Study Desk

And he said vnto Iether his first borne, Up, and slay them: but the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall vpon vs: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slewe Zebah and Zalmunna, & tooke away the ornaments that were on their camels neckes.

And Gideon said vnto them, I would desire a request of you, that you would giue me euery man the earerings of his pray. For they had golden eare-rings, because they were Ishmaelites.

And they answered, We will willingly giue them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein, euery man the earerings of his pray.

And Gideon made an Ephod thereof, and put it in his citie, euen in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it; which thing became a snare vnto Gideon, and to his house.

And Ierubbaal the sonne of Ioash went & dwelt in his owne house.

And Gideon had threescore and ten sonnes of his body begotten: for he had many wiues.

And his concubine that was in Shechem, shee also bare him a sonne, whose name he called Abimelech.

And Gideon the sonne of Ioash died, in a good olde age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Ioash his father, in Ophrah of the Abi-Ezrites.

And Abimelech the sonne of Ierubbaal went to Shechem, vnto his mothers brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mothers father, saying;

And his mothers brethren spake of him in the eares of all the men of Shechem, all these wordes, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech: for they said, He is our brother.

And hee went vnto his fathers house at Ophrah, and slewe his brethren the sonnes of Ierubbaal, being threescore and tenne persons, vpon one stone: notwithstanding, yet Iotham the youngest sonne of Ierubbaal was left; for he hid himselfe.

And when they told it to Iotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lift vp his voice, and cried, and said vnto them, Hearken vnto mee, you men of Shechem, that God may hearken vnto you.

Now therefore, if yee haue done truely and sincerely, in that yee haue made Abimelech King, and if yee haue dealt well with Ierubbaal, and his house, and haue done vnto him according to the deseruing of his hands:

(For my father fought for you, and aduentured his life farre, and deliuered you out of the hand of Midian:

And yee are risen vp against my fathers house this day, and haue slaine his sonnes, threescore aud ten persons, vpon one stone, and haue made Abimelech the sonne of his maidseruant, king ouer the men of Shechem, because he is your brother.)

If yee then haue dealt truely and sincerely with Ierubbaal, and with his house this day, then reioyce yee in Abimelech, aud let him also reioyce in you.

And Iotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there for feare of Abimeleeh his brother.

That the crueltie done to the threescore and ten sonnes of Ierubbaal might come, and their blood be laid vpon Abimelech their brother which slew them, and vpon the men of Shechem which aided him in the killing of his brethren.

And Gaal the sonne of Ebed came with his brethren, and went ouer to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.