Judges 9-12

New Life Version

Abimelech

9 Jerubbaal’s son Abimelech went to his mother’s family at Shechem. He said to them and to all those of the family of his mother’s father, ² “Speak to all the leaders of Shechem. Say to them, ‘Which is better for you? Should all seventy of Jerubbaal’s sons rule over you? Or should one man rule over you? Remember that I am your own bone and flesh.’” ³ So his mother’s family spoke all these words for him in the ears of the leaders of Shechem. And they decided to follow Abimelech. For they said, “He is our brother.” ⁴ They gave him seventy pieces of silver from the family of Baal-berith. Abimelech used the money to hire wild men of no worth who followed him. ⁵ Then he went to his father’s house at Ophrah. And he killed his brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal. He killed all seventy men upon one stone. But Jerubbaal’s youngest son Jotham was left alive, because he hid himself. ⁶ Then all the men of Shechem and of Beth-millo gathered together. They went and made Abimelech king, by the tree that had been set up in Shechem.

⁷ When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. He called out to them in a loud voice, “Listen to me, O men of Shechem. So God may listen to you. ⁸ One time the trees went out to choose a king to rule them. They said to the olive tree, ‘Rule over us!’ ⁹ But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I leave my riches of oil by which God and men are honored, and go to wave over the trees?’ ¹⁰ Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and rule over us!’ ¹¹ But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I leave my good sweet fruit, and go to wave over the trees?’ ¹² So the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and rule over us!’ ¹³ But the vine said to them, ‘Should I leave my new wine which makes God and men happy, and go to wave over the trees?’ ¹⁴ Then all the trees said to the thorn bush, ‘You come and rule over us!’ ¹⁵ And the thorn bush said to the trees, ‘If in truth you are choosing me as king over you, come and be safe in my shadow. But if not, may fire come out of the thorn bush and burn up the tall trees of Lebanon.’

¹⁶ “Now it may be that you have acted in truth and honor in making Abimelech king. It may be that you have acted well toward Jerubbaal and his house, by paying him for what he did. ¹⁷ For my father fought for you. He put his life in danger to set you free from the power of Midian. ¹⁸ But you have gone against my father’s house today. You have killed seventy of his sons on one stone. Abimelech is the son of my father’s woman servant. And you have made him king over the people of Shechem, because he is your brother. ¹⁹ If you have acted in truth and honor toward Jerubbaal and his house today, then be happy with Abimelech. And let him be happy with you. ²⁰ But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and burn up the people of Shechem and Beth-millo. Then let it burn up Abimelech.” ²¹ Jotham ran away from them and went to Beer. He stayed there, because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.

²² Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years. ²³ Then God sent a bad spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem. The men of Shechem were not faithful to Abimelech. ²⁴ God did this to punish Abimelech and the men of Shechem, because the seventy sons of Jerubbaal were killed by their brother Abimelech. And the men of Shechem gave him the strength to do it. ²⁵ The men of Shechem went against Abimelech by hiding men on the mountain tops. They robbed all who passed by them on the road. Abimelech was told about it.

²⁶ Now Gaal the son of Ebed moved with his family into Shechem. And the men of Shechem put their trust in him. ²⁷ They went out into the field and gathered the grapes of their vines and crushed them. Then they had a special supper in the house of their god. They ate and drank and wished bad to come to Abimelech. ²⁸ Gaal the son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech? And who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal? Is not Zebul his leader? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem, but why should we serve Abimelech? ²⁹ If only these people were under my rule! Then I would send Abimelech away. I would say to Abimelech, ‘Make your army strong, and come out.’”

³⁰ When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, he was very angry. ³¹ He sent men to bring news to Abimelech in secret. They said, “See, Gaal the son of Ebed has come to Shechem with his family. They are turning the city against you. ³² So you and the people who are with you get up during the night and hide in the field. ³³ Then get up early in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, and rush against the city. When Gaal and the people who are with him come out against you, do whatever you can to them.”

³⁴ So Abimelech and all who were with him got up during the night. They hid and waited in four groups to fight against Shechem. ³⁵ Gaal the son of Ebed came out and stood in the city gate. And Abimelech and the people who were with him came out of their hiding places. ³⁶ When Gaal saw the men, he said to Zebul, “See, men are coming down from the mountain tops!” But Zebul said to him, “It is the shadow of the mountains that looks like men to you.” ³⁷ Gaal spoke again, saying, “See, men are coming down from the highest part of the land. One group is coming on the way from the oak tree of those who tell the future.” ³⁸ Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your proud talk now, you who said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the men whom you hated? Go out now and fight with them!” ³⁹ So Gaal went out in front of the leaders of Shechem and fought with Abimelech. ⁴⁰ Abimelech went after Gaal. And Gaal ran away from him. Many were hurt and fell all the way to the gate. ⁴¹ Abimelech stayed at Arumah. But Zebul drove out Gaal and his family so they could not stay in Shechem.

⁴² The men went out to the field the next day and told Abimelech. ⁴³ So he took his men and divided them into three groups, and they waited in the field. When he saw Gaal’s people coming out of the city, Abimelech went against them and killed them. ⁴⁴ Abimelech and the group with him rushed and stood in the city gate. The other two groups then rushed against all who were in the field and killed them. ⁴⁵ Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He took the city and killed the people who were in it. Then he destroyed the city and covered it with salt.

⁴⁶ All the leaders of the tower of Shechem heard about it. And they went into the inside room of the house of the god of El-berith. ⁴⁷ Abimelech was told that all the leaders of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. ⁴⁸ So Abimelech and all who were with him went up to Mount Zalmon. Abimelech took an ax in his hand and cut down a branch from the trees. Then he lifted it onto his shoulder. He said to the men who were with him, “Hurry and do what you have seen me do.” ⁴⁹ So each of the men cut down his branch also, and followed Abimelech. They put the branches around the inside room and set it on fire. So all the men of the tower of Shechem died. There were about 1,000 men and women in all.

⁵⁰ Then Abimelech went to Thebez. He fought against it and took it. ⁵¹ But there was a strong tower in the center of the city. All the men and women and leaders of the city ran to it and shut themselves in. And they went up on the roof of the tower. ⁵² Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it. He went near the door of the building to burn it with fire. ⁵³ But a certain woman threw a grain-crushing stone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull. ⁵⁴ Abimelech was quick to call the young man who carried his heavy battle-clothes, saying, “Take your sword and kill me. Or else it will be said that a woman killed me.” So the young man killed him with a sword. ⁵⁵ When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, each man went home. ⁵⁶ So God punished Abimelech for the sin he had done against his father by killing his seventy brothers. ⁵⁷ God punished the men of Shechem for all their sin. The words that Jotham the son of Jerubbaal spoke against them came true.

Tola

10 After Abimelech died, Tola the son of Puah, son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, came to save Israel. He lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. ² He judged Israel for twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried in Shamir.

Jair

³ Jair the Gileadite came after him. He judged Israel for twenty-two years. ⁴ He had thirty sons who traveled on thirty donkeys. They had thirty cities in the land of Gilead that are called the towns of Jair to this day. ⁵ Jair died and was buried in Kamon.

Jephthah

⁶ Then the people of Israel sinned in the eyes of the Lord. They served the male and female gods of Canaan, and the gods of Syria, Sidon, Moab, the Ammonites and of the Philistines. They turned away from the Lord and did not serve Him. ⁷ The anger of the Lord was against Israel. So He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the people of Ammon. ⁸ They made it very hard for the people of Israel that year. For eighteen years they made it very hard for all the people of Israel in Gilead in the land of the Amorites on the other side of the Jordan. ⁹ And the sons of Ammon crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin and the family of Ephraim. So Israel suffered much pain.

¹⁰ The people of Israel cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against You. We have turned away from our God and are serving the Baals.” ¹¹ The Lord said to the people of Israel, “Did I not save you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the people of Ammon and the Philistines? ¹² When the Sidonians and Amalekites and Maonites made it hard for you, you cried out to Me. And I took you away from their hands. ¹³ Yet you have turned away from Me and served other gods. So I will not take you away again. ¹⁴ Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you in the time of your trouble.” ¹⁵ The people of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned. Do to us whatever You think is good. But we beg of You, take us out of this today.” ¹⁶ So they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the Lord. And the Lord cared as He saw the suffering of Israel.

¹⁷ The men of Ammon were gathered together for war. They set up their tents in Gilead. The men of Israel gathered together, and set up their tents in Mizpah. ¹⁸ The leaders of Gilead said to one another, “Who is the man who will be first to fight against the men of Ammon? He will be the head of all the people of Gilead.”

11 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a powerful soldier. But he was the son of a woman who sold the use of her body. Jephthah’s father was Gilead. ² Gilead’s wife gave birth to his sons. And when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah away. They told him, “You will not have any share in our father’s house. For you are the son of another woman.” ³ So Jephthah ran away from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Men of no worth gathered around Jephthah and went fighting and stealing with him.

⁴ The time came when the men of Ammon fought against Israel. ⁵ When the men of Ammon fought against Israel, the leaders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. ⁶ They said to Jephthah, “Come and be our leader, so we may fight against the men of Ammon.” ⁷ Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and drive me from my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?” ⁸ The leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That is why we have returned to you now. So you may go with us and fight the men of Ammon. You will be the head of all the people of Gilead.” ⁹ Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “If you bring me home again to fight the men of Ammon and the Lord gives them to me, will I become your head?” ¹⁰ The leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The Lord is listening to what we say. For sure we will do as you have said.” ¹¹ So Jephthah went with the leaders of Gilead. And the people made him head and leader over them. Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord at Mizpah.

¹² Then Jephthah sent men to the king of the people of Ammon, saying, “What do you have against me? Why have you come to fight against my land?” ¹³ The king of the people of Ammon said to these men of Jephthah, “Because Israel took away my land when they came from Egypt. They took my land from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok and the Jordan. So I ask you to return this land to me in peace.” ¹⁴ But Jephthah sent men to the king of the people of Ammon again, ¹⁵ saying, “Jephthah says, ‘Israel did not take away the land of Moab or the land of the people of Ammon. ¹⁶ Israel came out of Egypt, went through the desert to the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh. ¹⁷ Then Israel sent men to the king of Edom, saying, “We ask you to let us pass through your land.” But the king of Edom would not listen. They asked the king of Moab also. But he would not let them pass through. So Israel stayed at Kadesh. ¹⁸ ’Then Israel went through the desert and around the lands of Edom and Moab. They came to the east side of the land of Moab. There they set up their tents on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not go into the land of Moab. For the Arnon flowed along the side of Moab. ¹⁹ Israel sent men to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon, saying, “We ask you to let us pass through your land to our place.” ²⁰ But Sihon did not trust Israel. He would not let them pass through his land. Sihon gathered all his people together. They set up their tents in Jahaz, and fought with Israel. ²¹ The Lord, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel. They won the war against Sihon. So Israel took all the land of the Amorites, the people of that country. ²² They took all the land of the Amorites, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok, and from the desert as far as the Jordan.

²³ ’So the Lord, the God of Israel, drove the Amorites away from His people Israel. Now are you to take the land for your own? ²⁴ Do you not keep for your own what your god Chemosh gives you? We will keep the land of the people the Lord our God drove away for us. ²⁵ Are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever fight with Israel? Did he ever go to war against them? ²⁶ While Israel lived in Heshbon and its towns and Aroer and its towns and in all the cities beside the Arnon for 300 years, why did you not take them again during that time? ²⁷ I have not sinned against you. But you are doing wrong to me by making war against me. The Lord is the judge. May He decide today between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon.’” ²⁸ But the king of the people of Ammon would not listen to what Jephthah said

²⁹ The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. So he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and through Mizpah of Gilead. He went from Mizpah of Gilead to the people of Ammon. ³⁰ Jephthah made a promise to the Lord and said, “You give the people of Ammon into my hand. ³¹ And I will give to the Lord whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the people of Ammon. I will give it to the Lord as a burnt gift.” ³² Then Jephthah crossed over to fight against the people of Ammon. And the Lord gave them into his hand. ³³ He killed many of them from Aroer to Minnith, through twenty cities, as far as Abelkeramin. The people of Ammon were destroyed in front of the people of Israel.

Jephthah’s Daughter

³⁴ Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah. His daughter came out to meet him with music and dancing. She was his one and only child. He had no other sons or daughters. ³⁵ When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “It is bad, my daughter! You have made me very sad. You have brought much trouble to me. For I have made a promise to the Lord, and I must keep it.” ³⁶ She said to him, “My father, you have made a promise to the Lord. Do to me what you have promised you would do. Because the Lord has punished the people of Ammon, who fought against you. ³⁷ But do this for me. Let me alone for two months. So I and my friends may go to the mountains and cry because I will never have a man.” ³⁸ Jephthah said, “Go.” He sent her away for two months with her friends. And they cried on the mountains because she would never have a man. ³⁹ She returned to her father after two months. And he did what he promised the Lord and she died without having a man. So it became the way in Israel ⁴⁰ that the daughters of Israel went to have sorrow for the daughter of Jephthah for four days each year.

Jephthah and Ephraim

12 Then the men of Ephraim got ready for war. They crossed over to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight the men of Ammon without calling us to go with you? With fire we will burn down your house with you in it.” ² Jephthah said to them, “I and my people were having much trouble with the people of Ammon. I did call you, but you did not take me away from them. ³ I saw that you would not help me, so I took my life in my hands. I crossed over to fight the people of Ammon. And the Lord gave them into my hand. So why have you come today to fight against me?” ⁴ Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought Ephraim. The men of Gilead won the war against Ephraim, because Ephraim said, “You people of Gilead are not respected among Ephraim and Manasseh.” ⁵ The people of Gilead took the crossing places of the Jordan beside Ephraim. When any of the Ephraimite men ran away and said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead would say to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,” ⁶ they would say to him, “Then say ‘Shibboleth.’” But he would say, “Sibboleth,” for he could not say it right. So they would take hold of him and kill him at the crossing places of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 men of Ephraim were killed. ⁷ Jephthah ruled Israel for six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died. He was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon

⁸ Ibzan of Bethlehem ruled Israel after him. ⁹ He had thirty sons and thirty daughters whom he gave in marriage outside the family. And he brought in thirty daughters from outside the family for his sons. He ruled Israel for seven years. ¹⁰ Then Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem.

¹¹ Elon the Zebulunite ruled Israel after him. He ruled Israel for ten years. ¹² Then Elon the Zebulunite died. He was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.

¹³ Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite ruled Israel after him. ¹⁴ He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who traveled on seventy donkeys. He ruled Israel for eight years. ¹⁵ Then Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died. He was buried at Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.