Judges 9:22-49

²² Now Abimelech ruled 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 so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come , and 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 men in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains , and they robbed all who might pass by them along the road ; and it was told to Abimelech . ²⁶ Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with his relatives , and crossed over into Shechem ; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him. ²⁷ They went out into the field and gathered the grapes of their vineyards and trod them, and held a festival ; and they went into the house of their god , and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech . ²⁸ Then Gaal the son of Ebed said , "Who is Abimelech , and who is Shechem , that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal , and is Zebul not his lieutenant ? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem ; but why should we serve him? ²⁹ " Would e , therefore, that this people were under my authority ! Then I would remove Abimelech ." And 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 burned . ³¹ He sent messengers to Abimelech deceitfully , saying , "Behold , Gaal the son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem ; and behold , they are stirring up the city against you. ³² "Now therefore, arise by night , you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field . ³³ "In the morning , as soon as the sun is up, you shall rise early and rush upon the city ; and behold , when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you shall do to them whatever you can." ³⁴ So Abimelech and all the people who were with him arose by night and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies . ³⁵ Now Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the city gate ; and Abimelech and the people who were with him arose from the ambush . ³⁶ When Gaal saw the people , he said to Zebul , "Look , people are coming down from the tops of the mountains ." But Zebul said to him, "You are seeing the shadow of the mountains as if they were men ." ³⁷ Gaal spoke again e and said , "Behold , people are coming down from the highest part of the land , and one company comes by the way of the diviners' oak ." ³⁸ Then Zebul said to him, "Where is your boasting now with which you said , 'Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?' Is this not the people whom you despised ? Go out now and fight with them!" ³⁹ So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem and fought with Abimelech . ⁴⁰ Abimelech chased him, and he fled before e him; and many fell wounded up to the entrance of the gate . ⁴¹ Then Abimelech remained at Arumah , but Zebul drove out Gaal and his relatives so that they could not remain in Shechem . ⁴² Now it came about the next day , that the people went out to the field , and it was told to Abimelech . ⁴³ So he took his people and divided them into three companies , and lay in wait in the field ; when he looked and saw the people coming out from the city , he arose against them and slew them. ⁴⁴ Then Abimelech and the company who was with him dashed forward and stood in the entrance of the city gate ; the other two companies then dashed against all who were in the field and slew them. ⁴⁵ Abimelech fought against the city all that day , and he captured the city and killed the people who were in it; then he razed the city and sowed it with salt . ⁴⁶ When all the leaders of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the inner chamber of the temple of El-berith e . ⁴⁷ It was told Abimelech that all the leaders of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. ⁴⁸ So 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 branch from the trees , and lifted it and laid it on his shoulder . Then he said to the people who were with him, "What you have seen me do , hurry and do likewise ." ⁴⁹ All the people also cut down each one his branch and followed e Abimelech , and put them on the inner chamber and set the inner chamber on fire over those inside, so that all the men of the tower of Shechem also died , about a thousand men and women .