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.
Abīmelehs ceļ sevi par ķēniņu
1 Abīmelehs, Jerubaala dēls, devās uz Šehemu pie saviem mātesbrāļiem un runāja ar tiem un visu sava mātes tēva dzimtas namu: 2 “Jel runājiet, lai klausās visi Šehemas pilsoņi: kas jums ir labāk – vai ka pār jums valda septiņdesmit vīri, visi Jerubaala dēli, vai ka pār jums valda viens vīrs? Pieminiet taču, ka es esmu no jūsu kaula un miesas!” 3 Viņa mātesbrāļi stāstīja par viņu visus šos vārdus Šehemas pilsoņiem, un to prāti nosliecās par labu Abīmeleham, jo tie sacīja: “Viņš ir mūsu brālis.” 4 Viņi tam deva septiņdesmit sudraba gabalus no Derībbaala nama, un Abīmelehs par tiem nolīga salašņas un pārgalvjus, kas viņam sekoja. 5 Viņš nāca uz sava tēva namu Ofrā un nokāva savus brāļus, Jerubaala dēlus, – septiņdesmit vīrus uz viena akmens. Bet Jerubaala jaunākais dēls Jotāms palika dzīvs, jo viņš bija paslēpies.
Līdzība par kokiem
6 Visi Šehemas pilsoņi un visi no Millo nama sapulcējās un devās pie piemiņas ozola iecelt sev ķēniņu – lai Abīmelehs kļūtu viņu ķēniņš. 7 Kad to paziņoja Jotāmam, viņš gāja un nostājās Gerizīma kalna galā un skaļā balsī tiem sauca:
“Uzklausiet mani, Šehemas pilsoņi,
tad arī Dievs uzklausīs jūs!
8 Nāktin reiz sanāca koki,
lai sev svaidītu ķēniņu,
un sacīja olīvkokam:
valdi kā ķēniņš pār mums!
9 Olīvkoks tiem atbildēja:
vai lai pametu savu taukumu,
ar ko dievi un vīri tiek godāti,
un eju locīties pāri kokiem?!
10 Tad koki sacīja vīģes kokam:
nāc tu, valdi kā ķēniņš pār mums!
11 Vīģes koks tiem atbildēja:
vai lai pametu savu saldumu
un savus lieliskos augļus
un eju locīties pāri kokiem?!
12 Tad koki sacīja vīnakokam:
nāc tu, valdi kā ķēniņš pār mums!
13 Vīnakoks tiem atbildēja:
vai lai pametu jauno vīnu,
kas ielīksmo dievus un vīrus,
un eju locīties pāri kokiem?!
14 Tad visi koki sacīja dadzim:
nāc tu, valdi kā ķēniņš pār mums!
15 Un dadzis sacīja kokiem:
ja jau patiesi jūs mani svaidāt,
lai es būtu ķēniņš pār jums,
tad nāciet un tverieties manā paēnā,
bet, ja ne, šausies uguns no dadža
un aprīs Lebanona ciedrus!
16 Tad, ja nu jūs esat rīkojušies patiesi un godīgi, ieceļot Abīmelehu par ķēniņu, ja esat labu darījuši Jerubaalam un viņa namam, ja esat atmaksājuši viņam, kā viņa darbi to pelna, – 17 kad mans tēvs karoja par jums, savu dzīvību nežēlodams, un izrāva jūs no Midjāna rokas, 18 bet jūs šodien esat sacēlušies pret mana tēva namu un nokāvuši viņa dēlus, septiņdesmit vīrus uz viena akmens, un Abīmelehu, verdzenes dēlu, iecēluši par ķēniņu Šehemas pilsoņiem, jo viņš ir jūsu brālis, – 19 ja nu jūs šodien esat rīkojušies patiesi un godīgi pret Jerubaalu un viņa namu, tad baudiet prieku par Abīmelehu, un arī viņš lai bauda prieku par jums, 20 bet ja ne – uguns izšausies no Abīmeleha un aprīs Šehemas pilsoņus un Millo namu, un uguns izšausies no Šehemas pilsoņiem un Millo nama un aprīs Abīmelehu!” 21 Un Jotāms bēga un glābās, dodamies uz Beēru. Tur viņš dzīvoja tālu no sava brāļa Abīmeleha.
Abīmeleha krišana
22 Abīmelehs valdīja pār Israēlu trīs gadus. 23 Bet Dievs sūtīja ļaunu garu starp Abīmelehu un Šehemas pilsoņiem, un Šehemas pilsoņi kļuva neuzticīgi Abīmeleham, 24 lai septiņdesmit Jerubaala dēliem nodarītie varasdarbi un viņu asinis nāktu pār viņu brāli Abīmelehu, kurš tos nokāva, un pār Šehemas pilsoņiem, kuri atbalstīja viņa brāļu nokaušanu. 25 Šehemas pilsoņi viņa dēļ kalnu virsotnēs slēpņos izvietoja vīrus, kuri aplaupīja katru, kas gāja pa ceļu tiem garām. Tas tika pavēstīts Abīmeleham.
26 Gaala, Ebeda dēls, nāca kopā ar saviem brāļiem, un viņi ienāca Šehemā. Viņš ieguva Šehemas pilsoņu uzticību. 27 Un, kad tie izgāja laukos, novāca vīnogas savos vīnadārzos, izspieda tās un rīkoja svētkus, tie gāja sava dieva namā, ēda un dzēra un lādēja Abīmelehu. 28 Gaala, Ebeda dēls, teica: “Kas gan ir Abīmelehs un kas ir Šehema, ka mums viņam jākalpo? Vai viņš nav Jerubaala dēls un Zebūls viņa pilnvarnieks? Kalpojiet Hamora, Šehemas tēva, vīriem! Kāpēc lai mēs kalpotu viņam! 29 Eh, ja šie ļaudis būtu manā rokā, es novāktu Abīmelehu!” Un viņš teica par Abīmelehu: “Piepulcini sev vēl karapulkus un iznāc!” 30 Kad pilsētas pārvaldnieks Zebūls dzirdēja Gaalas, Ebeda dēla, vārdus, viņš iedegās dusmās. 31 Viņš slepus sūtīja vēstnešus pie Abīmeleha, sacīdams: “Redzi, Gaala, Ebeda dēls, un viņa brāļi ir atnākuši uz Šehemu, un, redzi, viņi musina pilsētu pret tevi. 32 Tad nu celies naktī, tu un tavi ļaudis, un paslēpies laukos. 33 Bet rīta agrumā, kad lēks saule, strauji uzbrūc pilsētai. Un, kad viņš un viņa ļaudis izies pret tevi, tad dari viņam, kā redzi.”
34 Abīmelehs un visi viņa ļaudis cēlās naktī un paslēpās pie Šehemas – četri pulki. 35 Gaala, Ebeda dēls, iznāca un nostājās pilsētas vārtu ejā. Tad Abīmelehs un viņa ļaudis cēlās no slēpņa. 36 Kad Gaala ieraudzīja šos ļaudis, viņš teica Zebūlam: “Redzi, ļaudis nāk lejā no kalnu virsotnēm!” Bet Zebūls viņam atbildēja: “Kalnu ēnas tev izskatās pēc vīriem.”
37 Tomēr Gaala nerimās un atkal ierunājās: “Redzi, ļaudis, tie nāk lejā no zemes vidienes, un vēl viens pulks nāk no Zīlnieku ozola puses!” 38 Tad Zebūls viņam teica: “Kur tad nu tava mute, tu, kas sacīji: kas gan ir Abīmelehs, ka mums šim jākalpo? Vai šie nav ļaudis, kurus tu nonievāji? Tad nu tagad ej un cīnies ar tiem!”
39 Gaala izgāja Šehemas pilsoņu priekšgalā un cīnījās ar Abīmelehu. 40 Abīmelehs viņu vajāja, un viņš bēga no tā, un daudzi krita nodurti līdz pat ieejai pilsētas vārtos. 41 Abīmelehs dzīvoja Arūmā, bet Gaalu un viņa brāļus Zebūls izdzina no Šehemas. 42 Nākamajā dienā ļaudis izgāja laukos, un tas tika pavēstīts Abīmeleham. 43 Viņš ņēma ļaudis, sadalīja tos trīs pulkos un paslēpās laukos. Viņš skatījās, un redzi – ļaudis nāca ārā no pilsētas. Tad viņš cēlās tiem pretī un tos sakāva. 44 Abīmelehs un pulki, kas bija pie viņa, strauji uzbruka un nostājās pilsētas vārtu ejā, bet divi pulki uzbruka visiem, kas bija laukā, un sakāva tos. 45 Abīmelehs visu dienu karoja pret pilsētu, kamēr ieņēma šo pilsētu un nokāva ļaudis, kas tajā. Viņš šo pilsētu nopostīja un pārkaisīja ar sāli.
46 Kad visi Šehemas torņa pilsoņi to dzirdēja, viņi iegāja Derībbaala nama pagrabā. 47 Abīmeleham tika pavēstīts, ka visi Šehemas torņa pilsoņi ir sapulcējušies vienuviet. 48 Tad Abīmelehs uzkāpa Calmona kalnā, viņš un visi viņa ļaudis, un Abīmelehs ņēma rokā cirvi, nocirta koku zarus, pacēla tos, uzlika sev plecos un teica ļaudīm, kas bija pie viņa: “Kā jūs redzējāt mani darām, tā steidziet un dariet arī jūs!” 49 Tad arī visi ļaudis ikviens nocirta pa zaram, gāja pakaļ Abīmeleham, nolika tos uz pagraba un aizdedzināja pagrabu virs tiem. Tā gāja bojā visi Šehemas torņa iedzīvotāji – ap tūkstoš vīru un sievu.
50 Pēc tam Abīmelehs devās uz Tēbēcu. Viņš to aplenca un ieņēma. 51 Bet pilsētas vidū bija stiprs tornis, un visi vīri un sievas, visi šīs pilsētas pilsoņi sabēga tajā un ieslēdzās, un uzkāpa uz torņa jumta. 52 Abīmelehs devās pret torni, lai cīnītos pret to. Viņš tuvojās torņa durvīm, lai tās sadedzinātu, 53 bet kāda sieva nometa augšējo dzirnakmeni Abīmeleham uz galvas un sadragāja viņa galvaskausu. 54 Viņš steigšus sauca puisi, savu ieroču nesēju, un sacīja tam: “Izvelc savu zobenu un nonāvē mani, lai par mani neteiktu: sieva viņu ir nokāvusi!” Viņa puisis nodūra viņu, un viņš nomira. 55 Kad Israēla vīri redzēja, ka Abīmelehs ir miris, tie visi devās mājup. 56 Tā Dievs Abīmeleha noziegumu vērsa pret viņu pašu – visu, ko tas bija darījis savam tēvam, nokaudams savus septiņdesmit brāļus. 57 Un visam Šehemas vīru noziegumam Dievs lika nākt pār viņu pašu galvām. Pār tiem nāca Jotāma, Jerubaala dēla, lāsts.
