Judges 9

¹ Abimelech son of Gideon go to the town of Shechem, where all him mama relative dey stay, and tell them

² Make them ask the men of Shechem say, “Which one una go like? Make all the seventy sons of Gideon lead una or make one man lead una? Make una remember say Abimelech na una own flesh and blood.”

³ Him mama relative con talk about this to the men of Shechem for him, and the men of Shechem decide to follow Abimelech because he be their relative.

⁴ Dem give him seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-of -the-covenant, and he con use this money hire useless rascal people make dem join him.

⁵ He go him papa house for Ophrah, and on top a single stone for there he kill him seventy brothers, sons of Gideon. But Jotham, wey be Gideon son wey young pass, con hide and he no kill him.

⁶ Then all the men of Shechem and Bethmillo con stand together and dem go to the holy oak tree for Shechem, where dem make Abimelech the king.

⁷ When Jotham hear about am, he go stand on top Mount Gerizim and shout to them say, “Make una listen to me, una men of Shechem, and God fit listen to una!

⁸ E get a time wey trees stand up together to choose king for themselves. Dem tell the olive tree say, ‘Make you be our king.’

⁹ Olive tree answer say, ‘To dey rule una, I go need to stop to dey produce oil, wey dem dey use to honor gods and human beings.’

¹⁰ Then the trees con tell the fig tree say, ‘Make you come be our king.’

¹¹ But the fig tree con answer say, ‘I go need to stop to dey produce my good sweet fruit, so that I fit rule una.’

¹² Naso the trees con tell the grapevine say, ‘Make you come be our king.’

¹³ But the vine answer say, ‘If una wan make I rule una, I go need to stop to dey produce my wine, wey dey make gods and human being dey happy.’

¹⁴ Naso all the trees tell the thorn bushes say, ‘Come be our king.’

¹⁵ The thorn bush answer say, “If una wan really make me una king, then make una come con take shelter for my shade. If una no come, fire go come out of my thorn branches and e go burn the cedars of Lebanon.’

¹⁶ Jotham continue, “Shey una really dey honest and sincere when una make Abimelech king? Shey una respect memory of Gideon and shey una treat him family well, as per wetin him suppose get for wetin him don do?

¹⁷ Make una remember say my papa fight for una. He risk him life to save una from the Midianites.

¹⁸ But una don turn against my papa family today. Una kill him sons - seventy men on top a single stone - and just because Abimelech, him son wey him servant woman born give him, na una relative, una don make him king of Shechem.

¹⁹ Now, if wetin una do today to Gideon and him family dey sincere and honest, then make una dey happy with Abimelech and make una allow him to dey happy with una.

²⁰ But If no be so, make fire come out from Abimelech and burn up the men of Shechem and Bethmillo. Make fire come out from men of Shechem and Bethmillo and burn Abimelech.”

²¹ Because he dey fear him brother Abimelech, Jotham run away and go dey live for Beer.

²² Abimelech con rule Israel for three years.

²³ God con make Abimelech and the men of Shechem hate each other, and dem rebel against him.

²⁴ E happen so that Abimelech and the men of Shechem , wey support him to kill seventy son of Gideon, go fit pay for their crime.

²⁵ Men of Shechem con put men for trap against Abimelech on top mountain, and dem rob everyone wey dey pass their way. Dem go tell Abimelech about am.

²⁶ Then Gaal wey be son of Ebed come to Shechem with him brothers, and the men of Shechem put their trust in him.

²⁷ All of them go their vineyard and pick the grapes, dem make wine from them, and dem hold a festival. Dem go to the temple of their god, where dem chop and drink and dem make fun of Abimelech.

²⁸ Gaal talk say, “Which kind men we be for Shechem? Why we dey serve Abimelech? Who he be sef? Gideon pikin! And Zebul dey take orders from him, but why we go dey serve him? Make una dey loyal to una ancestor Hamor, wey start una clan!

²⁹ I wish say I dey lead this people! I for commot Abimelech! I for tell him say, ‘Boost your army, make you come out con fight!’”

³⁰ Zebul, wey be the ruler of the city, con vex when he hear wetin Gaal don talk.

³¹ He send messenger to Abimelech for Arumah make he tell him say, “Gaal wey be Ebed pikin and him brothers don come to Shechem, and dem no go allow you enter the city.

³² Now, make you and your men move by night and make una hide inside the fields.

³³ Make una get up tomorrow morning at sunrise and make sudden attack on the city. Then when Gaal and him men come out against una, make una hit them hard as una fit hit them!”

³⁴ Naso Abimelech and him men make their move for night and dem hide for outside Shechem in four groups.

³⁵ When Abimelech and him men see Gaal dey come out and stand for the city gate, dem stand up from the place where dem dey hide.

³⁶ Gaal see them and tell Zebul say, “See! Men dey come down from the mountain tops!” Zebul answer say, “Dem no be men, Na just shadows of mountains dem be.”

³⁷ Gaal talk again say, “See! Men dey come down from the top of the mountain and one group dey come along the road from the oak tree of the person wey dey tell future!”

³⁸ Then Zebul tell him say, “where all your big talk now? Na you be the one wey ask why we go dey serve this man Abimelech. Na the men wey you dey mock be this. Make you go out now and fight them.”

³⁹ Gaal con lead the men of Shechem out and go fight Abimelech.

⁴⁰ Gaal dey run, and Abimelech dey pursue him. Plenty get wound, even for the city gate.

⁴¹ Abimelech dey live for Arumah, and Zebul drive Gaal and him brother out of Shechem, so that dem no go live for there again.

⁴² Abimelech find out for the next day say people of Shechem dey plan to go out into the fields.

⁴³ Naso he take him men, divide them for three groups, and hide for the field, dey wait. When he see say the people dey come out of the city, he come out from where he dey hide to kill them.

⁴⁴ As Abimelech and him group dey hurry forward to guard the city gate, the other two groups dey attack the people for the field and dem kill all of them.

⁴⁵ Dem continue to dey fight all day. Abimelech con capture the city, kill hin people, tear am down, and cover the ground with salt.

⁴⁶ When all the men wey dey lead for the tower at Shechem hear about am, dem find safety inside the stronghold of the temple of Baal-of-the-covenant.

⁴⁷ Abimelech hear say dem don gather for there,

⁴⁸ Naso he go to Mount Zalmon with him men. He take axe for there, cut a branch from a tree, and put am on top him shoulder. He tell him men make dem do quick and do the same thing.

⁴⁹ Naso every man cut a branch from a tree; dem follow Abimelech and gather the wood up against the stronghold. Dem set am on fire, with the people wey dey inside, and all the people wey dey for the tower die - dem be like a thousand men and women.

⁵⁰ Abimelech con go to Thebez, surround the city, and capture am.

⁵¹ Strong tower dey for there, and every man and woman for the city, with the leaders, run go there. Dem lock themselves for inside and dem go to the roof.

⁵² When Abimelech come attack the tower, he go up to the door to set the tower on fire.

⁵³ But a woman throw a milestone down on top him head and break him skull.

⁵⁴ Then he quickly call the young man wey dey carry him weapon and give am order say, “Draw your sword and kill me. I no wan make dem talk say na woman kill me.” Naso the young man chook him, and he die.

⁵⁵ When the Israelite see say Abimelech don die, dem go home.

⁵⁶ God pay Abimelech back this way for the crime wey he don commit against him papa as he kill him seventy brothers.

⁵⁷ God also make the men of Shechem suffer for their wickedness, just as Jotham, Gideon pikin, don talk say dem go suffer when he dey curse them.