Judges 9
1 Forsothe Abymelech, the sone of Gerobaal, yede in to Sichem to the britheren of his modir; and he spak to hem, and to al the kynrede of `the hows of his modir, and seide,
And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,
2 Speke ye to alle the men of Sichem, What is betere to you, that seuenti men, alle the sones of Gerobaal, be lordis of you, whether that o man be lord to you? and also biholde, for Y am youre boon, and youre fleisch.
Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether [is] better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, [which are] threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I [am] your bone and your flesh.
3 And the britheren of his modir spaken of hym alle these wordis to alle the men of Sichem; and bowiden her hertis aftir Abymelech, and seiden, He is oure brother.
And his mother’s brethren spake 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.
4 And thei yauen to hym seuenti weiytis of siluer of the temple of Baal Berith; and he hiride to hym therof men pore and hauynge no certeyn dwellynge, and thei sueden hym.
And they gave him threescore and ten [pieces] of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.
5 And he cam in to `the hows of his fadir in Ephra, and killide hise britheren the sones of Gerobaal, `seuenti men, on o stoon. And Joathan, the leste sone of Gerobaal, lefte, and was hid.
And he went unto his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, [being] threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.
6 Forsothe alle the men of Sichem, and alle the meynees of the citee of Mello, weren gadirid to gydere, and thei yeden, and maden Abymelech kyng, bysidis the ook that stood in Sichem.
And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that [was] in Shechem.
7 And whanne this thing was teld to Joathan, he yede, and stood in the cop of the hil Garisym, and cried with `vois reisid, and seide, Ye men of Sichem, here me, so that God here you.
And when they told [it] to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.
8 Trees yeden to anoynte a kyng on hem; and tho seiden to the olyue tre, Comaunde thou to vs.
The trees went forth [on a time] to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.
9 Whiche answeride, Whether Y may forsake my fatnesse, which bothe Goddis and men vsen, and come, that Y be auaunsid among trees?
But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
10 And the trees seiden to the fige tree, Come thou, and take the rewme on vs.
And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, [and] reign over us.
11 Which answeride to hem, Whether Y may forsake my swetnesse and swetteste fruytis, and go that Y be auaunsid among othere trees?
But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?
12 Also `the trees spaken to the vyne, Come thou, and comaunde to vs.
Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, [and] reign over us.
13 Which answeride, Whether Y may forsake my wyn, that gladith God and men, and be auaunsid among othere trees?
And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
14 And alle trees seiden to the ramne, ether theue thorn, Come thou, and be lord on vs.
Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, [and] reign over us.
15 Whiche answeride to hem, If ye maken me verili kyng to you, come ye, and reste vndur my schadewe; sotheli, if ye nylen, fier go out of the ramne, and deuoure the cedris of the Liban.
And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, [then] come [and] put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
16 Now therfor if riytfuli and without synne `ye han maad Abymelech kyng on you, and ye han do wel with Jerobaal, and with his hows, and ye han yolde while to the benefices of hym,
Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made 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;
17 that fauyt for you, and yaf his lijf to perelis, that he schulde delyuere you fro the hond of Madian;
(For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:
18 and ye han rise now ayens the hows of my fadir, and han slayn hyse sones, seuenti men, on o stoon, and `han maad Abymelech, sone of his handmayde, kyng on the dwelleris of Sichem, for he is youre brother;
And ye 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; )
19 therfor if ye han do riytfuli, and with out synne with Gerobaal and his hows, to dai be ye glad in Abymelech, and be he glad in you; but if ye han do weiwardli,
If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, [then] rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:
20 fier go out `of hym, and waste the dwelleris of Sichem, and the citee of Mello; and fier go out of the men of Sichem, and of the citee of Mello, and deuoure Abymelech.
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.
21 And whanne he hadde seide these thingis, he fledde, and yede in to Berara, and dwellide there, for drede of Abymelech, his brother.
And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
22 And Abymelech regnede on Israel thre yeer.
When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,
23 And the Lord sente the worste spirit bitwixe Abymelech and the dwelleris of Sichem, whiche bigynnen to holde hym abomynable,
Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
24 and to arette the felony of sleyng of seuenti sones of Gerobaal, and the schedyng out of her blood, in to Abymelech her brother, and to othere princes of Sichem, that hadden helpid hym.
That the cruelty [done] to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren.
25 And thei settiden buyschementis ayens hym in the hiynesse of hillis; and the while thei abideden `the comyng of hym, thei hauntiden theftis, and token preies of men passynge forth; and it was teld to Abymelech.
And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.
26 Forsothe Gaal, `the sone of Obed, cam with his britheren, and passide in to Siccima; at whos entryng the dwelleris of Sichem weren reisid, and yeden out `in to feeldis,
And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.
27 and wastiden vyneris, and `to-traden grapis; and with cumpeneys of syngeris maad thei entriden in to `the temple of her God, and among metis and drynkis thei cursiden Abymalech, while Gaal,
And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode [the grapes], and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.
28 the sone of Obed, criede, Who is this Abymelech? And what is Sichem, that we serue hym? Whether he is not the sone of Jerobaal, and made Zebul his seruaunt prince on the men of Emor, fadir of Sichem? Whi therfor schulen we serue hym?
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?
29 `Y wolde, that sum man yaf this puple vndur myn hond, that Y schulde take awei Abimelech fro the myddis. And it was seid to Abymelech, Gadere thou the multitude of oost, and come thou.
And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.
30 For whanne the wordis of Gaal, sone of Obed, weren herd, Zebul, the prynce of the citee, was ful wrooth;
And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.
31 and he sente priueli messangeris to Abymelech, and seide, Lo! Gaal, sone of Obed, cam in to Siccymam, with hise britheren, and he excitith the citee to fiyte ayens thee;
And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee.
32 therfor rise thou bi niyt with the puple, which is with thee, and be thou hid in the feeld;
Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that [is] with thee, and lie in wait in the field:
33 and first in the morewtid, whanne the sunne rysith, falle on the citee; forsothe whanne he goth out with his puple ayens thee, do thou to hym that that thou maist.
And it shall be, [that] in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold, [when] he and the people that [is] with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion.
34 Therfor Abymelech roos with al his oost bi nyyt, and settide buyschementis bisidis Siccimam, in foure placis.
And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that [were] with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.
35 And Gaal, the sone of Obed, yede out, and stood in the entryng of `the yate of the citee. Forsothe Abymelech and al the oost with hym roos fro the place of buyschementis.
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 people that [were] with him, from lying in wait.
36 And whanne Gaal hadde seyn the puple, he seide to Zebul, Lo! a multitude cometh doun fro the hillis. To whom he answeride, Thou seest the schadewis of hillis as the `heedis of men, and thou art disseyued bi this errour.
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, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as [if they were] men.
37 And eft Gaal seide, Lo! a puple cometh doun fro the myddis of erthe, `that is, fro the hiynesse of hillis, and o cumpeny cometh bi the weie that biholdith the ook.
And Gaal spake again and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim.
38 To whom Zebul seide, Where is now thi mouth, bi which thou spekist, Who is Abymelech, that we serue hym? Whether this is not the puple, whom thou dispisidist? Go thou out, and fiyte ayens hym.
Then said Zebul unto him, Where [is] now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who [is] Abimelech, that we should serve him? [is] not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.
39 Therfor Gaal yede, while the puple of Sichen abood; and he fauyt ayens Abymelech.
And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.
40 Which pursuede Gaal fleynge, and constreynede to go in to the citee; and ful many of his part felde doun `til to the yate of the citee.
And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown [and] wounded, [even] unto the entering of the gate.
41 And Abymelech sat in Ranna; sotheli Zebul puttide Gaal and hise felowis out of the citee, and suffride not to dwelle ther ynne.
And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.
42 Therfor in the dai suynge the puple yede out in to the feeld; and whanne this thing was teld to Abymelech,
And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.
43 he took his oost, and departide `in to thre cumpenyes, and settide buyschementis in the feeldis; and he siy that the puple yede out of the citee, and he roos,
And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people [were] come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them.
44 and felde on hem with his cumpeny, and enpugnyde and bisegide the citee. Sothely twei cumpenyes yeden aboute opynli bi the feeld, and pursueden aduersaries.
And Abimelech, and the company that [was] with him, rushed forward, 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.
45 Certis Abymelech fauyt ayens the citee in al that dai, which he took, whanne the dwelleris weren slayn, and that citee was destried, so that he spreynte abrood salt ther ynne.
And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that [was] therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
46 And whanne thei, that dwelliden in the tour of Sichem, hadde herd this, thei entriden in to the temple of her god Berith, where thei hadden maad boond of pees with hym; and of that the place took name, which place was ful strong.
And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard [that], they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith.
47 And Abymelech herde the men of the tour of Sichem gaderid to gidere,
And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
48 and he stiede in to the hil Selmon with al his puple; and with an axe takun he kittide doun a boow of a tre, and he bar it, put on the schuldur, and seide to felowis, Do ye this thing, which ye seen me do.
And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that [were] with him; and Abimelech took an axe 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 ye have seen me do, make haste, [and] do as I [have done].
49 Therfor with strijf thei kittiden doun bowis of the trees, and sueden the duyk; whiche cumpassiden and brenten `the tour; and so it was doon, that with smooke and fier a thousynde of men weren slayn, men togidere and wymmen, of the dwelleris of the tour of Sichem.
And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put [them] to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.
50 Forsothe Abymelech wente forth fro thennus, and cam to the citee of Thebes, which he cumpasside, and bisegide with an oost.
Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.
51 Forsothe the tour was hiy in the myddis of the citee, to which men togidere and wymmen fledden, and alle the princes of the citee, while the yate was closid stronglieste; and thei stoden on the roof of the tour bi toretis.
But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut [it] to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower.
52 And Abymelech cam bisidis the tour, and fauyt strongli, and he neiyede to the dore, and enforside to putte fier vndur; and lo!
And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
53 o womman castide fro aboue a gobet of a mylnestoon, and hurtlide to `the heed of Abymelech, and brak his brayn.
And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and all to brake his skull.
54 And he clepide soone his squyer, and seide to hym, Drawe out thi swerd, and sle me, lest perauenture it be seid, that Y am slan of a womman. Which performede `the comaundementis, and `killide Abymelech;
Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.
55 and whanne he was deed, alle men of Israel that weren with hym turneden ayen to her seetis.
And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.
56 And God yeldide to Abymelech the yuel that he dide ayens his fadir, for he killide hise seuenti britheren.
Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:
57 Also that thing was yoldun to men of Sichem, which thei wrouyten, and the curs of Joathan, sone of Jerobaal, cam on hem.
And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
