The Judges & Ruth

And all the masters of Shechem are gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and come and cause Abimelech to reign for king at the oak of the camp which is in Shechem;

and they declare it to Jotham, and he goeth and standeth on the top of mount Gerizim, and lifteth up his voice, and calleth, and saith to them, `Hearken unto me, O masters of Shechem, and God doth hearken unto you:

`The trees have diligently gone to anoint over them a king, and they say to the olive, Reign thou over us.

And the olive saith to them, Have I ceased from my fatness, by which they honour gods and men, that I have gone to stagger over the trees?

And the trees say to the fig, Come thou, reign over us.

And the fig saith to them, Have I ceased from my sweetness, and my good increase, that I have gone to stagger over the trees?

`And the trees say to the vine, Come thou, reign over us.

And the vine saith to them, Have I ceased from my new wine, which is rejoicing gods and men, that I have gone to stagger over the trees?

And all the trees say unto the bramble, Come thou, reign over us.

And the bramble saith unto the trees, If in truth ye are anointing me for king over you, come, take refuge in my shadow; and if not--fire cometh out from the bramble, and devoureth the cedars of Lebanon.

`And, now, if in truth and in sincerity ye have acted, when ye make Abimelech king; and if ye have done good with Jerubbaal, and with his house; and if according to the deed of his hands ye have done to him--

because my father hath fought for you, and doth cast away his life from him , and deliver you from the hand of Midian;

and ye have risen against the house of my father to-day, and slay his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and cause Abimelech son of his handmaid to reign over the masters of Shechem, because he is your brother--

yea, if in truth and in sincerity ye have acted with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, rejoice ye in Abimelech, and he doth rejoice--even he--in you;

and if not--fire cometh out from Abimelech and devoureth the masters of Shechem and the house of Millo, and fire cometh out from the masters of Shechem and from the house of Millo, and devoureth Abimelech.'

And Jotham hasteth, and fleeth, and goeth to Beer, and dwelleth there, from the face of Abimelech his brother.

And Abimelech is prince over Israel three years,

and God sendeth an evil spirit between Abimelech and the masters of Shechem, and the masters of Shechem deal treacherously with Abimelech,

for the coming in of the violence to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, and of their blood to place it on Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and on the masters of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brethren.

And the masters of Shechem set for him ambushes on the top of the hills, and rob every one who passeth over by them in the way, and it is declared to Abimelech.

And Gaal son of Ebed cometh--also his brethren--and they pass over into Shechem, and the masters of Shechem trust in him,

and go out into the field, and gather their vineyards, and tread, and make praises, and go into the house of their god, and eat and drink, and revile Abimelech.

And Gaal son of Ebed saith, `Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we serve him? is he not son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his commander? Serve ye the men of Hamor father of Shechem, and wherefore do we serve him--we?

and oh that this people were in my hand--then I turn Abimelech aside;' and he saith to Abimelech, `Increase thy host, and come out.'

And Zebul, prince of the city, heareth the words of Gaal son of Ebed, and his anger burneth,