1And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mother's brothers, and spoke to them and to all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,
2"Speak, please, in the ears of all the lords of Shechem, 'Which is good for you: that seventy men (ish), all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or that one man (ish) rule over you?' And remember that I am your bone and your flesh (basar)."
3And his mother's brothers spoke concerning him in the ears of all the lords of Shechem all these words; and their heart inclined after Abimelech, for they said, "He is our brother."
4And they gave him seventy of silver from the house of Baal-berith, and with it Abimelech hired empty and reckless men (ish), and they followed him.
5And he came to his father's house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men (ish), upon one stone; but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself.
6And all the lords of Shechem gathered together, and all Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar that is in Shechem.
7And they told Jotham, and he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice and cried out, and said to them, "Listen to me, lords of Shechem, that God may listen to you.
8The trees surely went to anoint over them a king; and they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us.'
9And the olive tree said to them, 'Should I leave my fatness, by which they honor God and men (ish), and go to wave over the trees?'
10And the trees said to the fig tree, 'Come you, reign over us.'
11And the fig tree said to them, 'Should I leave my sweetness and my good produce, and go to wave over the trees?'
12And the trees said to the vine, 'Come you, reign over us.'
13And the vine said to them, 'Should I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men (ish), and go to wave over the trees?'
14And all the trees said to the bramble, 'Come you, reign over us.'
15And the bramble said to the trees, 'If in truth you are anointing me king over you, come, take refuge in my shadow; but if not, let fire come out from the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.'
16And now, if in truth and in integrity you have acted, in that you have made Abimelech king, and if you have done good with Jerubbaal and with his house, and if according to the dealing of his hands you have done to him—
17for my father fought for you, and flung his soul (nephesh) far off, and delivered you from the hand of Midian;
18and you have risen up against my father's house this day, and killed his sons, seventy men (ish), upon one stone, and made Abimelech the son of his maidservant king over the lords of Shechem, because he is your brother—
19if in truth and in integrity you have acted with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you;
20but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the lords of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the lords of Shechem and from Beth-millo, and devour Abimelech."
21And Jotham fled and escaped, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, because of Abimelech his brother.
22And Abimelech ruled over Israel three years.
23And God sent an evil spirit (ruach) between Abimelech and the lords of Shechem; and the lords of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,
24that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and upon the lords of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.
25And the lords of Shechem set ambushers for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who passed by them on the way; and it was told to Abimelech.
26And Gaal the son of Ebed came, he and his brothers, and they passed over into Shechem; and the lords of Shechem trusted in him.
27And they went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and held a festival; and they came into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.
28And Gaal the son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him (avad)? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and Zebul his officer? Serve (avad) the men (ish) of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him (avad)?
29And who would give this people into my hand, that I might remove Abimelech!" And he said to Abimelech, "Increase your army and come out."
30And Zebul the prince of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, and his anger burned.
31And he sent messengers to Abimelech in Tormah, saying, "Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers are coming to Shechem, and behold, they are besieging the city against you.
32And now, rise by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field.
33And it shall be, in the morning, when the sun rises, you shall rise early and rush upon the city; and behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, then you shall do to him as your hand finds."
34And Abimelech rose up, and all the people who were with him, by night, and they lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.
35And Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city; and Abimelech rose up, and the people who were with him, from the ambush.
36And Gaal saw the people, and said to Zebul, "Behold, people coming down from the tops of the mountains." And Zebul said to him, "You are seeing the shadow of the mountains as if they were men (ish)."
37And Gaal spoke again and said, "Behold, people coming down from the navel of the land, and one company coming from the way of the oak of the diviners."
38And Zebul said to him, "Where now is your mouth, that you said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him (avad)? Is this not the people that you despised? Go out now and fight against them."
39And Gaal went out before the lords of Shechem, and fought against Abimelech.
40And Abimelech pursued him, and he fled before him; and many fell wounded, up to the entrance of the gate.
41And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah; and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers, from dwelling in Shechem.
42And it came to pass on the next day, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.
43And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field; and he looked, and behold, the people coming out from the city, and he rose up against them and smote them.
44And Abimelech and the companies that were with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city; and the two companies rushed upon all who were in the field, and smote them.
45And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he captured the city, and the people who were in it he killed; and he broke down the city and sowed it with salt.
46And all the lords of the tower of Shechem heard, and they went into the stronghold of the house of El-berith.
47And it was told to Abimelech that all the lords of the tower of Shechem had gathered together.
48And Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him; and Abimelech took the axes in his hand, and cut a bough of trees, and lifted it up, and put it on his shoulder; and he said to the people who were with him, "What you have seen me do, hurry, do as I."
49And all the people also cut, each man (ish) his bough, and went after Abimelech, and put them against the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire upon them; and all the men (ish) of the tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand men (ish) and women (ishah).
50And Abimelech went to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and captured it.
51And a strong tower was in the midst of the city, and there fled all the men (ish) and the women (ishah), and all the lords of the city, and shut themselves in, and went up onto the roof of the tower.
52And Abimelech came up to the tower and fought against it; and he drew near to the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire.
53And one woman (ishah) cast an upper millstone upon Abimelech's head, and crushed his skull.
54And he quickly called to the young man bearing his weapons, and said to him, "Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, A woman (ishah) killed him." And his young man thrust him through, and he died.
55And the men (ish) of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, and they went, each man (ish), to his place.
56And God returned the evil of Abimelech, which he did to his father, in killing his seventy brothers;
57and all the evil of the men (ish) of Shechem God returned upon their heads; and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.