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, ‘Is it 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. 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 reckless fellows
who followed him.
5 He went to his father’s house at Ophrah,
and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal,
being 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 with 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, cried out, and said to
them, “Listen to me, you men of Shechem,
that God may listen to you.
8 The trees set out to anoint a king over
themselves. They said to the olive tree,
‘Reign over us.’
9 “But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should
I stop producing my oil, with which they
honour God and man by me, 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 all the trees said 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 according to the deserving of
his hands
17 (for my father fought for you, risked
his life, and delivered you out of the hand
of Midian;
18 and you have risen up against my father’s
house today and have slain his sons,
seventy persons, on one stone, and have
made Abimelech, the son of his female
servant, king over the men of Shechem,
because he is your brother);
19 if you then have dealt truly and righteously
with Jerubbaal and with his house
today, 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 Then 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 men of Shechem set an ambush
for him on the tops of the mountains, and
they robbed all who came along that way
by them; and Abimelech was told about it.
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, harvested
their vineyards, trod the grapes,
celebrated, and went into the house of
their god and ate and drank, and cursed
Abimelech.
28 Gaal the son of Ebed said, “Who is
Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we
should serve him? Isn’t he the son of Jerubbaal?
Isn’t Zebul his officer? Serve the men
of Hamor the father of Shechem, but why
should we serve him?
29 I wish that this people were under my
hand! Then I would remove Abimelech.”
He said to Abimelech, “Increase your army
and come out!”
30 When Zebul the ruler of the city heard
the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger
burnt.
31 He sent messengers to Abimelech
craftily, saying, “Behold, Gaal the son
of Ebed and his brothers have come to
Shechem; and behold, they incite the city
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 It shall be that in the morning, as soon
as the sun is up, you shall rise early and
rush on the city. Behold, when he and the
people who are with him come out against
you, then may you 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.
Abimelech rose up, and the people who
were with him, from the ambush.
36 When Gaal saw the people, he said to
Zebul, “Behold, people are coming down
from the tops of the mountains.”
Zebul said to him, “You see the shadows
of the mountains as if they were men.”
37 Gaal spoke again and said, “Behold,
people are coming down by the middle of
the land, and one company comes by the
way of the oak of Meonenim.”
38 Then Zebul said to him, “Now where is
your mouth, that you said, ‘Who is Abimelech,
that we should serve him?’ Isn’t this
the people that you have despised? Please
go out now 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, even
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 out of the city. So, he rose up
against them and struck 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 struck them.
45 Abimelech fought against the city all
that day; and he took the city and killed
the people in it. He beat 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 Elberith.
47 Abimelech was told that all the men
of the tower of Shechem were gathered
together.
48 Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon,
he 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. Then
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 each cut down
his bough, followed Abimelech, and put
them at the base of the stronghold, and set
the stronghold on fire over them, so that
all the people of the tower of Shechem died
also, about a thousand men and women.
50 Then Abimelech went 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 of the
city fled there, and shut themselves in, and
went up to the roof of the tower.
52 Abimelech came to the tower and
fought against it, and came 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 armour 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 each departed to his
place.
56 Thus God repaid the wickedness of
Abimelech, which he did to his father in
killing his seventy brothers;
57 and God repaid all the wickedness of
the men of Shechem on their heads; and
the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal
came on them.
