Judges 9

Abimelek son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother’s clan,

Czy nie jestem zupełnie wolny? Czy nie jestem apostołem? Czy nie widziałem na własne oczy Jezusa, naszego Pana? Czy to nie dzięki mojej służbie należycie do Niego?

“Ask all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal’s sons rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember, I am your flesh and blood.”

Nawet jeśli inni nie uważają mnie za apostoła, to wy jesteście żywym dowodem tego, że jako apostoł służę Panu.

When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelek, for they said, “He is related to us.”

Moja linia obrony wobec oskarżających mnie będzie taka:

They gave him seventy shekels^[a] of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels, who became his followers.

Czy nie wolno nam korzystać z waszej gościnności?

He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, escaped by hiding.

Czy nie wolno nam poślubić wierzącej kobiety i zabrać jej ze sobą w podróż? Tak przecież czynią inni apostołowie oraz bracia naszego Pana. Podobnie postąpił również Piotr.

Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered beside the great tree at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelek king.

Czy tylko ja i Barnaba musimy zarabiać na własne utrzymanie?

When Jotham was told about this, he climbed up on the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, “Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you.

Czy żołnierz, pełniący służbę, utrzymuje się za własne pieniądze? Czy rolnik nie korzysta z owoców swojej pracy? Czy pasterz doglądający owiec nie może napić się ich mleka?

One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king.’

Nie jest to mój wymysł, ale nakaz Prawa Mojżesza.

“But the olive tree answered, ‘Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and humans are honored, to hold sway over the trees?’

Czytamy w nim: „Nie będziesz zawiązywał pyska wołowi, który młóci zboże”. Czy Bóg miał na myśli tylko woła?

“Next, the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and be our king.’

To, że ci, którzy orzą i młócą, mogą spodziewać się udziału w zbiorach, zostało zapisane również ze względu na nas.

“But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?’

Skoro zasialiśmy w waszych sercach dobra duchowe, to co w tym dziwnego, że będziemy korzystać z waszych dóbr materialnych?

“Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come and be our king.’

Skoro inni z nich korzystają, to dlaczego my byśmy nie mogli? My jednak nie skorzystaliśmy z tego prawa, ale sami pracujemy na własne utrzymanie, aby nie stwarzać przeszkód dobrej nowinie o Chrystusie.

“But the vine answered, ‘Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and humans, to hold sway over the trees?’

Czy nie wiecie, że pracownicy świątyni korzystają z przynoszonej tam żywności? Podobnie jest z tymi, którzy pracują przy ołtarzu Bożym—korzystają z tego, co ludzie przynoszą w ofierze.

“Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and be our king.’

Pan ustalił również, żeby ci, którzy głoszą dobrą nowinę, byli utrzymywani przez innych wierzących.

“The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’

Ale ja nie korzystałem z tego prawa! Nie piszę tego teraz, ponieważ czegoś od was chcę. Wolałbym umrzeć z głodu niż pozbawić się satysfakcji z tego, że pełnię służbę bez zapłaty.

“Have you acted honorably and in good faith by making Abimelek king? Have you been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family? Have you treated him as he deserves?

To, że opowiadam ludziom dobrą nowinę, nie jest żadną moją zasługą. To po prostu mój obowiązek! Marny byłby bowiem mój los, gdybym tego nie robił.

Remember that my father fought for you and risked his life to rescue you from the hand of Midian.

Jeśli opowiadałbym ją z własnej dobrej woli, zasługiwałbym na zapłatę. Ale ja otrzymałem to zadanie od Pana.

But today you have revolted against my father’s family. You have murdered his seventy sons on a single stone and have made Abimelek, the son of his female slave, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is related to you.

Jaką więc mam zapłatę? Moją nagrodą jest właśnie to, że głoszę dobrą nowinę bez zapłaty i nie korzystam z należnego mi prawa.

Jak używać wolności

So have you acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today? If you have, may Abimelek be your joy, and may you be his, too!

Jestem wolny, ale stałem się sługą wszystkich, aby w ten sposób pozyskać dla Chrystusa jak najwięcej osób.

But if you have not, let fire come out from Abimelek and consume you, the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelek!”

Gdy jestem wśród Żydów, postępuję jak Żyd, aby pozyskać Żydów. Gdy jestem wśród przestrzegających Prawa Mojżesza, również przestrzegam go, choć mu nie podlegam. Chcę jednak w ten sposób pozyskać ich.

Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and he lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelek.

Gdy jestem wśród pogan, którzy nie przestrzegają tego Prawa, również żyję bez niego, chcąc pozyskać pogan. Postępując tak, oczywiście nie odrzucam Bożego prawa, bo podlegam prawu Chrystusa.

After Abimelek had governed Israel three years,

Gdy jestem wśród ludzi, których wiara jest jeszcze słaba, również okazuję moją słabość, chcę bowiem pozyskać także ich. Szukam ze wszystkimi wspólnego języka, aby choć niektórych doprowadzić do zbawienia.

God stirred up animosity between Abimelek and the citizens of Shechem so that they acted treacherously against Abimelek.

Wszystko to robię ze względu na dobrą nowinę, aby mieć udział w jej głoszeniu.

Trudna droga do zwycięstwa

God did this in order that the crime against Jerub-Baal’s seventy sons, the shedding of their blood, might be avenged on their brother Abimelek and on the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers.

Na stadionie biegnie wielu zawodników, ale wygrywa tylko pierwszy. Wy również biegnijcie tak, aby wygrać!

In opposition to him these citizens of Shechem set men on the hilltops to ambush and rob everyone who passed by, and this was reported to Abimelek.

Każdy zawodnik, pragnąc zwycięstwa, odmawia sobie wielu rzeczy. Czyni to, ponieważ chce zdobyć nagrodę. Jego nagroda jest jednak przemijająca, nasza zaś—wieczna!

Now Gaal son of Ebed moved with his clan into Shechem, and its citizens put their confidence in him.

Dlatego ja nie biegnę na oślep i nie zadaję ciosów w powietrze.

After they had gone out into the fields and gathered the grapes and trodden them, they held a festival in the temple of their god. While they were eating and drinking, they cursed Abimelek.

Panuję nad własnym ciałem i podporządkowuję je sobie, abym głosząc dobrą nowinę innym, sam nie został zdyskwalifikowany.

Then Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelek, and why should we Shechemites be subject to him? Isn’t he Jerub-Baal’s son, and isn’t Zebul his deputy? Serve the family of Hamor, Shechem’s father! Why should we serve Abimelek?

If only this people were under my command! Then I would get rid of him. I would say to Abimelek, ‘Call out your whole army!’”^[b]

When Zebul the governor of the city heard what Gaal son of Ebed said, he was very angry.

Under cover he sent messengers to Abimelek, saying, “Gaal son of Ebed and his clan have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you.

Now then, during the night you and your men should come and lie in wait in the fields.

In the morning at sunrise, advance against the city. When Gaal and his men come out against you, seize the opportunity to attack them.”

So Abimelek and all his troops set out by night and took up concealed positions near Shechem in four companies.

Now Gaal son of Ebed had gone out and was standing at the entrance of the city gate just as Abimelek and his troops came out from their hiding place.

When Gaal saw them, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!”

Zebul replied, “You mistake the shadows of the mountains for men.”

But Gaal spoke up again: “Look, people are coming down from the central hill,^[c] and a company is coming from the direction of the diviners’ tree.”

Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your big talk now, you who said, ‘Who is Abimelek that we should be subject to him?’ Aren’t these the men you ridiculed? Go out and fight them!”

So Gaal led out^[d] the citizens of Shechem and fought Abimelek.

Abimelek chased him all the way to the entrance of the gate, and many were killed as they fled.

Then Abimelek stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his clan out of Shechem.

The next day the people of Shechem went out to the fields, and this was reported to Abimelek.

So he took his men, divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose to attack them.

Abimelek and the companies with him rushed forward to a position at the entrance of the city gate. Then two companies attacked those in the fields and struck them down.

All that day Abimelek pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city and scattered salt over it.

On hearing this, the citizens in the tower of Shechem went into the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith.

When Abimelek heard that they had assembled there,

he and all his men went up Mount Zalmon. He took an ax and cut off some branches, which he lifted to his shoulders. He ordered the men with him, “Quick! Do what you have seen me do!”

So all the men cut branches and followed Abimelek. They piled them against the stronghold and set it on fire with the people still inside. So all the people in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, also died.

Next Abimelek went to Thebez and besieged it and captured it.

Inside the city, however, was a strong tower, to which all the men and women—all the people of the city—had fled. They had locked themselves in and climbed up on the tower roof.

Abimelek went to the tower and attacked it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire,

a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull.

Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can’t say, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his servant ran him through, and he died.

When the Israelites saw that Abimelek was dead, they went home.

Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelek had done to his father by murdering his seventy brothers.

God also made the people of Shechem pay for all their wickedness. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal came on them.