Jij 9
1 Abimelèk, pitit gason Jewoubaal ki te rele Jedeyon tou, ale lavil Sichèm kote frè menm manman avè l' yo te rete. Li pale ak yo ansanm ak tout fanmi papa manman l' yo, li di yo:
Gideon’s son Abimelech went to [talk with] his mother’s brothers in Shechem [city]. He said to them and to all his mother’s relatives,
2 -Tanpri, ale pale ak tout grannèg ki mèt lavil Sichèm yo. Mande yo si yo ta pito gen tout swasanndis pitit gason Jewoubaal yo pase yon sèl ladan yo pou chèf? Pa bliye, se bon fanmi san nou mwen ye!
“Ask all the leaders of your city: ‘Do you [think it would be] good for all 70 of Gideon’s sons to rule over you? Or would it be better to have only one of his sons, [me], to rule over you?’ And do not forget that I am your relative! [MTY]”
3 Se konsa tout fanmi manman Abimelèk yo mache pale ak tout grannèg ki mèt lavil Sichèm yo, yo mande yo menm bagay la. Tout moun te panche pou Abimelèk, paske yo t'ap di se ti fanmi yo li ye.
So Abimelech’s mother’s brothers spoke to all the leaders of Shechem about what Abimelech had said. They said to each other, “We should allow Abimelech to rule over us, because he is our relative.”
4 Yo ba li swasanndis pyès ajan yo te pran nan tanp Baal-Berit la. Avèk lajan sa a, li lwe sèvis kèk vòryen ak kèk vakabon pou mache avè l'.
So the leaders of Shechem took from the temple of [their god] Baal-Berith (almost 2 pounds/0.8 kg.) of silver and gave it to Abimelech. With that silver he paid some worthless troublemakers to help him, and they went with Abimelech wherever he went.
5 L' ale lakay papa l' nan lavil Ofra, li touye tout swasanndis frè l' yo, pitit Jewoubaal yo, anwo menm wòch la. Men, dènye pitit gason Jewoubaal la, Jotam, te kache. Se konsa li pa t' mouri.
They went to Ophrah, his father’s town, and murdered 69 of his 70 brothers, the sons of his father Gideon. They killed all those men on one huge rock. But Gideon’s youngest son Jotham hid [from Abimelech and his men], and he escaped.
6 Lè sa a, tout chèf ki nan lavil Sichèm yo ansanm ak tout moun Bèt Milo yo mete tèt yo ansanm, y' al toupre pye bwadchenn repozwa ki kanpe nan lavil Sichèm lan, yo fè Abimelèk wa.
Then all the leaders of Shechem and Beth-Millo gathered under the big sacred tree in Shechem. There they appointed Abimelech to be their leader.
7 Lè Jotam vin konn sa, l' al kanpe sou tèt mòn Garizim lan, li pran pale byen fò pou tout moun tande, li di konsa: -Nou menm grannèg ki mèt lavil Sichèm yo, koute sa m'ap di nou. Apre sa, se pou Bondye koute sa nou menm nou pral di.
When Jotham heard about that, he climbed up Gerizim Mountain. He stood at the top of the mountain and shouted to the people [down below], “You leaders of Shechem, listen to me, in order that God will listen to you!
8 Vwala yon jou, tout pyebwa yo pran desizyon chwazi yon wa pou mete alatèt yo. Yo di pye benzoliv la: Vin gouvènen nou non!
One day the trees decided to appoint a king to rule over all of them. So they said to the olive tree, ‘You be our king!’
9 Pye benzoliv la di yo: Nou ta vle mwen sispann bay lwil ki sèvi pou fè lwanj bondye yo ak lwanj lèzòm pou m' al chèf sou tout pyebwa!
“But the olive tree said, ‘No! [I will not be your king] Men and gods enjoy the oil from my fruit. I will not [RHQ] stop producing [olives from which we make] that oil, in order to rule over you other trees!’
10 Y' al jwenn pye figfrans lan, yo di l': Ou menm, pye figfrans, vin gouvènen nou non!
“Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and be our king!’
11 Pye figfrans lan di yo: Nou ta vle mwen sispann bay bon ti fwi dous pou m' ale chèf sou tout pyebwa!
“But the fig tree replied, ‘No! I do not want to [RHQ] stop producing my good sweet fruit, and rule over you other trees!’
12 Lè sa a, yo di pye rezen an: Ou menm pye rezen, vin gouvènen nou non!
“Then the trees said to the grapevine, ‘Come and be our king!’
13 Pye rezen an di yo: Nou ta vle mwen sispann bay diven ki fè kè bondye yo ak kè lèzòm kontan pou m' al chèf sou tout pyebwa!
“But the grapevine replied, ‘No! [I will not be your king] The new wine [that is made from my grapes] causes people and gods [who drink it] to become very happy. I do not want to stop producing grapes and rule over you other trees!’ [RHQ]
14 Lè sa a, yo di pye pikan an: Ou menm pye pikan, vin gouvènen nou non!
“Then all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and be our king!’
15 Pye pikan an di yo: Si nou soti tout bon vre pou nou fè m' wa alatèt nou, enben, vini non. Vin mete kò nou nan lonbraj mwen. Si nou pa fè sa, gen yon sèl dife k'ap soti nan touf pikan an, l'ap boule nou tout, ata pye sèd peyi Liban yo!
“The thornbush replied, ‘If you truly want to appoint me to be your king, come into the shade of my [tiny branches]. But if you do not want to do that, I hope/desire that fire will come out from me and burn up all the huge cedar trees in Lebanon [country]!’”
16 Koulye a, m'ap mande nou: Eske se tout bon vre epi ak tout kè nou nou mete Abimelèk wa pou gouvènen nou? Dapre nou, se yon bèl bagay nou fè la a pou Jewoubaal ak fanmi l' yo? Eske se sa Jewoubaal merite apre sa li te fè pou nou?
“[After] Jotham [finished telling them this parable, he] said, “So now [I ask you], were you being completely honest and sincere when you appointed Abimelech to be your king [RHQ]? And have you treated Gideon and his family [RHQ] fairly? Have you rewarded Gideon by honoring him as he deserved [because of all the good things he did for you]? No!
17 Chonje jan papa m' te goumen pou nou, jan li te riske lavi l' pou nou, pou l' te ka delivre nou anba men moun Madyan yo.
“[Do not forget that] my father fought a battle for you, and he was willing to die for you [if that had been necessary], to save you from the Midian people-group.
18 Epi pou jòdi a nou leve dèyè fanmi papa m' yo. Nou touye swasanndis pitit gason l' yo sou menm wòch la, epi nou pran Abimelèk, yon pitit gason li fè ak yonn nan sèvant li yo, nou mete l' wa alatèt grannèg lavil Sichèm yo. Poukisa? Paske se fanmi nou li ye?
But now you have rebelled against my father’s family, and you have killed 69 of his sons on one huge rock. And you have appointed Abimelech—who is the son of my father’s slave girl, [not the son of his wife]—to be the king who will rule you people of Shechem. You have done that only because he is one of your relatives!
19 Si se tout bon vre epi ak tout kè nou nou fè Jewoubaal ak fanmi l' yo sa nou fè la a, enben, n'ap kontan avèk Abimelèk nou an. Li menm tou l'a kontan ak nou!
So, if today you have truly acted fairly and sincerely toward Gideon and his family, I hope/desire that he will cause you to be happy and that you will cause him to be happy.
20 Men, si se pa sa, se pou yon dife soti nan Abimelèk pou li boule dènye grannèg lavil Sichèm yo ak tout moun ki nan Bèt Milo. Se pou dife soti nan grannèg lavil Sichèm yo ak tout moun ki nan Kay-Ranble a pou l' devore Abimelèk!
But if what you did was not right, I wish/desire that Abimelech will burn up all of you leaders of Shechem and Beth-Millo with fire! And I also hope/desire that the leaders of Shechem and Beth-Millo will cause fire to burn up Abimelech!”
21 Apre sa, Jotam kouri met deyò. L' al kache lavil Beyè, paske li te pè Abimelèk, frè l' la.
[After] Jotham [finished saying that, he] escaped from them and ran away to Beer [town]. He stayed there because he was afraid that his brother Abimelech [would try to kill him].
22 Abimelèk gouvènen pèp Izrayèl la pandan twazan.
Abimelech [became the leader of all the people of Israel. He] ruled them for three years.
23 Apre sa, Bondye mete yon sèl bouyay ant Abimelèk ak grannèg Sichèm yo, li fè grannèg Sichèm yo leve dèyè Abimelèk.
Then God sent an evil spirit [to cause trouble] between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, with the result that the leaders of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech.
24 Sa te rive konsa pou yo tout te ka peye sa yo te fè a: Abimèlèk pou masakre li te masakre swasanndis pitit gason Jewoubaal yo, grannèg lavil Sichèm yo pou ankouraje yo te ankouraje Abimelèk lè li t'ap touye frè l' yo.
The leaders of Shechem had previously helped Abimelech to kill 69 of Gideon’s sons, who were his brothers. So now God sent the evil spirit to punish all of them.
25 Grannèg lavil Sichèm yo mete anbiskad sou tèt mòn yo ap veye Abimelèk. Moun ki nan anbiskad yo menm te rete ap vòlò tout moun ki t'ap pase sou chemen an bò kote yo. Abimelèk vin konn sa.
The leaders of Shechem (set an ambush/sent men to hide) on the hilltops to ambush Abimelech. Those men robbed everyone who passed by. But someone told Abimelech about it, [so he did not go near them].
26 Gaal, pitit gason Ebèd la, vin rive lavil Sichèm ansanm ak frè l' yo. Grannèg lavil Sichèm yo fè msye konfyans.
There was a man named Gaal, the son of Ebed, who moved into Shechem [city], along with his brothers. Soon the leaders of Shechem started to trust him.
27 Y' al nan jaden yo, yo keyi rezen nan jaden rezen yo, yo fè diven, yo fè fèt. Y' al nan tanp bondye yo a, yo manje, yo bwè, epi yo bay Abimelèk kont madichon li.
They went out [of the city] to their vineyards and picked some grapes. They pressed the grapes [to make juice, and then they made wine]. Then they had a feast in the temple of their god, and they ate [a lot of food] and drank [a lot of wine]. Then they cursed Abimelech.
28 Gaal, pitit gason Ebèd la, di yo: -Kisa Abimelèk ye menm pou n'ap sèvi l' konsa? Ki kalite moun ki gen nan lavil Sichèm la menm pou y'ap sèvi Abimelèk? Ki moun li ye? An! Pitit gason Jewoubaal la! Epi se nan men l' Zeboul ap resevwa lòd? Poukisa pou n' sèvi l'? Non! Se pou moun Sichèm yo respekte Amò, zansèt yo, se moun fanmi li pou yo sèvi.
Gaal said, “(Why should [we allow] Abimelech to rule over us?/We should not allow Abimelech to rule over us!) [RHQ] He is only one of Gideon’s sons [so he really does not belong to us] [RHQ]! And he appointed Zebul, the governor of our city, to be his deputy! We should (serve/be loyal to) [one of the descendants of] Hamor, [the founder of our city], and let him be our leader, not Abimelech [RHQ]!
29 Pa mande Bondye se mwen ki te chèf pèp sa a! Mwen ta mete Abimelèk nan wòl li! Mwen ta di l': Si ou gen yon gwo lame vre, soti non! Soti vin goumen!
If you would appoint me to be your leader, I would get rid of Abimelech. I would say to him, ‘Get your army ready, [and then come to fight us]!’”
30 Zeboul te chèf lavil Sichèm. Lè li tande tout pawòl Gaal, pitit gason Ebèd la, te di yo, li fache anpil.
When someone told Zebul what Gaal said, he was very angry.
31 Li voye mesaje an kachèt bò Abimelèk pou di l' konsa: -Gaal, pitit gason Ebèd la, rive lavil Sichèm ansanm ak frè l' yo. Y'ap moute tèt moun lavil la sou do ou pou yo pa kite ou antre.
He secretly sent some messengers to Abimelech. They told him, “Gaal and his brothers have come here to Shechem, and they are causing [the people of] the city to rebel against you.
32 Men sa ou pral fè. Leve nan mitan lannwit ansanm ak tout moun ki avè ou yo, al kache nan tout bwa a.
You and your men should get up during the night and go and hide in the fields outside the city.
33 Nan maten, lè solèy fenk leve, w'a parèt, w'a tonbe sou lavil la pou atake l'. Lè Gaal ak moun li yo va soti vin kontre ak ou, w'a kraze l' ak tout fòs ou.
As soon as the sun rises in the morning, get up and attack the city. When Gaal and his men come out to fight against you, you can do to them whatever you want to.”
34 Se konsa, Abimelèk ak tout moun li yo leve lannwit, yo separe fè kat gwoup, y' al kache andeyò limit lavil la.
So Abimelech and all the men who were with him got up during the night. They [divided into] four groups, [and] hid [in the fields] near Shechem.
35 Gaal, pitit gason Ebèd la, soti, l' al kanpe bò pòtay lavil la. Lè sa a, Abimelèk ak moun pa l' yo soti nan kachèt yo.
[The next morning], Gaal went out and stood at the entrance to the city gate. While he was standing there, Abimelech and his soldiers came out of their hiding places [and started walking toward the city].
36 Lè Gaal wè moun yo, li di Zeboul konsa: -Gade. Men yon bann moun k'ap desann sot sou tèt mòn yo! Men, Zeboul di li: -Se pa anyen, monchè! Se lonbraj sou mòn yo ou pran pou moun!
When Gaal saw the soldiers, he said to Zebul, “Look! There are people coming down from the hills!” But Zebul said, “You are seeing only the shadows [of trees] on the hills. They [are not people; they] only resemble people.”
37 Gaal di l' ankò: -Gade! Men yon bann moun k'ap desann Mòn Lonbrit latè a. Men yon lòt ankò k'ap vini sou chemen Pye Chenn moun k'ap li zetwal yo.
But Gaal [looked] again [and] said, “Look! There are people coming down from the top of the sacred mountain! There is a group of them coming down from where the tree is where people talk with the spirits of dead people!”
38 Lè sa a, Zeboul di l' konsa: -Kote bèl pawòl ki te nan bouch ou yo? Se pa ou ki t'ap mande ki moun Abimelèk ye konsa pou n'ap sèvi l'? Apa moun ou t'ap pase nan betiz yo? Soti non! Koulye a al goumen ak yo!
Zebul said to Gaal, “Now (what good is your bragging?/your bragging is worthless!) [MTY, RHQ] You said, ‘(Why should we serve Abimelech/We should not allow Abimelech to rule over us)?’ You made fun of these men. So now go out and fight them!”
39 Gaal pran devan, li mennen grannèg lavil Sichèm yo pou y' al goumen ak Abimelèk.
So Gaal led the men of Shechem outside [the city] to fight Abimelech [and his men].
40 Men, lè Abimelèk mache sou li, Gaal pran kouri met deyò. Sòlda Abimelèk yo te blese anpil moun rive jouk devan pòtay lavil la.
Abimelech and his men pursued them, and they killed many of Gaal’s men before they could return [safely] inside the city gate.
41 Apre sa, Abimelèk tounen lavil Awouma. Zeboul menm mete Gaal deyò ak tout frè l' yo, kifè yo pa t' kapab rete lavil Sichèm ankò.
Abimelech then stayed at Arumah, [about five miles away from Shechem], and Zebul’s men forced Gaal and his brothers to leave Shechem.
42 Nan denmen, moun lavil Sichèm yo fè lide soti al nan jaden. Yo vin di Abimelèk sa.
The next day, the people of Shechem [got ready to leave the city and work] in their fields. When someone told Abimelech about that,
43 Li pran moun li yo, li separe yo fè twa gwoup epi l' al kache nan jaden yo. Lè li wè moun yo ap soti nan lavil la, li vare sou yo, li pran goumen ak yo, li touye yo.
he divided his men into three groups, and told them to hide in the fields. So they did that. And when they saw the people coming out of the city, they jumped up and attacked them.
44 Abimelèk ak gwoup li a kouri devan, y' al rete devan pòtay lavil la, pandan de lòt gwoup yo menm t'ap atake moun ki nan jaden yo, yo t'ap touye yo.
Abimelech and the men who were with him ran to the city gate. The other two groups ran out to the people in the fields and attacked them.
45 Abimelèk goumen ak moun lavil la tout jounen an. Li pran lavil la pou li, li touye tout moun ki te ladan l'. Apre sa, li kraze lavil la ratè, epi li simen sèl sou tout anplasman lavil la.
Abimelech and his men fought all day. They captured the city and killed all the people. They tore down all the buildings, and then they threw salt over the ruins [in order that nothing would grow there again].
46 Lè tout grannèg ki rete nan gwo fò won Sichèm lan vin konn sa, yo antre al kache nan fò tanp Baal-Berit la.
When the leaders who lived in the tower/fortress outside of Shechem heard what had happened, they ran and hid inside the [fortress, which was also a] temple of [their god] El-Berith.
47 Y' al di Abimelèk tout grannèg yo te sanble la.
But someone told Abimelech that all the leaders had gathered there.
48 Lè sa a, Abimelèk moute sou mòn Zalmon avèk moun ki te avè l' yo. Li pran yon rach li koupe yon branch bwa, li pran l', li mete l' sou zepòl li. Epi li di tout moun ki te avè l' yo: -Nou wè sa m' fè a, kouri vit! Al fè menm bagay la tou.
So he and all the men who were with him went up Zalmon Mountain [which is near Shechem]. Abimelech cut some branches of trees with an axe, and put them on his shoulders. Then he said to all the men who were with him, “Quickly, do what I have just done!”
49 Chak moun koupe yon branch bwa vre, epi yo pran mache dèyè Abimelèk. Yo anpile branch bwa yo nan pye fò a. Epi yo mete dife nan fò a ak tout moun yo ladan l'. Se konsa tout moun ki rete nan fò Sichèm lan mouri. Te gen mil (1.000) moun konsa, fanm ak gason, ki mouri.
So his men all cut branches [then carried them down the mountain], following Abimelech. They went to the fortress and piled the branches against its walls. Then they kindled a fire, and the fire burned down the fortress and killed all the people who were inside. So all the people who were inside the fortress—about 1,000 men and women—died.
50 Apre sa, Abimelèk ale lavil Tebèz, li sènen l' epi li pran l'.
Then Abimelech and his men went to Thebes [city]. They surrounded it and captured it.
51 Te gen yon gwo fò won nan mitan lavil la. Tout moun, fanm kou gason, ansanm ak chèf yo, kouri al kache ladan l'. Yo fèmen tout pòt yo dèyè yo epi yo moute sou tèt fò a.
But there was a strong tower inside the city. So all the men, women, and leaders of the city ran to the tower. When they were all inside, they locked the door. Then they climbed up to the roof of the tower.
52 Abimelèk rive jouk bò fò a. Li pwoche bò pòt la pou l' te mete dife nan fò a.
Abimelech and his men came to the tower and tried to get in the door, [but they could not]. Then Abimelech prepared to light a fire to burn down the door.
53 Men yon fanm lage yon wòl moulen sou tèt Abimelèk, li kraze zo bwa tèt li.
But when Abimelech came near the doorway, a woman [who was on the roof] dropped a big grinding stone on his head, and crushed his skull.
54 Abimelèk rele jenn gason ki t'ap pote zam li yo, li di l' konsa: -Rale nepe ou, touye m'. Mwen pa vle yo di se yon fanm ki touye m'. Se konsa jenn gason an pèse l' pak an pak, epi li mouri.
Abimelech quickly called to the young man who carried Abimelech’s weapons, and said, “Pull out your sword and kill me with it! I do not want people to say ‘It was a woman who killed Abimelech.’” So the young man thrust his sword into Abimelech, and Abimelech died.
55 Lè moun pèp Izrayèl yo wè Abimelèk mouri, yo tout al lakay yo.
When the Israeli soldiers saw that Abimelech was dead, they all returned to their homes.
56 Se konsa Bondye te fè Abimelèk peye pou krim li te fè kont fanmi papa l' la, lè li te touye swasanndis frè l' yo.
In that way God punished Abimelech for the evil things that he had done to his father and especially for killing all 69 of his brothers.
57 Bondye te fè moun lavil Sichèm yo soufri pou mechanste yo te fè lòt moun soufri. Se konsa, madichon Jotam, pitit gason Jewoubaal la, te wè pou yo a rive yo vre.
God also punished the men of Shechem for the evil things that they had done. And when those things happened, it fulfilled what Gideon’s son Jotham said when he cursed [Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem].
