¶ And Abimelech¹ the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem² unto his mother's brethren, and communed³ with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether⁴ is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone⁵ and your flesh.

And his mother's brethren spake⁶ of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow⁷ Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.

And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house⁸ of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain⁹ and light persons, which followed him.

And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah¹⁰, and slew¹¹ his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.

And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house¹² of Millo¹³, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain¹⁴ of the pillar that was in Shechem.

¶ And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim¹⁵, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken¹⁶ unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.

The trees¹⁷ went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree¹⁸, Reign¹⁹ thou over us.

But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith²⁰ by me they honour God²¹ and man, and go to be promoted over the trees²²?

¶ And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us.

²³But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.

And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth²⁴ God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

Then said all the trees unto the bramble²⁵, Come thou, and reign over us.

And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow²⁶: and if not, let fire²⁷ come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars²⁸ of Lebanon.

Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according²⁹ to the deserving of his hands;

(For my father fought³⁰ for you, and adventured his life³¹ far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:

And ye are risen³² up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech³³, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)

If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice³⁴ ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:

¶ But if not, let fire come out³⁵ 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.

And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer³⁶, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

¶ When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,

Then God sent an³⁷ evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt³⁸ treacherously with Abimelech:

That the³⁹ cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of⁴⁰ his brethren.

⁴¹And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.

And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren⁴², and went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.

And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry⁴³, and went into the house⁴⁴ of their god, and did eat⁴⁵ and drink, and cursed⁴⁶ Abimelech.

And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech⁴⁷, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor⁴⁸ the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?

And would to God⁴⁹ this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said⁵⁰ to Abimelech, Increase thine army⁵¹, and come out.

¶ And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled⁵².

And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily⁵³, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee.

Now therefore up by night⁵⁴, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field:

And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find⁵⁵ occasion.

And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.

And Gaal⁵⁶ the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people⁵⁷ that were with him, from lying in wait.

And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow⁵⁸ of the mountains as if they were men.

And Gaal spake again and said, See there come people down by the middle⁵⁹ of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim.

⁶⁰Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.

And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

¶ And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before⁶¹ him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.

And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah⁶²: and Zebul⁶³ thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.

And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them.

And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward⁶⁴, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew them.

And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took⁶⁵ the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat⁶⁶ down the city, and sowed⁶⁷ it with salt.

And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold⁶⁸ of the house of the god Berith.

And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.

And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon⁶⁹, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people that were with him, What ye⁷⁰ have seen me do⁷¹, make haste, and do as I have done.

And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them⁷² to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.

¶ Then went Abimelech to Thebez⁷³, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.

But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower.

⁷⁴And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

And a certain woman⁷⁵ cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to⁷⁶ brake his skull.

Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy⁷⁷ sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man⁷⁸ thrust him through, and he died.

⁷⁹And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.

Thus God rendered⁸⁰ the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:

And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them⁸¹ came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.