HOLY BIBLE: Judges 9 (original) (raw)

7 καὶ ἀνήγγειλαν τῷ Ιωαθαμ καὶ ἐπορεύθη καὶ ἔστη ἐπὶ τῆς κορυφῆς τοῦ ὄρους Γαριζιν καὶ ἐπῆρεν τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκάλεσεν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἀκούσατέ μου ἄνδρες Σικιμων καὶ ἀκούσαι ὑμῶν ὁ θεός 8 πορευόμενα ἐπορεύθησαν τὰ ξύλα τοῦ χρῖσαι ἑαυτοῖς βασιλέα καὶ εἶπον τῇ ἐλαίᾳ βασίλευσον ἐ{F'} ἡμῶν 9 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἡ ἐλαία ἀφεῖσα τὴν πιότητά μου ἣν ἐν ἐμοὶ ἐδόξασεν ὁ θεὸς καὶ ἄνθρωποι πορευθῶ ἄρχειν τῶν ξύλων 10 καὶ εἶπαν τὰ ξύλα τῇ συκῇ δεῦρο βασίλευσον ἐ{F'} ἡμῶν 11 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἡ συκῆ ἀφεῖσα τὴν γλυκύτητά μου καὶ τὸ γένημά μου τὸ ἀγαθὸν πορευθῶ ἄρχειν ἐπὶ ξύλων 12 καὶ εἶπαν τὰ ξύλα τῇ ἀμπέλῳ δεῦρο βασίλευσον ἐ{F'} ἡμῶν 13 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἡ ἄμπελος ἀφεῖσα τὸν οἶνόν μου τὴν εὐφροσύνην τὴν παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώπων πορευθῶ ἄρχειν ξύλων 14 καὶ εἶπαν τὰ ξύλα πρὸς τὴν ῥάμνον δεῦρο σὺ βασίλευσον ἐ{F'} ἡμῶν 15 καὶ εἶπεν ἡ ῥάμνος πρὸς τὰ ξύλα εἰ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ ὑμεῖς χρίετέ με εἰς βασιλέα ἐ{F'} ὑμῶν δεῦτε πεποίθατε ἐν τῇ σκέπῃ μου καὶ εἰ μή ἐξέλθοι πῦρ ἐκ τῆς ῥάμνου καὶ καταφάγοι τὰς κέδρους τοῦ Λιβάνου

7 When this came to Joatham’s ears, he went and stood at the top of mount Garizim, and raised his voice there in a loud cry. Listen to me, he said, men of Sichem, as you would have God himself listen to you. 8 There was a time when the trees went about to anoint a king who should rule over them, and said to the olive-tree, Come and be our king. 9 What, said the olive, would you have me forgo this rich influence of mine, for the service of God and man, to win promotion among the trees? 10 So they asked the fig-tree to be their ruler, 11 but the fig-tree answered, What, should I cease to yield this pleasant fruit of mine, and win promotion among the trees instead? 12 Then the trees would have the vine reign over them, 13 but the vine said, What, would you have me cease to yield wine, wine that both God and man delight in, to be the foremost of the trees? 14 So at last all the trees went to the bramble, and would have the bramble reign over them. 15 And the bramble said, If you have chosen me for your king in all honesty, why then, come and rest in my shadow. If your hearts are false, then burn bramble, and set light to all the cedars on Lebanon!

7 Quod cum nuntiatum esset Joatham, ivit, et stetit in vertice montis Garizim: elevataque voce, clamavit, et dixit: Audite me, viri Sichem; ita audiat vos Deus. 8 Ierunt ligna, ut ungerent super se regem: dixeruntque olivæ: Impera nobis. 9 Quæ respondit: Numquid possum deserere pinguedinem meam, qua et dii utuntur et homines, et venire ut inter ligna promovear? 10 Dixeruntque ligna ad arborem ficum: Veni, et super nos regnum accipe. 11 Quæ respondit eis: Numquid possum deserere dulcedinem meam, fructusque suavissimos, et ire ut inter cetera ligna promovear? 12 Locutaque sunt ligna ad vitem: Veni, et impera nobis. 13 Quæ respondit eis: Numquid possum deserere vinum meum, quod lætificat Deum et homines, et inter ligna cetera promoveri? 14 Dixeruntque omnia ligna ad rhamnum: Veni, et impera super nos. 15 Quæ respondit eis: Si vere me regem vobis constituitis, venite, et sub umbra mea requiescite: si autem non vultis, egrediatur ignis de rhamno, et devoret cedros Libani.

16 καὶ νῦν εἰ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καὶ ἐν τελειότητι ἐποιήσατε καὶ ἐβασιλεύσατε τὸν Αβιμελεχ καὶ εἰ καλῶς ἐποιήσατε μετὰ Ιεροβααλ καὶ μετὰ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰ κατὰ τὸ ἀνταπόδομα τῆς χειρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐποιήσατε αὐτῷ 17 ὡς ἐπολέμησεν ὁ πατήρ μου ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν καὶ ἔρριψεν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐξ ἐναντίας καὶ ἐξείλατο ὑμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς Μαδιαμ 18 καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐπανέστητε ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου σήμερον καὶ ἀπεκτείνατε τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ ἑβδομήκοντα ἄνδρας ἐπὶ λίθον ἕνα καὶ ἐβασιλεύσατε τὸν Αβιμελεχ υἱὸν τῆς παιδίσκης αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας Σικιμων ὅτι ἀδελφὸς ὑμῶν ἐστιν 19 καὶ εἰ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καὶ τελειότητι ἐποιήσατε μετὰ Ιεροβααλ καὶ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ εὐλογηθείητε ὑμεῖς καὶ εὐφρανθείητε ἐν Αβιμελεχ καὶ εὐφρανθείη καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν ὑμῖν 20 καὶ εἰ μή ἐξέλθοι πῦρ ἐξ Αβιμελεχ καὶ καταφάγοι τοὺς ἄνδρας Σικιμων καὶ τὸν οἶκον Μααλλων καὶ εἰ μή ἐξέλθοι πῦρ ἀπὸ ἀνδρῶν Σικιμων καὶ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου Μααλλων καὶ καταφάγοι τὸν Αβιμελεχ 21 καὶ ἀπέδρα Ιωαθαμ καὶ ἐπορεύθη ἐν ὁδῷ καὶ ἔφυγεν εἰς Ραρα καὶ κατῴκησεν ἐκεῖ ἀπὸ προσώπου Αβιμελεχ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ

16 And you, have you kept faith and honour in making Abimelech your king? Have you dealt kindly with Jerobaal and his race, shewn gratitude for the good service he did you? Here was a man that fought in your cause, 17 that put his life in peril, to deliver you from the power of Madian. 18 And now you have risen in arms against my father’s house, you have murdered at one blow seventy men that were his sons, and you have made Abimelech, the son of his serving-wench, king of all Sichem; one that is your own kin. 19 Was this honourably done? Have you kept faith with the race of Jerobaal? Why then, I wish you joy of your king, and Abimelech of his subjects. 20 But if it was done amiss, then burn Abimelech, and set light to Sichem and Mello; burn Sichem and Mello, and set light to Abimelech! 21 And with that Joatham fled, and took refuge in Bara, where he could dwell safe from his brother Abimelech’s vengeance.

16 Nunc igitur, si recte et absque peccato constituistis super vos regem Abimelech, et bene egistis cum Jerobaal, et cum domo ejus, et reddidistis vicem beneficiis ejus, qui pugnavit pro vobis, 17 et animam suam dedit periculis, ut erueret vos de manu Madian, 18 qui nunc surrexistis contra domum patris mei, et interfecistis filios ejus septuaginta viros super unum lapidem, et constituistis regem Abimelech filium ancillæ ejus super habitatores Sichem, eo quod frater vester sit: 19 si ergo recte et absque vitio egistis cum Jerobaal et domo ejus, hodie lætamini in Abimelech, et ille lætetur in vobis. 20 Sin autem perverse: egrediatur ignis ex eo, et consumat habitatores Sichem, et oppidum Mello: egrediaturque ignis de viris Sichem, et de oppido Mello, et devoret Abimelech. 21 Quæ cum dixisset, fugit, et abiit in Bera: habitavitque ibi ob metum Abimelech fratris sui.

22 καὶ ἦρξεν Αβιμελεχ ἐπὶ Ισραηλ τρία ἔτη 23 καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς πνεῦμα πονηρὸν ἀνὰ μέσον Αβιμελεχ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν ἀνδρῶν Σικιμων καὶ ἠθέτησαν οἱ ἄνδρες Σικιμων ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Αβιμελεχ 24 τοῦ ἐπαγαγεῖν τὴν ἀδικίαν τῶν ἑβδομήκοντα υἱῶν Ιεροβααλ καὶ τὸ αἷμα αὐτῶν ἐπιθεῖναι ἐπὶ Αβιμελεχ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτῶν τὸν ἀποκτείναντα αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας Σικιμων τοὺς κατισχύσαντας τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ ὥστε ἀποκτεῖναι τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ 25 καὶ ἔθεντο αὐτῷ οἱ ἄνδρες Σικιμων ἔνεδρα ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς τῶν ὀρέων καὶ ἀνήρπαζον πάντας τοὺς διαπορευομένους ἐ{P'} αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ καὶ ἀπηγγέλη τῷ Αβιμελεχ 26 καὶ ἦλθεν Γααλ υἱὸς Αβεδ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς Σικιμα καὶ ἐπεποίθησαν ἐν αὐτῷ οἱ ἄνδρες Σικιμων 27 καὶ ἦλθον εἰς ἀγρὸν καὶ ἐτρύγησαν τοὺς ἀμπελῶνας αὐτῶν καὶ κατεπάτουν καὶ ἐποίησαν χοροὺς καὶ εἰσῆλθον εἰς οἶκον θεοῦ αὐτῶν καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ ἔπιον καὶ κατηρῶντο τὸν Αβιμελεχ 28 καὶ εἶπεν Γααλ υἱὸς Αβεδ τί ἐστιν Αβιμελεχ καὶ τίς ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς Συχεμ ὅτι δουλεύσομεν αὐτῷ οὐχ οὗτος υἱὸς Ιεροβααλ καὶ Ζεβουλ ἐπίσκοπος αὐτοῦ δοῦλος αὐτοῦ σὺν τοῖς ἀνδράσιν Εμμωρ πατρὸς Συχεμ καὶ τί ὅτι δουλεύσομεν αὐτῷ ἡμεῖς 29 καὶ τίς δῴη τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον ἐν χειρί μου καὶ μεταστήσω τὸν Αβιμελεχ καὶ ἐρῶ τῷ Αβιμελεχ πλήθυνον τὴν δύναμίν σου καὶ ἔξελθε 30 καὶ ἤκουσεν Ζεβουλ ὁ ἄρχων τῆς πόλεως τοὺς λόγους Γααλ υἱοῦ Αβεδ καὶ ἐθυμώθη ὀργῇ 31 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ἀγγέλους πρὸς Αβιμελεχ μετὰ δώρων λέγων ἰδοὺ Γααλ υἱὸς Αβεδ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ παραγεγόνασιν εἰς Σικιμα καὶ οἵδε πολιορκοῦσιν τὴν πόλιν ἐπὶ σέ 32 καὶ νῦν ἀνάστηθι νυκτὸς σὺ καὶ ὁ λαὸς ὁ μετὰ σοῦ καὶ ἐνέδρευσον ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ 33 καὶ ἔσται τὸ πρωὶ ἅμα τῷ ἀνατεῖλαι τὸν ἥλιον καὶ ὀρθρίσεις καὶ ἐκτενεῖς ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν καὶ ἰδοὺ αὐτὸς καὶ ὁ λαὸς ὁ με{T'} αὐτοῦ ἐκπορεύονται πρὸς σέ καὶ ποιήσεις αὐτῷ καθάπερ ἐὰν εὕρῃ ἡ χείρ σου 34 καὶ ἀνέστη Αβιμελεχ καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ὁ με{T'} αὐτοῦ νυκτὸς καὶ ἐνήδρευσαν ἐπὶ Σικιμα τέσσαρας ἀρχάς

22 So, for three years, Abimelech was king in Israel; 23 but now the Lord stirred up ill-will between Abimelech and the men of Sichem, who came to hold him in abhorrence; 24 the foul deed done when the seventy sons of Jerobaal were slain, the guilt of the blood so spilt, was held now against Abimelech, their brother, and against the chief men of Sichem, that had been in league with him. 25 So they laid an ambush to catch him at the head of the mountain-pass, and spent their time, while they awaited his coming, in open robbery, plundering all that went by; but Abimelech had warning of it. 26 It was now that Gaal son of Obed appeared, and led his clansmen into Sichem. All that dwelt in Sichem were elated at his coming; 27 out they went into the country-side, to strip the vineyards and tread the grapes. Amid the chanting of choirs, they went into the temple of their god to feast and drink deep, and curse the name of Abimelech. 28 What, cried Gaal son of Obed, should Sichem, being the city she is, obey such a man as Abimelech? Shall this son of Jerobaal send his servant Zebul to rule over men that come down from Hamor, the father of Sichem? And must we all be his slaves? 29 Ah, if I had but command of a people like this, I would soon clear Abimelech out of my path.

Hereupon, Abimelech was bidden muster a great force, and come with all speed. 30 Gaal’s words had come to the ears of Zebul, who was in command of the city, and in high displeasure 31 he sent Abimelech a secret message: Here is Gaal, son of Obed, come to Sichem with his clan, and means to wrest the city from thee. 32 March out under cover of night with all the following thou hast, and lie hidden in the country round about; 33 then, when tomorrow’s sun rises, fall upon the city, and when he and his men come out to meet thee, engage them as best thou canst. 34 So Abimelech set out on a night march with all his forces, and posted men in ambush about Sichem in four several places.

22 Regnavit itaque Abimelech super Israël tribus annis. 23 Misitque Dominus spiritum pessimum inter Abimelech et habitatores Sichem: qui cœperunt eum detestari, 24 et scelus interfectionis septuaginta filiorum Jerobaal, et effusionem sanguinis eorum conferre in Abimelech fratrem suum, et in ceteros Sichimorum principes, qui eum adjuverant. 25 Posueruntque insidias adversus eum in summitate montium: et dum illius præstolabantur adventum, exercebant latrocinia, agentes prædas de prætereuntibus: nuntiatumque est Abimelech. 26 Venit autem Gaal filius Obed cum fratribus suis, et transivit in Sichimam. Ad cujus adventum erecti habitatores Sichem, 27 egressi sunt in agros, vastantes vineas, uvasque calcantes: et factis cantantium choris, ingressi sunt fanum dei sui, et inter epulas et pocula maledicebant Abimelech, 28 clamante Gaal filio Obed: Quis est Abimelech, et quæ est Sichem, ut serviamus ei? numquid non est filius Jerobaal, et constituit principem Zebul servum suum super viros Emor patris Sichem? cur ergo serviemus ei? 29 utinam daret aliquis populum istum sub manu mea, ut auferrem de medio Abimelech. Dictumque est Abimelech: Congrega exercitus multitudinem, et veni. 30 Zebul enim princeps civitatis, auditis sermonibus Gaal filii Obed, iratus est valde, 31 et misit clam ad Abimelech nuntios, dicens: Ecce Gaal filius Obed venit in Sichimam cum fratribus suis, et oppugnat adversum te civitatem. 32 Surge itaque nocte cum populo qui tecum est, et latita in agro: 33 et primo mane, oriente sole, irrue super civitatem. Illo autem egrediente adversum te cum populo suo, fac ei quod potueris. 34 Surrexit itaque Abimelech cum omni exercitu suo nocte, et tetendit insidias juxta Sichimam in quatuor locis.

35 καὶ ἐγένετο πρωὶ καὶ ἐξῆλθεν Γααλ υἱὸς Αβεδ καὶ ἔστη πρὸς τῇ θύρᾳ τῆς πύλης τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἀνέστη Αβιμελεχ καὶ ὁ λαὸς ὁ με{T'} αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῶν ἐνέδρων 36 καὶ εἶδεν Γααλ υἱὸς Αβεδ τὸν λαὸν καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς Ζεβουλ ἰδοὺ λαὸς καταβαίνων ἀπὸ τῶν κορυφῶν τῶν ὀρέων καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Ζεβουλ τὴν σκιὰν τῶν ὀρέων σὺ ὁρᾶς ὡς ἄνδρας 37 καὶ προσέθετο ἔτι Γααλ τοῦ λαλῆσαι καὶ εἶπεν ἰδοὺ λαὸς καταβαίνων κατὰ θάλασσαν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐχόμενα τοῦ ὀμφαλοῦ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἀρχὴ μία παραγίνεται ἀπὸ ὁδοῦ δρυὸς ἀποβλεπόντων 38 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Ζεβουλ ποῦ ἐστιν νῦν τὸ στόμα σου τὸ λέγον τίς ἐστιν Αβιμελεχ ὅτι δουλεύσομεν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἰδοὺ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ λαός ὃν ἐξουδένωσας ἔξελθε νῦν καὶ πολέμει πρὸς αὐτόν 39 καὶ ἐξῆλθεν Γααλ ἀπὸ προσώπου τῶν ἀνδρῶν Σικιμων καὶ ἐπολέμησεν ἐν Αβιμελεχ 40 καὶ κατεδίωξεν αὐτὸν Αβιμελεχ καὶ ἔφυγεν ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔπεσον τραυματίαι πολλοὶ ἕως θυρῶν τῆς πόλεως 41 καὶ ἐκάθισεν Αβιμελεχ ἐν Αριμα καὶ ἐξέβαλεν Ζεβουλ τὸν Γααλ καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ τοῦ μὴ οἰκεῖν ἐν Σικιμοις

35 Gaal, son of Obed, had gone out to take up his stand before the entrance of the city, when suddenly Abimelech and his men rose from their ambush. 36 And when he caught sight of them, Gaal said to Zebul, Why, what is this throng of folk coming down from the hill-top? It is the shadows on the mountain-side, said he, thou art mistaking for human forms. 37 But Gaal repeated, There is a throng of men coming down from the uplands, and another body is moving down the road that leads to the oak-tree. 38 And at that Zebul said, Now we shall see what becomes of that boasting of thine, Shall we obey such a man as Abimelech? See, here are the men thou didst hold in such contempt; go out and fight with them. 39 So Gaal must needs take the field against Abimelech, with all the citizens of Sichem to watch him; 40 whereupon Abimelech routed him, and drove him back into the city, and not a few of his clansmen fell before they could reach the city gate. 41 So Abimelech encamped at Ruma, while Zebul drove Gaal and his clan out of the city, saying he would harbour them no more.

35 Egressusque est Gaal filius Obed, et stetit in introitu portæ civitatis. Surrexit autem Abimelech, et omnis exercitus cum eo, de insidiarum loco. 36 Cumque vidisset populum Gaal, dixit ad Zebul: Ecce de montibus multitudo descendit. Cui ille respondit: Umbras montium vides quasi capita hominum, et hoc errore deciperis. 37 Rursumque Gaal ait: Ecce populus de umbilico terræ descendit, et unus cuneus venit per viam quæ respicit quercum. 38 Cui dixit Zebul: Ubi est nunc os tuum, quo loquebaris: Quis est Abimelech ut serviamus ei? nonne hic populus est, quem despiciebas? egredere, et pugna contra eum. 39 Abiit ergo Gaal, spectante Sichimorum populo, et pugnavit contra Abimelech, 40 qui persecutus est eum fugientem, et in urbem compulit: cecideruntque ex parte ejus plurimi, usque ad portam civitatis. 41 Et Abimelech sedit in Ruma: Zebul autem Gaal et socios ejus expulit de urbe, nec in ea passus est commorari.

50 καὶ ἐπορεύθη Αβιμελεχ εἰς Θεβες καὶ περιεκάθισεν ἐ{P'} αὐτὴν καὶ προκατελάβετο αὐτήν 51 καὶ πύργος ἦν ὀχυρὸς ἐν μέσῳ τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἔφυγον ἐκεῖ πάντες οἱ ἄνδρες καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες καὶ πάντες οἱ ἡγούμενοι τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἀπέκλεισαν ἐ{F'} ἑαυτοὺς καὶ ἀνέβησαν ἐπὶ τὸ δῶμα τοῦ πύργου 52 καὶ ἦλθεν Αβιμελεχ ἕως τοῦ πύργου καὶ ἐξεπολέμησαν αὐτόν καὶ ἤγγισεν Αβιμελεχ ἕως τῆς θύρας τοῦ πύργου ἐμπρῆσαι αὐτὸν ἐν πυρί 53 καὶ ἔρριψεν γυνὴ μία κλάσμα μύλου ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν Αβιμελεχ καὶ συνέθλασεν τὸ κρανίον αὐτοῦ 54 καὶ ἐβόησεν τὸ τάχος πρὸς τὸ παιδάριον τὸν αἴροντα τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ σπάσαι τὴν μάχαιράν σου καὶ θανάτωσόν με μήποτε εἴπωσιν γυνὴ ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτόν καὶ ἐξεκέντησεν αὐτὸν τὸ παιδάριον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπέθανεν Αβιμελεχ 55 καὶ εἶδεν ἀνὴρ Ισραηλ ὅτι ἀπέθανεν Αβιμελεχ καὶ ἀπῆλθον ἀνὴρ εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ 56 καὶ ἀπέστρεψεν ὁ θεὸς τὴν κακίαν Αβιμελεχ ἣν ἐποίησεν τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ ἀποκτεῖναι τοὺς ἑβδομήκοντα ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ 57 καὶ πᾶσαν κακίαν ἀνδρῶν Σικιμων ἐπέστρεψεν ὁ θεὸς εἰς τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπῆλθεν ἐ{P'} αὐτοὺς ἡ κατάρα Ιωαθαμ τοῦ υἱοῦ Ιεροβααλ

50 From there, Abimelech went on to the town of Thebes, and made an assault on it. 51 There was a high tower in the middle of the city, in which men and women alike had taken refuge, all the chief magistrates of the city among them. Its doors were stoutly barred, and there were battlements on its roof behind which the defenders stood. 52 Abimelech came up and assailed it vigorously, and was standing there close by the door trying to set fire to it, 53 when a woman threw down from the roof part of a mill-stone, which struck him on the head and pierced to the brain. 54 Quickly he called out to his armour-bearer; Draw thy sword, he said, and make an end of me; it must not be said that Abimelech died by a woman’s hand. So the armour-bearer obeyed, and made an end of him; 55 and, once he was dead, all the Israelites who marched with him went back to their homes. 56 Thus God punished Abimelech for the wrong he did to his father’s name by slaughtering those seventy brethren of his, 57 and punished the men of Sichem, too, for their misdeeds; and the curse of Joatham, son of Jerobaal, came upon them all.

50 Abimelech autem inde proficiscens venit ad oppidum Thebes, quod circumdans obsidebat exercitu. 51 Erat autem turris excelsa in media civitate, ad quam confugerant simul viri ac mulieres, et omnes principes civitatis, clausa firmissime janua, et super turris tectum stantes per propugnacula. 52 Accedensque Abimelech juxta turrim, pugnabat fortiter: et appropinquans ostio, ignem supponere nitebatur: 53 et ecce una mulier fragmen molæ desuper jaciens, illisit capiti Abimelech, et confregit cerebrum ejus. 54 Qui vocavit cito armigerum suum, et ait ad eum: Evagina gladium tuum, et percute me, ne forte dicatur quod a femina interfectus sim. Qui jussa perficiens, interfecit eum. 55 Illoque mortuo, omnes qui cum eo erant de Israël, reversi sunt in sedes suas: 56 et reddidit Deus malum quod fecerat Abimelech contra patrem suum, interfectis septuaginta fratribus suis. 57 Sichimitis quoque quod operati erant, retributum est, et venit super eos maledictio Joatham filii Jerobaal.

[1] Literally, ‘over one stone’, which may imply a kind of judicial or even sacrificial proceeding. But the emphasis is clearly laid upon the wholesale nature of the massacre, and some think that the expression ‘over one stone’ is only proverbial.

[2] In the original simply ‘went out’, but we are probably meant to refer back to verse 25. Unless, indeed, they went out to get in the vintage.

Knox Translation Copyright © 2013 Westminster Diocese
Nihil Obstat. Father Anton Cowan, Censor.
Imprimatur. +Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. 8th January 2012.
Re-typeset and published in 2012 by Baronius Press Ltd