Abimelech Grab di Throne
Abimelech use temple silver buy thugs and kill im seventy brothers on top one stone; na only Jotham escape, dey shout im story of di trees wey crown bramble. Our Papa den set Shechem against am. E burn one thousand people alive, and one woman millstone break im skull.
9 1Abimelech, di pikin of Jerubbaal, go Shechem, go meet im mama brother dem, come talk give dem and give all di family of im mama papa. 2E talk say, "Abeg, ask all di people wey dey Shechem: 'Wetin better pass—seventy men, all of dem na Jerubbaal pikin, wey go rule una, or one man wey go rule una?' Make una no forget say na una own flesh and blood I be."
3Im mama brother dem tok all dis tin give di people of Shechem, and dia mind turn come Abimelech side, bicos dem talk say, "Na our brother e be." 4Dem give am seventy piece of silver from di temple of Baal-berith, and with am Abimelech pay some useless, wayo men wey follow am. 5Den for im papa house for Ophrah e kill im brother dem, di seventy pikin of Jerubbaal, for on top one stone. But Jotham, di last-born pikin of Jerubbaal, escape bicos e hide. 6All di people of Shechem and all di people of Beth-millo gada, go, come make Abimelech king for near di big oak tree wey dey di pillar for Shechem.
7Wen dem tell Jotham, e go stand for on top Mount Gerizim, e raise im voice come shout say: "Una people of Shechem, listen to me, so dat our Papa go listen to una. 8One day di trees comot go anoint king to rule dem. Dem tell di olive tree, 'You rule us.' 9But di olive tree answer dem, 'Make I stop to give my oil, wey dem take dey honour our Papa and people, come dey waka dey shake for on top di trees?' 10Den di trees tell di fig tree, 'You come rule us.' 11But di fig tree answer dem, 'Make I stop my sweetness and my correct fruit, come dey waka dey shake for on top di trees?' 12Den di trees tell di grape vine, 'You come rule us.' 13But di vine answer dem, 'Make I stop my new wine, wey dey sweet belle of our Papa and people, come dey waka dey shake for on top di trees?' 14Den all di trees tell di thorn bush, 'You come rule us.' 15And di thorn bush tell di trees, 'If na true-true una wan anoint me king to rule una, den come hide for my shade; but if no be so, make fire comot from di thorn bush come chop di cedar trees of Lebanon.'
16Now, if na honest and clean-heart una take make Abimelech king, and if una treat Jerubbaal and im house well, pay am back as im work deserve— 17my papa fight for una, e risk im life to save una from di hand of Midian, 18but today una rise gainst my papa house, kill im pikin dem, seventy men for on top one stone, come make Abimelech, di pikin of im house-girl, king to rule di people of Shechem bicos na una brother e be— 19so if na good faith and clean-heart una take treat Jerubbaal and im house today, den make una rejoice for Abimelech, and make e rejoice for una too. 20But if no be so, make fire comot from Abimelech come chop di people of Shechem and Beth-millo, and make fire comot from di people of Shechem and from Beth-millo come chop Abimelech."
21Jotham run comot escape, e go Beer, na dia e stay, far from im brother Abimelech.
Papa Pay Back di Blood wey Dem Shed
22After Abimelech don rule Israel for three years, 23our Papa send bad spirit come between Abimelech and di people of Shechem, and dem do Abimelech wayo. a a v23 Our Papa no plant evil for dia mind; e hand Abimelech and di men of Shechem over to di wayo wey dem don already choose, so dat di blood of di brother dem wey dem murder go meet im justice. 24So dat di wickedness wey dem do di seventy pikin of Jerubbaal go come back, dia blood go rest on top dia brother Abimelech, wey kill dem, and on top di people of Shechem, wey strengthen im hand to kill im brother dem. 25Di people of Shechem put men wey dey lie in wait for am on top di hills, and dem dey rob everybody wey dey pass for road. And dem tell Abimelech.
26Gaal, di pikin of Ebed, come with im brother dem come stay for Shechem, and di people trust am. 27Dem go di farm, pluck grape from dia vineyard, mash dem, come hold feast for di temple of dia god, na dia dem chop, drink, come curse Abimelech.
28Gaal, di pikin of Ebed, talk say, "Who be Abimelech, and who be Shechem, wey we go serve am? Abi no be Jerubbaal pikin e be, and no be Zebul be im second-in-command? Make una serve di men of Hamor, di papa of Shechem! Why we go serve Abimelech? 29If only say dis people dey my hand to command! Den I for comot Abimelech; I for tell am, 'Call out your whole army!'"
30Wen Zebul di ruler of di city hear di word of Gaal, di pikin of Ebed, im vex burn. 31E secret-secret send messenger to Abimelech say: "Gaal, di pikin of Ebed, and im brother dem don come Shechem, and dem dey turn di city gainst you. 32So now, rise for night, you and di people wey dey with you, come lie in wait for di field. 33For morning wen sun rise, wake up early come attack di city. Wen Gaal and im men comot come face you, do dem wetin your hand fit do."
34So Abimelech and all im people comot for night come lie in wait gainst Shechem, dem divide into four group. 35Gaal, di pikin of Ebed, comot come stand for di entrance of di city gate; and Abimelech and di people wey dey with am rise from where dem hide.
36Gaal see di people come tell Zebul, "Look, people dey come down from di hilltop!" Zebul talk say, "Na di shadow of di mountain you dey see as if na men."
37Gaal tok again, "Look, people dey come down from di center of di land, and one group dey come from di side of di Diviners' Oak."
38Den Zebul tell am, "Where your big mouth talk dey now—you wey talk say, 'Who be Abimelech, wey we go serve am?' No be dis na di people wey you look down on? Comot go fight dem!"
39So Gaal comot lead di people of Shechem come fight Abimelech. 40But Abimelech chase am, Gaal run comot for im front, and plenty men fall with wound reach di entrance of di gate. 41Abimelech stay for Arumah, and Zebul drive Gaal and im brother dem comot from Shechem, so dat dem no fit stay dia. 42Di next day di people comot go di field, and dem tell Abimelech. 43E take im men, divide dem into three group, come lie in wait for di field. Wen e see di people dey comot from di city, e rise gainst dem come strike dem down. 44Abimelech and im group rush go stand for di entrance of di city gate, while di other two group rush di people wey dey for di field come strike dem down. 45Abimelech fight di city dat whole day, capture am, kill di people wey dey inside, tear down di city, come pour salt for di ground. b b v45 To pour salt for di ground of city wey dem conquer na old-time act of curse—sign say di ground go stay barren and dem no go build di place again.
46Wen dem hear dis, all di leader of di Tower of Shechem enter di strong place of di temple of El-berith. 47Dem tell Abimelech say all di leader of di Tower of Shechem don gada dia, 48so e go up Mount Zalmon, e and all im people. E take axe for im hand, cut branch of bush wood, lift am up, put am for im shoulder, come tell im people, "Quick, do wetin una see me do!" 49So everybody cut branch, follow Abimelech, pile dem gainst di strong place, come set am on fire on top di people wey dey inside. Di people of Shechem Tower die too—about 1,000 men and women.
50Den Abimelech go Thebez, camp gainst am, come capture am. 51But strong tower dey inside di city, and all di men and women—all di leader of di city—run go dia, lock demsef inside, come climb go on top di roof of di tower. 52Abimelech reach di tower, attack am, come near im door to burn am. 53But one woman drop upper grinding stone for on top Abimelech head come broke im skull. 54E quick call di young man wey dey carry im weapon come tell am, "Draw your sword kill me, so dat dem no go fit talk about me say, 'Na woman kill am.'" So di young man run am through, and e die.
55Wen di men of Israel see say Abimelech don die, dem all go dia house. 56Na so our Papa pay back di evil wey Abimelech do im papa wen e kill im seventy brother. 57Our Papa turn back all di evil of di men of Shechem on top dia own head, and di curse of Jotham, di pikin of Jerubbaal, come on top dem.
