1 Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's brothers, and spoke with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,
2 Please speak in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are seventy persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.
3 His mother's brothers 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.
4 They gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal Berith, with which Abimelech hired vain and lazy fellows, who followed him.
5 He went to his father's house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy persons, on one stone: but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.
6 All the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem.
7 When they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said to them, Listen to me, you men of Shechem, that God may listen to you.
8 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive tree, Reign over us.
9 But the olive tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness, with which by me they honor God and man, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?
10 The trees said to the fig tree, Come and reign over us.
11 But the fig tree said to them, Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?
12 The trees said to the vine, Come and reign over us.
13 The vine said to them, Should I leave my new wine, which cheers God and man, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?
14 Then said all the trees to the bramble, Come and reign over us.
15 The bramble said to the trees, If in truth you anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
16 Now therefore, if you have dealt truly and righteously, in that you have made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him as you should
17 (for my father fought for you, and risked his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:
18 but you have risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, seventy persons, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his slave girl, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother);
19 if you then have dealt truly and righteously with Jerub Baal and with his family this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:
20 but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.
21 Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and lived there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
22 Abimelech was prince over Israel three years.
23 God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
24 that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.
25 The leaders of the city of Shechem did not like Abimelech anymore. They put men on the hilltops to attack and rob everyone who went by. Abimelech found out about the attacks.
26 Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brothers, and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him.
27 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 ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.
28 Then Gaal son of Ebed said, "We are the men of Shechem. Why should we obey Abimelech? Who does he think he is? Abimelech is one of Jerub Baal's sons, right? And Abimelech made Zebul his officer, right? We should not obey Abimelech. We should follow our own people, men from Hamor. (Hamor was the father of Shechem.)
29 If only this people were under my hand, then I would remove Abimelech. He said to Abimelech, Call up your army, and come out to fight.
30 When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.
31 He sent messengers to Abimelech privately, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers are come to Shechem; and, look, they are convincing the city to take their side against you.
32 Now therefore, go up by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field:
33 and it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, you shall rise early, and rush on the city; and, behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, then you may do to them as you shall find occasion.
34 Abimelech rose up, and all the people who were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.
35 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 who were with him, from the ambush.
36 When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the tops of the mountains. Zebul said to him, You see the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.
37 Gaal spoke again and said, Behold, there come people down by the middle of the land, and one company comes by the way of the oak of Meonenim.
38 Then said Zebul to him, Where is now your mouth, that you said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? Is this not the people that you have despised? go out now, I pray, and fight with them.
39 Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.
40 Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many fell wounded before they could get to the entrance of the gate.
41 Abimelech lived at Arumah: and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers, that they should not dwell in Shechem.
42 On the next day, the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.
43 He took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field; and he looked, and, behold, the people came forth out of the city; He rose up against them, and attacked them.
44 Abimelech, and the companies that were with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and the two companies rushed on all who were in the field, and killed them.
45 Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and killed the people who were in it: and he broke down the city, and sowed it with salt.
46 When all the men of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered into the stronghold of the house of El Berith.
47 It was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
48 Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, and all the people who were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it up, and laid it on his shoulder: and he said to the people who were with him, What you have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.
49 All the people likewise ,every man cut down his bough, and followed Abimelech, and laid them against the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire on them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.
50 Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.
51 But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women and all people of the city fled there, and shut themselves in, and got up to the roof of the tower.
52 Abimelech came to the tower, and fought against it, and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
53 A certain woman cast an upper millstone on Abimelech's head, and broke his skull.
54 Then he called hastily to the young man his armor bearer, and said to him, Draw your sword, and kill me, that men not say of me, A woman killed him. His young man thrust him through, and he died.
55 When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went back home.
56 Thus God punished the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did to his father, in killing his seventy brothers;
57 and all the wickedness of the men of Shechem God requited on their heads: and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came on them.