| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1One day Gideon’s son Abimelech went to Shechem to visit his uncles—his mother’s brothers. He said to them and to the rest of his mother’s family, | 1Now Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem to see his mother's relatives. He said to them and to his mother's entire extended family, |
| 2“Ask the leading citizens of Shechem whether they want to be ruled by all seventy of Gideon’s sons or by one man. And remember that I am your own flesh and blood!” | 2"Tell all the leaders of Shechem this: 'Why would you want to have seventy men, all Jerub-Baal's sons, ruling over you, when you can have just one ruler? Recall that I am your own flesh and blood.'" |
| 3So Abimelech’s uncles gave his message to all the citizens of Shechem on his behalf. And after listening to this proposal, the people of Shechem decided in favor of Abimelech because he was their relative. | 3His mother's relatives spoke on his behalf to all the leaders of Shechem and reported his proposal. The leaders were drawn to Abimelech; they said, "He is our close relative." |
| 4They gave him seventy silver coins from the temple of Baal-berith, which he used to hire some reckless troublemakers who agreed to follow him. | 4They paid him seventy silver shekels out of the temple of Baal-Berith. Abimelech then used the silver to hire some lawless, dangerous men as his followers. |
| 5He went to his father’s home at Ophrah, and there, on one stone, they killed all seventy of his half brothers, the sons of Gideon. But the youngest brother, Jotham, escaped and hid. | 5He went to his father's home in Ophrah and murdered his half-brothers, the seventy legitimate sons of Jerub-Baal, on one stone. Only Jotham, Jerub-Baal's youngest son, escaped, because he hid. |
| 6Then all the leading citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo called a meeting under the oak beside the pillar at Shechem and made Abimelech their king. Jotham’s Parable | 6All the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo assembled and then went and made Abimelech king by the oak near the pillar in Shechem. |
| 7When Jotham heard about this, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted, “Listen to me, citizens of Shechem! Listen to me if you want God to listen to you! | 7When Jotham heard the news, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. He spoke loudly to the people below, "Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, so that God may listen to you! |
| 8Once upon a time the trees decided to choose a king. First they said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!’ | 8"The trees were determined to go out and choose a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, 'Be our king!' |
| 9But the olive tree refused, saying, ‘Should I quit producing the olive oil that blesses both God and people, just to wave back and forth over the trees?’ | 9But the olive tree said to them, 'I am not going to stop producing my oil, which is used to honor gods and men, just to sway above the other trees!' |
| 10“Then they said to the fig tree, ‘You be our king!’ | 10"So the trees said to the fig tree, 'You come and be our king!' |
| 11But the fig tree also refused, saying, ‘Should I quit producing my sweet fruit just to wave back and forth over the trees?’ | 11But the fig tree said to them, 'I am not going to stop producing my sweet figs, my excellent fruit, just to sway above the other trees!' |
| 12“Then they said to the grapevine, ‘You be our king!’ | 12"So the trees said to the grapevine, 'You come and be our king!' |
| 13But the grapevine also refused, saying, ‘Should I quit producing the wine that cheers both God and people, just to wave back and forth over the trees?’ | 13But the grapevine said to them, 'I am not going to stop producing my wine, which makes gods and men so happy, just to sway above the other trees!' |
| 14“Then all the trees finally turned to the thornbush and said, ‘Come, you be our king!’ | 14"So all the trees said to the thornbush, 'You come and be our king!' |
| 15And the thornbush replied to the trees, ‘If you truly want to make me your king, come and take shelter in my shade. If not, let fire come out from me and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’” | 15The thornbush said to the trees, 'If you really want to choose me as your king, then come along, find safety under my branches! Otherwise may fire blaze from the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!' |
| 16Jotham continued, “Now make sure you have acted honorably and in good faith by making Abimelech your king, and that you have done right by Gideon and all of his descendants. Have you treated him with the honor he deserves for all he accomplished? | 16"Now, if you have shown loyalty and integrity when you made Abimelech king, if you have done right to Jerub-Baal and his family, if you have properly repaid him-- |
| 17For he fought for you and risked his life when he rescued you from the Midianites. | 17my father fought for you; he risked his life and delivered you from Midian's power. |
| 18But today you have revolted against my father and his descendants, killing his seventy sons on one stone. And you have chosen his slave woman’s son, Abimelech, to be your king just because he is your relative. | 18But you have attacked my father's family today. You murdered his seventy legitimate sons on one stone and made Abimelech, the son of his female slave, king over the leaders of Shechem, just because he is your close relative. |
| 19“If you have acted honorably and in good faith toward Gideon and his descendants today, then may you find joy in Abimelech, and may he find joy in you. | 19So if you have shown loyalty and integrity to Jerub-Baal and his family today, then may Abimelech bring you happiness and may you bring him happiness! |
| 20But if you have not acted in good faith, then may fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leading citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo; and may fire come out from the citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo and devour Abimelech!” | 20But if not, may fire blaze from Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo! May fire also blaze from the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo and consume Abimelech!" |
| 21Then Jotham escaped and lived in Beer because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech. Shechem Rebels against Abimelech | 21Then Jotham ran away to Beer and lived there to escape from Abimelech his half-brother. |
| 22After Abimelech had ruled over Israel for three years, | 22Abimelech commanded Israel for three years. |
| 23God sent a spirit that stirred up trouble between Abimelech and the leading citizens of Shechem, and they revolted. | 23God sent a spirit to stir up hostility between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. He made the leaders of Shechem disloyal to Abimelech. |
| 24God was punishing Abimelech for murdering Gideon’s seventy sons, and the citizens of Shechem for supporting him in this treachery of murdering his brothers. | 24He did this so the violent deaths of Jerub-Baal's seventy sons might be avenged and Abimelech, their half-brother who murdered them, might have to pay for their spilled blood, along with the leaders of Shechem who helped him murder them. |
| 25The citizens of Shechem set an ambush for Abimelech on the hilltops and robbed everyone who passed that way. But someone warned Abimelech about their plot. | 25The leaders of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech by putting bandits in the hills, who robbed everyone who traveled by on the road. But Abimelech found out about it. |
| 26One day Gaal son of Ebed moved to Shechem with his brothers and gained the confidence of the leading citizens of Shechem. | 26Gaal son of Ebed came through Shechem with his brothers. The leaders of Shechem transferred their loyalty to him. |
| 27During the annual harvest festival at Shechem, held in the temple of the local god, the wine flowed freely, and everyone began cursing Abimelech. | 27They went out to the field, harvested their grapes, squeezed out the juice, and celebrated. They came to the temple of their god and ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech. |
| 28“Who is Abimelech?” Gaal shouted. “He’s not a true son of Shechem, so why should we be his servants? He’s merely the son of Gideon, and this Zebul is merely his deputy. Serve the true sons of Hamor, the founder of Shechem. Why should we serve Abimelech? | 28Gaal son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerub-Baal, and is not Zebul the deputy he appointed? Serve the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem! But why should we serve Abimelech? |
| 29If I were in charge here, I would get rid of Abimelech. I would say to him, ‘Get some soldiers, and come out and fight!’” | 29If only these men were under my command, I would get rid of Abimelech!" He challenged Abimelech, "Muster your army and come out for battle!" |
| 30But when Zebul, the leader of the city, heard what Gaal was saying, he was furious. | 30When Zebul, the city commissioner, heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he was furious. |
| 31He sent messengers to Abimelech in Arumah, telling him, “Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to live in Shechem, and now they are inciting the city to rebel against you. | 31He sent messengers to Abimelech, who was in Arumah, reporting, "Beware! Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers are coming to Shechem and inciting the city to rebel against you. |
| 32Come by night with an army and hide out in the fields. | 32Now, come up at night with your men and set an ambush in the field outside the city. |
| 33In the morning, as soon as it is daylight, attack the city. When Gaal and those who are with him come out against you, you can do with them as you wish.” | 33In the morning at sunrise quickly attack the city. When he and his men come out to fight you, do what you can to him." |
| 34So Abimelech and all his men went by night and split into four groups, stationing themselves around Shechem. | 34So Abimelech and all his men came up at night and set an ambush outside Shechem--they divided into four units. |
| 35Gaal was standing at the city gates when Abimelech and his army came out of hiding. | 35When Gaal son of Ebed came out and stood at the entrance to the city's gate, Abimelech and his men got up from their hiding places. |
| 36When Gaal saw them, he said to Zebul, “Look, there are people coming down from the hilltops!” Zebul replied, “It’s just the shadows on the hills that look like men.” | 36Gaal saw the men and said to Zebul, "Look, men are coming down from the tops of the hills." But Zebul said to him, "You are seeing the shadows on the hills--it just looks like men." |
| 37But again Gaal said, “No, people are coming down from the hills. And another group is coming down the road past the Diviners’ Oak. ” | 37Gaal again said, "Look, men are coming down from the very center of the land. A unit is coming by way of the Oak Tree of the Diviners." |
| 38Then Zebul turned on him and asked, “Now where is that big mouth of yours? Wasn’t it you that said, ‘Who is Abimelech, and why should we be his servants?’ The men you mocked are right outside the city! Go out and fight them!” | 38Zebul said to him, "Where now are your bragging words, 'Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?' Are these not the men you insulted? Go out now and fight them!" |
| 39So Gaal led the leading citizens of Shechem into battle against Abimelech. | 39So Gaal led the leaders of Shechem out and fought Abimelech. |
| 40But Abimelech chased him, and many of Shechem’s men were wounded and fell along the road as they retreated to the city gate. | 40Abimelech chased him, and Gaal ran from him. Many Shechemites fell wounded at the entrance of the gate. |
| 41Abimelech returned to Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem. | 41Abimelech went back to Arumah; Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem. |
| 42The next day the people of Shechem went out into the fields to battle. When Abimelech heard about it, | 42The next day the Shechemites came out to the field. When Abimelech heard about it, |
| 43he divided his men into three groups and set an ambush in the fields. When Abimelech saw the people coming out of the city, he and his men jumped up from their hiding places and attacked them. | 43he took his men and divided them into three units and set an ambush in the field. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he attacked and struck them down. |
| 44Abimelech and his group stormed the city gate to keep the men of Shechem from getting back in, while Abimelech’s other two groups cut them down in the fields. | 44Abimelech and his units attacked and blocked the entrance to the city's gate. Two units then attacked all the people in the field and struck them down. |
| 45The battle went on all day before Abimelech finally captured the city. He killed the people, leveled the city, and scattered salt all over the ground. | 45Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed all the people in it. Then he leveled the city and spread salt over it. |
| 46When the leading citizens who lived in the tower of Shechem heard what had happened, they ran and hid in the temple of Baal-berith. | 46When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard the news, they went to the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith. |
| 47Someone reported to Abimelech that the citizens had gathered in the temple, | 47Abimelech heard that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were in one place. |
| 48so he led his forces to Mount Zalmon. He took an ax and chopped some branches from a tree, then put them on his shoulder. “Quick, do as I have done!” he told his men. | 48He and all his men went up on Mount Zalmon. He took an ax in his hand and cut off a tree branch. He put it on his shoulder and said to his men, "Quickly, do what you have just seen me do!" |
| 49So each of them cut down some branches, following Abimelech’s example. They piled the branches against the walls of the temple and set them on fire. So all the people who had lived in the tower of Shechem died—about 1,000 men and women. | 49So each of his men also cut off a branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches against the stronghold and set fire to it. All the people of the Tower of Shechem died--about a thousand men and women. |
| 50Then Abimelech attacked the town of Thebez and captured it. | 50Abimelech moved on to Thebez; he besieged and captured it. |
| 51But there was a strong tower inside the town, and all the men and women—the entire population—fled to it. They barricaded themselves in and climbed up to the roof of the tower. | 51There was a fortified tower in the center of the city, so all the men and women, as well as the city's leaders, ran into it and locked the entrance. Then they went up to the roof of the tower. |
| 52Abimelech followed them to attack the tower. But as he prepared to set fire to the entrance, | 52Abimelech came and attacked the tower. When he approached the entrance of the tower to set it on fire, |
| 53a woman on the roof dropped a millstone that landed on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull. | 53a woman threw an upper millstone down on his head and shattered his skull. |
| 54He quickly said to his young armor bearer, “Draw your sword and kill me! Don’t let it be said that a woman killed Abimelech!” So the young man ran him through with his sword, and he died. | 54He quickly called to the young man who carried his weapons, "Draw your sword and kill me, so they will not say, 'A woman killed him.'" So the young man stabbed him and he died. |
| 55When Abimelech’s men saw that he was dead, they disbanded and returned to their homes. | 55When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home. |
| 56In this way, God punished Abimelech for the evil he had done against his father by murdering his seventy brothers. | 56God repaid Abimelech for the evil he did to his father by murdering his seventy half-brothers. |
| 57God also punished the men of Shechem for all their evil. So the curse of Jotham son of Gideon was fulfilled. | 57God also repaid the men of Shechem for their evil deeds. The curse spoken by Jotham son of Jerub-Baal fell on them. |
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