Abimelek
1Abimelek son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother’s clan, 2“Ask all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal’s sons rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember, I am your flesh and blood.”
3When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelek, for they said, “He is related to us.” 4They gave him seventy shekels9:4 That is, about 1 3/4 pounds or about 800 grams of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels, who became his followers. 5He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, escaped by hiding. 6Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered beside the great tree at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelek king.
7When Jotham was told about this, he climbed up on the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, “Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you. 8One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king.’
9“But the olive tree answered, ‘Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and humans are honored, to hold sway over the trees?’
10“Next, the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and be our king.’
11“But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?’
12“Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come and be our king.’
13“But the vine answered, ‘Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and humans, to hold sway over the trees?’
14“Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and be our king.’
15“The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’
16“Have you acted honorably and in good faith by making Abimelek king? Have you been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family? Have you treated him as he deserves? 17Remember that my father fought for you and risked his life to rescue you from the hand of Midian. 18But today you have revolted against my father’s family. You have murdered his seventy sons on a single stone and have made Abimelek, the son of his female slave, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is related to you. 19So have you acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today? If you have, may Abimelek be your joy, and may you be his, too! 20But if you have not, let fire come out from Abimelek and consume you, the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelek!”
21Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and he lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelek.
22After Abimelek had governed Israel three years, 23God stirred up animosity between Abimelek and the citizens of Shechem so that they acted treacherously against Abimelek. 24God did this in order that the crime against Jerub-Baal’s seventy sons, the shedding of their blood, might be avenged on their brother Abimelek and on the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers. 25In opposition to him these citizens of Shechem set men on the hilltops to ambush and rob everyone who passed by, and this was reported to Abimelek.
26Now Gaal son of Ebed moved with his clan into Shechem, and its citizens put their confidence in him. 27After they had gone out into the fields and gathered the grapes and trodden them, they held a festival in the temple of their god. While they were eating and drinking, they cursed Abimelek. 28Then Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelek, and why should we Shechemites be subject to him? Isn’t he Jerub-Baal’s son, and isn’t Zebul his deputy? Serve the family of Hamor, Shechem’s father! Why should we serve Abimelek? 29If only this people were under my command! Then I would get rid of him. I would say to Abimelek, ‘Call out your whole army!’ ”9:29 Septuagint; Hebrew him.” Then he said to Abimelek, “Call out your whole army!”
30When Zebul the governor of the city heard what Gaal son of Ebed said, he was very angry. 31Under cover he sent messengers to Abimelek, saying, “Gaal son of Ebed and his clan have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you. 32Now then, during the night you and your men should come and lie in wait in the fields. 33In the morning at sunrise, advance against the city. When Gaal and his men come out against you, seize the opportunity to attack them.”
34So Abimelek and all his troops set out by night and took up concealed positions near Shechem in four companies. 35Now Gaal son of Ebed had gone out and was standing at the entrance of the city gate just as Abimelek and his troops came out from their hiding place.
36When Gaal saw them, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!”
Zebul replied, “You mistake the shadows of the mountains for men.”
37But Gaal spoke up again: “Look, people are coming down from the central hill,9:37 The Hebrew for this phrase means the navel of the earth. and a company is coming from the direction of the diviners’ tree.”
38Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your big talk now, you who said, ‘Who is Abimelek that we should be subject to him?’ Aren’t these the men you ridiculed? Go out and fight them!”
39So Gaal led out9:39 Or Gaal went out in the sight of the citizens of Shechem and fought Abimelek. 40Abimelek chased him all the way to the entrance of the gate, and many were killed as they fled. 41Then Abimelek stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his clan out of Shechem.
42The next day the people of Shechem went out to the fields, and this was reported to Abimelek. 43So he took his men, divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose to attack them. 44Abimelek and the companies with him rushed forward to a position at the entrance of the city gate. Then two companies attacked those in the fields and struck them down. 45All that day Abimelek pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city and scattered salt over it.
46On hearing this, the citizens in the tower of Shechem went into the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith. 47When Abimelek heard that they had assembled there, 48he and all his men went up Mount Zalmon. He took an ax and cut off some branches, which he lifted to his shoulders. He ordered the men with him, “Quick! Do what you have seen me do!” 49So all the men cut branches and followed Abimelek. They piled them against the stronghold and set it on fire with the people still inside. So all the people in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, also died.
50Next Abimelek went to Thebez and besieged it and captured it. 51Inside the city, however, was a strong tower, to which all the men and women—all the people of the city—had fled. They had locked themselves in and climbed up on the tower roof. 52Abimelek went to the tower and attacked it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, 53a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull.
54Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can’t say, ‘A woman killed him.’ ” So his servant ran him through, and he died. 55When the Israelites saw that Abimelek was dead, they went home.
56Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelek had done to his father by murdering his seventy brothers. 57God also made the people of Shechem pay for all their wickedness. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal came on them.
亞比米勒做王
1耶路·巴力的兒子亞比米勒去示劍的舅舅家，對外祖父全家說： 2「請你們去問示劍人，耶路·巴力的七十個兒子統治他們好呢，還是一個人統治他們好呢？別忘記我是你們的骨肉至親。」 3他們便將他的話轉告示劍人。示劍人因為亞比米勒是他們的親戚，都擁護他， 4從巴力·比利土的廟裡拿了七十塊銀子給他。他用這些錢收買了一班無賴做隨從。 5他前往俄弗拉，來到他父親家，在一塊磐石上殺死了他七十個同父異母的兄弟，只有耶路·巴力的小兒子約坦躲了起來，倖免於難。 6示劍和米羅的人都聚集到示劍石柱旁的橡樹下，擁立亞比米勒為王。
7約坦聽見這消息，便上到基利心山頂，高喊：「示劍人啊，你們要聽我說，這樣上帝也會聽你們說。 8從前，樹木要選一個王，它們對橄欖樹說，『你來做我們的王。』 9橄欖樹說，『我怎能因為貪圖淩駕於眾樹之上而停止出產用來尊崇神明與人的橄欖油呢？』 10樹木對無花果樹說，『你來做我們的王。』 11無花果樹說，『我怎能因為貪圖淩駕於眾樹之上而停止出產甜美的果子呢？』 12於是，樹木對葡萄樹說，『你來做我們的王。』 13葡萄樹說，『我怎能因為貪圖淩駕於眾樹之上而停止出產令神明和世人都快樂的美酒呢？』 14最後，所有的樹木都對荊棘說，『你來做我們的王。』 15荊棘回答說，『你們如果誠心立我為你們的王，就投靠在我的蔭下吧；不然，願火從荊棘中冒出來吞噬黎巴嫩的香柏樹。』
16「現在你們立亞比米勒為王，光明正大嗎？你們有沒有善待耶路·巴力和他一家？有沒有按他的功績對待他？ 17你們想想，從前我父親為你們出生入死，從米甸人手中拯救你們。 18現在你們卻背叛我父親家，在一塊磐石上殺死他七十個兒子。因為他婢女的兒子亞比米勒是你們的親戚，你們就立亞比米勒為示劍居民的王。 19如果你們光明正大地對待了耶路·巴力一家，願你們給亞比米勒帶來快樂，也願亞比米勒給你們帶來快樂。 20否則，願亞比米勒燒滅你們示劍人和米羅人，也願你們示劍人和米羅人燒滅亞比米勒。」 21約坦因懼怕他的兄弟亞比米勒，就逃往比珥居住。
亞比米勒毀滅示劍
22亞比米勒治理以色列三年後， 23上帝派遣一個邪靈挑起亞比米勒和示劍人之間的爭端，示劍人用詭詐的手段對待亞比米勒。 24這是要懲罰亞比米勒和幫他殘殺耶路·巴力七十個兒子的示劍人。 25示劍人在山頂設下埋伏，等候亞比米勒，他們搶劫所有過路的行人。有人把這事告訴了亞比米勒。
26以別的兒子迦勒和他的弟兄來到示劍，示劍人都信任他們。 27示劍人出城到田間採摘葡萄，踩榨葡萄汁，然後在他們的神廟中歡宴，盡情吃喝，咒詛亞比米勒。 28以別的兒子迦勒說：「亞比米勒是誰？我們示劍人是誰，竟要服侍他？他不就是耶路·巴力的兒子嗎？他的幫手不就是西布勒嗎？我們為什麼要服侍他？你們要服侍示劍人祖先哈抹的後代。 29要是這百姓歸我領導就好了！我會除掉亞比米勒，我會挑戰他召集全軍來戰9·29 「我會挑戰他召集全軍來戰」參照《七十士譯本》；希伯來文作「他對亞比米勒說：『召集你的全軍來戰吧！』」。」
30示劍城的官長西布勒聽見以別的兒子迦勒的話，勃然大怒， 31暗中派人對亞比米勒說：「以別的兒子迦勒和他的弟兄已經到了示劍，正在煽動全城反對你。 32請你晚上帶著部下埋伏在田間， 33清晨日出時攻城。迦勒帶著部下出來應戰時，你便可以見機行事。」
34於是，亞比米勒帶領軍隊夜間出發，兵分四路埋伏在示劍城外。 35早晨，以別的兒子迦勒出來站在城門口時，亞比米勒帶領部下從埋伏的地方衝了出來。 36迦勒看見他們，便對西布勒說：「看！有人正從山頂下來。」西布勒說：「你把山影看成人了吧。」 37迦勒說：「看！有人正從山上下來，還有一隊人正從占卜橡樹那邊的路上奔來。」 38西布勒說：「你的豪氣哪裡去了？你曾說，『亞比米勒是誰，我們竟要服侍他？』這些不就是你譏笑的人嗎？出去迎戰吧！」 39於是，迦勒率領示劍人出城迎戰亞比米勒。 40迦勒敗逃，亞比米勒緊追不捨，沿途有許多人受傷倒在地上，一直到城門口。 41之後，亞比米勒住在亞魯瑪，西布勒把迦勒和他的弟兄逐出示劍。
42第二天，示劍人出城來到田間。亞比米勒得知後， 43把部下兵分三隊，埋伏在田間，等城裡的人出來時，伏擊他們。 44亞比米勒率領一隊人衝到示劍的城門口，截斷示劍人的退路，其他兩隊擊殺田間的示劍人。 45亞比米勒鏖戰一天，攻陷了示劍城，殺了城內的居民，把整座城夷為平地，還撒上了鹽。
46示劍樓的人聽到風聲，躲進了伊勒·比利土神廟的內堂。 47亞比米勒得知他們都聚在那裡後， 48便領兵上撒們山用斧頭砍下樹枝，扛在肩上，並命令部下趕緊照做。 49他們都砍下樹枝，跟著亞比米勒把樹枝堆在神廟內堂的四周，放火燒死了示劍樓裡所有的人，男女約一千人。
50隨後，亞比米勒去圍攻提備斯，佔領了該城。 51全城的人連男帶女都逃進城中一座堅固的城樓內，鎖上大門，爬上樓頂。 52亞比米勒攻打城樓，走到城樓門口正準備放火時， 53有個婦人扔下一塊磨石，砸爛了他的頭。 54亞比米勒連忙對為他拿兵器的年輕人說：「拔刀殺了我吧，免得人們說，『一位婦人殺了他。』」於是，那年輕人刺死了他。 55以色列人見亞比米勒已死，便各自回家了。 56上帝就這樣使亞比米勒得到了報應，因為他殘殺了自己的七十個兄弟， 57上帝也讓示劍人因自己的一切惡行而得到了報應。耶路·巴力的兒子約坦的咒詛臨到了他們。
