1 Abimelech, son of Jerub-baal, went to his mother's brothers at Shechem and told them and all his mother's relatives, 2 “Please ask all the leaders of Shechem, ‘What's best for you? That seventy men, all of them Jerub-baal's sons, rule over you—or just one man?’ Remember I'm your own flesh and blood!”

3 His mother's brothers shared his proposal with all the leaders of Shechem, and they decided to follow Abimelech, because they said, “He is our relative.” 4 They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-berith. Abimelech used the money to hire some arrogant troublemakers as his gang. 5 He went to his father's house in Ophrah, and on one stone killed his seventy half-brothers, the sons of Jerub-baal. But Jotham, Jerub-baal's youngest son, escaped by going into hiding.

6 Then the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo all assembled by the oak at the pillar in Shechem and made Abimelech their king.

7 When Jotham got to hear this, he went up to the top of Mount Gerizim, and shouted in a loud voice: “Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, and God may to listen to you!

8 Once upon a time the trees were determined to anoint a king to rule over them. They said to the olive tree, ‘You shall be our king.’ 9 But the olive tree replied, ‘Should I stop giving my rich oil that benefits both gods and men just to go and sway to and fro over the trees?’ 10 Then the trees asked the fig tree, ‘You come and be our king.’ 11 But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I stop giving my good sweet fruit just to go and sway to and fro over the trees?’ 12 Then the trees asked the grape vine, ‘You come and be our king.’ 13 But the grape vine replied, ‘Should I stop giving my wine that makes both gods and men happy just to go and sway to and fro over the trees?’ 14 Then all the trees asked the thorn bush, ‘You come and be our king.’ 15 The thorn bush replied to the trees, ‘If you're really sincere about anointing me as your king, come and find shelter in my shade. But if not, may fire flame out of the thorn bush and burn up the cedars of Lebanon!’

16 Have you acted sincerely and honestly by making Abimelech your king? Have you been acted honorably to Jerub-baal and his family? Have you respected him for all that he accomplished? 17 Don't forget how my father fought for you and risked his own life to save you from the Midianites!

18 But you have rebelled against my father's family today. You have killed his seventy sons on one stone and have made Abimelech, the son of his slave woman, king over the leaders of Shechem simply because he's related to you. 19 Have you acted sincerely and honestly toward Jerub-baal and his family today? If so, may you be happy with Abimelech, and may he be happy with too! 20 But if you haven't, then may fire flame out from Abimelech, and may it burn up the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo, and may fire flame out from the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo and burn up Abimelech!” 21 Then Jotham escaped and ran away. He went to Beer and stayed there because of the threat of Abimelech his brother.

22 Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years. 23 Then God sent an evil spirit to cause trouble between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. The leaders of Shechem betrayed Abimelech. 24 This happened because of the murder of the seventy sons of Jerub-baal and that responsibility for their blood be placed on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the leaders of Shechem, who provided the means to kill his brothers.

25 The leaders of Shechem sent men to the hill passes to lie in wait and attack Abimelech, and, in the meantime, they robbed everyone who passed by on the road. Abimelech found out what was happening.

26 Gaal, son of Ebed, had moved to Shechem with his relatives, and he gained the loyalty of the leaders of Shechem. 27 At harvest time they went out into the countryside and gathered the grapes from their vineyards and trod them. They celebrated by having a festival in the temple of their god, where they ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.

28 “Who is this Abimelech?” asked Gaal, son of Ebed. “And who is Shechem, that we should have to serve him? Isn't he the son of Jerub-baal, while Zebul is actually the one in charge? You should serve the family of Hamor, the father of Shechem. Why should we have to serve Abimelech? 29 If I was the one in charge of you people, I would dispose of Abimelech! I would tell him, ‘Get your army together, and come and fight!’ ”

30 When Zebul, the governor of the city, got to hear what Gaal was saying, he became very angry. 31 He secretly sent messengers to Abimelech to tell him, “Look, Gaal, son of Ebed, and his relatives have arrived in Shechem, and they are stirring up the town to rebel against you. 32 So come at night with your army and hide in the countryside. 33 In the morning as soon as the sun comes up, go and attack the town. When Gaal and his men come out to fight you, you can do whatever you want to them.”

34 Abimelech left at night along with his army, and they separated into four companies that lay in wait near Shechem. 35 When Gaal, son of Ebed, went out and stood at the town's entrance gate, Abimelech and his army came out from where they had been hiding. 36 Gaal saw the army approaching and said to Zebul, “Look! Some people are coming down from the hilltops!”

“That's just shadows made by the hills that look like men,” Zebul replied.

37 “No really, people are coming down from the high ground,” Gaal repeated. “Plus, there's another company coming down the road that passes the diviners' oak tree.”

38 “Where's your big mouth now? You're the one who said, ‘Who is this Abimelech, that we should have to serve him?’ ” Zebul told him. “Aren't these the people you detested? Go on then—go and fight with them!”

39 So Gaal led the leaders of Shechem out of the town and fought with Abimelech. 40 Abimelech attacked, and chased him and his men as they ran away, killing many of them as they tried to get back to the town gate. 41 Abimelech went back to Arumah while Zebul expelled Gaal and his relatives from Shechem.

42 The following day the people of Shechem went out to the fields, and Abimelech was informed about it. 43 He divided his army into three companies and had them lay in ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he attacked and killed them. 44 Abimelech and his company raced to occupy the town's entrance gate, while the two companies raced to attack everyone in the fields and kill them. 45 The battle for the town lasted all day but eventually Abimelech captured it. He killed the people, demolished the town, and scattered salt over the ground.* To prevent anything from growing.

46 When all the leaders of the tower of Shechem realized what had happened, they took refuge in the strongroom of the temple of El-berith. 47 When Abimelech found out that all the leaders in the tower of Shechem had gathered there, 48 he and all the men with him went up Mount Zalmon. Abimelech grabbed hold of an ax and cut a branch from the trees. He lifted it onto his shoulder, and told his men, “Quick! You saw what I did. Do the same!” 49 Each of them cut down a branch and followed Abimelech. They placed the branches against the strongroom and set it on fire. So all the people who lived in the tower of Shechem died, around one thousand men and women.

50 Then Abimelech went to attack Thebez and captured it. 51 But there was a strong tower inside the city. All the men and women and the town leaders ran there and barricaded themselves in, and then went up to the roof of the tower. 52 Abimelech went up to the tower to attack it. But as he came close to the tower's entrance to set it on fire, 53 a woman dropped millstone down on Abimelech's head and cracked his skull open.

54 He quickly called the young man who carried his weapons, and ordered him, “Draw your sword and kill me, so they won't say about me that a woman killed him.” So the young man drove his sword through him, and he died. 55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all left and went home.

56 This is how God paid back Abimelech's crime against his father of murdering his seventy brothers. 57 He also repaid the people of Shechem for their evil, and the curse of Jotham, son of Jerub-baal, came down upon them.