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 ta ningi ohamba
1 Ndele Abimelek yaJerubbaal okwa ya kuSekem kovapambele vaina, ndele okwa popya nepata alishe laina ndele ta ti: 2 Popyeni momatwi oonakukala muSekem, mu tye: “Shilipi shiwa kunye, nokutya ovalumenhu omilongo heyali, aveshe ovana vaJerubbaal, tave mu pangele, ile omulumenhu umwe te mu pangele? Ndele dimbulukweni nokutya, aame ekipa leni nombelela yeni.” 3 Opo nee ovamwaina vaina, eshi va popya eendjovo edi adishe momatwi oonakukalamo muSekem molwaye, omitima davo da ama kuAbimelek noku mu shikula, osheshi vo tava ti: Ye omumwameme omulumenhu. 4 Vo ove mu pa eeshekeli omilongo heyali oisiliveli yomongulu yaBaal-Berit, nado Abimelek okwe liongelifa nokufuta ovalofu novakolokoshi, ndele vo ove mu shikula. 5 Ndele ye okwa ya mo meumbo laxe muOfra, nokwa dipaela kemanya vamwaina vovalumenhu, ovana vaJerubbaal, omilongo heyali. Ndele Jotam, onghelo yaJerubbaal okwa xupa po, osheshi ye okwa hondama. 6 Opo nee oonakukalamo aveshe muSekem neumbo alishe laMillo la ongala, ndele la ninga Abimelek ohamba momwandi mule puSekem.
Omakumbiko aJotam
7 Vo eshi ve shi shiivifila Jotam, ye okwa londa a kala ofika koxulo yomhunda yaGerisim nokwa yelula ondaka yaye, ta ingida ta ti kuvo: “Pwilikineni nge, nye oonakukalamo muSekem, opo Kalunga a shiive oku mu pwilikina.
8 “Efiku limwe omiti da ya di ke livaekele ohamba, ndele da lombwela olumono: ‘Ninga ohamba yetu!’ 9 Ndelenee olumono le va lombwela: ‘Ame ndi efe mbela omaadi ange molwao oikalunga novanhu tava pandula nge, ndi ye ngeno ndi linyenganyenge kombada yomiti?’
10 “Opo nee omiti da lombwela omukwiyu: ‘Ila, u ninge ohamba yetu.’ 11 Ndelenee omukwiyu we di lombwela: ‘Ndi fiye po ngeno ounyenye wange noiimati yange iwa, ndi linyenganyenge kombada yomiti?’
12 “Opo nee omiti da lombwela omuviinyu: ‘Ila, u ninge ohamba yetu.’ 13 Ndelenee omuviinyu we di lombwela: ‘Ndi fiye po omaviinyu ange, aa taa hafifa Kalunga novanhu, ndi linyenganyenge kombada yomiti?’
14 “Opo omiti adishe da lombwela eno: ‘Ila, u ninge ohamba yetu!’ 15 Ndele eno la lombwela omiti: ‘Nye ngeenge mwa hala shili okuvaeka nge, ndi ninge ohamba yeni, ileni hano, mu yaame momudile wange. Ndelenee ngeenge hasho, omundilo tau di meno, tau lungwinifa po omiti omisederi domuLibanon.’
16 “Onye ngeenge mwa longa tuu paife pashili nopauyuki, mokuninga Abimelek ohamba, nongeenge mwa ningila Jerubbaal neumbo laye ouwa, nongeenge mwe mu alulila pailonga yomake aye, 17 onye ava tate e mu lwila nokwe liekelela omwenyo waye molweni, ndele e mu xupifa momake Ovamidian, 18 ndelenee nena eli nye mwa twa ondubo neumbo latate, novana vaye ovalumenhu, ovalumenhu omilongo heyali mwe va dipaa kemanya ndele mwa ninga Abimelek, omona womupika waye, ohamba yoonakukalamo muSekem, shaashi ye omumwanyoko. 19 Nye ngeenge mwa longa tuu nena eli pashili nopauyuki naJerubbaal neumbo laye, kaleni hano nokuhafela Abimelek, naye ne mu hafele yo. 20 Ndelenee ngeenge hasho, omundilo nau dje mo muAbimelek, nau lungwinife po oonakukalamo muSekem neumbo laMillo. Nomundilo nau dje moonakukalamo muSekem nomeumbo laMillo nokulungwinifa po Abimelek.” 21 Opo nee Jotam okwa faduka po nokwa ya onhapo muBeer, noko a kala omolwomumwaina Abimelek.
Enyonauko lOvasikem nolaAbimelek
22 Abimelek eshi a pangela Israel omido nhatu, 23 Kalunga okwa tuma ko omhepo ii, pokati kaAbimelek noonakukalamo muSekem, noonakukalamo muSekem ove liteeka Abimelek, 24 opo oukolokoshi wa ningilwa ovana ovamati omilongo heyali vaJerubbaal u handukilwe, ndele ye opo a tule ohonde yavo komumwaina Abimelek, ou e va dipaa, nosho yo koonakukalamo muSekem, ava va pameka omake aye a dipaa ovamwaina ovalumenhu. 25 Noonakukala muSekem va tula ovanangeli keexulo deemhunda, ndele ava va nyeka keshe umwe, ou a enda nondjila oyo nokukoya opo. Eshi sha shiivifilwa Abimelek.
26 Opo nee Gaal yaEbed e uya novamwaina ndele va ya kuSekem. Noonakukala muSekem ve mu lineekela. 27 Ndele vo va ya komapya ndele va teta eeviinyu domoikokola yavo yomiviinyu, ndele va kola eeviinyu ndele tava dana oshivilo sheteyo. Vo ova ya mo mongulu yoshikalunga shavo, va lya nova nwa, ndele tava tuku Abimelek. 28 Opo nee Gaal yaEbed ta ti: “Abimelek olyelye naSekem oshike, tu mu longele? Ye tu shii omona omulumenhu waJerubbaal, naSebul ye elenga laye loshilando? Longeleni ovalumenhu vaHamor, xe yaSekem. Molwashike ngeno tu mu longele? 29 Akutu, ovanhu ava ngeno va li meke lange, ngeno handi taataa Abimelek! Ndele mokupopya Abimelek ye ta ti: ‘Hapupalifa omatanga ovakwaita voye, nde to i.’ ” 30 Sebul, omukulunhu woshilando, eshi a uda eendjovo daGaal yaEbed, okwa handuka 31 nokwa tumina Abimelek puAruma ovatumwa va tye: “Tala, Gaal yaEbed novamwaina vaye ovalumenhu ve uya kuSekem, ndele tala, oshilando have shi twifa ondubo naave. 32 Lipyakuduka hano oufiku nye nomatanga ovakwaita aa e li pwoove, ndele tula ekulwila moixwa. 33 Opo nee etango ngeenge tali piti ove to dulu, ongula inene, okufikama nokuhomona oshilando. Ndele ye nomatanga aye aa e li puye taa piti mo taa i kwoove, mu ningila ngaashi she ku wapalela.” 34 Opo nee Abimelek nomatanga aye aeshe ovakwaita, aa a li puye, ove lipyakuduka ndele va tula ekulwila eengudu nhee puSekem. 35 Ndele Gaal yaEbed okwa pita pondje ndele okwa kala ofika poshivelo shoshilando. Abimelek nomatanga aeshe aa a li puye mekulwila eshi va fikama, 36 Gaal okwa mona omatanga, ndele ta ti kuSebul: “Tala, taku di ovanhu tava londoloka keexulo deemhunda.” Ndelenee Sebul ta ti kuye: “Ove ou wete omididimbe deemhunda da fa ovalumenhu.” 37 Ndele Gaal okwa diinina ta ti: “Tala, otaku di ovanhu pokati koshilongo nongudu imwe tai di kOmwandi wovalodi.” 38 Opo nee Sebul ta ti kuye: “Okanya koye openi ke li eshi wa tile: Abimelek olyelye tu mu longele? Oo omatanga ovakwaita, ove wa dina. Fikama hano u va lwife.” 39 Opo nee Gaal okwa fikama komesho yoonakukalamo muSekem ndele ta lu naAbimelek. 40 Ndelenee Abimelek okwe mu shikula, ndele ye okwa ya onhapo komesho yaye, ndele vahapu va fila poshivelo shoshilando. 41 Ndele Abimelek a fyaala muAruma, ndelenee Sebul okwa taataa Gaal novamwaina, ndele vo va li inava mona onhele okukala mo vali muSekem.
42 Ndele mefiku la shikula ovanhu eshi va pita mo va ya moixwa, osho sha shiivifilwa Abimelek. 43 Onghee hano ye okwa kufa omatanga aye nokwe a tukula meengudu nhatu nokwe a tula mekulwila moixwa. Ye eshi a mona, ovanhu tava di moshilando, okwe va totela nokwe va dipaa po. 44 Osheshi Abimelek nomatanga aa a li puye a tondokela mo, ndele va kanghama poshivelo shoshilando, neengudu dikwao mbali da totela aveshe ava va li moixwa ndele ve va dipaa po. 45 Ndele efiku olo alishe Abimelek okwa lwifa oshilando nokwa nangala oshilando ndele ta dipaa ovanhu ava va kala mo nokwa ngumauna po oshilando ndele te shi undu omongwa. 46 Oonakukalamo moshungongulu yaSekem eshi ve shi uda va ya mekololo lotembeli yaEl-Berit. 47 Ndele Abimelek eshi a shiivifilwa nokutya, oonakukalamo aveshe vomoshungongulu yaSekem va ongala, 48 Abimelek nomatanga aeshe aa a li puye, ova londa komhunda yaSalmon. Ndele Abimelek okwa kufa pamwe naye omakuva nokwa ka po oshitai shomuti ndele e shi leka kepepe laye, ndele okwa lombwela ovakwaita ava va li puye ndele ta ti: Nye mu wete nge eshi handi ningi, shi ningeni diva ngaashi ame. 49 Opo nee ovakwaita yo, keshe umwe, a ka oshitai shaye, ndele va shikula Abimelek ndele ve i ekela kekololo ndele va tema kombada yalo, opo ovanhu aveshe vomoshungongulu yaSekem, ovalumenhu novakainhu ve fike ngeno peyovi limwe, va fya.
50 Opo Abimelek okwa ya kuTebes nokwe shi fitikinina ndele te shi nangala. 51 Ndelenee pokatielela koshilando mwa li oshungongulu ya pama. Omo ovalumenhu aveshe novakainhu noonakukalamo aveshe vomoshilando va ya mo onhapo, ndele va idila po konima yavo, ndele va londa kombada yoshungongulu. 52 Ndele Abimelek e uya fiyo okoshungongulu ndele te shi lwifa, ndele ye okwe uya popepi noshivelo shoshungongulu, ye e shi xwike po nomundilo, 53 omwalikadi umwe okwa ekela emanya loshini komutwe waAbimelek ndele a tatula oluwewe lomutwe waye. 54 Opo nee ye okwa ifana diva omupiya waye, omuhumbati woilwifo yaye, ndele ta ti kuye: “Pweya mo eongamukonda loye, ndele to dipaa nge vo vaha shiive okutya: omukainhu e mu dipaa.” Opo nee omupiya waye e mu twa eongamukonda la tyuuka, ndele ta fi. 55 Novalumenhu Ovaisraeli eshi va mona nokutya, Abimelek okwa fya, keshe umwe a ya kombulavo. 56 Osho ngaha hano Kalunga okwa alulila Abimelek owii, ye e u ningila xe mokudipaa ovamwaina vaye ovalumenhu omilongo heyali. 57 Nowii aushe wovalumenhu vomuSekem Kalunga e u alula kombada yomitwe davo. Netulomutima laJotam yaJerubbaal le uya kombada yavo.
