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.
أبـيمالك بن جدعون
1 وذهَبَ أبـيمالِكُ بنُ يَربَّعَلَ إلى أخوالِهِ في شكيمَ، وقالَ لهُم ولجميعِ قبـيلَةِ أبـي أمِّهِ: 2 «قولوا على مَسامِعِ جميعِ أهلِ شكيمَ: أيُّهُما خيرٌ لكُم، أنْ يتَسَلَّطَ علَيكُم سبعونَ رَجُلا، أي جميعُ بَني يَربَّعَلَ، أم رَجُلٌ واحدٌ؟ واذكُروا أنِّي أنا من لَحمِكُم ودَمِكُم». 3 فنَقلَ أخوالُهُ إلى أهلِ شكيمَ هذا الكلامَ، فمالَت قُلوبُهُم نحوَ أبـيمالِكَ لأنَّهُم قالوا إنه قريـبُنا. 4 وأعطَوهُ سبعينَ مِنَ الفِضَّةِ مِنْ بـيتِ بَعلِ بَريتَ، فاستأجرَ بِها رِجالا بطَّالينَ أشقياءَ. 5 وجاءَ إلى بـيتِ أبـيهِ في عَفرَةَ وقتلَ إخوتَهُ بَني يَربَّعَلَ، وهُم سبعونَ رَجُلا على صخرةٍ واحِدةٍ. وبَقيَ يوتامُ أصغَرُ بَني يَربَّعَلَ حَيا لأنَّهُ اختبأَ. 6 واجتمَعَ أهلُ شكيمَ وبـيتَ مَلُّو ومضَوا إلى أبـيمالِكَ وأقاموهُ علَيهِم مَلِكا عِندَ شَجَرةِ البلُّوطِ الّتي في شكيمَ.
7 فلمَّا عَلِمَ يوتامُ بِذلِكَ ذهَبَ إلى جبَلِ جِرزِّيمَ ووقَفَ على قِمَّتِهِ. رفَعَ صوتَهُ وقالَ لهُم: «إسمَعوا لي يا أهلَ شكيمَ فيسمعَ اللهُ لكُم. 8 ذهَبتِ الأشجارُ مرَّةً لِتَمسَحَ علَيها مَلِكا، فقالَت لِشجَرةِ الزَّيتونِ: كوني علَينا مَلِكَةً. 9 فقالَتِ الزَّيتونَةُ: أأترُكُ زيتي الّذي مِنْ أجلِه تُكرِمُني الآلِهةُ والنَّاسُ وأذهَبُ لأستَعليَ على الشَّجَرِ؟ 10 فقالتِ الأشجارُ لِلتِّينَةِ: تَعالَي أنتِ وكوني علَينا مَلِكَةً. 11 فقالَتِ التِّينَةُ: أأترُكُ حلاوتي وثَمَرتي الطَيِّبَةَ وأذهَبُ لأستَعليَ على الشَّجَرِ؟ 12 فقالتِ الأشجارُ لِلكَرمةِ: تَعاليَ أنتِ وكوني علَينا مَلِكَةً. 13 فقالَتِ الكَرمةُ: أأترُكُ خَمري الّذي يُفَرِّحُ الآلِهةَ والنَّاسَ وأذهَبُ لأستَعليَ على الشَّجَرِ؟ 14 فقالَتِ الأشجارُ كُلُّها لِلعَوسَجةِ: تَعاليَ أنتِ وكوني علَينا مَلِكَةً. 15 فقالَتِ العوسَجةُ: إنْ كُنتِ حَقًّا تَمسَحينَني مَلِكَةً علَيكِ، فتَعاليَ، وفي ظِلِّي استَظِلِّي، وإلاَّ فلتَخرُجْ نارٌ مِنَ العوسَجةِ وتَحرُقْ أرزَ لبنانَ.
16 «والآنَ هل عَمِلتُم بِالحَقِّ والاستِقامةِ، فَمَلَّكتُم علَيكُم أبـيمالِكَ؟ هل صَنَعتُم خَيرا إلى يربَّعَلَ وبَيتِهِ وكافأتُموهُ على ما صَنَعت يَداهُ؟ 17 أبـي قاتَلَ عَنكُم وخاطرَ بِنفسِه وأنقَذَكُم مِنْ أيدي المِديانيِّينَ، أمَّا أنتُمُ اليومَ 18 فَهاجَمتُم بـيتَ أبـي وذَبَحتُم بَنيهِ السَّبعينَ على صخرةٍ واحدةٍ، ومَلَّكتُم أبـيمالِكَ ابنَ أمَتِهِ على أهلِ شكيمَ لأنَّهُ قريـبُكُم، 19 فإنْ كُنتُم عَمِلْتُم بِالحَقِّ والاستِقامةِ معَ يَربَّعَلَ ومعَ بَيتِهِ في هذا اليومِ فاهنَأوا بِأبـيمالِكَ وليَهنَأْ هوَ أيضا بِكُم، 20 وإلاَّ فَلتَخرُجْ نارٌ مِنْ أبـيمالِكَ وتَأكُلْ أهلَ شكيمَ وبَيتَ مِلُّو، ولتَخرُجْ نارٌ مِنْ أهلِ شكيمَ وبَيتَ مِلُّو وتأكُلْ أبـيمالِكَ». 21 وفَرَّ يوتامُ هارِبا إلى بـيرَ، فأقامَ هُناكَ خوفا مِنْ أبـيمالِكَ أخيهِ.
22 ومَلَكَ أبـيمالِكُ على بَني إِسرائيلَ ثَلاثَ سِنينَ. 23 وألقى اللهُ بِروحِ العِداءِ بـينَ أبـيمالِكَ وأهلِ شكيمَ، فغَدَرَ أهلُ شكيمَ بأبـيمالِكَ 24 لِـيرتَدَّ الظُلمُ الّذي وقَعَ على بَني يَرُبَّعَلَ السَّبعينَ ويكونَ دَمُهُم على أبـيمالِكَ أخيهِم الّذي قتَلَهُم وعلى أهلِ شكيمَ الّذينَ شَجَّعوهُ على قتْلِهِم. 25 فأقامَ أهلُ شكيمَ كمينا على رُؤوسِ الجِبالِ، فكانوا يَسلُبونَ كُلَّ مَنْ مرَّ بِهِم في الطَّريقِ. وعَلِمَ أبـيمالِكُ بِذلِكَ.
26 وجاءَ جعَلُ بنُ عابِدٍ معَ إخوتِهِ إلى شكيمَ، فوَثِقَ بهِ أهلُها، 27 وخَرَجوا إلى البرِّيَّةِ وقطَفوا كُرومَهُم وعصَروا واحتَفَلوا ودَخَلوا بُيوتَ آلِهتِهِم وأكلوا وشرِبوا ولَعَنوا أبـيمالِكَ. 28 فقالَ جعَلُ بنُ عابِدَ: «مَنْ هوَ أبـيمالِكُ؟ ولِماذا نخدُمُهُ نحنُ في شكيمَ: أما هوَ ابنُ يَربَّعَلَ ووكيلُهُ زَبولُ؟ فلماذا نخدُمُهُ؟ اخدُموا رِجالَ حَمورَ أبـي شكيمَ. 29 ليتَ هذا الشَّعبَ في يَدي، فأعزِلَ أبـيمالِكَ وأقولَ لَه: أعِدَّ جَيشَكَ واخرُجْ لِلقِتالِ!»
30 وسَمِعَ زَبولُ والي المدينةِ بِكلامِ جعَلَ بنِ عابِدٍ، فاشْتَدَّ غضَبُهُ 31 وأرسَلَ في السِّرِّ إلى أبـيمالِكَ يقولُ لَه: «جعَلُ بنُ عابِدٍ وإخوتُهُ جاؤُوا شكيمَ، وهُم يُثيرونَ علَيكَ المدينةَ. 32 فقُمْ أنتَ والّذينَ معَكَ ليلا واكمُنوا في البرِّيَّةِ، 33 وباكِرا في الصَّباحِ عِندَ طُلوعِ الشَّمسِ اهجُمْ على المدينةِ، فيَخرُجَ هوَ وأصحابُهُ إليكَ فتَفعَلَ بِهِم ما تَقدِرُ علَيهِ».
34 فقامَ أبـيمالِكُ والّذينَ معَهُ ليلا وكمَنوا حَولَ شكيمَ في أربَعِ فِرَقٍ. 35 فخَرجَ جعَلُ بنُ عابِدٍ وأقامَ عِندَ مَدخلِ المدينةِ، فوَثَبَ أبـيمالِكُ والّذينَ معَهُ مِنَ المكمَنِ. 36 ورآهم جعَلُ فقالَ لِزَبولَ: «أرى كثيرينَ يَنزِلونَ مِن رؤُوسِ الجِبالِ». فقالَ لَه زَبولُ: «أنتَ تَرى ظِلَّ الجِبالِ فتَحسَبُهُ رجالا». 37 فعادَ جعَلُ وقالَ: «ها قومٌ نازِلون مِنْ أعالي الجِبالِ وفِرقَةٌ مُقبِلَةٌ مِنْ جِهَةِ بَلُّوطَةِ العَرَّافينَ». 38 فقالَ لَه زَبولُ: «أينَ الآنَ كلامُكَ؟ أما كُنتَ تَقولُ: مَنْ هوَ أبـيمالِكُ حتّى نَخدُمَهُ؟ هذا هوَ الشَّعبُ الّذي ازْدَرَيتَهُ، فاخرُجِ الآنَ إليهِ وقاتِلْهُ». 39 فخَرجَ جعَلُ قائِدا أهلَ شكيمَ وحارَبَ أبـيمالِكَ. 40 فهَزمَهُ أبـيمالِكُ، فهربَ مِنْ أمامِهِ وسقطَ جرحى كثيرونَ قَبلَ أنْ بَلغوا مدخَلَ المدينةِ. 41 وأقامَ أبـيمالِكُ في أرومَةَ، أمَّا زَبولُ فطَردَ جعَلَ وإخوتَهُ مِنْ شكيمَ.
42 وفي الغدِ خرجَ الشَّعبُ إلى البرِّيَّةِ، فعَلِمَ أبـيمالِكُ بِذلِكَ. 43 فأخَذَ رِجالَهُ وقَسَّمَهُم ثَلاثَ فِرَقٍ وكمَنَ لهُم في البرِّيَّةِ. وحينَ رأى الشَّعبَ خارِجينَ مِنَ المدينةِ، انقَضَّ علَيهِم. 44 وتَقَدَّمَ أبـيمالِكُ والفِرقَةُ الّتي معَهُ وتَمَركزوا عِندَ بابِ المدينةِ، وأمَّا الفِرقَتانِ الأخرَيانِ فهَجَمَتا على الّذينَ في البرِّيَّةِ وقَضَتا علَيهِم. 45 وحارَبَ أبـيمالِكُ المدينةَ ذلِكَ اليومَ كُلَّهُ واحتَلَّها، وقتَلَ الّذينَ فيها، وهدَمَها وزَرَعها مِلْحا.
46 فسَمِعَ بِالأمرِ أهلُ مَجدَلِ شكيمَ، فدَخَلوا جميعا حِصنَ بَيتِ إيلِ بَريتَ. 47 وعَلِمَ أبـيمالِكُ بِوجودِهِم هُناكَ، 48 فصَعِدَ إلى جبَلِ صَلْمونَ، هوَ والّذينَ معَهُ، وأخذَ فأسا بَيدِهِ وقطَعَ غُصنا مِنَ الشَّجَرِ وحمَلهُ على كَتِفِه وقالَ لِلَّذينَ معَهُ: «تَفعلونَ سريعا كما أفعَلُ». 49 فقَطعَ كُلُّ واحدٍ مِنهُم غُصنا وتَبِــعوا أبـيمالِكَ وألقَوا الأغصانَ حَولَ الحُصنِ وأحرَقوهُ بِالنَّارِ، فماتَ أيضا جميعُ أهلِ مَجدَلِ شكيمَ وكانوا نحوَ ألفِ رَجُلٍ وامرَأةٍ.
50 ثُمَّ توَجَّهَ أبـيمالِكُ إلى مدينةِ تاباصَ وحاصَرَها واحتَلَّها. 51 وكانَ في وسَطِ المدينةِ بُرجٌ مُحَصَّنٌ، فهَربَ إليهِ جميعُ الرِّجالِ والنِّساءِ، ومِنهُم زُعماءُ المدينةِ، وأغلَقوا وراءَهُمُ الأبوابَ وصَعِدوا إلى سَطحِ البُرجِ.
52 فزَحَفَ أبـيمالِكُ على البُرجِ، فحاصَرَهُ وتَقَدَّمَ إلى مدخَلِهِ لِـيَحرُقَهُ بِالنَّارِ، 53 فألقَتِ امرَأةٌ حجَرا كبـيرا على رأسِهِ فشَدَّخَت جُمجُمتَهُ. 54 فدَعا في الحالِ حامِلَ سِلاحِهِ، وكانَ شابًّا، وأمرَهُ: «إستَلَّ سَيفَكَ واقْتُلْني لِئلاَّ يُقالَ إنَّ امرَأةً قتَلتْهُ». فطَعنَهُ الشَّابُّ بِالسَّيفِ فماتَ. 55 فلمَّا رَأى رِجالُ بَني إِسرائيلَ أنَّ أبـيمالِكَ ماتَ، عادَ كُلُّ واحدٍ مِنهُم إلى بَيتِهِ. 56 ورَدَّ اللهُ على أبـيمالِكَ الشَّرَّ الّذي صنَعَ بِأبـيهِ حينَ قتَلَ إخوتهُ السَّبعينَ. 57 وكذلِكَ ردَّ اللهُ الشَّرَّ الّذي صنَعَهُ أهلُ شكيمَ على رؤُوسِهِم، وتَمَّت علَيهِم لَعنةُ يوتامَ بنِ يَربَّعَلَ.