Judges 9
Open in the reader1Now My-Father-Is-King son of Let-Baal-Contend went to his mother’s brothers at Shoulder and said to them and to all the clan of his mother,
2“Please ask all the leaders of Shoulder, ‘Is it better for you that seventy men, all the sons of Let-Baal-Contend, rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and blood.”
3And when his mother’s brothers spoke all these words about him in the presence of all the leaders of Shoulder, their hearts were inclined to follow My-Father-Is-King, for they said, “He is our brother.”
4So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-of-the-Covenant, with which My-Father-Is-King hired some worthless and reckless men to follow him.
5He went to his father’s house in Fawn, and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Let-Baal-Contend. But He-Who-Is-Perfect, the youngest son of Let-Baal-Contend, survived, because he hid himself.
6Then all the leaders of Shoulder and Rampart-House gathered beside the oak at the pillar in Shoulder and proceeded to make My-Father-Is-King their king.
7When this was reported to He-Who-Is-Perfect, he climbed to the top of Mount Rocky, raised his voice, and cried out: “Listen to me, O leaders of Shoulder, and may God listen to you.
8One day the trees set out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’
9But the olive tree replied, ‘Should I stop giving my oil that honors both God and man, to hold sway over the trees?’
10Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and reign over us.’
11But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I stop giving my sweetness and my good fruit, to hold sway over the trees?’
12Then the trees said to the grapevine, ‘Come and reign over us.’
13But the grapevine replied, ‘Should I stop giving my wine that cheers both God and man, to hold sway over the trees?’
14Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and reign over us.’
15But the thornbush replied, ‘If you really are anointing me as king over you, come and find refuge in my shade. But if not, may fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of White-Mountain.’
16Now if you have acted faithfully and honestly in making My-Father-Is-King king, if you have done well by Let-Baal-Contend and his family, and if you have done to him as he deserves—
17for my father fought for you and risked his life to deliver you from the hand of Strife,
18but you have risen up against my father’s house this day and killed his seventy sons on a single stone, and you have made My-Father-Is-King, the son of his maidservant, king over the leaders of Shoulder because he is your brother—
19if you have acted faithfully and honestly toward Let-Baal-Contend and his house this day, then may you rejoice in My-Father-Is-King, and he in you.
20But if not, may fire come from My-Father-Is-King and consume the leaders of Shoulder and Rampart-House, and may fire come from the leaders of Shoulder and Rampart-House and consume My-Father-Is-King.”
21Then He-Who-Is-Perfect ran away, escaping to Well, and he lived there for fear of his brother My-Father-Is-King.
22After My-Father-Is-King had reigned over Strives-with-God for three years,
23God sent a spirit of animosity between My-Father-Is-King and the leaders of Shoulder and caused them to treat My-Father-Is-King deceitfully,
24in order that the crime against the seventy sons of Let-Baal-Contend might come to justice and their blood be avenged on their brother My-Father-Is-King and on the leaders of Shoulder, who had helped him murder his brothers.
25The leaders of Shoulder set up an ambush against My-Father-Is-King on the hilltops, and they robbed all who passed by them on the road. So this was reported to My-Father-Is-King.
26Meanwhile, Loathing son of Servant came with his brothers and crossed into Shoulder, and the leaders of Shoulder put their confidence in him.
27And after they had gone out into the fields, gathered grapes from their vineyards, and trodden them, they held a festival and went into the house of their god; and as they ate and drank, they cursed My-Father-Is-King.
28Then Loathing son of Servant said, “Who is My-Father-Is-King, and who is Shoulder, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Let-Baal-Contend, and is not Lofty-Abode his officer? You are to serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shoulder. Why should we serve My-Father-Is-King?
29If only this people were under my authority, I would remove My-Father-Is-King; I would say to him, ‘Muster your army and come out!’”
30When Lofty-Abode the governor of the city heard the words of Loathing son of Servant, he burned with anger.
31So he covertly sent messengers to My-Father-Is-King to say, “Look, Loathing son of Servant and his brothers have come to Shoulder and are stirring up the city against you.
32Now then, tonight you and the people with you are to come and lie in wait in the fields.
33And in the morning at sunrise, get up and advance against the city. When Loathing and his men come out against you, do to them whatever you are able.”
34So My-Father-Is-King and all his troops set out by night and lay in wait against Shoulder in four companies.
35Now Loathing son of Servant went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate just as My-Father-Is-King and his men came out from their hiding places.
36When Loathing saw the people, he said to Lofty-Abode, “Look, people are coming down from the mountains!” But Lofty-Abode replied, “The shadows of the mountains look like men to you.”
37Then Loathing spoke up again, “Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming by way of the Diviners’ Oak.”
38“Where is your gloating now?” Lofty-Abode replied. “You said, ‘Who is My-Father-Is-King that we should serve him?’ Are these not the people you ridiculed? Go out now and fight them!”
39So Loathing went out before the leaders of Shoulder and fought against My-Father-Is-King,
40but My-Father-Is-King pursued him, and Loathing fled before him. And many Shechemites fell wounded all the way to the entrance of the gate.
41My-Father-Is-King stayed in Heights, and Lofty-Abode drove Loathing and his brothers out of Shoulder.
42The next day the people of Shoulder went out into the fields, and this was reported to My-Father-Is-King.
43So he took his men, divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose up against them and attacked them.
44Then My-Father-Is-King and the companies with him rushed forward and took their stand at the entrance of the city gate. The other two companies rushed against all who were in the fields and struck them down.
45And all that day My-Father-Is-King fought against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he demolished the city and sowed it with Salt.
46On hearing of this, all the leaders in the tower of Shoulder entered the inner chamber of the temple of God-of-Covenant.
47And when My-Father-Is-King was told that all the leaders in the tower of Shoulder were gathered there,
48he and all his men went up to Mount Shady-One. My-Father-Is-King took his axe in his hand and cut a branch from the trees, which he lifted to his shoulder, saying to his men, “Hurry and do what you have seen me do.”
49So each man also cut his own branch and followed My-Father-Is-King. Then they piled the branches against the inner chamber and set it on fire above them, killing everyone in the tower of Shoulder, about a thousand men and women.
50Then My-Father-Is-King went to Whiteness, encamped against it, and captured it.
51But there was a strong tower inside the city, and all the men, women, and leaders of the city fled there. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof of the tower.
52When My-Father-Is-King came to attack the tower, he approached its entrance to set it on fire.
53But a woman dropped an upper millstone on My-Father-Is-King’s head, crushing his skull.
54He quickly called his armor-bearer, saying, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So My-Father-Is-King’s armor-bearer ran his sword through him, and he died.
55And when the children of Strives-with-God saw that My-Father-Is-King was dead, they all went home.
56In this way God repaid the wickedness that My-Father-Is-King had done to his father in murdering his seventy brothers.
57And God also brought all the wickedness of the men of Shoulder back upon their own heads. So the curse of He-Who-Is-Perfect son of Let-Baal-Contend came upon them.