe mwa zepera ovazandu ve, ovarumendu omirongo hambombari, kewe rimwe namu ziki Abimelek, omuzandu womukazendu we omumbanda, a rire ombara yovature va Sikem, eye tjinga a ri omuzamumwe weṋu. 19 Nu ndinondi eṋe tji mwa tjiti mouatjiri na mouṱakame ku Jerubbaal neṱunḓu re, yorokereye Abimelek, neye nga yorokere eṋe. 20 Nungwari ape he ri nao, ngamu pite omuriro mu Abimelek u sesete ovature va Sikem nova Milo; nu ngamu pite omuriro movature va Sikem nova Milo u sesete Abimeleke.” 21 Jotam otja tupuka na taurire kObeer na kakara ngo mena rokutira erumbi re Abimelek.
22 Abimelek wa honaparera Ovaisrael oure wozombura ndatu. 23 Ndjambi arire tja sekamisa ombepo ombi pokati ka Abimelek novature va Sikem, nowo va huhunuka ku Abimelek. 24 Otjiṋa hi tja tjitwa kutja ourunde mbwa tjitirwe kovazandu imba omirongo hambombari va Jerubbaal u sutisiwe, nokutja ombinḓu yawo i sutisiwe mu Abimelek, erumbi rawo, ngwe ve zepa, na wina movature va Sikem mbe mu vatera okuzepa ovangu ve. 25 Ovature va Sikem va twa ovandu motutatwa kozondomba zozondundu; nowo va huura omundu auhe ngwa kapitira mondjira. Nu ihi tja tjivisiwa ku Abimelek.
26 Nu Gaal, omuzandu wa Ebed, weya puna ovangu ve kOsikem; novature va Sikem va kara nonḓakameno mu ye. 27 Nowo avehe va ya kovikunino vyomivite, ave kapora omandjembere nokuyekama nave tjiti omukandi. Tjazumba otji va hita mondjuwo onḓere yotjisenginina ave ri, ave nu, nave tukana Abimelek. 28 Nu Gaal, omuzandu wa Ebed, wa tja nai: “Abimelek eye owaṋi, neṱe Ovasikem oweṱe ovakendu, kutja matu kara ovandu vokehi ye? Eye kamuzandu wa Jerubbaal, nu Sebul kamumuungurire are? Karereye ovarumendu va Hamor, ihe yomuhoko wa Sikem. Nu ingwi Abimelek matu mu karerere tjike? 29 Andakuzu otjiwaṋa hi tji ri kehi youvara wandje ami etje ramba Abimelek; etje mu raera nai: ‘Tji u notjimbumba otjinene tjovita, indjo, pita u rwe!’”
30 Sebul, omunane wotjihuro, tja zuva omambo nga wa Gaal, omuzandu wa Ebed, arire tja ṱomazenge tjinene. 31 Neye wa tuma ovahindwa mongumumu ku Abimelek kOaruma okukemutjivisa nai: “Tara Gaal, omuzandu wa Ebed, weya puna ovangu ve kOsikem, nowo mave ku hohizire ovandu motjihuro. 32 Rirongera ouṱuku mbunombwi, ove novarwe voye wovita, nu mu kaṱare mokuti motutatwa. 33 Nu omuhuka omunene tjipatji, rwisa otjihuro. Nu Gaal tja sekama novarwe ve wovita, tjita ku ye otja pu pe ṱa!”
34 Abimelek novarwe ve wovita avehe otji ve rirongera ouṱuku mbo nave kaṱara movimbumba vine motutatwa popezu na Sikem. 35 Gaal, omuzandu wa Ebed, tja pita pendje yotjihuro na kakurama pomuvero, Abimelek novarwe ve wovita arire tji va piti motutatwa twawo. 36 Nu Gaal tje ve muna wa tja nai ku Sebul: “Tjiri, ngwina maku rauka ovandu wovita kozondomba zozondundu.”
Nungwari Sebul we mu zira a tja: “Imbwo omuzire wozondundu mbu mo munu aayo ovandu.”
37 Nu Gaal wa tja nai rukwao: “Tara, maku rauka ovarwe komakapitiro wozondundu, notjimbumba tjimwe matji zire komukuma wOmumbonde wOndjai.”
38 Sebul opa tjera ku ye: “Otjinyo tjoye otjinene nambano tji ri pi tjiyo ravaere na tjo nai: ‘Ingwi Abimelek owaṋi kutja twa sokukara ovandu vokehi ye?’ Owo, owo mba ovandu vokehi ye? Owo, owo mba ovandu mbu wa nyengurire! Nambano sekama vari u karwe na wo!” 39 Gaal wa hongorera ovature va Sikem na karwisa Abimelek. 40 Gaal wa taura komurungu wa Abimelek, nu Abimelek we mu tezera. Novengi va ṱa nave saravara pehi nga pomuvero wotjihuro. 41 Nu Abimelek wa kara mOaruma, nungwari Sebul wa ramba Gaal novandu ve, ne ve tjaere okutura mOsikem.
42 Eyuva ekongorerwa raindo ovandu va Sikem va ya mokuti. Nu Abimelek wa hepurirwa otjiṋa ho. 43 Neye opa toorera ovarwe ve, e ve haṋa movimbumba vitatu ne ve twara mokuti motutatwa. Neye tja muna kutja ovandu mave piti motjihuro, eye wina otja pita motutatwa twe ne ve zepa. 44 Abimelek wa purukuta notjimbumba tje nga pomuvero wotjihuro na kakurama mbo. Nu ovimbumba mbi vivari vyarwe vya rwisa ovandu mba ri mokuti, navi zepa avehe. 45 Abimelek wa rwisa otjihuro oure weyuva ndo arihe. Neye wa kambura otjihuro na zepa avehe, mba ri mu tjo. Okuzambo eye wa hahaura otjihuro na handjaurire mo omongwa.
46 Novature avehe votjiṱunga tja Sikem tji va zuva otjiṋa hi otji va kahita metuwo rokehi rondjuwo onḓere ya Baal-Beret. 47 Abimelek wa raerwa kutja ovature avehe votjiṱunga tja Sikem va woronganene mo. 48 Nu Abimelek wa ronda kondundu Salmon puna ovarumendu ve wovita. Neye wa toora ekuva na ke na ro orutavi rwomuti; arire tje ru toora e ru twa kotjiṱuve tje na tja nai kovarumendu ve wovita mba ri puna ye: “Ihi tji mwa munu tji mba tjiti, tji tjiteye wina mohakahana.” 49 Ovarumendu va Abimelek avehe wovita otji va ka auhe orutavi rwe, ave mu kongorere nave katendeka otutavi twi kombanda yetuwo ndi rokehi. Nowo ve tu hwikira kombanda yetuwo rokehi, ngunda amwa ri ovandu mba avehe votjiṱunga tja Sikem; nu mwa tira ovarumendu novakazendu mangara eyovi rimwe.
50 Tjazumba Abimelek otja ya kOtebes, arire tje ketjikovera ne tji kambura. 51 Mokati kotjihuro hi mwa ri otjiretundu otjinamasa, novarumendu novakazendu novanane avehe votjihuro va taurira ku tjo; nowo ve ripatera mo, narire tji va karonda komututu wotjiretundu. 52 Abimelek weya nga potjiretundu ne tji rwisa. Neye wa ryama nga omahitiro wotjiretundu hi kutja e tji nyose. 53 Nungwari omukazendu worive wa yemena ewe rotjikweyero kotjiuru tje, ne mu nyanyaura otjikongo. 54 Nu Abimelek wa rakiza omukarere we, omutjinde woviyumbe vye, a tja ku ye: “Nana engaruvyo roye u ndji zepe. Ami hi nokuvanga kutja ku kaze mba ṱa i omukazendu.” Omukarere we ope mu tuvakaṋisira engaruvyo, neye arire tja koka. 55 Novarumendu Ovaisrael tji va muna kutja Abimelek wa koka, avehe otji va yaruka kozoyawo.
56 Komuhingo mbwi Ndjambi opa sutisira ouvi Abimelek mbwa tjitire ku ihe mokuzepa omarumbi we omirongo hambombari. 57 Imbwi ouvi wovarumendu va Sikem Ndjambi we u yarura mu wo oveni; nosengiro ya Jotam, omuzandu wa Jerubbaal, ye ya kombanda yawo.
