Judges 8–10

¹And the men of Ephraim say unto him, ‘What is this thing thou hast done to us—not to call for us when thou didst go to fight with Midian?’ and they strive with him severely; ²and he saith unto them, ‘What have I done now like you? are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the harvest of Abi-Ezer? ³Into your hand hath God given the heads of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what have I been able to do like you?’ Then their temper desisted from off him in his speaking this thing.

⁴And Gideon cometh in unto the Jordan, passing over, he and the three hundred men who are with him—wearied, and pursuing, ⁵and he saith to the men of Succoth, ‘Give, I pray you, cakes of bread to the people who are at my feet, for they are wearied, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna kings of Midian.’ ⁶And the heads of Succoth say, ‘Is the hand of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand, that we give to thy host bread?’ ⁷And Gideon saith, ‘Therefore—in Jehovah’s giving Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand—I have threshed your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness, and with the threshing instruments.’ ⁸And he goeth up thence to Penuel, and speaketh unto them thus; and the men of Penuel answer him as the men of Succoth answered. ⁹And he speaketh also to the men of Penuel, saying, ‘In my turning back in peace, I break down this tower.’ ¹⁰And Zebah and Zalmunna are in Karkor, and their camps with them, about fifteen thousand, all who are left of all the camp of the sons of the east; and those falling are a hundred and twenty thousand men, drawing sword. ¹¹And Gideon goeth up the way of those who tabernacle in tents, on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smiteth the camp, and the camp was confident; ¹²and Zebab and Zalmunna flee, and he pursueth after them, and captureth the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and all the camp he hath caused to tremble. ¹³And Gideon son of Joash turneth back from the battle, at the going up of the sun, ¹⁴and captureth a young man of the men of Succoth, and asketh him, and he describeth unto him the heads of Succoth, and its elders—seventy and seven men. ¹⁵And he cometh in unto the men of Succoth, and saith, ‘Lo Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye reproached me, saying, Is the hand of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand that we give to thy men who are wearied bread?’ ¹⁶And he taketh the elders of the city, and the thorns of the wilderness, and the threshing instruments, and teacheth by them the men of Succoth, ¹⁷and the tower of Penuel he hath broken down, and slayeth the men of the city.

¹⁸And he saith unto Zebah and unto Zalmunna, ‘How—the men whom ye slew in Tabor?’ and they say, ‘As thou—so they, one—as the form of the king’s sons.’ ¹⁹And he saith, ‘My brethren—sons of my mother—they; Jehovah liveth, if ye had kept them alive—I had not slain you.’ ²⁰And he saith to Jether his first-born, ‘Rise, slay them;’ and the young man hath not drawn his sword, for he hath been afraid, for he is yet a youth. ²¹And Zebah saith—also Zalmunna—‘Rise thou, and fall upon us; for as the man—his might;’ and Gideon riseth, and slayeth Zebah and Zalmunna, and taketh their round ornaments which are on the necks of their camels.

²²And the men of Israel say unto Gideon, ‘Rule over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, for thou hast saved us from the hand of Midian.’ ²³And Gideon saith unto them, ‘I do not rule over you, nor doth my son rule over you; Jehovah doth rule over you.’ ²⁴And Gideon saith unto them, ‘Let me ask of you a petition, and give ye to me each the ring of his prey, for they have rings of gold, for they are Ishmaelites.’ ²⁵And they say, ‘We certainly give;’ and they spread out the garment, and cast thither each the ring of his prey; ²⁶and the weight of the rings of gold which he asked is a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold, apart from the round ornaments, and the drops, and the purple garments, which are on the kings of Midian, and apart from the chains which are on the necks of their camels, ²⁷and Gideon maketh it into an ephod, and setteth it up in his city, in Ophrah, and all Israel go a-whoring after it there, and it is to Gideon and to his house for a snare. ²⁸And Midian is humbled before the sons of Israel, and have not added to lift up their head; and the land resteth forty years in the days of Gideon.

²⁹And Jerubbaal son of Joash goeth and dwelleth in his own house, ³⁰and to Gideon there have been seventy sons, coming out of his loin, for he had many wives; ³¹and his concubine, who is in Shechem, hath born to him—even she—a son, and he appointeth his name Abimelech. ³²And Gideon son of Joash dieth, in a good old age, and is buried in the burying-place of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abi-Ezrite. ³³And it cometh to pass, when Gideon is dead, that the sons of Israel turn back and go a-whoring after the Baalim, and set over them Baal-Berith for a god; ³⁴and the sons of Israel have not remembered Jehovah their God, who is delivering them out of the hand of all their enemies round about, ³⁵neither have they done kindness with the house of Jerubbaal—Gideon—according to all the good which he did with Israel.

Chapter 9

¹And Abimelech son of Jerubbaal goeth to Shechem, unto his mother’s brethren, and speaketh unto them, and unto all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying, ²‘Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the masters of Shechem, Which is good for you—the ruling over you of seventy men (all the sons of Jerubbaal), or the ruling over you of one man?—and ye have remembered that I am your bone and your flesh.’ ³And his mother’s brethren speak concerning him, in the ears of all the masters of Shechem, all these words, and their heart inclineth after Abimelech, for they said, ‘He is our brother;’ ⁴and they give to him seventy silverings out of the house of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech hireth with them men, vain and unstable, and they go after him; ⁵and he goeth into the house of his father at Ophrah, and slayeth his brethren, sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone; and Jotham, youngest son of Jerubbaal, is left, for he was hidden. ⁶And all the masters of Shechem are gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and come and cause Abimelech to reign for king at the oak of the camp which is in Shechem.

⁷And they declare it to Jotham, and he goeth and standeth on the top of mount Gerizim, and lifteth up his voice, and calleth, and saith to them, ‘Hearken unto me, O masters of Shechem, and God doth hearken unto you:

⁸‘The trees have diligently gone to anoint over them a king, and they say to the olive, Reign thou over us. ⁹And the olive saith to them, Have I ceased from my fatness, by which they honour gods and men, that I have gone to stagger over the trees? ¹⁰And the trees say to the fig, Come thou, reign over us. ¹¹And the fig saith to them, Have I ceased from my sweetness, and my good increase, that I have gone to stagger over the trees?

¹²‘And the trees say to the vine, Come thou, reign over us. ¹³And the vine saith to them, Have I ceased from my new wine, which is rejoicing gods and men, that I have gone to stagger over the trees? ¹⁴And all the trees say unto the bramble, Come thou, reign over us. ¹⁵And the bramble saith unto the trees, If in truth ye are anointing me for king over you, come, take refuge in my shadow; and if not—fire cometh out from the bramble, and devoureth the cedars of Lebanon.

¹⁶‘And, now, if in truth and in sincerity ye have acted, when ye make Abimelech king; and if ye have done good with Jerubbaal, and with his house; and if according to the deed of his hands ye have done to him— ¹⁷because my father hath fought for you, and doth cast away his life from him, and deliver you from the hand of Midian; ¹⁸and ye have risen against the house of my father to-day, and slay his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and cause Abimelech son of his handmaid to reign over the masters of Shechem, because he is your brother— ¹⁹yea, if in truth and in sincerity ye have acted with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, rejoice ye in Abimelech, and he doth rejoice—even he—in you; ²⁰and if not—fire cometh out from Abimelech and devoureth the masters of Shechem and the house of Millo, and fire cometh out from the masters of Shechem and from the house of Millo, and devoureth Abimelech.’ ²¹And Jotham hasteth, and fleeth, and goeth to Beer, and dwelleth there, from the face of Abimelech his brother.

²²And Abimelech is prince over Israel three years, ²³and God sendeth an evil spirit between Abimelech and the masters of Shechem, and the masters of Shechem deal treacherously with Abimelech, ²⁴for the coming in of the violence to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, and of their blood to place it on Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and on the masters of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brethren. ²⁵And the masters of Shechem set for him ambushes on the top of the hills, and rob every one who passeth over by them in the way, and it is declared to Abimelech. ²⁶And Gaal son of Ebed cometh—also his brethren—and they pass over into Shechem, and the masters of Shechem trust in him, ²⁷and go out into the field, and gather their vineyards, and tread, and make praises, and go into the house of their god, and eat and drink, and revile Abimelech. ²⁸And Gaal son of Ebed saith, ‘Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we serve him? is he not son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his commander? Serve ye the men of Hamor father of Shechem, and wherefore do we serve him—we? ²⁹and oh that this people were in my hand—then I turn Abimelech aside;’ and he saith to Abimelech, ‘Increase thy host, and come out.’ ³⁰And Zebul, prince of the city, heareth the words of Gaal son of Ebed, and his anger burneth, ³¹and he sendeth messengers unto Abimelech deceitfully, saying, ‘Lo, Gaal son of Ebed and his brethren are coming into Shechem, and lo, they are fortifying the city against thee; ³²and, now, rise by night, thou and the people who are with thee, and lay wait in the field, ³³and it hath been, in the…