Judges 9:22-49

²² So Abimelech was chief over Israel for three years. ²³ And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the townsmen of Shechem; and the townsmen of Shechem were false to Abimelech; ²⁴ So that punishment for the violent attack made on the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, and for their blood, might come on Abimelech, their brother, who put them to death, and on the townsmen of Shechem who gave him their help in putting his brothers to death. ²⁵ And the townsmen of Shechem put secret watchers on the tops of the mountains, and they made attacks on all who went by on the road and took their goods; and word of this came to Abimelech. ²⁶ Then Gaal, the son of Ebed, came with his brothers, and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their faith in him. ²⁷ And they went out into their fields and got in the fruit of their vines, and when the grapes had been crushed, they made a holy feast and went into the house of their god, and over their food and drink they were cursing Abimelech. ²⁸ And Gaal, the son of Ebed, said, Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem, that we are to be his servants? Is it not right for the son of Jerubbaal and Zebul his captain to be servants to the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem? But why are we to be his servants? ²⁹ If only I had authority over this people! I would put Abimelech out of the way, and I would say to Abimelech, Make your army strong, and come out. ³⁰ Now Zebul, the ruler of the town, hearing what Gaal, the son of Ebed, had said, was moved to wrath. ³¹ And he sent to Abimelech at Arumah, saying, See, Gaal, the son of Ebed, and his brothers have come to Shechem, and they are working up the town against you. ³² So now, get up by night, you and your people, and keep watch in the field secretly; ³³ And in the morning, when the sun is up, get up early and make a rush on the town; and when he and his people come out against you, do to them whatever you have a chance to do. ³⁴ So Abimelech and the people with him got up by night, in four bands, to make a surprise attack on Shechem. ³⁵ And Gaal, the son of Ebed, went out, and took his place at the doorway into the town; then Abimelech and his people got up from the place where they had been waiting. ³⁶ And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, See! people are coming down from the tops of the mountains. And Zebul said to him, You see the shade of the mountains like men. ³⁷ And Gaal said again, See! people are coming down from the middle of the land, and one band is coming by way of the oak-tree of the Seers. ³⁸ Then Zebul said to him, Now where is your loud talk when you said, Who is Abimelech that we are to be his servants? Is this not the people whom you were rating so low? Go out now, and make war on them. ³⁹ So Gaal went out at the head of the townsmen of Shechem and made war on Abimelech. ⁴⁰ And Abimelech went after him and he went in flight before him; and a great number were falling by the sword all the way up to the town. ⁴¹ Then Abimelech went back to Arumah; and Zebul sent Gaal and his brothers away and would not let them go on living in Shechem. ⁴² Now the day after, the people went out into the fields; and news of it came to Abimelech. ⁴³ And he took his people, separating them into three bands, and was waiting secretly in the field; and when he saw the people coming out of the town, he went up and made an attack on them. ⁴⁴ And Abimelech with his band made a rush, and took up their position at the doorway into the town; and the other two bands made a rush on all those who were in the fields, and overcame them. ⁴⁵ And all that day Abimelech was fighting against the town; and he took it, and put to death the people who were in it, and had the town pulled down and covered with salt. ⁴⁶ Then all the townsmen of the tower of Shechem, hearing of it, went into the inner room of the house of El-berith. ⁴⁷ And word was given to Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were there together. ⁴⁸ Then Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, with all his people; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand and, cutting down branches of trees, took them and put them on his back. And he said to the people who were with him, Be quick and do as you have seen me do. ⁴⁹ So all the people got branches, every man cutting down a branch, and they went with Abimelech at their head and, massing the branches against the inner room, put fire to the room over them; so all those who were in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, were burned to death with it.