Judges 9

1Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s brothers and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother’s family,

2“Please say in the hearing of all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you, to have seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or to have one man rule over you?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and blood.”

3So his mother’s brothers spoke all these words on his behalf in the hearing of all the citizens of Shechem, and their hearts were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.”

4They gave him seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-berith, and with it Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men, who followed him.

5He went to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, was left, because he hid himself.

6Then all the citizens of Shechem and all Beth-millo gathered together, and they went and made Abimelech king by the oak of the pillar at Shechem.

7When Jotham was told about it, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim and called out to them in a loud voice, “Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you.

8Once the trees went out to anoint a king over themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’

9But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I give up my rich oil, by which gods and people are honored, and go to sway over the trees?’

10Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us.’

11But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I give up my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to sway over the trees?’

12Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us.’

13But the vine said to them, ‘Should I give up my new wine, which cheers gods and people, and go to sway over the trees?’

14Then all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘You come and reign over us.’

15The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade. But if not, let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’

16Now then, if you acted in good faith and integrity when you made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his family and have treated him as his deeds deserved,

17for my father fought for you and risked his life and rescued you from the hand of Midian,

18but you have risen up against my father’s family today and killed his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his slave woman, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is your brother,

19if, then, you have acted in good faith and integrity toward Jerubbaal and his family today, rejoice in Abimelech, and may he also rejoice in you.

20But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume the citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo, and let fire come out from the citizens of Shechem and from Beth-millo and consume Abimelech.”

21Then Jotham ran away and fled. He went to Beer and lived there, because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.

22Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years.

23Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem, and the citizens of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech.

24This happened so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come back, and their blood might be laid on their brother Abimelech, who killed them, and on the citizens of Shechem, who had strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.

25The citizens of Shechem set men in ambush against him on the mountaintops, and they robbed everyone who passed by them on the road. This was reported to Abimelech.

26Now Gaal son of Ebed came with his brothers and moved into Shechem, and the citizens of Shechem put their trust in him.

27They went out into the fields, gathered the grapes from their vineyards, trod them, and held a festival. They went into the temple of their god, ate and 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 Abimelech?

29If only this people were under my command! Then I would get rid of Abimelech.” Then he said to Abimelech, “Build up your army and come out!”

30When Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, his anger burned.

31He sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, “Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem, and they are stirring up the city against you.

32Now then, get up by night, you and the troops who are with you, and lie in wait in the fields.

33In the morning, as soon as the sun rises, get up early and rush against the city. When he and the people who are with him come out against you, do to him whatever you can.”

34So Abimelech and all the troops who were with him got up by night and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.

35When Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate, Abimelech and the troops who were with him rose from their ambush.

36When Gaal saw the troops, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the mountaintops!” But Zebul said to him, “You are seeing the shadows of the mountains as if they were men.”

37Gaal spoke again and said, “Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming by the road from the Diviners’ Oak.”

38Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your big talk now, you who said, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Are these not the people you despised? Go out now and fight them!”

39So Gaal went out at the head of the citizens of Shechem and fought against Abimelech.

40Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many fell dead all the way to the entrance of the gate.

41Abimelech stayed at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers so that they could not stay in Shechem.

42The next day the people went out into the fields, and Abimelech was told about it.

43He took his troops, divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose against them and struck them down.

44Abimelech and the company that was with him rushed forward and took their stand at the entrance of the city gate, while the other two companies rushed against all who were in the fields and struck them down.

45Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed the people who were in it. Then he tore down the city and sowed it with salt.

46When all the citizens of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they went into the stronghold of the temple of El-berith.

47Abimelech was told that all the citizens of the Tower of Shechem had gathered there.

48So Abimelech went up Mount Zalmon, he and all the troops who were with him. Abimelech took an axe in his hand, cut down a branch from the trees, lifted it, and put it on his shoulder. He said to the troops who were with him, “What you have seen me do, hurry and do as I have done!”

49So each of the troops also cut down a branch and followed Abimelech. They piled them against the stronghold and set the stronghold on fire over them. So all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand men and women.

50Then Abimelech went to Thebez. He camped against Thebez and captured it.

51But there was a strong tower inside the city, and all the men and women, all the citizens of the city, fled to it. They shut themselves in and went up onto the roof of the tower.

52Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it. He came near the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire.

53But a woman threw an upper millstone down on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.

54He quickly called to the young man who carried his armor and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that no one will say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his young man ran him through, and he died.

55When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, each of them went home.

56In this way God paid Abimelech back for the evil he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers.

57God also brought all the evil of the men of Shechem back on their own heads, and the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came upon them.