Judges

9 As time de go, A·bim′e·lech the son of Jer·ub·ba′al go meet im mama brothers for She′chem, and e tell them and all the family of im grandpapa say:* 2 “Abeg ask all the leaders* of She′chem say, ‘Which one better for una, make all the 70 sons of Jer·ub·ba′al rule una or make one man rule una? And remember say I be una own flesh and blood.’”*

3 So im mama brothers go tell all the elders of She′chem this thing wey e don talk, and their heart move them to follow A·bim′e·lech, because them talk say: “Na our own brother e be.” 4 Then, them give-am 70 pieces of silver from the house* of Ba′al-be′rith, and A·bim′e·lech use-am hire men to follow-am, men wey no get work and wey no get respect for anybody at all. 5 After that one, e go im papa house for Oph′rah and kill im brothers wey be the sons of Jer·ub·ba′al, 70 men, ontop one stone. The only person wey survive na Jo′tham, the last son of Jer·ub·ba′al, because e hide.

6 Then all the leaders of She′chem and everybody for Beth-mil′lo gather together and make A·bim′e·lech king, near the big tree, wey near the pillar wey dey She′chem.

7 When them tell Jo′tham wetin happen, quick-quick, e go stand ontop Mount Ger′i·zim and talk to them with loud voice say: “Listen to me, una wey be leaders of She′chem, and then God go listen to una.

8 “One day some trees comot go anoint one king wey go rule them. So them tell the olive tree say, ‘Rule us.’ 9 But the olive tree tell them say, ‘Make I stop to produce my oil* wey them de use praise God and men, to go rule* the other trees?’ 10 Then the trees tell the fig tree say, ‘Come rule us.’ 11 But the fig tree tell them say, ‘Make I stop to produce my sweet and good fruit to go rule* the other trees?’ 12 Then the trees tell the vine tree say, ‘Come rule us.’ 13 The vine tree answer them say, ‘Make I stop to produce my new wine wey de make God and men de happy to go rule* the trees?’ 14 Last-last, all the other trees tell the bramble tree say, ‘Come rule us.’ 15 Then the bramble tree tell the trees say, ‘If una de really anoint me as king to rule una, make una come get protection under my shadow. But if una no want do like that, make fire come out of the bramble tree and burn the cedars of Leb′a·non finish.’

16 “Now as una make A·bim′e·lech king, e come from una heart and na the correct thing? And una don do good to Jer·ub·ba′al and im family? And una don treat-am the way una suppose treat-am? 17 When my papa fight for una, e put im life* for danger to save una from the hand of Mid′i·an people. 18 But today una don stand up against my papa family and kill im sons, 70 men, ontop one stone. Then una make A·bim′e·lech, the son of im slave girl, to rule the leaders of She′chem as king just because e be una brother. 19 True-true, if wetin una do come from una heart and na correct thing una do to Jer·ub·ba′al and im family today, make una de happy with A·bim′e·lech and make e de happy with una too. 20 But if no be so e be, make fire come out from A·bim′e·lech and burn the leaders of She′chem and Beth-mil′lo finish, and make fire come out from the leaders of She′chem and Beth-mil′lo and burn A·bim′e·lech finish.”

21 Then Jo′tham run go Be′er, and e live for there because of im brother A·bim′e·lech.

22 A·bim′e·lech rule* Israel for three years. 23 Then God allow A·bim′e·lech and the leaders of She′chem to be enemies,* and them treat A·bim′e·lech for bad way. 24 This one happen as pay back for the wicked thing wey them do the 70 sons of Jer·ub·ba′al, so that their blood go dey ontop their brother A·bim′e·lech because e kill them and ontop the leaders of She′chem because them help-am to kill im brothers. 25 So the leaders of She′chem put men wey go hide wait for-am for the top of the mountains, and them de thief things from everybody wey de pass the road wey them dey. After some time, them come tell A·bim′e·lech wetin de happen.

26 Then Ga′al wey be son of E′bed and im brothers cross go She′chem, and the leaders of She′chem come trust-am. 27 Them go the open area for outside the city and gather grapes from their vine farms. Them press the grapes to bring out wine and them do party. Then after, them go the house of their god, them chop and drink and curse A·bim′e·lech. 28 Then Ga′al the son of E′bed talk say: “Who be A·bim′e·lech, and who be She′chem wey we go serve-am? No be im be the son of Jer·ub·ba′al, and no be Ze′bul be im officer wey de help-am? Serve the men of Ha′mor, wey be She′chem papa! But why we go serve A·bim′e·lech? 29 If to say na me de command this people, I for comot A·bim′e·lech from im position.” Then e tell A·bim′e·lech say: “Increase your army and come fight me.”

30 When Ze′bul the prince of the city hear wetin Ga′al the son of E′bed talk, e vex no be small. 31 So e hide* send messengers to A·bim′e·lech, say: “See! Ga′al the son of E′bed and im brothers don dey She′chem now, and them de make the people of the city to turn against you. 32 Now come for night, you and your men and wait for-am for the open place outside the city. 33 As soon as the sun just come out for morning, make you get up early and attack the city; and when Ga′al and im men come fight against you, do-am anything wey you fit do to win-am.”*

34 So A·bim′e·lech and all the people wey dey with-am get up for night, and them divide theirself to four groups and wait to attack She′chem. 35 When Ga′al the son of E′bed go outside, and stand for the domot of the city gate, A·bim′e·lech and the people wey dey with-am come out from where them hide. 36 When Ga′al see the people, e tell Ze′bul say: “See! Some people de come down from the top of the mountains.” But Ze′bul tell-am say: “Na the shadows of the mountains you de see like say na men.”

37 Ga′al later talk say: “See! People de come down from the center of the land, and one group de come from the road wey near the big tree of Me·on′e·nim.” 38 Ze′bul answer-am say: “So now, wey the mouth wey you de make and de talk say, ‘Who be A·bim′e·lech wey we go serve-am?’ No be the people wey you reject be this? Go fight against them now.”

39 So Ga′al lead the leaders of She′chem go fight against A·bim′e·lech. 40 A·bim′e·lech pursue-am, and Ga′al run from-am. Them kill plenty people go reach front of the city gate.

41 And A·bim′e·lech continue to live for A·ru′mah, and Ze′bul pursue Ga′al and im brothers comot from She′chem. 42 The next day the people comot go outside the city, and them tell A·bim′e·lech about-am. 43 So e take the people and divide them to three groups and hide wait for the open place. When e see the people de comot from the city, e attack them and kill them. 44 A·bim′e·lech and the groups wey dey with-am run go front and position theirself for front of the city gate, then two groups attack all the people wey dey for the open place, and them kill them. 45 A·bim′e·lech fight against the city for the whole of that day and win-am. E kill the people for inside, and then e destroy the city and pour salt for inside.

46 When all the leaders of the tower of She′chem hear about this one, quick-quick, them go the place wey person fit hide* for the house* of El-be′rith. 47 As them just tell A·bim′e·lech say all the leaders of the tower of She′chem don gather together, 48 A·bim′e·lech and all the men wey dey with-am go Mount Zal′mon. A·bim′e·lech carry ax for im hand and cut one branch of tree comot and carry-am ontop im shoulder, then e tell the people wey dey with-am say: “The thing wey una see me do, quick-quick, make una do the same thing!” 49 So all the people still cut branches and follow A·bim′e·lech. Then them put the branches for the place wey person fit hide and light fire for the place. So all the people of the tower of She′chem still die, na around 1,000 men and women them be.

50 Then A·bim′e·lech go The′bez; e surround The′bez and take over the city. 51 One strong tower dey the middle of the city, all the men and women and all the city leaders run go there. Them lock theirself for inside and climb go the roof of the tower. 52 A·bim′e·lech reach where the tower dey and attack-am. E reach the domot of the tower to light fire for there. 53 Then one of the women drop the top part of grinding stone ontop A·bim′e·lech head and scatter im head. 54 Quick-quick, e call the servant wey carry im weapons and tell-am say: “Bring your sword come out and use-am kill me, so that them no go talk about me say, ‘Na woman kill-am.’” So im servant chuk-am with the sword, and e die.

55 When the men of Israel see say A·bim′e·lech don die, all of them go back to their house. 56 So God pay A·bim′e·lech back for the wicked thing wey e do im papa as e kill im 70 brothers. 57 God still make all the wicked thing wey the men of She′chem do come back ontop their own head. So the curse wey Jo′tham the son of Jer·ub·ba′al talk come ontop them.