of this their injurious treatment of Gideon, of which we will
give an account in due time.

7. Hereupon Gideon would have laid down the government, but was
over-persuaded to take it, which he enjoyed forty years, and
distributed justice to them, as the people came to him in their
differences; and what he determined was esteemed valid by all.
And when he died, he was buried in his own country of Ophrah.

CHAPTER 8.

That The Judges Who Succeeded Gideon Made War With The Adjoining
Nations For A Long Time.

1. Now Gideon had seventy sons that were legitimate, for he had
many wives; but he had also one that was spurious, by his
concubine Drumah, whose name was Abimelech, who, after his
father's death, retired to Shecbem to his mother's relations, for
they were of that place: and when he had got money of such of
them as were eminent for many instances of injustice, he came
with them to his father's house, and slew all his brethren,
except Jotham, for he had the good fortune to escape and be
preserved; but Abimelech made the government tyrannical, and
constituted himself a lord, to do what he pleased, instead of
obeying the laws; and he acted most rigidly against those that
were the patrons of justice.

2. Now when, on a certain time, there was a public festival at
Shechem, and all the multitude was there gathered together,
Jotham his brother, whose escape we before related, went up to