1And Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] the son of Yeruba’al [let Ba’al defend] went to Sh’khem [Shoulder] unto his mother's brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying, 2Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder], Whether [is] better for you, either that all the sons of Yeruba’al [let Ba’al defend], [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. 3And his mother's brethren spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder] all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Avi-Melekh [My Father is King]; for they said, He [is] our brother. 4And they gave him threescore and ten [pieces] of silver out of the house of Ba’al-B’rit [lord of the covenant], which Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] hired vain and light persons, which followed him. 5And he went unto his father's house at ‘Ofrah [Fawn], and killed his brethren the sons of Yeruba’al [let Ba’al defend], [being] threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Toram [Yehovah is Perfect] the youngest son of Yeruba’al [let Ba’al defend] was left; for he hid himself. 6And all the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder] gathered together, and all the Beit-Millo [fortification (defensive structure) or mound] [House of the Fortification (defensive structure)], and went, and made Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] king, by the plain of the pillar that [was] in Sh’khem [Shoulder].

7And when they told [it] to Toram [Yehovah is Perfect], he went and stood in the top of mount G’rizim [Cuttings Off], and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Listen unto me, you^2f men of Sh’khem [Shoulder], that God-Elohim (The Living Word) [The Many Powered] may hearken unto you. 8The trees went forth [on a time] to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign youⁱ over us. 9But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, which by me they honour God-Elohim (The Living Word) [The Many Powered] and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? 10And the trees said to the fig tree, Come youⁱ, [and] reign over us. 11But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? 12Then said the trees unto the vine, Come youⁱ, [and] reign over us. 13And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheers God-Elohim (The Living Word) [The Many Powered] and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? 14Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come youⁱ, [and] reign over us. 15And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth you^2f 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 L’vanon [Whiteness].

16Now therefore, if you^2f have done truly and sincerely, in that you^2f have made Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] king, and if you^2f have dealt well with Yeruba’al [let Ba’al defend] 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 Midyan [Strife]: 18And you^2f 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 Avi-Melekh [My Father is King], the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder], because he [is] your brother;) 19If you^2f then have dealt truly and sincerely with Yeruba’al [let Ba’al defend] and with his house this day, [then] rejoice you^2f in Avi-Melekh [My Father is King], and let him also rejoice in you: 20But if not, let fire come out from Avi-Melekh [My Father is King], and devour the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder], and the Beit-Millo [fortification (defensive structure) or mound] [House of the Fortification (defensive structure)]; and let fire come out from the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder], and from the Beit-Millo [fortification (defensive structure) or mound] [House of the Fortification (defensive structure)], and devour Avi-Melekh [My Father is King]. 21And Toram [Yehovah is Perfect] ran away, and fled, and went to Be’er [Well], and dwelt there, for fear of Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] his brother.

22When Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] had reigned three years over Yisra’el [He Holds Onto The Heel Of God], 23Then God-Elohim (The Living Word) [The Many Powered] sent an evil spirit between Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] and the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder]; and the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder] dealt treacherously with Avi-Melekh [My Father is King]: 24That the cruelty [done] to the threescore and ten sons of Yeruba’al [let Ba’al defend] might come, and their blood be laid upon Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] their brother, which killed them; and upon the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder], which aided him in the killing of his brethren. 25And the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder] 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 Avi-Melekh [My Father is King].

26And Ga’al [Loathing] the son of Eved [A Slave] came with his brethren, and went over to Sh’khem [Shoulder]: and the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder] put their confidence in him. 27And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trampled [the grapes], and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Avi-Melekh [My Father is King]. 28And Ga’al [Loathing] the son of Eved [A Slave] said, Who [is] Avi-Melekh [My Father is King], and who [is] Sh’khem [Shoulder], that we should serve him? [is] not [he] the son of Yeruba’al [let Ba’al defend]? and Z’vul [Exalted] his officer? serve the men of Hamor [male-donkey (ass)] the father of Sh’khem [Shoulder]: for why should we serve him? 29And would to God-Elohim (The Living Word) [The Many Powered] this people were under my hand! then would I remove Avi-Melekh [My Father is King]. And he said to Avi-Melekh [My Father is King], Increase youⁱ army, and come out.

30And when Z’vul [Exalted] the ruler of the city heard the words of Ga’al [Loathing] the son of Eved [A Slave], his anger was kindled. 31And he sent messengers unto Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] privately, saying, Behold, Ga’al [Loathing] the son of Eved [A Slave] and his brethren be come to Sh’khem [Shoulder]; and, behold, they fortify the city against youⁱ. 32Now therefore up by night, youⁱ and the people that [is] with youⁱ, and lie in wait in the field: 33And it shall be, [that] in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, youⁱ shall rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold, [when] he and the people that [is] with him come out against youⁱ, then may youⁱ do to them as youⁱ shall find occasion.

34And Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] rose up, and all the people that [were] with him, by night, and they laid wait against Sh’khem [Shoulder] in four companies. 35And Ga’al [Loathing] the son of Eved [A Slave] went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] rose up, and the people that [were] with him, from lying in wait. 36And when Ga’al [Loathing] saw the people, he said to Z’vul [Exalted], Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Z’vul [Exalted] said unto him, youⁱ see the shadow of the mountains as [if they were] men. 37And Ga’al [Loathing] spoke again and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of M’on’nim [Fortune Teller]. 38Then said Z’vul [Exalted] unto him, Where [is] now youⁱ mouth, which youⁱ said, Who [is] Avi-Melekh [My Father is King], that we should serve him? [is] not this the people that youⁱ have despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them. 39And Ga’al [Loathing] went out before the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder], and fought with Avi-Melekh [My Father is King]. 40And Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown [and] wounded, [even] unto the entering of the gate. 41And Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] dwelt at Arumah: and Z’vul [Exalted] thrust out Ga’al [Loathing] and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Sh’khem [Shoulder].

42And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Avi-Melekh [My Father is King]. 43And 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 struck them. 44And Avi-Melekh [My Father is King], 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 killed them. 45And Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and killed the people that [was] in it, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

46And when all the men of the tower of Sh’khem [Shoulder] heard [that], they entered into an hold of the temple of El-B’rit [(the) god Berith]. 47And it was told Avi-Melekh [My Father is King], that all the men of the tower of Sh’khem [Shoulder] were gathered together. 48And Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] got him up to Mount Tzalmon [Shady], he and all the people that [were] with him; and Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] 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 you^2f have seen me do, make haste, [and] do as I [have done]. 49And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Avi-Melekh [My Father is King], and put [them] to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Sh’khem [Shoulder] died also, about a thousand men and women.

50Then went Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] to Tevetz [Conspicuous], and encamped against Tevetz [Conspicuous], and took it. 51But there was a strong tower within the city, and there fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut [it] to them, and got them up to the top of the tower. 52And Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 53And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Avi-Melekh’s [My Father is King]'s head, and all to (to do entirely, do wholly) broke his skull. 54Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw yourⁱ sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman killed him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died. 55And when the men of Yisra’el [He Holds Onto The Heel Of God] saw that Avi-Melekh [My Father is King] was dead, they departed every man unto his place. 56Thus God-Elohim (The Living Word) [The Many Powered] rendered the wickedness of Avi-Melekh [My Father is King], which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren: 57And all the evil of the men of Sh’khem [Shoulder] did God-Elohim (The Living Word) [The Many Powered] render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Toram [Yehovah is Perfect] the son of Yeruba’al [let Ba’al defend].