1 And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying, 2 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. 3 And his mother’s brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother. 4 And they 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. 5 And he went unto his father’s house at 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. 6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.
7 ¶ And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the 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. 8 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. 9 But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? 10 And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. 11 But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? 12 Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us. 13 And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? 14 Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. 15 And the bramble said 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. 16 Now 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; 17 (For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian: 18 And ye are risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;) 19 If ye then 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: 20 But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and 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. 21 And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
22 ¶ When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel, 23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: 24 That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons 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. 25 And the men 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. 26 And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him. 27 And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes , and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. 28 And Gaal the son of Ebed said, 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? 29 And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.
30 ¶ And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. 31 And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee. 32 Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field: 33 And it shall be, that in the 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.
34 ¶ And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies. 35 And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and 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. 36 And 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. 37 And Gaal spake again and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim. 38 Then said Zebul unto 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. 39 And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech. 40 And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate. 41 And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem. 42 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech. 43 And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, 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. 44 And Abimelech, and the company that was 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. 45 And Abimelech fought 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.
46 ¶ And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that , they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith. 47 And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. 48 And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe 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 . 49 And all the people likewise cut 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.
50 ¶ Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it. 51 But there was a strong tower within the city, 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. 52 And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and all to brake his skull. 54 Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, 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. 55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.
56 ¶ Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren: 57 And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
Abimelexi
1 Gideonni ôa Abimelexi ge ǁîb îs di ǀaokhoena ǃoa Sexems ǁga ǃgû tsî ǁîna ge mîba, 2 în Sexems di aoga dî: “Mâs xa du a ǃgâibahe? Hoa hûdisi ǀgôagu Gideonni digu xa du nî ǂgaeǂguihe tamas ka io ǀguib ǀgôab ǀguib xa du nî ǂgaeǂguihe? Tita a sadu di ǂhunuma ǀaokhoe ǃkhaisa ǁkhāti ǂâis ǃnâ ūhâ re.” 3 On ge ǁîb îs di ǀaokhoena ǁîb ǃaroma Sexems di aogu ǀkha ge ǃhoa, tsî gu ge ǁîga Abimelexa gu nî saosa ge mîǁgui, ǁîn di ǀaokhoeb ge i amaga. 4 ǁÎgu ge ǁîba ǀgui kiloxrammi ǀhaiǀuriba Baal-Beriti di tempela xu ge mā, tsîb ge ǁî-i ǀkha xūtama khoega ge ǃgae, î gu ǁîba sao. 5 Tsîb ge ǁîb îb oms ǃoa Ofras ǁga ǃgû tsî ǁnāpa ǁîb di hûdisi ǃgâsagu, Gideonni ôaga ǀgui ǀuis ai ge ǃgam. Gideonni di ǃgaoǀgôab, Jotammi ǀguib ge gaugausen tsî ge ûiǂoa. 6 O gu ge hoaraga aogu Sexems tsî Betmilos tsîra diga Sexems di aikehais tawa ǀhao tsî Abimelexa gao-aose ge mâi.
7 Nē ǃkhaisab ge ǁnâu, ob ge Jotamma Gerisimǃhommi ai sī mâ tsî ǁîgu ǁga ge ǃhao: “Sexems di aogo ǃgâ te re, ob ge Elob tsîna sago nî ǃgâ ǁkhā. 8 ǀGui ǃnā-e di ge haide gao-ao-e di ǁîdi ǂama nî ǀnauga ge ǀhao. Tsî di ge ǀkherahais ǃoa ‘Sasa sise di gao-ao kai re’ ti ge mî. 9 Os ge ǀkherahaisa ge ǃeream: ‘Saso di gao-ao kai ta nîs karao, o ta ge ti oli-i, elon tsî khoen tsîn ǃgôasiba ra mā-ūhe-i ǀkha nî ǀû.’ 10 O di ge haide ǀnomahais ǃoa ‘Sasa sise ǂama gao-ao kai re’ ti ge mî. 11 Xawes ge ǀnomahaisa ge ǃeream: ‘Saso ǂama ta nî gao-ao kais karao, o ta ge ti ǁkhoaxa, ǂkhon ǂûn ǀkha nî ǀû.’ 12 O di ge haide draibehais ǃoa ‘Sasa sise ǂama hā gao re’ ti ge mî. 13 Xawes ge draibehaisa ge ǃeream: ‘Saso ǂama ta nî mî gao-ao kais karao, o ta ge ti ǂauxûi-i, elon tsî khoen tsîna ra ǃgâiaǂgao kai i ǀkha nî ǀû.’ 14 O di ge hoaraga haide ǁkhūhais ǃoa ‘Sasa sise ǂama hā gao re’ ti ge mî. 15 Os ge ǁkhūhaisa ge ǃeream: ‘Saso di gao-ao kai ta nîsa so ga amase ǂhâbao, o ti sommi ǃnâ hā sâ. ǁNāsa so ga dī tama io, ob ge ǀaes ǁhabuba ti ǁkhūxa ǁnâuga xu ǂoaxa tsî Libanonni di sederhaide nî ǂhubiǂui.’
16 “ǂÂi du ra nēsi ǂhauǃnâ tsî ǂhanu-aise du go dīsa Abimelexa du go gao-aose dīo? Gideonni di ǂâiǂâisensa ǃgôasiba mā tsî ǁîb ǀaokhoena ǂhanuse du go sîsenū, ǁîb di dīgu ǀkhab ǃoaǂui hâ khami? 17 Ti îb ge ǃkhamba du ǃkhaisa ǂâis ǃnâ ūhâ re. ǁÎb di ûibab ge ǃaorosasib ǃnâ ge mâi, sadob Midianǁîna xu nî huiǂuiga. 18 Xawe du ge nētsē ti îb di ǀaokhoen ǃoagu go khâimâ. Sadu ge hûdisi ǀgôagu ǁîb diga ǀgui ǀuis ai ǃgam, tsî ǁîb ǃgās tawab ūhâ ǀgôab Abimelexa, sadu ǀaokhoeb a ǃkhais ǃaroma Sexems di gao-aose go mâi. 19 Nētsē du go Gideonni tsî ǁîb di ǀaokhoen ǀkha dīn nî ǂhauǃnâ tsî ǂhanus kao, o Abimelexi ǀkha ǃgâiaǂgao re; tsî ǁîb tsînab ǁkhāti sadu ǀkha ǂkhî re. 20 ǁNā tamas ka io, ab ǀaes ǁhabuba Abimelexa xu ǂoaxa tsî Sexems tsî Milos tsîra di khoena ǂhubiǂui. Ab ǁkhāti ǀaes ǁhabuba Sexems tsî Milos tsîra di khoena xu ǂoaxa tsî Abimelexa ǂhubiǂui.” 21 ǁÎb di ǃgâsab Abimelexi xab gere ǃao, xui-aob ge Jotamma ǃhū tsî Beers tawa sī ge ǁan.
22 Abimelexi ge ǃnona kuriga Israela ge ǂgaeǂgui. 23 Ob ge Eloba Abimelexi tsî Sexems di aogu tsîn ǁaegu khākhoesiba ge ǂgā tsî gu ge ǁîga ǁîb ǃoagu ge khâikhâisen. 24 Abimelexi tsî Sexems di aogu, ǁîba ge hûdisi ǀgôagu Gideonni diga ǃgam kaigu, ǂkhabadīb âgu ǃaroma nî ǁkharaheses ge nē ǃkhaisa ge ī. 25 Sexems di aogu ge Abimelexa gu nî ǃâuǁgoese khoega ǃhomgu ǂamǃnâ hâ kai. ǁNā khoegu ge ǁnāpa-u ra ǃkharu khoe-i hoa-e xūn â-e gere ūǀhana, tsîb ge Abimelexa ǁnāsa ge ǂanǂanhe.
26 Ebedi di ôab Gaali ge ǁîb di ǃgâsagu ǀkha Sexems tawa ge hā; tsî Sexems aogu ge ǁîba ge ǂgomǃgâ. 27 ǁÎgu hoagu ge ǁîgu ǃhanaga ǃoa ǃgû tsî draibena sī ǃora, ǂauxûi-e ǁîn ǀkha kuru tsî ǁâudība ge ūhâ. ǁÎgu ge ǁîn elob di tempeli ǃnâ ǂgâ, ǂû tsî ā, tsî ǃharaxū rase Abimelexi xa gere ǃhoa. 28 Ob ge Gaala ge mî: “Tarebe khoeǃnôa ge kha Sexems dige? Tare xū-i ǃaroma ge Abimelexa ra ǃoaba? ǁÎba a tari? ǁÎb kom Gideonni ôabao. Sebuli ge ǁîb xa ra mîmāhe, xawe sage tare-i ǃaroma ǁîba nî ǃoaba? Sadu Sexemǁîdu di aboxab Hamora du ǂgomǂgomsase hâba. 29 Nē khoen di ǂgaeǂgui-ao ta ga hâo, o ta ge Abimelexa ga dībē hâ. Tita ge ǁîba ‘Sa toroǂnubisa ǂhomi, îts ǂoaxa tsî hā ǃkham’ ti ga mîba hâ.”
30 ǃĀs di ǂgaeǂgui-aob Sebuli ge Gaali di mîdeb ge ǁnâuo, kaise ge ǁaixa. 31 Tsîb ge Arumas ǃoa Abimelexa ge haisiba: “Ebedi ôab Gaali ge ǃgâsagu âb ǀkha Sexems tawa hā tsî ǃās di khoena sats ǃoagu ra khâikhâiǃnâ. 32 Sats tsî sa aogu tsîgo ǁnâi tsuxuba hā, î go ǁîga ǃaub ǃnâ ǁgoeǃgâ. 33 ǁAri ǃnauǁgoaga khâi î ǃâubasen taman hâ hîa ǃāsa ǁnāǂam. Î go Gaali tsî ǁîb aogu ga sago ǃoagu nî ǃkhamse ǂoaxao, ǁîga ǁkhāts a khami sîsenū.”
34 O gu ge Abimelexi tsî ǁîb di toroǃkhamaogu hoaga tsuxuba ǂoa tsî haka ǃnandi ǃnâ Sexems ǃauga ge gaugausen. 35 Abimelexi tsî ǁîb aogu ge Gaali go ǂoaxa tsî ǃās di dao-ams tawa a mâ ǃkhaisa gu ge mû, o gaugausen gu ge hâ i ǃkhaide xu ge khâimâ. 36 Ob ge Gaala ǁîga mû tsî Sebula ǃoa ge mî: “Kō re, ǁnāgu ge aoga ǃhomgu di ǂaoga xu ra ǁgôaxa.”
Xaweb ge Sebula ge ǃeream: “Khoe tama gu ge; ǃhommi di sommi ge ǁnāba.”
37 ǁKhawab ge Gaala ge mî: “Kō re, ǁnāgu ge khoega ǃhomgu ǁaeguba xu ra hā, tsî ǀnîgu ge aimûǀgaru-aob di aikehais daoba-u ra hā.” 38 Ob ge Sebula ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Mâpab sa kai ǃhoaba nēsi hâ? Sa tamatsa tare-i ǃaroma da Abimelexa nî ǃoabasa gere ǂan ǂgao tsao. Nēgu ge ǁnā khoegu ǁîgu xats ge ǃharaxū rase gere ǃhoaga. ǃGû, î ǁîgu ǃoagu sī ǃkham re.” 39 Ob ge Gaala Sexems aoga ai-aiba tsî Abimelexi ǃoagu sī ge ǃkham. 40 Gaali ge ge ǃhū tsîb ge Abimelexa ǁîba ge ǃgôaǃgon. ǂGui khoen ge ǃās di dao-ams tawa ge ǃgamhe. 41 Abimelexi ge Arumas tawa ge ǁan tsî Sebuli ge Gaali tsî ǁîb di ǃgâsaga Sexemsa xu ge doeǁgaǂui tsî gu ǃaruǀî ǁnāpa ge ǁan ǁoa i.
42 Sao ra tsēs aib ge Abimelexa Sexems di khoen ǃaub ǁga ra ǂoa ǂgao ǃkhaisa ge ǂanǂui, 43 ǁnā-amagab ge ǁîb di khoega ū tsî ǃnona ǃnandi ǃnâ ǀgoraǂgā tsî ǃaub ǃnâ ge ǃâuǁgoe kai. Tsîb ge khoen ǃāsa xu ra ǂoaxa ǃkhaisab ge mûo, gaugausenni hâpa xu ǂoaxa tsî ǁîna ge ǃgam. 44 Abimelexi tsî ǁîb ǀkha hâ khoegu ǃās di dao-ams ǁga ǁîsa gu nî ǃûise ra ǃhae, hîa gu ge nau ǀgam ǃnanra di khoega khoena ǃaub ǃnâ ǁnāǂam tsî hoana ge ǃgam. 45 ǃKhammi ge hoaraga tsēsa ge aiǃgû. Tsîb ge Abimelexa ǃāsa dan, ǁîs di khoena ǃgam, ǁîsa khôaǁnâ tsî ǂō-e ǁîs ai ge tsoro.
46 Sexems tawa hâ ǂgō-ommi ǃnâ hâ ǂgaeǂgui-aogu hoagu ge nē ǃkhaisa gu ge ǁnâuo, El-Beriti di tempeli di ǁaposa hâǃkhais ǃnâ ge ǂgâ. 47 Abimelexi ge ǁîn hoan ǁnāpa ǀhao hâ ǃkhaisab ge mîbahe, 48 o ǁîb di khoegu ǀkha Salmonǃhommi ai ge ǂoa. ǁÎb ge ǃōsa ū, haisa xu ǁnâu-e ǁhāǁnâ tsî ǃhōb âb ai ge tani. Tsîb ge ǁîb khoega ge mîmā î gu ǁîgu tsîna ǃhaese ǁnāti dī. 49 Ob ge mâb hoaba ǁnâu-e ge ǁhāǁnâbasen. ǁÎgu ge Abimelexa sao tsî khoen ǂganaga hâ hîa, ǁnâuga ǁaposa hâǃkhais ai sī ǀhaoǀhaoǁgui tsî ge ǂhubi, tsîn ge hoaraga khoena ge ǁō, ǁaubexa ǀguiǀoadisi aogu tsî taradi tsîna.
50 Abimelexi ge ǁnās khaoǃgâ Tebes ǁga ǃgû, ǁîsa ǃnamiǂgā tsî ge ū. 51 ǁNā ǃās ǃnâb ge ǂgō-omma ge mâ i, tsîn ge ǃās di aogu, taradi tsî ǂgaeǂgui-aogu tsîn hoana ǁîb ǃnâ ge ǃkhoeniǂgâ. ǁÎn ge ǁnāpa ǂganamǂgāsen tsî ommi ǂamǃnâb ǁga ge ǂoa. 52 Abimelexi ge ǂgō-ommab nî ǁnāǂamseb ge sī, o dao-amsab nî ǂhubiga ǁîs ǀgūse a sī, 53 os ge ǀgui khoesa ǁkhamiǀuisa ǁîb danas ai aoǁnâ tsî danaǂkhōs âba ge khôaǂkhū. 54 Ob ge Abimelexa ǃhaese ǁîb ǁâtanina ta tani ǂkham khoeba ǂgai tsî ge mîmā: “Sa gôaba ǂgaeǂui îts ǃgam te; tarekhoes xa ta go ǃgamhe ti i nî mîhesa ta ǂgao tama xuige.” Ob ge ǂkham khoeba gôab ǀkha ge ǃkhā bi tsîb ge ge ǁō. 55 Israelǁîn hoaragan ge Abimelexi go ǁō ǃkhaisan ge mûo, omdi ân ǁga ge oa.
56 ǁNātib ge Eloba ǁîb di hûdisi ǃgâsaga ǃgams ǀkhab ge ǁgûb ǃoagu a dī ǂkhabadīb ǂama Abimelexa ge mādawa-am. 57 ǁKhātib ge Eloba Sexems khoen di ǂkhabadība ǁîna ge mādawa-am, Gideonni ôab Jotammi ge ǁînab ge ǀâxare ǁaeb ai mî hâ i khami.
