Judges, Chapters 06-09, American Standard Version

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapters six through nine of Judges American Standard version. This
is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
public domain. For more information and to find out how
you can volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by
Sam Stinson, Chapter six. And the children of Israel did
that which was evil in the sign of Jehovah, and

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Jehovah delivered them into the hands of Midian. Seven years
and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. And because
of Midian, the children of Israel made them the dens
which are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds.
And so it was when Israel had sown that the
Midianites came up, and the Amalekites and the children of
the East, they came up against them, and they encamped

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against them and destroyed the increase of the earth, till
thou come unto Gaza and left no sustenance in Israel,
neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. For they came up
with their cattle and their tents. They came in as locusts,
for multi both they and their camels were without number,
and they came into the land to destroy it, and

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Israel was brought very low because of Midian and the
children of Israel cried unto Jehovah. And it came to
pass when the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah because
of Midian that Jehovah sent a prophet unto the children
of Israel. And he said unto them, Thus, saith Jehovah,
the God of Israel. I brought you up from Egypt
and brought you forth out of the house of bondage.

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And I delivered you out of the hand of the
Egyptians and out of the hand of all that oppressed you,
and drove them out from before you, and gave you
their land. And I said, unto you, I am Jehovah,
your God, ye shall not fear the gods of the Amorites,
in whose land ye dwell. But ye have not hearkened
unto my voice. And the Angel of Jehovah came and

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sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained
unto Joash the Abirazite, and his son Gideon was beating
out wheat in the wine press to hide it from
the Midianites, and the Angel of Jehovah appeared unto him
and said unto him, Jehovah is with THEE, thou mighty
man of Valor. And Gideon said unto him, O, my Lord,

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if Jehovah is with us, why then is all this
befallen us? And where are all his wondrous works which
our fathers told us of, saying, did not Jehovah bring
us up from Egypt? But now Jehovah hath cast us
off and delivered us into the hand of Midian. And
Jehovah looked upon him and said, go in this thy

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might and save Israel from the hand of Midian? Have
not I sent THEE? And he said unto him, O, Lord,
wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the
poorest in Manassah, and I am the least in my
father's house. And Jehovah said unto him, surely I will
be with THEE. And thou shalt smite the Midianites as

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one man. And he said unto him, if now I
have found favor in thy sight, then s ow me
a sign that it is thou that talkest with me.
Depart not hence I pray THEE until I come unto THEE.
And bring forth my present and lay it before thee.
And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.
And Gideon went in and made ready a kid and

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unleavened cakes of an epha of meal. The flesh he
put in a basket. And he put the broth in
a pot and brought it out unto him under the oak,
and presented it. And the Angel of God said unto him,
take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them
upon this rock, and pour out the broth. Then he
did so. Then the Angel of Jehovah put forth the

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end of the staff that was in his hand and
touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes. And there went
up fire out of the rock and consumed the flesh
and the unleavened cakes. And the Angel of Jehovah departed
out of his sight. And Gideon saw that he was
the Angel of Jehovah. And Gideon said, alas o, Lord Jehovah,

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forasmuch as I have seen the Angel of Jehovah face
to face. And Jehovah said, unto him, peace be unto thee,
fear not thou shalt not die. Then Gideon built an
altar there unto Jehovah and called it Jehovah shalomb Unto
this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Ebirazites.

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And it came to pass the same night that Jehovah
said unto him, take thy father's bullock, even the second bullock,
seven years old, and throw down the altar of bail
that thy father hath, and cut down the ashra that
is by it, and build an altar unto Jehovah, thy God,
upon the top of this stronghold, in the orderly manner,

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and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt offering
with the wood of the asher, which thou shalt cut down.
Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did
as Jehovah had spoken unto him. And it came to pass,
because he feared his father's household and the men of
the city, so that he could not do it by day,
that he did it by night. And when the men

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of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the
altar of bail was broken down, and the ashra was
cut down that was by it, and the second bullock
was offered upon the altar that was built, and they said,
one to another, who hath done this thing? And when
they inquired and asked, they said, Gideon, the son of Joash,
hath done this thing. And the men of the city said,

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unto joe Ash, bring out thy son, that he may die,
because he hath broken down the altar of Bail, and
because he hath cut down the asher that was by it.
And Joeash said, unto all that stood against him, will
ye contend for Bail, or will ye save him? He
that will contend for him, let him be put to

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death whilst it is yet mourning. If he be a god,
let him contend for himself, because one hath broken down
his altar. Therefore, on that day he called him Jurub Bail, saying,
let Bail contend against him, because he hath broken down
his altar. Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and

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the children of the East assembled themselves together, and they
passed over and encamped in the valley of Jezreel. But
the spirit of Jehovah came upon Gideon, and he blew
a trumpet, and Abiezer was gathered together after him, and
he sent messengers throughout all Nnassa and they also were
gathered together unto him, and he sent messengers unto Asher,

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and unto Zebulen, and unto Naftali, and they came up
to meet them. And Gideon said, unto God, if thou
wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast spoken, behold,
I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor.
If there be dew on the fleece only, and it
be dry upon all the ground, then shall I know

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that thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou
hast spoken. And it was so, for he rose up
early on the morrow and pressed the fleece together, and
wrung the dew out of the fleece a bowlful of water.
And Gideon said, unto God, let not thine anger be
kindled against me. And I will speak, but this once,
let me make trial. I pray thee. But this once

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with the fleece. Let it now be dry only upon
the fleece, and upon all the ground, let there be dew.
And God did so that night, for it was dry
upon the fleece only, and there was due on all
the ground. End of chapter six. Chapter seven. Then Jurabbail,
who is Gideon, and all the people that were with

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him rose up early and encamped beside the spring of Herod,
and the camp of midian was on the north side
of them, by the hill of Morat in the valley.
And Jehovah said, unto Gideon, the people that are with
THEE are too many for me to give the Midianites
into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying,
mine own hand hath saved me. Now therefore proclaim in

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the ears of the people, saying, whosoever is fearful and trembling,
let him return and depart from Mount Gilead. And their
return of the people twenty and two thousand and there
remained ten thousand, and Jehovah said, unto Gideon, the people
are yet too many. Bring them down unto the water,
and I will try them for THEE there. And it

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shall be that of whom I say unto THEE, this
shall go with THEE, the same shall go with THEE.
And of whomsoever I say unto THEE, this shall not
go with THEE, the same shall not go. So he
brought down the people unto the water, and Jehovah said,
unto Gideon, every one that lappeth of the water with

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his tongue as a dog lappeth him, shalt thou set
by himself. Likewise every one that boweth down upon his
knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped,
putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men.
But all the rest of the people bowed down upon
their knees to drink water. And Jehovah said, unto Gideon,

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by the three hundred men that lapped, will I save
you and deliver the Midianites into thy hand, and let
all the people go, every man unto his place. So
the people took victuals in their hand and their trumpets,
and he sent all the men of Israel, every man
unto his tent, but retained the three hundred men. And

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the camp of midian was beneath him in the valley.
And it came to pass the same knight that Jehovah
said unto him, arise, get thee down into the camp,
for I have delivered it into thy hand. But if
thou fear to go down, go thou with Parrah, thy servant,
down to the camp. And thou shalt hear what they say.

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And afterwards, shall thy hands be strengthened to go down
into the camp. Then went he down with Parah his servant,
into the outermost part of the armed men that were
in the camp. And the Midianites and the Amalekites, and
all the children of the East lay along in in
the valley like locusts for multitude. And their camels were
without number, as the sand which is upon the sea shore,

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for multitude. And when Gideon was come, behold there was
a man telling a dream unto his fellow, And he said, behold,
I dreamed a dream. And lo, a cake of barley
bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came unto
the tent and smote it so that it fell, and
turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.

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And his fellow answered and said, this is nothing else
save the sword of Gideon, the son of joe Ash,
a man of Israel. And to his hand God Hath
delivered Midian and all the host. And it was so
when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and the
interpretation thereof that, he worshiped, and he returned into the
camp of Israel, and said, arise, for Jehovah Hath delivered

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into your hand the host of Midian. And he divided
the three hundred men into three companies, and he put
into the hands of all of them trumpets and empty pitchers,
with torches within the pitchers. And he said, unto them,
look on me and do likewise. And behold, when I
come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall
be that as I do, so shall ye do. When

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I blow the trumpet, I and all that are with me,
then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of
the camp, and say for Jehovah and for Gideon. So
Gideon and the hundred men that were with him came
unto the outermost part of the camp in the beginning
of the middle watch, when they had but newly set

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the watch, and they blew the trumpets and break in
pieces the pitchers that were in their hands. And the
three companies blew the trumpets and break the pitchers, and
held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets
in their right hands wherewith to blow. And they cried
the sword of Jehovah and of Gideon. And they stood

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every man in his place round about the camp, and
all the host ran, and they shouted and put them
to flight, and they blew the three hundred trumpets, and
Jehovah set every man's sword against his fellow and against
all the host. And the host fled as far as
beth Shittah, toward Zireira, as far as the border of
Abel Mahola by Tamath. And the men of Israel were

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gathered together out of Naftalai and out of Asher, and
out of all Manassa, and pursued after Midian. And Gideon
sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephram, saying,
come down against Midian, and take before them the waters
as far as beth Barah, even the Jordan. So all
the men of Ephraim were gathered together and took the

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waters as far as beth Barah, even the Jordan. And
they took the two princes of Midian, Orb and Zib,
and they slew Orb at the rock of Orb and Zib.
They slew at the wine press of Zeb, and pursued Midian.
And they brought the heads of Orba and Zeb to
Gideon beyond the Jordan. End of chapter seven, Chapter eight,

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And the men of Ephraim said unto him, why hast
thou served us? Thus? That thou callest us not when
thou wentest to fight with Midian, And they did chide
him sharply, And he said, unto them, what have I
now done in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning
of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer.

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God Hath delivered into your hand the princes of Midian
orben zeb And what was I able to do in
comparison with you? Then their anger was abated toward him
when he had said that. And Gideon came to the
Jordan and passed over he and the three hundred men
that were with him, faint yet pursuing, and he said,

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unto the men of Sukov, give I pray you loaves
of bread, and too the people that follow me, for
they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zeba and Zalmuna.
The kings of Midian and the princes of Sukof said,
are the hands of Zeba and Zalmuna now in thy hand?
That we should give bread unto thine army. And Gideon said, therefore,

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when Jehovah Hath delivered Zeba and Zalmuna into my hand,
then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of
the wilderness and with briars. And he went up thence
to Penuel and spake unto them in like manner. And
the men of Penuel answered him as the men of
Sukov had answered. And he spake also unto the men
of Penuel, saying, when I come again in peace, I

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will break down this tower. Now Zeba and Zalmuna were
in Kharkor, and their host with them, about fifteen thousand men,
all that were left of all the host of the
children of the East. For there fell one hundred and
twenty thousand men that drew sword. And Gideon went up
by the way of them that dwelt in tents on

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the east of Noba and jog Bihaih and smote the host,
for the host was secure, and Zeba and Zalmuna fled,
and he pursued after them, and he took the two
kings of Midian, Zeba and Zalmuna, and discomfited all the host.
And Gideon, the son of Joash, returned from the battle
from the ascent of Harris, and he caught a young

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man of the men of Sukoth, and inquired of him,
and he described for him the princes of Sukoth and
the elders thereof seventy and seven men. And he came
unto the men of Sukoth and said, behold, Zeba and Zalmuna,
concerning whom ye did taunt me, saying, ah, de hands
ye of Zebra and Yealmuna, now in thy hand. Yet

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we should give breadon to thy men that are weary.
And he took the elders of the city, and thorns
of the wilderness and briars, and with them he taught
the men of Zukov, and he braked down the tower
of Penuel and slew the men of the city. Then
said he unto Zeba and Zalmuna, what manner of men

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were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered,
as thou art, so were they each one resembled the
children of a king. And he said, they were my brethren,
the sons of my mother, as Jehovah liveth If ye
had saved them alive, I would not slay you. And
he said, unto jither his first born up and slay them.

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But the youth drew not his sword, for he feared
because he was yet a youth, and Zeba and Salmuna said,
hories thou, and fall upon us, for as the man is,
so is his strength. And Gideon arose and slew Zeba
and Zalmuna and took the crescents that were on their
camels necks. Then the men of Israel said, unto Gideon,

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rule thou over us, both thou and thy Son, and
thy Son's son also, for thou hast saved us out
of the hand of Midian. And Gideon said, unto them,
I will not rule over you, neither shall my son
rule over you. Jehovah shall rule over you. And Gideon
said unto them, I would make a request of you

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that ye would give me every man the ear rings
of his spoil, for they had golden ear rings because
they were Ishmaelites. And they answered, we will willingly give them.
And they spread a garment and did cast therein every
man the ear rings of his spoil. And the weight
of the golden ear rings that he requested was a
thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescents

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and the pendants and the purple raiment that was on
the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were
about their camel's necks. And Gideon made an ephod thereof
and put it in his city, even in Ophra, and
all Israel played the harlot after it there, and it
became a snare unto Gideon and to his house. So

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Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and they
lifted up their heads no more, and the land had
rest forty years in the days of Gideon. And Jiubbail,
the son of Joash, went and dwelt in his own house.
And Gideon had three score and ten sons of his
body begotten, for he had many wives, and his concubine
that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son,

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and he called his name Abimelech. And Gideon, the son
of Joash, died in good old age and was buried
in the sepulcher of Joash, his father, and Ophra of
the Aberrazines. And it came to pass as soon as
Gideon was dead that the children of Israel turned again
and played the harlot after the balim, and made bail
Baith their god. And the children of Israel remembered not

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Jehovah their god, who had delivered them out of the
hand of all their enemies on every side. Neither showed
they kindness to the house of jiub Bail, who is Gideon,
according to all the goodness which he had showed unto
Israel eight chapter nine. And a Bimelek, the son of Jerubbail,
went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and spake with

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them and with all the family of the house of
his mother's father, saying, speak, I pray you in the
years of all the men of Shechem, whether is better
for you that all the sons of Jurubbail, who are
three score and ten persons, rule over you, or that
one rule over you. Remember also that I am your

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bone and your flesh. And his mother's brethren spake of
him in the ears of all the men of Shechem.
All these words, and their hearts inclined to follow a Bimelech,
for they said he is our brother. And they gave
him three score and ten pieces of silver out of
the house of Bail Beryth, wherewith a Bimelek hired vain

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and light fellows who followed him, And he went unto
his father's house at Ophra and slew his brethren, the
sons of Jerubbail, being three score and ten persons upon
one stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jurubbail, was left,
for he hid himself. And all the men of Shechem
assembled themselves together, and all the house of Milloh and

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went and made a bimelet king by the oak of
the pillar that was in Shechem. And when they told
it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top
of Mount Garrizm and lifted up his voice and cried
and said, unto them, hearken unto me, ye, men of Shechem,
that God may hearken unto you. The trees went forth

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on a time to anoint a king over them, and
they said, unto the olive tree, reign now over us.
But the olive tree said unto them, should I leave
my fatness wherewith by me they honor God and man,
and go to wave to and fro over the trees.
And the tree said to the fig tree, come thou
and reign over us. But the fig tree said unto them,

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should I leave my sweetness and my good fruit? And
go to wave to and fro over the trees? And
the tree said, unto the vine, come thou and reign
over us, And the vine said unto them, should I
leave my new wine, which cheareth God and man, and
go to wave to and fro over the trees, then
set all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou and

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reign over us. And the bramble said, unto the trees.
If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then
come and take refuge in my shade. And if not,
let fire come out of the bramble and devour the
cedars of Lebanon. Now therefore, if ye have dealt truly
and uprightly, and that ye have made a bimelet king,

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and if ye have dealt well with jiub Bail and
his house, and have done unto him according to the
deserving of his hands, For my father fought for you
and adventured his life and delivered you out of the
hand of Midian. And ye are risen up against my
father's house this day, and have slain his son three
score and ten persons upon one stone, and have made

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a Bimelech, the son of his maid servant, king over
the men of Shechem, because he is your brother. If
ye then have dealt truly and uprightly with Jurubbail and
with his house this day, then rejoice ye in a Bimelech,
and let him also rejoice in you. But if not,

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let fire come out from a Bimelech and devour the
men of Shechem and the house of Milo. And let
fire come out from the men of Shechem and from
the house of Milo, and devour a Bimelek. And Jotham
ran away and fled and went to but Ere and
dwelt there for fear of a Bimelech his brother. And

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a Bimelek was prince over Israel three years. And God
sent an evil spirit between a Bimelech and the men
of Shechem, and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with
a Bimelech, that the violence done to the threescore and
ten sons of Jurrubbail might come, and that their blood
might be laid upon a Bimelek, their brother, who slew them,

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and upon the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands
to slay his brethren. And the men of Shechem set
liars in wait for him on the tops of the mountains,
and they robbed all that came along that way by them,
And it was told a Bimelek and Gael, the son
of Ebd, came with his brethren and went over to Shechem.

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And the men of Shechem put their trust in him.
And they went out into the field and gathered their
vineyards and trod the grapes, and held festival, and went
into the house of their god, and did eat and drink,
and cursed to Bimelech and Gaale, the son of Ebad, said,
who is Abimelech and who is Shechem that we should
serve him? Is not he the son of jerab Bail

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and Zebul his officer serve ye the men of hamor
the father of Shechem? But why should we serve him?
And would that this people were under my hand, then
would I remove a bid? And he said to a Bimelec,
increase thine army and come out. And when Zebel, the
ruler of the city, heard the words of Gael, the

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son of Ebed, his anger was kindled, and he sent
messengers unto a Bimelek, craftily saying, behold, Gael, the son
of Ebd and his brethren are come to Shechem, and
behold they can strain the city to take part against thee.
Now therefore, up by night thou and the people that
are with thee and lie in wait in the field.

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And it shall be that in the morning, as soon
as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early and
rush upon the city. And behold, when he and the
people that are with him come out against thee, then
mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion.
And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were
with him by night, and they laid waste against Shechem

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in four companies. And Gael, the son of Ebed, went
out and stood in the entrance of the gate of
the city. And Abimelech rose up, and the people that
were with him from the ambush. And when Gael saw
the people, he said to Zebel, behold, there come people
down from the tops of the mountains. And Zebel said
unto him, thou seest the shadow of the mountains as

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if they were men. And Gael spake again and said,
see there come people down by the middle of the land.
And one company cometh by the way of the oak
of meh an Anim. Then said Zebel, unto him, where
is now thy mouth, that thou saidest, who is a
bimelech that we should serve him? Is not this the
people that thou hast despised, Go out, now, I pray

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and fight with them. And Gael went out before the
men of Shechem and fought with a bimelech, and a
bimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and there
fell many wounded, even unto the entrance of the gate,
and a bimelech dwelt at Arumah, and Zebel drove out
Gail and his brethren that they should not dwell in Shechem.

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And it came to pass on the morrow that the
people went out into the field, and they told the Bimelech.
And he took the people and divided them into three companies,
and laid weight in the field. And he looked and behold,
the people came forth out of the city, and he
rose up against them and smote them. And a bimelek
and the companies that were with him rushed forward and

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stood in the entrance of the gate of the city.
And the two companies rushed upon all that were in
the field and smote them, And a bimelek fought against
the city all that day, and he took the city
and slew the people that were therein, and he beat
down the city and sowed it with salt. And when
all the men of the Tower of Shechem heard thereof,

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they entered into the stronghold of the house of Elbeirith.
And it was told Abimelech that all the men of
the Tower of Shechem were gathered together, and a Bimelek
gat him up to Mount zalman He and all the
people that were with him, and a Bimelek took an
axe in his hand and cut down a bow from
the trees, and took it up and laid it on

(26:59):
his shoulder, and he said, unto the people that were
with him, what ye have seen me, do make haste
and do as I have done. And all the people
likewise cut down every man his bow, and followed a
Bimelech and put them to the stronghold, and set the
stronghold on fire upon them, so that all the men
of the Tower of Shechem died. Also about a thousand

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men and women. Then went a Bimelec to Thebez and
encamped against Thebez and took it. But there was a
strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the
men and women and all day of the city, and
shut themselves in, and gat them up to the roof
of the tower. And a Bimelec came unto the tower
and fought against it, and drew near unto the door

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of the tower, to burn it with fire. And a
certain woman cast an upper millstone upon a Bimelech's head
and brake his skull. Then he called hastily unto the
young man his armor bearer, and sent unto him, draw
thy sword and kill me, that men say not of me.
A woman slew him, and his young man thrust him through,

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and he died. And when the men of Israel saw
that a Bimelek was dead, they departed every man unto
his place. Thus God requited the wickedness of a Bimelech,
which he did unto his father in slaying his seventy brethren.
And all the wickedness of the men of Shechem did
God requite upon their heads. And upon them came the

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curse of Jotham, the son of jurub Baal end of
chapter nine