for my father fought and {risked his life} for you and delivered you from the hand of Midian;

It was told to Abimelech that all the lords of the tower of Shechem had gathered. So Abimelech went up Mount Zalmon, he and all his army that [were] with him, and Abimelech took the ax in his hand and cut down a bundle of brushwood, and he lifted it and put [it] on his shoulder. And he said to the army that [was] with him, "What you have seen me do, quickly do also." read more. So the whole army cut down each one branch for himself and followed Abimelech, and they put [them] against the vault and set the vault ablaze with fire on those [inside], so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women.

And he built towers in the desert and hewed many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the Shephelah and on the plain, [along with] farmers and vinedressers in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil.

Yahweh [is] my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I have taken refuge, my shield and the horn of my deliverance, my stronghold.

Walk about Zion and circle it; count her towers.

So I will sing the praise of your name forever, that I may fulfill my vows {daily}.

A tower of strength is the name of Yahweh; into him the righteous will run and be safe.

And he dug it and cleared it of stones, and he planted it [with] choice vines, and he built a watchtower in the middle of it, and he even hewed out a wine vat in it, and he waited for [it] to yield grapes-- but it yielded wild grapes.

For the Lord said this to me: "Go, set watchman in position. He must announce what he sees. When he sees riders, a pair of horsemen, riders of donkeys, riders of camels, {then} he must listen attentively, paying attention, paying {special} attention." read more. Then [the] {watchman} called, "Lord, I [am] standing on [the] watchtower continually by day, and I [am] standing at my post {throughout} the night. And look [at] this! A man's a chariot [is] coming, a pair of horsemen!" Then he responded and said, "It has fallen! Babylon has fallen! And all the images of her gods are smashed on the ground!"

"Son of man, speak to {your people}, and you must say to them, 'A land, if I bring over it a sword and the people of the land take a man, one from their number, and they appoint him for them as a watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land, and he blows on the horn and he warns the people, read more. and {anyone who listens} hears the sound of the horn and {he does not take warning} and [the] sword comes and it takes him, his blood will be on his [own] head. [For] he heard the sound of the horn and he did not take warning; his blood will be on him. But [if] he took warning, he saved his life. And [as for] the watchman, if he sees the sword coming and {he does not blow} the horn, and the people [are] not warned, and [the] sword comes and it takes {their lives}, he will be taken through his guilt, but his blood from the hand of the watchman I will seek.'

And you, O Migdal-Eder, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you it will come, and the former dominion will come, [the] reign of the daughter of Jerusalem.

"Listen to another parable: There was a man--a master of a house--who planted a vineyard, and put a fence [around] it, and dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower, and leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey.

Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them--do you think that they were sinners worse than all the people who live in Jerusalem?

And they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower whose top [reaches to] the heavens. And let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered over the face of the whole earth."

And Israel journeyed [on] and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

And he said also to the men of Penuel, saying, "When I return {safely}, I will tear down this tower."

He broke down the tower of Penuel, and he killed the men of the city.

When all the lords of the tower of Shechem heard, they went to the vault of the temple of El-Berith.

And Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the Angle, and he strengthened them.

Walk about Zion and circle it; count her towers.

Your neck [is] like the tower of David, built in courses; a thousand {ornaments} are hung on it, all the shields of the warriors.

Your neck [is] like a tower of ivory; your eyes [are] pools in Heshbon at the gate of Beth Rabbim. Your nose [is] like the tower of Lebanon {looking out over Damascus}.

And he dug it and cleared it of stones, and he planted it [with] choice vines, and he built a watchtower in the middle of it, and he even hewed out a wine vat in it, and he waited for [it] to yield grapes-- but it yielded wild grapes.

Therefore look! I [am] against you and against your Nile streams, and I will make the land of Egypt into ruins, pile of rubble, desolation from Migdol [to] Syene and up to the boundary of Cush.

All the land will be transformed into a desert plateau from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But it will rise up high and it will stay in its place from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of [the] former gate, up to the Corner Gate and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's winepresses.

"Listen to another parable: There was a man--a master of a house--who planted a vineyard, and put a fence [around] it, and dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower, and leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey.

Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them--do you think that they were sinners worse than all the people who live in Jerusalem?

And Israel journeyed [on] and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

And he built towers in the desert and hewed many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the Shephelah and on the plain, [along with] farmers and vinedressers in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil.

And he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and he built forts and towers in the wooded places.

And he dug it and cleared it of stones, and he planted it [with] choice vines, and he built a watchtower in the middle of it, and he even hewed out a wine vat in it, and he waited for [it] to yield grapes-- but it yielded wild grapes.

And you, O Migdal-Eder, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you it will come, and the former dominion will come, [the] reign of the daughter of Jerusalem.

"Listen to another parable: There was a man--a master of a house--who planted a vineyard, and put a fence [around] it, and dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower, and leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey.

And he began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard, and put a fence [around it], and dug a trough for the winepress, and built a watchtower, and leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey.