אֲבִימֶלֶךְ Avimelech

And Abraham said of Sarah his wife: ‘She is my sister.’ And Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him: ‘Behold, thou shalt die, because of the woman whom thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.’

Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said: ‘Lord, wilt Thou slay even a righteous nation?

And Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears; and the men were sore afraid.

Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him: ‘What hast thou done unto us? and wherein have I sinned against thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.’

And Abimelech said unto Abraham: ‘What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?’

And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and men-servants and women-servants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.

And Abimelech said: ‘Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.’

And Abraham prayed unto God; and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maid-servants; and they bore children.

For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.

And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his host spoke unto Abraham, saying: ‘God is with thee in all that thou doest.

And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of the well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.

And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of the well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.

And Abimelech said: ‘I know not who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to-day.’

And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and they two made a covenant.

And Abimelech said unto Abraham: ‘What mean these seven ewe-lambs which thou hast set by themselves?’

So they made a covenant at Beer-sheba; and Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.

And Abimelech called Isaac, and said: ‘Behold, of a surety she is thy wife; and how saidst thou: She is my sister?’ And Isaac said unto him: ‘Because I said: Lest I die because of her.’

And Abimelech said: ‘What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might easily have lain with thy wife, and thou wouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.’

And Abimelech charged all the people, saying: ‘He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.’

And Abimelech said unto Isaac: ‘Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.’

Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath his friend, and Phicol the captain of his host.

And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech.

And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and spoke with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying:

And his mother’s brethren spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words; and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said: ‘He is our brother.’

And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed him.

And all the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all Beth-millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the terebinth of the pillar that was in Shechem.

Now therefore, if ye have dealt truly and uprightly, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands—

and ye are risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maid-servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother—

if ye then have dealt truly and uprightly with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.

But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from Beth-millo, and devour Abimelech.’

But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from Beth-millo, and devour Abimelech.’

And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

And Abimelech was prince over Israel three years.

And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech;

And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech;

that the violence done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brethren.

And the men of Shechem set liers-in-wait for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them; and it was told Abimelech.

And they went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and held festival, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.

And Gaal the son of Ebed said: ‘Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve ye the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him?

And would that this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech.’ And he said to Abimelech: ‘Increase thine army, and come out.’

And would that this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech.’ And he said to Abimelech: ‘Increase thine army, and come out.’

And he sent messengers unto Abimelech in Tormah, saying: ‘Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren are come to Shechem; and, behold, they will incite the city against thee.

And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.

And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city; and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from the ambushment.

Then said Zebul unto him: ‘Where is now thy mouth, that thou saidst: Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out now, I pray, and fight with them.’

And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and there fell many wounded, even unto the entrance of the gate.