Ishmaelites, they had headbands of gold.

They said: These we will give. And they spread out a garment, and every man cast thereon the headbands which he had stolen.

And the golden headbands which he required were of the weight of a thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, beside the clasps, and the chains, and the scarlet garments, which the kings of Midian wear, and beside the collars of their camels.

And Gideon made an ephod of it, and put it in his city at Ophrah. And all Israel took offense at it there; and it was an offence unto Gideon, and to his house.

So the Midianites were humbled before the children of Israel, and lifted up their heads no more. And the land was quiet forty years, as long as Gideon lived.

And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his house.

And Gideon had seventy sons, which came out of his loins: for he had many wives.

And his concubine, which he had in Shechem, bare him also a son; and he called his name Abimelech.

And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father in Ophrah, the father of the Ezrites.

And it came to pass, when Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and whored after Baalim, and made them Baal-Berith their god.

And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, which had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies round about.

And did not shew mercy unto the house of Jerubbaal-gideon, as he had shewed all goodness unto Israel.
(Judges)
Chapter 9
The fratricide Abimelech perishes.

And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and spake unto them, and unto all the family of his mother’s father’s house, saying: 2. Speak ye, I pray thee, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, saying, Which is better for you, that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, should be lords over you, or that one man should be lord over you? Remember also that I am your bones and your flesh.

And his mother’s brethren spake all these words of him in the ears of all the men of safety: and their heart inclined toward Abimelech, because they remembered: He is our brother.

And they gave him seventy pieces of silver of the house of Baal-Berith. And Abimelech did
dine therewith loose, frivolous men that followed him.

And he came into his father’s house to Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, upon one stone. And Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal remained: for he was hid.

And all the men of Shechem, and all the house of Millo, gathered themselves together, and went and made Abimelech king by the high oak which is in Shechem.

And it was told Jotham, that he went and stood upon the top of mount Grisim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them: Hear me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hear you also.

And the trees went to anoint a king over them, and said unto the olive tree, Be our king.

But the olive tree answered and said unto them, Shall I leave my fatness, which both gods and men glorify in me, and go to hover over the trees?

And the trees said unto the fig tree, Come thou, and be our king.

But the fig tree said unto them, Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to hover above the trees?

And the trees said unto the vine, Come thou, and be our king.

But the vine said unto them, Shall I leave my wine, which maketh glad gods and men, and go to hover over the trees?

And all the trees said unto the thornbush, Come thou, and be our king.

And the thornbush said unto the trees, If it be true that ye anoint me king over you, come and trust under my shadow: but if not, let fire come out of the thornbush, and consume the cedars of Lebanon.

Now therefore have ye done right and truly in making Abimelech king? And ye have done well to Jerubbaal, and to his house, and have done unto him as he hath done unto you, 17. That my father fought for your sakes, and cast away his soul, to deliver you out of the hand of Midian?

And ye rise up this day against my father’s house, and slay his children, even seventy men, upon one stone; and make you a king, Abimelech the son of his handmaid, over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother.

Now therefore, if ye have dealt justly and uprightly with Jerubbaal, and with his house this day, be glad in Abimelech, and let him be glad in you.

And if not, then let fire go out from Abimelech, and consume the men of Sure, and the house of Millo; and let fire go out from the men of Sure, and from the house of Millo, and consume Abimelech.

And Jotham fled, and escaped, and went to Bear, and dwelt there before Abimelech his brother.

And it came to pass, when Abimelech had reigned over Israel three years, 23. God sent an evil will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem. For the men of Shechem promised Abimelech;

And they reproached the seventy sons of Jerubbaal for their iniquity, and laid the blood of them upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them, and upon the men of safety, which strengthened his hand to slay his brethren.

And the men of Sichern set an ambush in the tops of the mountains, and spoiled all that walked by them in the way. And it was told Abimelech.

And Gaal the son of Ebed came, and his brethren, and entered into Shechem. And the men of Shechem relied upon him;

And they went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and pressed wine; and made a dance, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.

And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech? and what is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is not he the son of Jerubbaal, and hath set Zebul his servant over the men of Hemor, the father of Shechem? Why should we serve him?

Would to God that the people were under my hand, that I might drive out Abimelech! And it was said unto Abimelech, Increase thine army, and go forth.

For Zebul the ruler of the city, when he heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, was wroth in his anger.

And he sent word unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren are come to Shechem, and have made the city abominable unto thee.

Arise therefore by night, thou, and thy people that are with thee, and set an ambush upon them in the field.

And in the morning, when the sun riseth, arise early, and overtake the city. And when he and the people that are with him shall come out unto thee, do unto him as thine hand findeth.

And Abimelech arose by night, and all the people that were with him, and stood in safety with four companies.

And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood at the door of the gate of the city. And Abimelech arose out of the ambush, he and the people that were with him.

And when Gaal saw the people, he said unto Zebul, Behold, a people cometh down from the height of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadows of the mountains for people.

And Gaal spake yet more, and said, Behold, a people cometh down out of the midst of the land, and a multitude cometh by the way of the magic region.

And Zebul said unto him, Where is now here thy mouth, which said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? Is not this the people whom thou hast despised? Go forth therefore, and fight with him.

And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

But Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him: and there fell many slain unto the door of the gate.

And Abimelech abode in Arumah. And Zebul drove out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in the covert.

And in the morning the people went out into the field. And Abimelech was told, 43. And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and set an ambush upon them in the field. And when he saw that the people were gone out of the city, he rose up against them, and smote them.

And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, attacked them, and stood at the gate of the city: and two of the company attacked all that were in the field, and smote them.

And Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and took it, and slew the people that were therein, and brake down the city, and sowed salt in it.

And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard it, they went into the fortress of the house of Berith the god.

And when Abimelech heard that all the men of the tower of Sichern were gathered together, 48. And he went up into mount Zalmon with all his people that were with him, and took an axe in his hand, and cut down a branch from the trees, and took it up, and laid it upon his shoulder, and said unto all the people that were with him, As ye have seen me do, so do ye hasted, as I have done.

And all the