|
And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech (9:39) And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown [and] wounded, [even] unto the entering of the gate (9:40) And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem (9:41) And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech (9:42) 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 (9:43) 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 (9:44) 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 (9:45) And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard [that], they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith (9:46) And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together (9:47) And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that [were] with him; and Abimelech took an ax 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] (9:48) 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 (9:49) Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it (9:50) 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 (9:51) And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire (9:52) And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull (9:53) 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 (9:54) And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place (9:55) Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren: (9:56) 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
(9:57)
|