Judges 9 - 11
Abimelech Kills His Brothers
9And aAbimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s 1relatives and spoke to them and to the whole family of the household of his mother’s father, saying, 2“Speak, now, in the hearing of all the lords of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you, that aseventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or that one man rule over you?’ Also, remember that I am byour bone and your flesh.” 3And his mother’s 1relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the hearing of all the lords of Shechem; and 2they were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is aour 3relative.” 4So they gave him seventy pieces of silver from the house of aBaal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, and they followed him. 5Then he came to his father’s house at Ophrah and akilled his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, bseventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself. 6Then all the lords of Shechem and all 1Beth-millo assembled together, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the 2oak of the pillar which was in Shechem.
7Then they told Jotham, so he went and stood on the top of aMount Gerizim and lifted his voice and called out. Thus he said to them, “Listen to me, O lords of Shechem, that God may listen to you. 8“The trees surely went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’ 9“But the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my fatness, with 1which God and men are honored, and go to wave over the trees?’ 10“Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come, reign over us!’ 11“But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good produce and go to wave over the trees?’ 12“Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come, reign over us!’ 13“But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my new wine, which makes God and men glad, and go to wave over the trees?’ 14“Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come, reign over us!’ 15“And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in 1truth you are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out from the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’
16“So now, if you have dealt in 1truth and integrity and made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with aJerubbaal and his house and 2have dealt with him according to the bountiful works of his hands— 17for my father fought for you and 1risked his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian; 18but you have risen against my father’s house today and have killed ahis sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, bthe son of his maidservant, king over the lords of Shechem, because he is your 1relative— 19if then you have dealt in 1truth and integrity with Jerubbaal and his house this day, be glad in Abimelech, and let him also be glad in you. 20“But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume the lords of Shechem and 1Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the lords of Shechem and from 2Beth-millo and consume Abimelech.” 21Then Jotham escaped and fled and went to Beer and remained there because of Abimelech his brother.
Zebul Deceives Abimelech
22And Abimelech governed over Israel three years. 23aThen God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the lords of Shechem; and the lords of Shechem bdealt treacherously with Abimelech, 24aso that the violence 1done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and btheir blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the lords of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. 25And the lords of Shechem set 1men in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who might pass by them along the road; and it was told to Abimelech.
26Then Gaal the son of Ebed came with his 1relatives, and they crossed over into Shechem; and the lords of Shechem put their trust in him. 27And they went out into the field and gathered the grapes of their vineyards and trod them and celebrated a 1festival; and they came into the house of atheir god and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech. 28Then Gaal the son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is Zebul not his 1officer? Serve the men of aHamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? 29“1,aWould, therefore, that this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech.” And he said to Abimelech, “Increase your army and come out.”
30Then Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, and his anger burned. 31And he sent messengers to Abimelech 1deceitfully, saying, “Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his 2relatives have come to Shechem; and behold, they are 3stirring up the city against you. 32“So now, arise by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field. 33“And it will be in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, that you shall rise early and rush upon the city; and behold, he and the people who are with him will come out against you, and you shall ado to them 1whatever your hand finds pleasing.”
34So Abimelech and all the people who were with him arose by night and lay in wait against Shechem in four 1companies. 35And Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the city gate; and Abimelech and the people who were with him arose from the ambush. 36Then Gaal saw the people and said to Zebul, “Behold, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains.” But Zebul said to him, “You are seeing the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.” 37Yet Gaal spoke again and said, “Behold, people are coming down from athe 1highest part of the land, and one 2company comes by the way of 3the soothsayers’ 4oak.” 38Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your 1boasting now with which you said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Is this not the people whom you rejected? Go out now and fight with them!” 39So Gaal went out before the lords of Shechem and fought with Abimelech. 40And Abimelech pursued him, and he fled before him; and many fell slain up to the entrance of the gate. 41Then Abimelech remained at Arumah, but Zebul drove out Gaal and his 1relatives so that they could not remain in Shechem.
42Now it happened the next day, that the people went out to the field, and it was told to Abimelech. 43So he took 1his people and divided them into three 2companies and lay in wait in the field; then he looked, and behold, the people were coming out from the city. So he arose against them and struck them down. 44Then Abimelech and the 1company who was with him rushed forward and stood in the entrance of the city gate; but the other two 2companies rushed upon all who were in the field and struck them down. 45So Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and he captured the city and killed the people who were in it; then he atore the city down and sowed it with salt.
46Then all the lords of the tower of Shechem heard of it, and they entered the inner chamber of the 1temple of aEl-berith. 47And it was told to Abimelech that all the lords of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. 48So Abimelech went up to Mount aZalmon, he and all the people who were with him; and Abimelech took 1an axe in his hand and cut down a branch from the trees and lifted it and laid it on his shoulder. Then he said to the people who were with him, “What you have seen me do, hurry and do 2likewise.” 49And all the people also cut down each one his branch and followed Abimelech and put them on the inner chamber and set the inner chamber on fire over those inside, so that all the men of the tower of Shechem also died, about one thousand men and women.
50Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and he camped against Thebez and captured it. 51But there was a strong tower in the center of the city, and all the men and women with all the lords of the city fled there and shut themselves in; and they went up on the roof of the tower. 52So Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it and approached the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire. 53But aa certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, and she smashed his skull. 54Then ahe called quickly to the young man, his armor bearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword and put me to death, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So 1the young man pierced him through, and he died. 55Then the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, so each went away to his 1home. 56Thus aGod returned the evil of Abimelech, which he had done to his father in killing his seventy brothers. 57God also returned all the evil of the men of Shechem on their own heads, and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came 1upon them.
Tola and Jair Judge Israel
10Then after Abimelech died, Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, aarose to save Israel; and he lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. 2And he judged Israel twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried in Shamir.
3After him, Jair the Gileadite arose and judged Israel twenty-two years. 4And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities 1in the land of Gilead athat are called 2Havvoth-jair to this day. 5And Jair died and was buried in Kamon.
Israel Forsakes Yahweh Again
6Then the sons of Israel again did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh and aserved the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, bthe gods of the sons of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; thus cthey forsook Yahweh and did not serve Him. 7So the anger of Yahweh burned against Israel, and He asold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the sons of Ammon. 8And they shattered and smashed the sons of Israel 1that year; for eighteen years they did this to all the sons of Israel who were beyond the Jordan 2in Gilead in the land of the Amorites. 9Then the sons of Ammon crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was greatly distressed.
Israel Cries Out to Yahweh
10And the asons of Israel cried out to Yahweh, saying, “We have sinned against You, for indeed, we have forsaken our God and served the Baals.” 11Then Yahweh said to the sons of Israel, “Did I not save you afrom the Egyptians, bthe Amorites, cthe sons of Ammon, and the Philistines? 12“Also the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites aoppressed you. And you cried out to Me, and I saved you from their hand. 13“Yet ayou have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer save you. 14“aGo and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.” 15Then the sons of Israel said to Yahweh, “We have sinned, so You, ado to us whatever seems good in Your eyes; only please deliver us this day.” 16aSo they removed the foreign gods from among them and served Yahweh; and 1,bHe could bear the trouble of Israel no longer.
17Then the sons of Ammon were summoned, and they camped in Gilead. And the sons of Israel gathered together and camped in aMizpah. 18And the people, the princes of Gilead, said to one another, “Who is the man who will begin to fight against the sons of Ammon? He shall become head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
Jephthah Delivers Israel
11Now aJephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot. And Gilead 1became the father of Jephthah. 2And Gilead’s wife bore him sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You shall not have an inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.” 3So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of aTob; and worthless fellows gathered themselves 1about Jephthah, and they went out with him.
4Now it happened after a while that athe sons of Ammon fought against Israel. 5So it happened that as the sons of Ammon fought against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob; 6and they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our chief that we may fight against the sons of Ammon.” 7Then Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “aDid you not hate me and drive me from my father’s house? So why have you come to me now when you are in distress?” 8And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “For this reason we have now returned to you, that you may go with us and fight with the sons of Ammon and abecome head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” 9So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you take me back to fight against the sons of Ammon and Yahweh gives them up 1to me, will I become your head?” 10And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “aYahweh is 1witness between us; surely we will do 2as you have said.” 11Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before Yahweh at aMizpah.
12And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, “What is between you and me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?” 13Then the king of the sons of Ammon said to the messengers of Jephthah, “Because Israel atook away my land when they came up from Egypt, from the Arnon as far as the bJabbok and the Jordan; so now, return them peaceably.” 14But Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the sons of Ammon, 15and they said to him, “Thus says Jephthah, ‘Israel did not take away the land of Moab nor the land of the sons of Ammon. 16‘For when they came up from Egypt, and Israel awent through the wilderness to the 1Red Sea and bcame to Kadesh, 17then Israel asent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please let us pass through your land,” but the king of Edom would not listen. bAnd they also sent to the king of Moab, but he was not willing. So Israel remained at Kadesh. 18‘Then they went through the wilderness and aaround the land of Edom and the land of Moab and came to the east toward the sunrise of the land of Moab, and they camped beyond the Arnon; but they bdid not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab. 19‘And Israel sent amessengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, “Please let us pass through your land to our place.” 20‘But Sihon did not believe Israel to allow them to pass through his territory; so Sihon gathered all his people and camped in Jahaz and fought with Israel. 21‘Then Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they astruck them down; so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. 22‘aSo they possessed all the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok, and from the wilderness as far as the Jordan. 23‘So now Yahweh, the God of Israel, dispossessed the Amorites from before His people Israel. Are you then to possess it? 24‘Do you not possess what aChemosh your god gives you to possess? So whatever Yahweh our God has taken possession of before us, we will possess it. 25‘So now are you any better than aBalak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive with Israel, or did he ever fight against them? 26‘aWhile Israel lived in Heshbon and its towns and in Aroer and its towns and in all the cities that are on the banks of the Arnon, 300 years, why did you not deliver them for yourself within that time? 27‘I therefore have not sinned against you, but you are doing me evil by making war against me; amay Yahweh, the Judge, judge today between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.’” 28But the king of the sons of Ammon did not listen to the words which Jephthah sent him.
Jephthah Vows a Burnt Offering
29Now athe Spirit of Yahweh came upon Jephthah, so that he passed through Gilead and Manasseh; then he passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he went on to the sons of Ammon. 30Then Jephthah made a vow to Yahweh and said, “If You will indeed give the sons of Ammon into my hand, 31then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be Yahweh’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.” 32So Jephthah crossed over to the sons of Ammon to fight against them; and Yahweh gave them into his hand. 33And he struck them with a very great slaughter from Aroer 1to the entrance of aMinnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim. So the sons of Ammon were subdued before the sons of Israel.
34Then Jephthah came to his house at aMizpah. And behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him bwith tambourines and with dancing. Now she was his one and only child; besides her he had no son or daughter. 35So it happened that when he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are among those who trouble me. But I have opened my mouth to vow to Yahweh, and aI cannot take it back.” 36So she said to him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to vow to Yahweh; ado to me according to what has gone out from your mouth, since Yahweh has avenged you of your enemies, the sons of Ammon.” 37Then she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I may 1go to the mountains and weep because of amy virginity, I and my companions.” 38Then he said, “Go.” So he sent her away for two months; and she went with her companions and wept on the mountains because of her virginity. 39And it happened at the end of two months that she returned to her father, and he did to her according to the vow which he had made; and she did not know a man. Thus it became a 1custom in Israel, 40that the daughters of Israel went yearly to 1commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year.