hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the
people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.
[49] And
all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the
hold, and set the hold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about
a thousand men and women.
[50] Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and
took it.
[51] But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all
they of the city, and shut it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower.
[52] And Abimelech came
unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
[53]
And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull.
[54]
Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and
slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he
died.
[55] And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his
place.
[56] Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his
seventy brethren:
[57] And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon
them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
Judg.10
[1] And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of
Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.
[2] And he judged Israel twenty and three years,
and died, and was buried in Shamir.
[3] And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty
and two years.
[4] And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which
are called Havoth-jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
[5] And Jair died, and was buried in
Camon.
[6] And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and
Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the
children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him.
[7] And
the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and
into the hands of the children of Ammon.
[8] And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of
Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites,
which is in Gilead.
[9] Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah,
and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.
[10] And
the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have
forsaken our God, and also served Baalim.
[11] And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I
deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?
[12]
The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I
delivered you out of their hand.
[13] Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will
deliver you no more.
[14] Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the
time of your tribulation.
[15] And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou unto
us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.
[16] And they put away
the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of
Israel.
[17] Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children
of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh.
[18] And the people and princes of
Gilead said one to another, What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he
shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
Judg.11
[1] Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead
begat Jephthah.
[2] And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out
Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange
woman.
[3] Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered
vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.
[4] And it came to pass in process of time, that the children
of Ammon made war against Israel.
[5] And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against
Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:
[6] And they said unto Jephthah,