Then said the trees to the fig tree, 'Come thou and be king over us.'

And the fig tree answered them, 'Should I forsake my sweetness and my good fruit, and should go to be promoted over the trees?'

Then said the trees unto the vine, 'Come thou and be king over us.'

And the furze bush said unto the trees, "If it will be true that ye will anoint me king over you, then come and rest under my shadow, and ye shall see that a fire shall come out of the furze-bush and waste the cypress trees of Lebanon!'

And even so, now: if ye have done truly and uncorruptly to make Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands,

But, if ye have not dealt truly, then I pray God a fire may come out of Abimelech and consume the citizens of Shechem and the house of Mello. And that there come a fire out of the citizens of Shechem, and out of the house of Mello and consume Abimelech."

- forasmuch as my father fought for you and adventured his life, and rid you out of the hands of the Midianites -

If, then, ye have dealt purely and truly with Jerubbaal and with his house this day: then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.

And the vine answered, 'Should I leave my wine that cheereth both God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?'

And the citizens of Shechem set men to lay await for him in the top of the mountains, which men robbed all that came along the way by them. And it was told Abimelech.

And Jotham ran away and fled and went to Beer and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

God sent a hate between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem. And the citizens of Shechem railed upon Abimelech,

Then said all the trees unto the furze-bush, 'Come thou and reign over us.'

And his mother's brethren rehearsed of him in the audience of all the citizens of Shechem, all these words, and moved their hearts to follow Abimelech, in that they said how he was their brother.

And they went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew all his brethren, the sons of Jerubbaal, even seventy persons upon one stone. Notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal escaped, for he hid himself.

For Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, unto his mother's brethren, and communed with them and with all his mother's father's kindred, saying,

and ye are risen up against my father's house this day. And have slain his children, even seventy persons upon one stone and have made Abimelech - the son of his maidservant - king over the citizens of Shechem, because he is your brother.

And when it was told Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lift up his voice and called, and said unto them, "Hearken unto me you citizens of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.

The trees went to anoint a king over them, and said unto the olive tree, 'Reign over us.'

And all the citizens of Shechem gathered together with all the house of Mello, and went and made Abimelech king at a certain oak that was by Shechem.

When Abimelech had reigned three years,

And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, with which Abimelech hired vain and light persons which went with him.

and wished that the wickedness done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come on him, and laid the blood of them unto Abimelech their brother which slew them, and unto the other citizens of Shechem which aided him in the killing of his brethren.

"Say, I pray you, in the ears of all the inhabiters of Shechem: whether is better for you that all the sons of Jerubbaal which are seventy persons reign over you, either that one reign over you. And remember thereto, that I am your bones and your flesh."

And Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren went and gat them to Shechem. And the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.

And Gaal the son of Ebed said, "What is Abimelech, and what is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and Zebul is his officer? Serve such as come of Hamor the father of Shechem. For what reason is it that we should serve him?

Would God this people were under my hand, then I would take Abimelech out of the way." And one said unto Abimelech, "Make thine host greater and go out."

But the olive tree said unto them, 'Should I leave my fatness which both God and man praiseth in me, and go to be promoted over the trees?'

And they went out into the fields and gathered in their grapes and trod them and made merry: and went into the house of their God, and did eat and drink and cursed Abimelech.

And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Abed, he was wroth,

And rise early in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, and come upon the city. And when he and the people that is with him come out against thee, do to him what thine hands shall be able."

and sent messengers unto Abimelech privily saying, "Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem: and behold they set the city against thee.

And when all the men of the town of Shechem heard that, they entered into a stronghold of the house of their god Baalberith.

And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night. And they laid await to the city in four companies.

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

Then went Abimelech to Thebez and besieged it and took it.

But a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon his head and all to break his brainpan.

Then Abimelech called hastily unto the young man that bare his harness, and said unto him, "Draw thy sword and slay me, that men say not of me, 'A woman slew him.'" And his lad thrust him through and he died.

and thereto all the wickedness of the men of Shechem, God did bring upon their heads: And upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

he gat him to mount Zalmon, both he and all that were with him, and took axes with him and cut down an arm of a tree, and took it up, and put it on his shoulder, and said unto the folk that were with him, "Whatsoever ye see me do: speed yourselves and do likewise."

And Gaal answered again and said, "See, there come folk down by the middle of the land and another company come along by the charmer's oak."

And then Abimelech went and dwelt at Arumah. And then Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, and would not suffer them to dwell in Shechem.

Then came Abimelech unto the tower and fought against it, and went hard unto the entering of the gate, to set it on fire.

And Abimelech chased him that he fled before him and many were overthrown and slain, even until they came unto the entering of the gate.

Now, therefore, up by night, both thou and all the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the fields.

And Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entering of the gate of the city. And Abimelech rose up and the folk that were with him, from lying await.

But there was a strong tower in the midst of the city, and thither ran all the men and women and all the citizens of the city and shut it to them, and got them up upon the top of the tower.

And all the people cut down also every man a bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them into the hold, and set the hold a fire upon them: so that all the men of the tower of Shechem were slain, upon a thousand persons what of men and women together.

And thus all the wickedness of Abimelech which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren,

And he took his people and divided them into three companies and lay await in the fields. And when he saw that the people were come out of the city, he ran upon them and laid upon them.

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

And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, "Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains." And Zebul said unto him, "The shadow of the hills seem men unto thee."

And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed, every man unto his own house.

And Abimelech, and the companies that were with him, ran and stood in the entering of the gate of the city. And the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields and slew them.

Then said Zebul unto him, "Where is now thy mouth that said, 'What fellow is Abimelech, that we should serve him?' These are the people that thou so despisest. Go out now a fellowship and fight with them."

And on the morrow the people went out into the field. And it was told Abimelech.

And when it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together,