Study Desk

Then spake his mothers brethre all these wordes for him, in ye eares of all ye men at Sichem. And their hert enclyned to Abimelech, for they thoughte: He is oure brother:

And he came to his fathers house vnto Aphra, and slew his brethren the children of Ierubaal, euen thre score men and te vpon one stone. But Iotham the yongest sonne of Ierubaal remayned ouer, for he was hydd.

Whan this was tolde Iotham, he wente, and stode vpon the toppe of mount Grisim, and lifte vp his voyce, cried, and sayde: Heare me ye men of Sichem, that God maye heare you also

Yf ye haue done right now and iustly, yt ye haue made Abimelech to be kynge: and yf ye haue done well vnto Ierubaal and to his house, and haue done vnto him as he deserued vnto you.

Which (euen my father) foughte for youre sakes, and ioperde his lyfe, to delyuer out of the Madianites hade,

eue you, which are rysen vp this daye agaynst my fathers house, & haue slaine his childre, thre score personnes & ten vpon one stone, and haue made you a kynge (euen Abimelech the sonne of his handmaide) ouer the men at Sichem, for so moch as he is youre brother.

Yf ye haue done right now and iustly vnto Ierubaal and his house this daye, then reioyse ouer Abimelech, and let him reioyse ouer you.

And Iotha (whan he had spoken this out) fled, and gat him out of the waye, and wente vnto Ber, and dwelt there because of his brother Abimelech.

and rehearsed the wronge done to the sonnes of Ierubaal, and their bloude, and layed it vpon Abimelech their brother which slewe them, and vpon the men of Sichem that strengthed his hande therto, that he mighte slaye his brethren.

But there came Gaal the sonne of Ebed and his brethren, and entred into Sichem, and the men of Sichem put their trust in him,

And Gaal ye sonne of Ebed sayde: Who is Abimelech? and what is Sichem, that we shulde serue him? Is he not the sonne of Ierubaal, and hath set Sebul his seruaut ouer the men of Hemor the father of Sichem? Wherfore shulde we serue him?

and sente message secretly to Abimelech, and caused to saye vnto him: Beholde, Gaal the sonne of Ebed and his brethren are come to Sichem, and make the cite to be agaynst the.

And Abimelech abode at Aruma. But Sebul droue awaye Gaal and his brethren, so that they must not remayne at Sichem.

he wente vp vnto mount Zelmon, and all the people that was with him, and toke an axe in his hade, and hewed downe a braunch of a tre, and toke it vp, & layed it vpon his shulder, and sayde vnto all the people that was with him: As ye haue sene me do, make ye haist, and do euen so as I.

But a woman cast a pece of a mylstone vpon Abimelechs heade, and brake his brane panne.

Then Abimelech in all the haist, called the seruaunt that bare his wapen, and sayde vnto him: Drawe out thy swerde, and kyll me, that it be not sayde of me: A woman hath slayne him. Then his seruaunt thrust him thorow, and he dyed.

Whan the Israelites which were with him, sawe, yt Abimelech was deed, they gatt them awaye euery one vnto his awne place.

Thus God recompenced Abimelech the euell that he had done vnto his father, wha he slewe his threscore and ten brethren:

And they put the straunge goddes fro them, and serued the LORDE, And his soule had pytie on the mysery of Israel.

The fled he from his brethre, and dwelt in the londe of Tob. And there resorted vnto him vagabudes, and wete out with him.