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Judges, starting at chapter 7
{7:1} Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people who were
with him, rose up early, and encamped beside the spring of Harod: and
the camp of Midian was on the north side of them, by the hill of
Moreh, in the valley. {7:2} The LORD said to Gideon, "The people who
are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their
hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, 'My own hand
has saved me.' {7:3} Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people,
saying, 'Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart
from Mount Gilead.'" Twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and
ten thousand remained.
{7:4} The LORD said to Gideon, "The people are still too many. Bring
them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. It shall
be, that of whom I tell you, 'This shall go with you,' the same shall
go with you; and of whoever I tell you, 'This shall not go with you,'
the same shall not go." {7:5} So he brought down the people to the
water; and the LORD said to Gideon, "Everyone who laps of the water
with his tongue, like a dog laps, you shall set him by himself;
likewise everyone who bows down on his knees to drink." {7:6} The
number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was
three hundred men; but all the rest of the people bowed down on their
knees to drink water. {7:7} The LORD said to Gideon, "By the three
hundred men who lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites
into your hand. Let all the other people go, each to his own place."
{7:8} So the people took food in their hand, and their
[1>]shofars[<1]; and he sent all the men of Israel every man to his
tent, but retained the three hundred men: and the camp of Midian was
beneath him in the valley. {7:9} It happened the same night, that the
LORD said to him, "Arise, go down into the camp; for I have delivered
it into your hand. {7:10} But if you are afraid to go down, go with
Purah your servant down to the camp: {7:11} and you shall hear what
they say; and afterward your hands will be strengthened to go down
into the camp." Then went he down with Purah his servant to the
outermost part of the armed men who were in the camp.
{7:12} The Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the
east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude; and their
camels were without number, as the sand which is on the seashore for
multitude.
{7:13} When Gideon had come, behold, there was a man telling a dream
to his fellow; and he said, "Behold, I dreamed a dream; and behold, a
cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came to the
tent, and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so
that the tent lay flat."
{7:14} His fellow answered, "This is nothing other than the sword of
Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel. God has delivered Midian
into his hand, with all the army."
{7:15} It was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and
its interpretation, that he worshiped; and he returned into the camp
of Israel, and said, "Arise; for the LORD has delivered the army of
Midian into your hand!"
{7:16} He divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he
put into the hands of all of them [2>]shofars[<2], and empty pitchers,
with torches within the pitchers.
{7:17} He said to them, "Watch me, and do likewise. Behold, when I
come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so
you shall do. {7:18} When I blow the [3>]shofar[<3], I and all who are
with me, then blow the [4>]shofars[<4] also on every side of all the
camp, and shout, 'For the LORD and for Gideon!'"
{7:19} So Gideon, and the hundred men who were with him, came to the
outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, when
they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the [5>]shofars[<5],
and broke in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands. {7:20} The
three companies blew the [6>]shofars[<6], and broke the pitchers, and
held the torches in their left hands, and the [7>]shofars[<7] in their
right hands with which to blow; and they shouted, "The sword of the
LORD and of Gideon!" {7:21} They each stood in his place around the
camp; and all the army ran; and they shouted, and put them to flight.
{7:22} They blew the three hundred [8>]shofars[<8], and the LORD set
every man's sword against his fellow, and against all the army; and
the army fled as far as Beth Shittah toward Zererah, as far as the
border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath. {7:23} The men of Israel were
gathered together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all
Manasseh, and pursued after Midian. {7:24} Gideon sent messengers
throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against
Midian, and take before them the waters, as far as Beth Barah, even
the Jordan!" So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and
took the waters as far as Beth Barah, even the Jordan. {7:25} They
took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and they killed Oreb at
the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb, and
pursued Midian: and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon
beyond the Jordan.
{8:1} The men of Ephraim said to him, "Why have you treated us this
way, that you didn't call us, when you went to fight with Midian?"
They rebuked him sharply. {8:2} He said to them, "What have I now done
in comparison with you? Isn't the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim
better than the vintage of Abiezer? {8:3} God has delivered into your
hand the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb! What was I able to do in
comparison with you?" Then their anger was abated toward him, when he
had said that.
{8:4} Gideon came to the Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three
hundred men who were with him, faint, yet pursuing. {8:5} He said to
the men of Succoth, "Please give loaves of bread to the people who
follow me; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and
Zalmunna, the kings of Midian."
{8:6} The princes of Succoth said, "Are the hands of Zebah and
Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?"
{8:7} Gideon said, "Therefore when the LORD has delivered Zebah and
Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of
the wilderness and with briers."
{8:8} He went up there to Penuel, and spoke to them in the same way;
and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.
{8:9} He spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, "When I come again
in peace, I will break down this tower."
{8:10} Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with
them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of
the children of the east; for there fell one hundred twenty thousand
men who drew sword. {8:11} Gideon went up by the way of those who
lived in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and struck the army;
for the army was secure. {8:12} Zebah and Zalmunna fled; and he
pursued after them; and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and
Zalmunna, and confused all the army. {8:13} Gideon the son of Joash
returned from the battle from the ascent of Heres. {8:14} He caught a
young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he described
for him the princes of Succoth, and its elders, seventy-seven men.
{8:15} He came to the men of Succoth, and said, "See Zebah and
Zalmunna, concerning whom you taunted me, saying, 'Are the hands of
Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your
men who are weary?'" {8:16} He took the elders of the city, and thorns
of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of
Succoth. {8:17} He broke down the tower of Penuel, and killed the men
of the city.
{8:18} Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men were
they whom you killed at Tabor?"
They answered, "They were like you. Each one resembled the children
of a king."
{8:19} He said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As
the LORD lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you."
{8:20} He said to Jether his firstborn, "Get up, and kill them!" But
the youth didn't draw his sword; for he was afraid, because he was yet
a youth.
{8:21} Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise and fall on us; for as
the man is, so is his strength." Gideon arose, and killed Zebah and
Zalmunna, and took the crescents that were on their camels' necks.
{8:22} Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, both
you, and your son, and your son's son also; for you have saved us out
of the hand of Midian."
{8:23} Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, neither shall
my son rule over you. The LORD shall rule over you." {8:24} Gideon
said to them, "I would make a request of you, that you would give me
every man the earrings of his spoil." (For they had golden earrings,
because they were Ishmaelites.)
{8:25} They answered, "We will willingly give them." They spread a
garment, and every man threw the earrings of his spoil into it. {8:26}
The weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand
and seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescents, and the
pendants, and the purple clothing that was on the kings of Midian, and
besides the chains that were about their camels' necks. {8:27} Gideon
made an ephod of it, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all
Israel played the prostitute after it there; and it became a snare to
Gideon, and to his house. {8:28} So Midian was subdued before the
children of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more. The land
had rest forty years in the days of Gideon. {8:29} Jerubbaal the son
of Joash went and lived in his own house. {8:30} Gideon had seventy
sons conceived from his body; for he had many wives. {8:31} His
concubine who was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he named
him Abimelech. {8:32} Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age,
and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the
Abiezrites. {8:33} It happened, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the
children of Israel turned again, and played the prostitute after the
Baals, and made Baal Berith their god. {8:34} The children of Israel
didn't remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the
hand of all their enemies on every side; {8:35} neither did they show
kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, Gideon, according to all the
goodness which he had shown to Israel.
{9:1} Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's
brothers, and spoke with them, and with all the family of the house of
his mother's father, saying, {9:2} "Please speak in the ears of all
the men of Shechem, 'Is it better for you that all the sons of
Jerubbaal, who are seventy persons, rule over you, or that one rule
over you?' Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh."
{9:3} His mother's brothers 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." {9:4} They gave him
seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal Berith, with which
Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed him. {9:5} He
went to his father's house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers the sons
of Jerubbaal, being seventy persons, on one stone: but Jotham the
youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself. {9:6} All the
men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all the house of
Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar that
was in Shechem. {9:7} When they told it to Jotham, he went and stood
on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and
said to them, "Listen to me, you men of Shechem, that God may listen
to you. {9:8} The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over
them; and they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us.'
{9:9} "But the olive tree said to them, 'Should I leave my fatness,
with which by me they honor God and man, and go to wave back and forth
over the trees?'
{9:10} "The trees said to the fig tree, 'Come and reign over us.'
{9:11} "But the fig tree said to them, 'Should I leave my sweetness,
and my good fruit, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?'
{9:12} "The trees said to the vine, 'Come and reign over us.'
{9:13} "The vine said to them, 'Should I leave my new wine, which
cheers God and man, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?'
{9:14} "Then all the trees said to the bramble, 'Come and reign over
us.'
{9:15} "The bramble said to the trees, 'If in truth you anoint me
king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let
fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.'
{9:16} "Now therefore, if you have dealt truly and righteously, in
that you have made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with
Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him according to the
deserving of his hands {9:17} (for my father fought for you, and
risked his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian: {9:18}
and you have risen up against my father's house this day, and have
slain his sons, seventy persons, on one stone, and have made
Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the men of
Shechem, because he is your brother); {9:19} if you then have dealt
truly and righteously with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then
rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: {9:20} 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."
{9:21} Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and lived there,
for fear of Abimelech his brother.
{9:22} Abimelech was prince over Israel three years. {9:23} God sent
an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men
of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: {9:24} that the
violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that
their blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them,
and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his
brothers. {9:25} The men of Shechem set an ambush for him on the tops
of the mountains, and they robbed all who came along that way by them:
and it was told Abimelech. {9:26} Gaal the son of Ebed came with his
brothers, and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their
trust in him. {9:27} They went out into the field, and harvested their
vineyards, and trod the grapes, and held festival, and went into the
house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech. {9:28}
Gaal the son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that
we should serve him? Isn't he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his
officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: but why should
we serve him? {9:29} Would that this people were under my hand! Then I
would remove Abimelech." He said to Abimelech, "Increase your army,
and come out!"
{9:30} When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the
son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. {9:31} He sent messengers to
Abimelech craftily, saying, "Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his
brothers have come to Shechem; and behold, they incite the city
against you. {9:32} Now therefore, go up by night, you and the people
who are with you, and lie in wait in the field: {9:33} and it shall
be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, you shall rise
early, and rush on the city; and behold, when he and the people who
are with him come out against you, then may you do to them as you
shall find occasion."
{9:34} Abimelech rose up, and all the people who were with him, by
night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies. {9:35}
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 who were with him,
from the ambush.
{9:36} When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, "Behold, people
are coming down from the tops of the mountains."
Zebul said to him, "You see the shadow of the mountains as if they
were men."
{9:37} Gaal spoke again and said, "Behold, people are coming down by
the middle of the land, and one company comes by the way of the oak of
Meonenim."
{9:38} Then Zebul said to him, "Now where is your mouth, that you
said, 'Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?' Isn't this the
people that you have despised? Please go out now and fight with them."
{9:39} Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with
Abimelech. {9:40} Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and
many fell wounded, even to the entrance of the gate. {9:41} Abimelech
lived at Arumah: and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers, that they
should not dwell in Shechem. {9:42} It happened on the next day, that
the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech. {9:43} He
took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait
in the field; and he looked, and behold, the people came forth out of
the city; He rose up against them, and struck them. {9:44} Abimelech,
and the companies that were with him, rushed forward, and stood in the
entrance of the gate of the city: and the two companies rushed on all
who were in the field, and struck them. {9:45} Abimelech fought
against the city all that day; and he took the city, and killed the
people who were therein: and he beat down the city, and sowed it with
salt.
{9:46} When all the men of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they
entered into the stronghold of the house of Elberith. {9:47} It was
told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered
together. {9:48} Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the
people who were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and
cut down a bough from the trees, and took it up, and laid it on his
shoulder: and he said to the people who were with him, "What you have
seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done!" {9:49} All the people
likewise each cut down his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them
at the base of the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire on them;
so that all the people of the tower of Shechem died also, about a
thousand men and women. {9:50} Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and
encamped against Thebez, and took it. {9:51} But there was a strong
tower within the city, and there fled all the men and women, and all
they of the city, and shut themselves in, and went up to the roof of
the tower. {9:52} Abimelech came to the tower, and fought against it,
and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire. {9:53} A
certain woman cast an upper millstone on Abimelech's head, and broke
his skull.
{9:54} Then he called hastily to the young man his armor bearer, and
said to him, "Draw your sword, and kill me, that men not say of me, 'A
woman killed him.' His young man thrust him through, and he died."
{9:55} When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they
departed every man to his place. {9:56} Thus God requited the
wickedness of Abimelech, which he did to his father, in killing his
seventy brothers; {9:57} and all the wickedness of the men of Shechem
did God requite on their heads: and on them came the curse of Jotham
the son of Jerubbaal.
________________________________________________________________________
Footnotes:
[1] {7:8} or, trumpets
[2] {7:16} or, trumpets
[3] {7:18} or, trumpet
[4] {7:18} or, trumpets
[5] {7:19} or, trumpets
[6] {7:20} or, trumpets
[7] {7:20} or, trumpets
[8] {7:22} or, trumpets
________________________________________________________________________
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