1Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to the brothers of his mother and spoke to them and to all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,2Speak, please, in the hearing of all the masters of Shechem: What is good for you, that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, should rule over you, or that one man should rule over you? Remember that I am your bone and your flesh.3The brothers of his mother spoke on his behalf in the hearing of all the masters of Shechem all these words, and their hearts inclined after Abimelech, for they said, He is our brother.4They gave him seventy pieces of silver from the house of Baal-berith, and Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men with them, and they followed him.5He came to the house of his father at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone; but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal survived, because he hid himself.6All the masters of Shechem and all the house of Millo gathered, went, and made Abimelech king beside the standing oak that is in Shechem.7They told Jotham, and he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, lifted his voice, called out, and said to them, Listen to me, masters of Shechem, and may God listen to you.8The trees went to anoint a king over them and said to the olive tree, Reign over us.9The olive tree said to them, Shall I cease my fatness by which God and men are honored and go to wave over the trees?10The trees said to the fig tree, Come, you, and reign over us.11The fig tree said to them, Shall I cease my sweetness and my good fruit and go to wave over the trees?12The trees said to the vine, Come, you, and reign over us.13The vine said to them, Shall I cease my new wine that rejoices God and men and go to wave over the trees?14All the trees said to the Atad, Come, you, and reign over us.15The Atad said to the trees, If in truth you are anointing me king over you, come and take refuge in my shadow; but if not, let fire come out from the Atad and consume the cedars of Lebanon.16Now therefore, if you have acted in truth and with integrity and have made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and if you have done to him according to the recompense of his hand,17which my father fought for you and cast away his life from before him and delivered you from the hand of Midian,18and you have risen today against the house of my father and have killed his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech son of his maidservant king over the masters of Shechem because he is your brother,19and if you have acted in truth and with integrity with Jerubbaal and his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and may he also rejoice in you.20But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume the masters of Shechem and the house of Millo, and let fire come out from the masters of Shechem and from the house of Millo and consume Abimelech.21Jotham fled, ran away, went to Beer, and dwelt there away from the presence of Abimelech his brother.22Abimelech reigned over Israel three years.23God sent a harmful spirit between Abimelech and the masters of Shechem, and the masters of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech24to bring the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal and to place their blood upon Abimelech their brother who killed them and upon the masters of Shechem who strengthened his hand to kill his brothers.25The masters of Shechem set men in ambush for him on the tops of the mountains, and they plundered everyone who passed by them on the road, and this was reported to Abimelech.26Gaal son of Ebed came with his brothers and passed through Shechem, and the masters of Shechem put their trust in him.27They went out into the field, gathered their vineyards, trod them, held a festival, came to the house of their God, ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech.28Gaal 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 not Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; why should we serve him?29Who will give this people into my hand, that I may remove Abimelech? He also said to Abimelech, Increase your army and come out.30Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, and his anger burned.31He sent messengers to Abimelech in secret, saying, "Behold, Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers are coming to Shechem, and behold, they are besieging the city against you."32Now therefore arise by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in ambush in the field.33In the morning, as soon as the sun rises, rise early and rush upon the city; and behold, he and the people who are with him will come out to you, and you shall do to him whatever your hand finds to do.34Abimelech and all the people who were with him arose by night and lay in ambush against Shechem in four companies.35Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city, and Abimelech and the people who were with him rose from the ambush.36Gaal saw the people and said to Zebul, "Behold, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains." Zebul said to him, "You are seeing the shadow of the mountains as if they were men."37Gaal spoke again and said, Behold, people are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming by way of the oak of the diviners.38Zebul said to him, "Where now is your mouth with which you said, Who is Abimelech that we should serve him? Is not this the people you despised? Go out now, please, and fight against him."39Gaal went out before the masters of Shechem and fought against Abimelech.40Abimelech pursued him, and he fled before him, and many fell slain as far as the entrance of the gate.41Abimelech stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out so that they could not dwell in Shechem.42The next day the people went out into the field, and this was told to Abimelech.43He took the people, divided them into three companies, and lay in ambush in the field; he looked and saw the people coming out of the city, rose against them, and struck them.44Abimelech and the companies with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city, while the other two companies rushed against all who were in the field and struck them.45Abimelech fought against the city all that day; he captured the city, killed the people who were in it, tore down the city, and sowed it with salt.46All the masters of the tower of Shechem heard of it and came to the stronghold of the house of El-berith.47It was told to Abimelech that all the masters of the tower of Shechem had gathered.48Abimelech went up Mount Zalmon with all the people who were with him; he took axes in his hand, cut a branch from the trees, lifted it, placed it on his shoulder, and said to the people with him, What you have seen me do, hurry and do the same.49All the people likewise cut each one his branch, followed Abimelech, placed the branches on the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire; all the men of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women.50Abimelech went to Thebez, encamped against it, and captured it.51There was a strong tower in the middle of the city; all the men, women, and masters of the city fled there, shut themselves in, and went up on the roof of the tower.52Abimelech came to the tower, fought against it, and approached the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire.53A woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech's head and crushed his skull.54He quickly called to the young man who carried his weapons and said to him, "Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, 'A woman killed him.'" His young man pierced him through, and he died.55When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, each returned to his place.56God returned the evil that Abimelech had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers,57and God returned all the evil of the men of Shechem upon their own heads; the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came upon them.