ECB(i)
18 and you rise against the house of my father this day and slaughter his sons - seventy men, on one stone, and have Abi Melech the son of his maid to reign over the masters of Shechem - because he is your brother;
19 if you then work truly and integriously with Yerub Baal and with his house this day, then cheer in Abi Melech and he cheers in you:
20 and if not, fire comes from Abi Melech to consume the masters of Shechem and the house of Millo; and fire comes from the masters of Shechem and from the house of Millo and consumes Abi Melech.
21 - and Yah Tham flees - flees and goes to Beer and settles there from the face of Abi Melech his brother.
22
THE FALL OF ABI MELECH AND SHECHEM
Abi Melech dominates over Yisra El three years; 23 and Elohim sends an evil spirit between Abi Melech and the masters of Shechem; and the masters of Shechem deal covertly with Abi Melech: 24 so that the violence to the seventy sons of Yerub Baal comes; and their blood is set on Abi Melech their brother who slaughtered them; and on the masters of Shechem who strengthened his hands in the slaughter of his brothers. 25 And the masters of Shechem set lurkers for him in the top of the mountains; and they strip all who pass along by their way: and Abi Melech is told: 26 and Gaal the son of Ebed comes with his brothers and passes over to Shechem: and the masters of Shechem confide in him: 27 and they go to the fields and clip their vineyard and tread and work halals; and go into the house of their elohim to eat and drink; and belittle Abi Melech. 28 And Gaal the son of Ebed says, Who is Abi Melech and who is Shechem that we serve him? Is not he the son of Yerub Baal? And Zebul his overseer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem! And why serve him? 29 O that Elohim give this people under my hand! then I turn Abi Melech aside. And he says to Abi Melech, Greaten your host and go. 30 And when Zebul the governor of the city hears the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his wrath kindles: 31 and he sends angels to Abi Melech - deceitfully/to Tormah, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers come to Shechem; and behold, they besiege the city against you. 32 Now rise by night - you and the people with you and lurk in the field: 33 and so be it, in the morning, as soon as the sun rises, start early and spread over the city: and behold, he and the people with him come against you, and you then work to them as you find occasion. 34 And Abi Melech and all the people with him rise by night and lurk against Shechem in four heads: 35 and Gaal the son of Ebed comes and stands in the opening of the portal of the city: and Abi Melech and the people with him rise up from lurking. 36 And Gaal sees the people, and he says to Zebul, Behold, people descend from the top of the mountains. And Zebul says to him, You see the shadow of the mountains as men. 37 And Gaal words again, and says, See! People descend by the summit of the land and one head comes journeying by the mighty oak of Meonenim. 38 And Zebul says to him, Where is now your mouth, wherewith you said, Who is Abi Melech - to serve him? Is not this the people you spurned? Go out now, I beseech, and fight them. 39 And Gaal goes from the face of the masters of Shechem and fights Abi Melech: 40 and Abi Melech pursues him as he flees his face; and many fall pierced at the opening of the portal. 41 - and Abi Melech settles at Arumah: and Zebul drives out Gaal and his brothers so that they settle not in Shechem. 42 And so be it, on the morrow, the people go into the field and tell Abi Melech: 43 and he takes the people and divides them into three heads and lurks in the field and sees; and behold, the people come from the city; and he rises against them and smites them. 44 And Abi Melech and the heads with him spread forward and stand in the opening of the portal of the city: and the two heads strip all in the fields and smite them: 45 and Abi Melech fights against the city all that day; and captures the city and slaughters the people therein and pulls down the city and seeds it with salt. 46 And all the masters of the tower of Shechem hear and they enter a tower of Beth El Berith: 47 and they tell Abi Melech that all the masters of the tower of Shechem gather together. 48 And Abi Melech ascends to mount Salmon - he and all the people with him; and Abi Melech takes an ax in his hand and cuts down a branch from the trees and lifts it and sets it on his shoulder; and says to the people with him, What you see me work, hasten and work as I. 49 And all the people likewise - each man cuts down his branch and goes after Abi Melech and sets it to the tower to burn the tower on fire on them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem also die - about a thousand men and women. 50 Then Abi Melech goes to Tebes and encamps against Tebes and captures it: 51 and there is a strong tower within the city where all the men and women and all the masters of the city flee and shut it to them; and they ascend to the roof of the tower. 52 And Abi Melech comes to the tower and fights against it; and comes near the portal of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 And one woman casts a slice of an upper millstone on Abi Melech's head and crushes his cranium. 54 And he quickly calls to his instrument bearer lad and says to him, Draw your sword and deathify me - that men not say of me, A women slaughtered him. And his lad stabs him through and he dies: 55 and the men of Yisra El see that Abi Melech dies and each man goes to his place. 56 Thus Elohim turns back the evil Abi Melech worked to his father in slaughtering his seventy brothers: 57 and Elohim turns all the evil of the men of Shechem back on their heads: and on them comes the abasement of Yah Tham the son of Yerub Baal.
THE FALL OF ABI MELECH AND SHECHEM
Abi Melech dominates over Yisra El three years; 23 and Elohim sends an evil spirit between Abi Melech and the masters of Shechem; and the masters of Shechem deal covertly with Abi Melech: 24 so that the violence to the seventy sons of Yerub Baal comes; and their blood is set on Abi Melech their brother who slaughtered them; and on the masters of Shechem who strengthened his hands in the slaughter of his brothers. 25 And the masters of Shechem set lurkers for him in the top of the mountains; and they strip all who pass along by their way: and Abi Melech is told: 26 and Gaal the son of Ebed comes with his brothers and passes over to Shechem: and the masters of Shechem confide in him: 27 and they go to the fields and clip their vineyard and tread and work halals; and go into the house of their elohim to eat and drink; and belittle Abi Melech. 28 And Gaal the son of Ebed says, Who is Abi Melech and who is Shechem that we serve him? Is not he the son of Yerub Baal? And Zebul his overseer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem! And why serve him? 29 O that Elohim give this people under my hand! then I turn Abi Melech aside. And he says to Abi Melech, Greaten your host and go. 30 And when Zebul the governor of the city hears the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his wrath kindles: 31 and he sends angels to Abi Melech - deceitfully/to Tormah, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers come to Shechem; and behold, they besiege the city against you. 32 Now rise by night - you and the people with you and lurk in the field: 33 and so be it, in the morning, as soon as the sun rises, start early and spread over the city: and behold, he and the people with him come against you, and you then work to them as you find occasion. 34 And Abi Melech and all the people with him rise by night and lurk against Shechem in four heads: 35 and Gaal the son of Ebed comes and stands in the opening of the portal of the city: and Abi Melech and the people with him rise up from lurking. 36 And Gaal sees the people, and he says to Zebul, Behold, people descend from the top of the mountains. And Zebul says to him, You see the shadow of the mountains as men. 37 And Gaal words again, and says, See! People descend by the summit of the land and one head comes journeying by the mighty oak of Meonenim. 38 And Zebul says to him, Where is now your mouth, wherewith you said, Who is Abi Melech - to serve him? Is not this the people you spurned? Go out now, I beseech, and fight them. 39 And Gaal goes from the face of the masters of Shechem and fights Abi Melech: 40 and Abi Melech pursues him as he flees his face; and many fall pierced at the opening of the portal. 41 - and Abi Melech settles at Arumah: and Zebul drives out Gaal and his brothers so that they settle not in Shechem. 42 And so be it, on the morrow, the people go into the field and tell Abi Melech: 43 and he takes the people and divides them into three heads and lurks in the field and sees; and behold, the people come from the city; and he rises against them and smites them. 44 And Abi Melech and the heads with him spread forward and stand in the opening of the portal of the city: and the two heads strip all in the fields and smite them: 45 and Abi Melech fights against the city all that day; and captures the city and slaughters the people therein and pulls down the city and seeds it with salt. 46 And all the masters of the tower of Shechem hear and they enter a tower of Beth El Berith: 47 and they tell Abi Melech that all the masters of the tower of Shechem gather together. 48 And Abi Melech ascends to mount Salmon - he and all the people with him; and Abi Melech takes an ax in his hand and cuts down a branch from the trees and lifts it and sets it on his shoulder; and says to the people with him, What you see me work, hasten and work as I. 49 And all the people likewise - each man cuts down his branch and goes after Abi Melech and sets it to the tower to burn the tower on fire on them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem also die - about a thousand men and women. 50 Then Abi Melech goes to Tebes and encamps against Tebes and captures it: 51 and there is a strong tower within the city where all the men and women and all the masters of the city flee and shut it to them; and they ascend to the roof of the tower. 52 And Abi Melech comes to the tower and fights against it; and comes near the portal of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 And one woman casts a slice of an upper millstone on Abi Melech's head and crushes his cranium. 54 And he quickly calls to his instrument bearer lad and says to him, Draw your sword and deathify me - that men not say of me, A women slaughtered him. And his lad stabs him through and he dies: 55 and the men of Yisra El see that Abi Melech dies and each man goes to his place. 56 Thus Elohim turns back the evil Abi Melech worked to his father in slaughtering his seventy brothers: 57 and Elohim turns all the evil of the men of Shechem back on their heads: and on them comes the abasement of Yah Tham the son of Yerub Baal.