1   And ^note Abimelech the sonne of Ierobaal went into Sichem to his mothers brethren and spake to them, and to al the kinred of the house of his mothers father, saying:

2   Speake to al the men of Sichem: whether is better for you, that seuentie men haue dominion ouer you al the sonnes of Ierobaal, or that one man haue dominion ouer you? and withal consider that I am your bone, and your flesh.

3   And his mothers brethren spake of him to al the men of Sichem, al these wordes, and inclined their hartes after Abimelech, saying: He is our brother.

4   And they gaue him seuentie weight of siluer out of the temple of Baalberit. Who hyred there with vnto him self needie men and vagaboundes, and they folowed him.

5   And he came into his fathers house in Ephra, and murdered his brethren the sonnes of Ierobaal

Abimelech an vsurper. seuentie men, vpon one stone: and there remayned Ioatham the youngest sonne of Ierobaal, and was hidde.

6   And al the men of Sichem assembled together al the families of the citie of Mello: and they went & made Abimelech king, beside the oke, that stood in Sichem.

7   Which being told to Ioatham, he went, ^note and stoode in the toppe of mount Garizim: and lifting vp his voice, he cried, and said: Heare me ye men of Sichem, so as God may heare you.

8   09Q0180The trees went to anointe a king ouer them: and they said to the ^note oliue tree: Reigne ouer vs.

9   Which answered: Can I forsake my fatnes, which both goddes do vse, and men, and come to be promoted among the trees?

10   And the trees said to the ^note figge tree: Come, and take the kingdome ouer vs.

11   Which answered them: Can I forsake my sweetenes, and my most sweete fruites, and go to be promoted among the other trees?

12   And the trees spake to the ^note vine: Come, and reigne ouer vs.

13   Which answered them: Can I forsake my wine, that chereth God and men, & be promoted among the other trees?

14   And the trees said to ^note the ^note rhamnus: Come, and reigne ouer vs.

15   Who answered them: If in deede you make me your king, Come, and rest vnder my shadow: but if you meane it not, let there fyre issue forth of the rhamnus, and deuoure the ceders of Libanus.

16   Now therfore, if you haue wel, and without sinne appointed Abimelech king ouer you, and haue dealt wel with Ierobaal, and with his house, and haue requitted him the like for his benefites, who fought for you,

17   and put his life in dangers, that he might deliuer you from the hand of Madian,

18   who now are risen against my fathers house, and haue killed his sonnes seuentie men vpon one stone, and haue made Abimelech the sonne of his handmaide king ouer the inhabitantes of Sichem, because he is your brother.

19   If therfore you haue dealt wel, and without fault with Ierobaal, and his house, reioyse this day in Abimelech, and reioyse he in you.

20   But if vniustly: let there fyre issue forth from him, and consume the inhabitantes of Sichem, and towne of Mello: and let there fire goe forth from the men of Sichem, and from the towne of Mello, and deuoure Abimelech.

21   Which thinges when he had said, he fled, and went into Bera: and dwelt there for feare of Abimelech his brother.

22   Abimelech therfore reigned ouet Israel three yeares.

23   And our Lord sent ^note a verie euil spirit betwen

Abimelec. Abimelech and the inhabitantes of Sichem: Who began to detest him,

24   and to lay the wickednes of the murdering of the seuentie sonnes of Ierobaal, and the sheading of their bloud vpon Abimelech their brother, and vpon the rest of the princes of the Sichimites, that had holpen him.

25   And they sette an ambushment against him on the toppe of the mountaines: and whiles they taryed for his coming, they committed robberies, taking prayes of them that passed by: and it was told Abimelech.

26   And Gaal the sonne of Obed came with his brethen, and passed into Sichem. At whose coming the inhabitantes of Sichem taking courage,

27   issued forth into the fieldes, wasting the vineyardes, and treading the grapes: and gathering companies of musicions went into the temple of their god, and in their bankettes and cuppes cursed Abimelech,

28   Gaal the sonne of Obed crying: Who is Abimelech, and what is Sichem, that we should serue him? Is he not the sonne of Ierobaal, and hath made Zebul his seruant prince ouer the men of Emor the father of Sichem? Why then shal we serue him?

29   would God that some man would geue this people vnder my hand, that I might take Abimelech out of the way. And some said to Abimelech: Gather together a multitude of an armie, and come.

30   For Zebul the prince of the citie, hearing the wordes of Gaal the sonne of Obed, was very wrath,

31   and sent messengers secretely to Abimelech, saying: Behold, Gaal the sonne of Obed is come into Sichem with his brethren, and rayseth the citie against thee

32   Arise therfore in the night with the people, that is with thee, and lie hidde in the field:

33   and betimes in the morning at sunne rysing, sette vpon the citie. And when he issueth forth against thee with his people, do to him what thou shalt be able.

34   Abimelech therfore arose with al his armie in the night, and laide ambushementes nere to Sichem in foure places.

35   And Gaal the sonne of Obed went forth, & stoode in the entrance of the gate of the citie. And Abimelech rose, and al his armie with him from the place of the ambushmentes.

36   And when Gaal had seene the people, he said to Zebul: Behold a multitude cometh downe from the mountaines. To whom he answered: Thou seest the shadowes of the mountaines as it were heades of men, and with this errour thou art deceiued.

37   Againe Gaal said: Behold there cometh downe people from the nauel of the land, and one trouppe cometh by the way,

Gedeon. that looketh to the oke.

38   To whom Zebul said: Where is now thy mouth, wherwith thou didst speake? Who is Abimelech that we should serue him? Is not this the people, which thou didst despise? Goe forth, and fight against him.

39   Gaal therfore went, the people of the Sichimites looking on, and fought against Abimelech,

40   who pursewed him fleeing, and driue him into the citie: and there were slaine of his part manie, vnto the gate of the citie:

41   and Abimelech sate in Ruma: but Zebul expelled Gaal, and his companions out of the citie, neither did he suffer them to abide in it.

42   Therfore the day folowing the people went forth into the field. Which being told to Abimelech,

43   he tooke his armie, and diuided it into three troupes, setting ambushmentes in the fieldes. And seeing that the people came out of the citie, he arose, & set vpon them

44   with his owne troupe, oppugning and besieging the citie: and two troupes scattered through the field pursewed the aduersaries.

45   Moreouer Abimelech al that day oppugned the citie: which he tooke, & killed the inhabitantes therof, and destroyed it, so that he ^note sowed salt in it.

46   Which when they had heard that dwelt in the towre of Sichem, they entered into the temple of their god Berith, where they had made a couenant with him, and therof the place had taken his name, which was exceding wel fensed.

47   Abimelech also hearing that the men of the towre of Sichem were gathered together,

48   he went vp into mount Selmon with al his people: and taking an axe, he cut of the bough of a tree, and laying it on his shoulder & carying it, he said to his companions: That which you see me do, doe ye out of hand.

49   They therfore cutting of boughes from the trees, euerie man as fast as he could, folowed their captaine. Who compassing the forte burnt it: and so it came to passe, that with the smoke and the fyre a thousand persons were slaine, men and wemen together, of the inhabitantes of the towre of Sichem.

50   And Abimelech departing thence came to the towne of Thebes, which compassing he besieged with his armie.

51   And there was in the middes of the citie an high towre, to the which were fled both men and wemen together, and al the princes of the citie, the gate being shut very strongly, and they standing vpon the batlementes of the towre by the bulwarkes.

52   And Abimelech coming nere the towre, fought manfully:

Thola. and approching to the doore, endeuoured to put fire vnder it:

53   and behold one woman casting from aboue a peece of a milstone, ^note dashed it against the head of Abimelech, and brake his brayne.

54   Who called by and by his esquire, and said to him: Draw out thy sword, and strike me: lest perhaps it be said that I was slaine of a woman. Who doing as he was commanded slew him.

55   And when he was dead, al that were with him of Israel, returned into their seates:

56   and God repayed the euil, that Abimelech had done against his father, killing his seuentie brethren.

57   The Sichemites were also rewarded for that which they had wrought, and the curse of Ioatham the sonne of Ierobaal came vpon them.

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