Jotham's parable.

29

And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.

30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.

31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.

32 And Gideon the son of Joash died, in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abi-Ezrites.

33 And it came to pass as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-Berith their god.

34 And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies, on every side:

35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.

A

CHAP. IX. Abimelech is made King. ND 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 Jerub. Baal (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 She. chem, 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, where with 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

6 And all the men of Shechem ga thered 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, you 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 Brainble, 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 how

Gaal conspireth

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 Shechen put their confidence in him.

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27 And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode he 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.

against Abimelech :

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.

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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, Sce, 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 bre thren, 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

with salt.

46 T And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into a 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.

Israel punished,

CHAP. X.

Tola judgeth Israel in Shamir. ND after Abimelech, there arose to defend Israel, Tola the son of Puah, the son of a man of Issachar, and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.

2 And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.

3 And after him arose Jair a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years.

4 And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass-colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havoth-Jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead. 5 And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.

6 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and

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 break his skull.

54 Then he called hastily unto the young man his armour-bearer, 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 She. chem, did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children-of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him.

7 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon.

8 And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan, in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

9 Moreover, the children of Ammon passed over Jordan, to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.

10 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim.

11 And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?

12 The Zidonians also and the Amakskites, and the Maonites did oppress you, and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.

13 Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.

14 Go, and cry unto the gods which

ye have chosen, let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.

15 And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned, do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee, deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.

16 And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

17 Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead and the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh.

18 And the people and Princes of Gilead, said one to another, What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be Head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

CHAP. XI.

Jephthah captain.

9 And Jephthah said unto the Elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me; shall I be your Head?

10 And the Elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.

11 Then Jephthah went with the Elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.

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12 And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?

13 And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah; Because Israel took away my

OW

the Gileadites.

mighty man of valour, and he was the son of a harlot and Gilead begat Jephthah.

2 And Gilead's wife bare him sons, and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house, for thou art the son of a strange

woman.

lands again peaceably.

14 And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon: 15 And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah; Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:

desh;

5 And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the Elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob,

6 And they said unto Jephthah, Come and be our Captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.

7 And Jephthah said unto the Elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? And why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?

8 And the Elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

17 Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land. But the king of Edom would not hearken thereto And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh.

18 Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the eastside of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab : for Arnon was the border of Moab.

19 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon, and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land, unto my place.

20 But Sihon trusted not Israel, to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

His rash vow.

21 And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. 22 And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.

23 So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?

24 Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? so whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.

25 And now, art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Is. rael, or did he ever fight against them, 26 While Israel dwelt in Heshbon, and her towns, and in Aroer, and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? Why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?

27 Wherefore, I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge, be Judge this day between the children of Israel, and the children of Ammon.

28 Howbeit, the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.

Jephthah's daughter.

twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter: thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances, and she was his only child : beside her he had neither son nor daughter.

35 And it came to pass when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter, thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.

36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.

37 And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I, and my fellows.

38 And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months, and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.

39 And it came to pass at the end of two months that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man and it was a custom in Israel,

The Ephraimites are slain by the Gi leadites.

AND the men of Ephraim gathered

themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? We will burn thine house upon thee with fire. 2 And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon: and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands.

3 And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and