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.
Abimelek
1 Abimelek yaGideon okwa yi kuShekem, nkoka kwa kala ezimo lyayina, 2 e te ya lombwele: “Oshike shi mu vulile oshikwawo? Okupangelwa kaalumentu omilongo heyali, ayehe aana yaGideon, nenge okomulumentu gumwe? Dhimbulukweni kutya Abimelek oye omukweni gwomekoto.” 3 Aakwawo yayina oye shi lombwele aalumentu Aashekem, mboka ya tokola okulandula Abimelek, oshoka omukwawo. 4 Oye mu pe iimaliwa iisiliveli omilongo heyali ya zi motempeli yaBaal-Berit, Abimelek nokwa thitha nayo aantu yaamakaha naakolokoshi. 5 Okwa yi koohe kuOfra, nokemanya limwe okwa dhipagele ko aamwahe omilongo heyali, aana yaGideon. Ihe Jotam, onkelo yaGideon, okwa holama ye ina dhipagwa. 6 Nena aalumentu ayehe yaShekem noyaBetmillo oya yi komwandi gwiidhila kuShekem, nkoka ya ningi Abimelek omukwaniilwa.
7 Jotam sho e shi uvu, okwa londo kondungu yondundu Garizim nokwe ya igidha a ti: “Pulakenii ndje, ne aalumentu yaShekem, opo Kalunga e mu pulakene! 8 Konalenale omiti odha li dha gongala, dhi ihogololele omukwaniilwa. Odha lombwele omuholivi: ‘Ninga omukwaniilwa gwetu.’ 9 Omuholivi ogwa yamukula: ‘Ndi ethe ooholivi dhandje hadhi zi omagadhi haga simanekitha ndje kaantu nokiikalunga, opo ndi mu pangele? Aawe.’ 10 Nena omiti odha lombwele omukwiyu: ‘Ila, u ninge omukwaniilwa gwetu.’ 11 Ihe omukwiyu ogwa yamukula: ‘Ndi ethe oonkwiyu dhandje oontoye, ngaye ndi mu pangele? Aawe.’ 12 Opo ihe omiti odha lombwele omuviinu: ‘Ila, u ninge omukwaniilwa gwetu.’ 13 Ihe omuviinu ogwa yamukula: ‘Ndi ethe omaviinu gandje haga nyanyudha aantu niikalunga, ngaye ndi mu pangele? Aawe.’ 14 Osho ngaaka omiti adhihe odha lombwele eno: ‘Ila, u ninge omukwaniilwa gwetu.’ 15 Eno olya yamukula: ‘Ngele omwa hala shili, ndi ninge omukwaniilwa gweni, nena ileni, mu gondje momuzile gwandje. Ngele itamu shi ningi, nena omulilo nagu ndwafuke miitayi yandje yomakwega notagu fike po omisedeli dhaLibanon.’ ”
16 Jotam okwa tsikile ko a ti: “Omwa kala tuu moshili nomuuyuuki, sho mwa ningi Abimelek omukwaniilwa gweni? Omwa simaneke tuu Gideon nokuninga nawa egumbo lye, ngaashi e shi ilongela? 17 Dhimbulukweni kutya tate okwa li e mu kondjele. Okwa hupula omwenyo gwe, opo e mu hupithe kAamidiana. 18 Ihe nena ndjika otamu kondjitha ezimo lyatate. Omwa dhipagele oyana aalumentu omilongo heyali kemanya limwe. Omukweni Abimelek, omuna gwohonda, omwe mu ningi omukwaniilwa gwaShekem. 19 Ngashingeyi ano shono mwe shi ningile Gideon negumbo lye, ngele oshu uka noshoshili, kaleni mu na ombili naAbimelek, naye na kale nombili nane. 20 Ihe ngele hasho, nena omulilo nagu ndwafuke muAbimelek, gu tyotyomeke aalumentu yaShekem naBetmillo. Omulilo nagu ndwafuke nomaalumentu yaShekem naBetmillo, gu lungunithe Abimelek.” 21 Ano Jotam sho a li a tila omumwahe Abimelek, okwa fadhuka po nokwa yi, a ka kale muBeer.
22 Abimelek okwa pangele Israel omimvo ndatu. 23 Nena Kalunga okwa tula etondathano pokati kaAbimelek naalumentu yaShekem noya tukulilathana iipotha. 24 Shika osha ningilwa okugeelela uutoni waAbimelek naalumentu yaShekem, mboka ya li ye mu kingika okudhipaga aana yaGideon omilongo heyali. 25 Aalumentu yaShekem oya tula aalangeli koondungu dhoondundu, noya yugu ayehe mboka taa piti po. Abimelek okwe shi hokololelwa.
26 Nena Gaal yaEbed okwe ya kuShekem naamwayina, naalumentu yaShekem oye mu inekele. 27 Oya yi ayehe komayana gawo gomiviinu e taa toonona omandjembele e taa ga kolo omaviinu e taa hanga oshituthi. Oya yi motempeli yoshikalunga shawo, moka ya li e taa nu noya nyana Abimelek. 28 Gaal okwa ti: “Tse aantu twa tya ngiini ano muShekem? Omolwashike tatu longele Abimelek? Oye olye nokwa zi peni? Omuna gwaGideon! Sebul oye elenga lye, ihe oshike tatu mu longele? Vulikeni kunyokokulu Hamor, omutoti gwezimo. 29 Ando ndi kale te wilike oshigwana shika, ando otandi shi kanyutulula kuAbimelek! Onda hala ndi tye kuye: ‘Ikolelela! Koleka omatanga goye e to ya okukondja!’ ”
30 Sebul, omuleli gwoshilando, okwa geye, sho a kundana omulombo gwaGaal. 31 Okwa tumu aatumwa kuAbimelek puAruma, ya tye: “Gaal yaEbed naamwayina oye ya kuShekem noitaa ke ku pitika nando, u kale moshilando. 32 Onkee ano ngoye naantu yoye zii ko uusiku, mu ye koshilangela kelundu. 33 Ngula penduka pepito lyetango, u ponokele oshilando ohaluka. Gaal sho te ya naantu ye oku ku kondjitha, ya gopagula, ngaashi tashi vulika.”
34 Osho Abimelek naantu ye oya yi uusiku e taa holama pondje yaShekem momatanga gane. 35 Abimelek naantu ye sho ya mono Gaal ta zi mo e ta thikama posheelo shoshilando, oya hololoka mo miilangela yawo. 36 Gaal okwe ya e ta ti kuSebul: “Heyi! Tala! Aalumentu oombeya taa ya taa zi koondundu.” Sebul okwa yamukula: “Kaye shi aantu, ndhoka omizizimba monyonga yondundu.”
37 Gaal okwa ti ishewe: “Tala nduno! Aalumentu oombeya taa kuluka taa ende kombanda yondundu, nongundu yimwe oya lambalala ondjila ya za komwandi gwiidhila.”
38 Nena Sebul okwa ti kuye: “Okana koye hoka wa lenga ho, oke li peni? Ndishi owa ti, oshike tatu longele omulumentu nguno Abimelek? Mbaka oyo aalumentu mboka wa popi nondhino. Ya matukila nduno, oyo mbo!” 39 Gaal okwa wilike aalumentu yaShekem e ta kondjitha Abimelek. 40 Gaal okwa fadhuka po, naAbimelek okwe mu landula. Oyendji oya li ye ehamekwa, unene posheelo shoshilando. 41 Abimelek okwa kala muAruma, naSebul okwa tidha Gaal naamwayina muShekem, opo yaa kale mo we.
42 Esiku lyanofu Abimelek okwa dhimbulula kutya Aasikem oya dhiladhila okuya ondapo momalundu. 43 Onkee a kutha aantu ye e te ya topola momatanga gatatu, ya ka langele momalundu. Sho a mono aantu ya thigi po oshilando, okwa hololoka ko, opo e ya dhipage. 44 Abimelek nongundu ye manga taa matuka yu uka komweelo gwoshilando, ye gu tonatele, omatanga omakwawo gaali oga ponokele aantu momalundu e taye ya dhipaga ayehe. 45 Olugodhi olwa tsikile esiku alihe. Abimelek okwa kwata oshilando, a dhipaga aantu yasho e te shi hanagula po noku shi gunda uuzigo.
46 Ano aawiliki ayehe mepopilongulu lyaShekem sho ye shi uvu, oya ka holama mohote yomotempeli yaBaal-Berit. 47 Abimelek okwa lombwelwa kutya oya gongala nkoka, 48 onkee okwa yi a londo kondundu Salmon naalumentu ye. Oko a kutha ekuya e ta tete oshitayi shomuti e te shi leke kepepe lye.
49 Osho ngaaka omulumentu kehe a tete oshitayi shomuti, noya landula Abimelek noya ndumbike iiti pohote. Oye yi tomeke, manga aantu ye li meni; aantu ayehe yomohote noya lokotele mo komulilo. Mbaka oya li aalumentu naakiintu ye thike peyuvi.
50 Nena Abimelek okwa yi kuTebes e ta kondeke oshilando e te shi kwata po. 51 Oshilando osha li shi na epopilongulu lya kola. Aantu ayehe, aalumentu naakiintu, naawiliki wo, oya ka holama ya matukile mo. Oyi ipatele mo e taa yi pombanda. 52 Abimelek sho e ya, a matukile epopilongulu, okwa yi komweelo, opo e li tomeke. 53 Ihe omukulukadhi gumwe oku umbu oshikweyithilomanya e tashi mokola nokunyanyula omutse gwe. 54 Abimelek okwi igidha nziya omumati omuhumbati gwomatati ge e te mu lombwele: “Pweya mo egongamwele lyoye, u dhipage ndje. Inandi hala taku tiwa kutya omukulukadhi a dhipaga ndje.” Omumati okwe mu tsu e ta si. 55 Aaisraeli sho ya mono Abimelek a si, oya shuna kaandjawo.
56 Osho Kalunga okwa galulile Abimelek shoka a ningile egumbo lyahe mokudhipaga aamwahe omilongo heyali. 57 Kalunga a talitha wo aalumentu yaShekem uudhigu moluugoyoki wawo, ngaashi Jotam yaGideon a ti, sho e ya tula omutima.
