Judges · Chapter 9

[ edit] Abymalech, þe ſone of Jeroboal, ȝeed forſoþe into Sichem to þe briþeren of his moder; and he ſpak to hem, and to al þe kynrede of þe hows of his modir, ſeiynge, Spek to alle þe men of Sychem, Wheþer is it betere to ȝou, þat ſeuenti men, alle þe ſones of Jeroboal, han lordſhip of ȝow, oþer o man be lord to ȝow? and to gidre bihold ȝe, for ȝoure boon and ȝoure fleſh Y am. And þe briþeren of his moder ſpeken of hym to alle þe men of Sichem alle þes wordes; and þei boweden þe herte of hem after Abymalech, ſeyinge, Oure broþer he is. And þei ȝauen to hym ſeuenti pownde of ſiluer of þe heþen temple of Baal Beriþ; þe which hiride to hym of it nedi men and vagaunt, and þei folweden hym.

And he cam into þe hows of his fader in Ephra, and he ſlewȝ his briþeren þe ſones of Jeroboal, ſeuenti men, vpon o ſtoon. And Joaþam, þe ſone of Jeroboal, þe leeſt, abood ſtil, and is hid. And alle þe men of Sichem, and al þe meynee of þe cite of Mello, ben gedred to gidre, and wenten, and ordeyneden hem a kyng, Abymalech, biſide þe ook þat ſtood in Sichem. Þe which, whanne was told to Joaþam, he ȝede, and ſtood in þe cop of þe hil of Garyſym, and, arerid vp þe voice, cryede, and ſeyde, Here ȝe me, men of Sichem, ſo þat God here ȝou. Treeſe wenten for to anoynte vpon hem a kyng; and þei ſeiden to þe olyue, Comaund þou to vs.

Þe whiche anſwerde, Wheþir may Y forſake my fatnes, þe whiche and Goddis vſen and men, and come, þat bitwix trees Y be auaunſid? And þe trees ſeiden to þe fige tree, Com þou, and tak kyngdom vpon vs. Þe which anſwerde to hem, Wheþer may Y forſake my ſwetnes and mooſt ſwete fruytis, and goo þat bitwix oþer trees Y be auaunſid? And þe trees ſpeken to þe viyn, Com, and comaunde to vs. Þe which anſwerde, Wheþer may Y forſake my wyn, þat gladiþ God and men, and bitwix oþer trees be auaunſid? And alle þe trees ſeiden to þe þorn, Com, and comaund þow vpon vs.

Þe whiche anſwerde to hem, If verreily me kyng ȝe han ordeynde to ȝou, comeþ, and vnder my ſhadewe reſtiþ; forſoþe if ȝe wolen not, go out fier fro þe þorn, and deuowre þe ſeedis of Liban.

Nowe þanne if riȝtly and wiþouten ſynne ȝe han ordeynde vpon ȝou a kyng, Abymalech, and wel han doo wiþ Jeroboal, and wiþ þe hows of hym, and han ȝolden while to his benfeetis, þe which fauȝt for ȝou, and his lijf ȝaf to peryls, for to delyuer ȝou fro þe hoond of Madian; þe whiche ȝe nowe han ryſyn aȝens þe hows of my fader, and han ſlayn his ſones, ſeuenti men, upon o ſtoon, and han ordeynde a kyng, Abymalech, þe ſone of þe werk womman of hym, vpon þe dwellers of Sichem, forþi þat ȝoure broþer he be; if þanne riȝtly and wiþ outen vice ȝe han doo wiþ Jeroboal and þe hows of hym, to day glade ȝe in Abymalech, and he glade in ȝou; forſoþe if ſhrewidli, fier goo out of hym, and waaſt þe dwellers of Sichem, and þe burȝ toun of Mello; and go out fier fro þe men of Sichem, and fro þe burgh toun of Mello, and deuowre Abymalech.

Þe whiche þingis whanne he hadde ſeid, he fleiȝ, and wente into Bereram, and dwelte þere, for drede of Abymalech, his broþir. And Abymalech regnede vpon Yrael þre ȝeer. And God ſente þe worſt ſpiryte bitwix Abymalech and þe dwellers of Sichem, þe whiche bigunne to wlaat hym, and þe hidows gilt of þe ſlauȝter of þe ſeuenti ſones of Jeroboal, and þe ſhedynge of blod of hem, to ȝeelde into Abymalech, his broþir, and into þe toþer princis of Sichemytis, þat hym helpeden. And þei puttiden aſpies aȝens hym in þe cop of hillis; and while þei biden þe comynge of hym, þei hawntiden þeftis, takynge prayes of þe goers byſide; and it is told to Abymalech.

Forſoþe Gaal, þe ſone of Obed, wiþ his breþeren cam, and paſſide into Siccymam; at whos comynge reryd þe dwellers of Sichem, wenten out into feeldis, waſtynge vynes, and grapis tredynge; and þe querys maad of ſyngers þei wenten into þe temple of her God, and bytwix meetis and drynkis þei curſeden to Abymalech, criynge Gaal, þe ſone of Obed, Who is þis Abymalech? And what is Sichem, þat we ſeruen to hym? Wheþer is not he þe ſone of Jeroboal, and ſet a prince, Zebul his ſeruaunt, vpon þe men of Emor, þe fader of Sichem? Whi þanne ſhulen we ſerue to hym? Wolde God eny man ȝeue þis puple vnder myn hoond, and I ſhulde doo a wey fro þe mydil Abymalech.

And it is ſeid to Abymalech, Gedre a multitude of ooſt, and com. Forſoþe Zebul, þe prince of þe cytee, herd þe wordis of Gaal, þe ſone of Obed, is ful wrooþ; and ſente preueli to Abymalech meſſagers, ſeiynge, Loo! Gaal, þe ſone of Obed, cam into Siccymam wiþ his briþeren, and aȝen fiȝtiþ þe citee aȝens þee; aryſe alſo þe nyȝt wiþ þe puple, þat is wiþ þee, and lurk in þe feeld; and firſt eerli ryſynge þe ſunne, fal vpon þe cite; forſoþe hym goynge out aȝens þee wiþ his puple, do to hym þat þow mayſt. And ſo Abymalech wiþ al his ooſt roos þe nyȝt, and ſette buſhementis biſide Siccymam, in foure placis. And Gaal, þe ſone of Obed, wente out, and ſtood in þe entre of þe ȝate of þe cytee.

Forſoþe Abymalech roos, and al þe ooſt wiþ hym, fro þe place of þe buſſhementis. And whanne Gaal hadde ſeen þe puple, he ſeide to Zebul, Loo! fro þe hillis a multitude deſcendiþ. To whom he anſwerde, Þe ſhadewis of hillis þow ſeeſt as mennus heedis, and by þis errour þou art deſſeyued. And eft Gaal ſeiþ, Loo! þe puple fro þe nouel of þe erþe comeþ doun, and o cumpanye commeþ bi þe weye þat biholdiþ þe ook. To whom ſeide Zebul, Where is nowe þi mowþ, bi þe which þou ſpeek, Who is Abymalech, þat we ſeruen to hym? Wheþer is not þis þe puple, whom þow deſpiſediſt? Go out, and fiȝt aȝens hym. Gaal þanne wente, abydynge þe puple of Sichemys, and fauȝte aȝens Abymalech.

Þe which purſuede hym fleynge, and in þe cytee þreſte; and þere fellen of þe parti of hym many vnto þe ȝate of þe cyte. And Abymalech ſat in Rana; Zebul forſoþe Gaal and his felaws he putte out of þe cyte, ne in it he ſuffrede to dwelle. Þanne þe day folowynge þe puple ȝede out into þe feeld; þe which whanne it was toold to Abymalech, he took his ooſt, and dyuydide in þre companyes, ſettynge buſſhementis in þe feeldis; and ſeynge þat þe puple wente out of þe cytee, he roos, and felle into hem wiþ his ooſt, aȝenfiȝtynge and biſeegynge þe cytee. Forſoþe two companyes, opynly rennynge hidir and þidir bi þe feeld, þe aduerſaryes purſueden.

Forſoþe Abymalech al þat day ouercam þe cytee, þe which he took, ſlayn þe dwellers of it, and it deſtruyede, ſo þat ſalt in it he ſprengide. Þe which þing, whanne hadden herd þei þat dwelten in þe tour of Sychemys, wenten into þe temple of her god Beryþ, where a boond of pees wiþ hym þei couenauntiden; and of it þe place took name, þe which was greetli ſtrengþid. And Abymalech herynge þe men of þe tour of Sichemys togidre gedred in o glob, or company, ſtiede vp into þe hil of Selmon wiþ al his puple; and takun to an axe he kytte of a braunche of a tree, and putte on þe ſhuldir berynge, he ſeide to felawis, Þat ȝe ſeen me doo, þat anoon doo ȝe.

Þanne ſtryuyngly of þe trees kuttynge of braunchis þei foleweden þe duyk; þe whiche enuyrounynge þe place of ſocour, brenten vp; and ſo is doon, þat þurȝ ſmook and fier a þowſand men weren ſlayn, men togidre and wymmen, of þe dwellers of þe tour of Sichem. Forſoþe Abymalech þens goynge cam to þe burgh toun Thebes, þe which enuyrounnynge biſegide wiþ ooſt. Forſoþe þe tour was hiȝe in þe mydil cytee, to þe which flowen togidre men and wymmen, and alle þe princis of þe cytee, cloſid mooſt faſtly þe ȝate; and vpon þe roof of þe tour ſtondynge by þe pynnaclis.

And Abymalech comynge nyȝ biſide þe tour fauȝt ſtrongli, and neiȝynge to þe dore, he was about to put vndir fyre; and, loo! a womman þe brekynge of a mylnſtoon from aboue þrowynge hurtlide to þe heed of Abymalech, and brak his brayn. Þe which clepide anoon his ſquyer, and ſeiþ to hym, Drawe out þi ſwerd, and ſmyte me, leſt perauenture it be ſeid, þat of a womman I am ſlayn. Þe which, fulfillynge þe heeſt, ſlewȝ him; and him ſlayn, alle þat wiþ hym weren of Yrael ben turned aȝen to her ſeetis. And God ȝeeldide þe yuel þat Abymalech dide aȝens his fader, ſlayn his ſeuenti breþeren. And to þe Sichemys is ȝoldun þat þei wrouȝten, and is comen vpon hem þe curſynge of Joaþam, ſone of Jeroboal.