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[verse 1] Abymalech, the sone of Jeroboal, ȝeed forsothe [forth A.] into Sichem to the britheren of his moder; and he spak to hem, and to al the kynrede of the hows of his modir, seiynge, Spek to alle the men of Sychem, [verse 2] Whether is it betere to ȝou, that seuenti
men, alle [of E pr. m.] the sones of Jeroboal, han lordship of ȝow, other [or C.] o man be lord to ȝow? and to gidre bihold ȝe, for ȝoure boon and ȝoure flesh Y am. [verse 3] And the britheren of his moder speken of hym to alle the men of Sichem alle thes wordes; and thei boweden the herte of hem after Abymalech, seyinge, Oure brother he is. [verse 4] And thei ȝauen to hym seuenti pownde of siluer of the hethen temple of Baal Berith; the which hiride to hym of it nedi men and vagaunt, and thei folweden hym. [verse 5] And he cam into the hows of his fader in Ephra, and he slewȝ his bri|theren the sones of Jeroboal, seuenti men, vpon o [a C.] stoon. And Joatham, the sone of Jeroboal, the leest, abood stil, and is hid. [verse 6] And alle the men of Sichem, and al the meynee of the cite of Mello, ben gedred to gidre, and wenten, and ordeyn|eden hem a kyng, Abymalech, biside the ook that stood in Sichem. [verse 7] The which, whanne was told to Joatham, he ȝede, and stood in the cop of the hil of Garysym, and, arerid [rerid C.] vp the voice, cryede, and seyde, Here ȝe me, men of Sichem, so that God here ȝou. [verse 8] Treese wenten for to anoynte vpon hem a kyng; and thei seiden to the olyue, Comaund thou to vs. [verse 9] The whiche answerde, Whethir may Y forsake my fatnes, the whiche and Goddis vsen and men, and come, that bitwix [bytwene BCEFH.] trees Y be auaunsid? [verse 10] And the trees seiden to the fige tree, Com thou, and tak kyng|dom vpon vs. [verse 11] The which answerde to hem, Whether may Y forsake my swetnes and moost swete fruytis, and goo that bitwix [bytwene BCEFH.] other trees Y be auaunsid? [verse 12] And [verse 13] the trees speken to the viyn, Com, and comaunde to vs. The which answerde, Whether may Y forsake my wyn, that gladith God and men, and bitwix [bytwene BCEFH.] other trees be auaunsid? [verse 14] And alle the trees seiden to the thorn, Com, and comaund
thow vpon vs. [verse 15] The whiche answerde to hem, If verreily me kyng ȝe han or|deynde to ȝou, cometh, and vnder my shadewe restith; forsothe if ȝe wolen not, go out fier fro the thorn, and deuowre the seedis of Liban. [verse 16] Nowe thanne if riȝtly and withouten synne ȝe han or|deynde vpon ȝou a kyng, Abymalech, and wel han doo with Jeroboal, and with the hows of hym, and han ȝolden while to his benfeetis, the which fauȝt for ȝou, [verse 17] and his lijf ȝaf to peryls, for [Om. C.] to delyuer [verse 18] ȝou fro the hoond of Madian; the whiche ȝe nowe han rysyn aȝens the hows of my fader, and han slayn his sones, seuenti men, upon o stoon, and han ordeynde a kyng, Abymalech, the sone of the werk womman of hym, vpon the dwellers of Sichem, forthi that ȝoure brother he be; [verse 19] if thanne riȝtly and with outen vice ȝe han doo with Jeroboal and the hows of hym, to day glade ȝe in Abymalech, and [verse 20] he glade in ȝou; forsothe if shrewidli, fier goo out of hym, and waast the dwellers of Sichem, and the burȝ toun of Mello; and go out fier fro the men of Sichem, and fro the burgh toun of Mello, and deuowre Abymalech. [verse 21] The whiche thingis whanne he hadde seid, he fleiȝ, and wente into Bereram, and dwelte there, for drede of Abymalech [Abymach A.] , his brothir. [verse 22] And Abymalech regnede vpon Yrael thre ȝeer. [verse 23] And God sente the worst spiryte bitwix [bytwene BCEFH.] Abymalech and the dwellers of Sichem, the whiche bigunne to wlaat [verse 24] hym, and the hidows gilt of the slauȝter of the seuenti sones of Jeroboal, and the shedynge of blod of hem, to ȝeelde into Abymalech, his brothir, and into the tother princis of Sichemytis [Sychemys BCEFH.] , that hym helpeden [holpen C.] . [verse 25] And thei puttiden [puttyn E.] aspies aȝens hym in the cop of hillis; and while
thei biden the comynge of hym, thei hawntiden theftis, takynge prayes of the goers byside; and it is told to Abyma|lech. [verse 26] Forsothe Gaal, the sone of Obed, with his bretheren cam, and passide into Siccymam; at whos comynge reryd the [verse 27] dwellers of Sichem, wenten out into feeldis [the feeldis CE.] , wastynge vynes, and grapis tred|ynge; and the querys maad of syngers thei wenten into the temple of her God, and bytwix [bitwene BEFH. betwe C.] meetis and drynkis thei curs|eden [burseden AB.] [verse 28] to Abymalech, criynge Gaal, the sone of Obed, Who is this Abymalech? And what is Sichem, that we seruen to hym? Whether is not he the sone of Jero|boal, and set a prince, Zebul his seruaunt, vpon the men of Emor, the [Om. E sec. m.] fader of Si|chem? Whi thanne shulen we serue to hym? [verse 29] Wolde God eny man ȝeue this puple vnder myn hoond, and I shulde doo a wey fro the mydil Abymalech. And it is seid to Abymalech, Gedre a multi|tude of oost, and com. [verse 30] Forsothe Zebul, the prince of the cytee, herd the wordis of Gaal, the sone of Obed, is ful wrooth; [verse 31] and sente preueli to Abymalech messa|gers, seiynge, Loo! Gaal, the sone of Obed, cam into Siccymam with his bri|theren, `and aȝen fiȝtith [begynneth to ouyr|comyn E pr. m.] the citee aȝens [verse 32] thee; aryse also the nyȝt with the puple, that is with thee, and lurk in the feeld; [verse 33] and first eerli rysynge the sunne, fal vpon the cite; forsothe hym goynge out aȝens thee with his puple, do to hym that thow mayst. [verse 34] And so Abymalech with al his oost roos the nyȝt, and sette bushementis biside Siccymam, in foure placis. [verse 35] And Gaal, the sone of Obed, wente out, and stood in the entre of the ȝate of the cytee. Forsothe Abymalech roos, and al the oost with hym, fro the place of the busshe|mentis. [verse 36] And whanne Gaal hadde seen the puple, he seide to Zebul, Loo! fro
the hillis a multitude descendith. To whom he answerde, The shadewis of hillis thow seest as mennus heedis, and by this errour thou art desseyued. [verse 37] And eft Gaal seith, Loo! the puple fro the nouel of the erthe cometh doun, and o cumpanye com|meth bi the weye that biholdith [bihodith A.] the ook. [verse 38] To whom seide Zebul, Where is nowe thi mowth, bi the which thou speek, Who is Abymalech, that we seruen to hym? Whether is not this the puple, whom thow despisedist? Go out, and fiȝt aȝens hym. [verse 39] Gaal thanne wente, abydynge the puple of Sichemys, and fauȝte aȝens Aby|malech. [verse 40] The which pursuede hym fle|ynge, and in the cytee threste; and there fellen of the parti of hym many vnto the ȝate of the cyte. [verse 41] And Abymalech sat in Rana [Bana AH.] ; Zebul forsothe Gaal and his fe|laws he [Om. C.] putte out of the cyte, ne in it he suffrede to dwelle. [verse 42] Thanne the day folowynge the puple ȝede out into the feeld; the which whanne it was toold to [verse 43] Abymalech, he took his oost, and dy|uydide in thre companyes, settynge busshementis in the feeldis; and seynge that the puple wente out of the cytee, he [verse 44] roos, and felle into hem with his oost, aȝenfiȝtynge [ouyrcomynge E pr. m.] and biseegynge the cytee. Forsothe two companyes, opynly ren|nynge hidir and thidir bi the feeld, the aduersaryes pursueden. [verse 45] Forsothe Aby|malech al that day ouercam the cytee, the which he took, slayn the dwellers of it, and it destruyede, so that salt in it he sprengide. [verse 46] The which thing, whanne hadden herd thei that dwelten in the tour of Sychemys, wenten into the temple of her god Beryth, where a boond of pees with hym thei couenauntiden; and of it the place took name, the which was greetli strengthid. [verse 47] And Abymalech her|ynge
the men of the tour of Sichemys togidre gedred [gedre A.] in o glob, `or company [Om. BCEFH.] , [verse 48] stiede vp into the hil of Selmon with al his puple; and takun to an axe he kytte of a braunche of a tree, and putte on the shuldir berynge, he seide to felawis, That ȝe seen me doo, that anoon doo ȝe. [verse 49] Thanne stryuyngly of [to ben beforn of E pr. m.] the trees kut|tynge of braunchis thei foleweden the duyk; the whiche enuyrounynge the place of socour, brenten [brenden CE.] vp; and so is doon, that thurȝ smook and fier a thow|sand men weren slayn, men togidre and wymmen, of the dwellers of the tour of Sichem. [verse 50] Forsothe Abymalech thens go|ynge cam to the burgh toun Thebes, the which enuyrounnynge bisegide with oost. [verse 51] Forsothe the tour was hiȝe in the mydil cytee, to the which flowen togidre men and wymmen, and alle the princis of the cytee, closid moost fastly the ȝate; and vpon the roof of the tour stondynge by the pynnaclis. [verse 52] And Abymalech comynge nyȝ biside the tour fauȝt strongli, and neiȝynge to the dore, he was about to [verse 53] put vndir fyre; and, loo! a womman the brekynge of a mylnstoon from aboue throwynge hurtlide to the heed of Aby|malech, and brak his brayn. [verse 54] The which clepide anoon his squyer, and seith to hym, Drawe out thi swerd, and smyte me, lest perauenture it be seid, that of a womman I am slayn. The which, ful|fillynge [verse 55] the heest [hestis BCEFH.] , slewȝ him; and him slayn, alle that with hym weren of Yrael ben turned aȝen to her seetis. [verse 56] And God ȝeeldide the yuel that Abymalech dide aȝens his fader, slayn his seuenti bre|theren. [verse 57] And to the Sichemys is ȝoldun that thei wrouȝten, and is comen vpon hem the cursynge of Joatham, sone [the sone E pr. m.] of Jeroboal.
