And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, you are but a dead man, for the woman that you have taken; for she is a man's wife.

But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, will you slay also a righteous nation?

Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were much afraid.

Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What have you done unto us? and how have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? you have done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.

And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What was your thinking, that you have done this thing?

And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored to him Sarah his wife.

And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before you: dwell where it pleases you.

So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bore children.

For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.

And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol the chief captain of his host spoke unto Abraham, saying, God is with you in all that you do:

And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.

And Abimelech said, I know not who has done this thing: neither did you tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but today.

And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.

And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?

Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

And there was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was caressing Rebekah his wife.

And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a truth she is your wife: and how said you, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.

And Abimelech said, What is this you have done unto us? one of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guiltiness upon us.

And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for you are much mightier than we.

Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phicol the chief captain of his army.

And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.

And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and spoke with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

And his mother's brethren spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.

And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless persons, who followed him.

And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem.

Now therefore, if you have done truly and sincerely, in that you have made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands;

And you are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)

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

But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.

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

When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,

Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:

That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, who aided him in the killing of his brethren.

And the men of Shechem set men in ambush for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.

And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and made merry, 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 who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?

And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase your army, and come out.

And he sent messengers unto Abimelech secretly, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren are come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against you.

And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid in wait against Shechem in four companies.

And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait.

Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now your mouth, with which you said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that you have despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.

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

And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entrance of the gate.

And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.

And it came to pass the next day, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.

And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew them.

And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that were therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

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

And Abimelech went up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an ax in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people that were with him, What you have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.

And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them against the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire over them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.

Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.

And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went near unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and broke his skull.

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

Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:

And after Abimelech there arose to deliver Israel Tola the son of Puah the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.

Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went you near the wall? then say, Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

[A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.] I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.