Abimelech’s Conspiracy

1And Abimelech son of Jerubbaal† went to Shechem to the brothers of his mother, and he spoke to them and to all the family of the house of the father of his mother, saying, 2“Speak, please, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, ‘What is better for you⁺, that seventy men reign over you⁺, all sons of Jerubbaal, or that one man reigns over you⁺?’ And remember that I am your⁺ bone and your⁺ flesh.”

3And the brothers of his mother spoke concerning him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words, and their heart was inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.” 4And they gave to him seventy shekels of silver† from the temple of Baal-berith, and Abimelech hired with them worthless and reckless men, and they followed him. 5And he went into the house of his father at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. And Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, was left, because he hid himself.

6And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all of Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king beside the oak† at the pillar that was in Shechem.

Jotham’s Parable

7And they told Jotham, and he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and he lifted his voice and cried out and said to them,

“Listen to me, O masters of Shechem,

that God may listen to you⁺.

8The trees have diligently gone

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 cease giving my oil,

with which they honor God and men,

and go to sway 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 cease my sweetness,

and my good fruit,

and go to sway over the trees?’

12And the trees said to the vine,

‘Come you, reign over us.’

13And the vine said to them,

‘Should I cease my new wine,

which cheers God and men,

and go to sway 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⁺ anoint me as king over you⁺,

come, take refuge in my shade.

But if not, let fire come out of the bramble

and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’

16And now, if in truth and sincerity you⁺ have acted in making Abimelech king, and if you⁺ have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and if according to the deed of his hands you⁺ have done to him— 17for my father fought for you⁺ and cast away his life from him, and delivered you⁺ out of the hand of Midian. 18And you⁺ have risen up against the house of my father this day and killed his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and made Abimelech son of his maidservant king over the men of Shechem, because he is your⁺ brother— 19and if then in truth and sincerity you⁺ have acted with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech and let him rejoice also in you⁺.

20But if not, let fire come from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and Beth-millo, and let come fire from the men of Shechem and Beth-millo, and devour Abimelech.”

21And Jotham ran away and fled, and he went to Beer and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

Gaal Conspires with the Shechemites

22And Abimelech had reigned over Israel three years, 23and God sent a spirit of animosity† between Abimelech and between the men of Shechem, and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, 24for the coming in of the violence to the seventy the sons of Jerubbaal, and to place their blood on Abimelech their brother who killed them, and on the men of Shechem who aided him in the killing of his brothers.

25And the men of Shechem set against him an ambush on the tops of the hills, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way. And it was told to Abimelech.

26And Gaal son of Ebed came, and his brothers, and went over to Shechem. And the men of Shechem put their confidence in him. 27And they went out into the fields, and gathered from their vineyards, and trod and made merry. And they went into the house of their god and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech.

28And Gaal 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—and why should we serve him? 29And if only were given this people into my hand, Abimelech I would remove.” I would say† to Abimelech, “Increase your army and come out.”

The Fall of Shechem

30And Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, and his anger was kindled. 31And he sent messengers to Abimelech in deceit,† saying, “Behold, Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem. And behold, they are fortifying† the city against you. 32And now get up by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field. 33And it shall come to pass in the morning, at the rising of the sun, that you shall rise early and rush upon the city. And behold, he and the people who are with him will be coming out against you, and you may do to them as your hand finds.”

34And Abimelech rose, and all the people who were with him, by night, and they lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.

35And Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city, and Abimelech rose, and the people who were with him, from the ambush.

36And Gaal saw the people, and he said to Zebul, “Behold, a people is coming down from the tops of the mountains.”

And Zebul said to him, “The shadows of the mountains You are seeing as men.”

37And Gaal added again to speak, and he said, “Behold, a people are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming from the way of the Oak of the Diviners.†”

38And Zebul said to him, “Where now is your mouth, with which you said, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Is this not the people whom you have despised? Go out, please, now, and fight against it.”

39And Gaal went out before the faces of the masters of Shechem, and he fought with Abimelech. 40And Abimelech chased him, and he fled from him, and many fell wounded as far as the entrance of the gate. 41And Abimelech dwelt in 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 declared it to 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 were coming out of the city; and he rose up against them and attacked them.

44And Abimelech and the company that was 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 fields, and struck them. 45And Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and he took the city, and he killed the people who were in it, and he tore down the city and sowed it with salt.

46And all the men of the tower of Shechem had heard, and they entered into the stronghold of the temple of El-berith.† 47And it was told to Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. 48And Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him, and Abimelech took an ax in his hand and cut down a bough from the trees, and lifted it and set it on his shoulder, and he said to the people who were with him, “What you⁺ have seen me do, hurry and do as I.”

49And all the people, indeed each man, cut down his bough, and they went after Abimelech, and they put them against the stronghold, and they burned above them the stronghold with the fire, and died also all the people of the tower of Shechem—about a thousand men and women.

Abimelech’s Punishment

50And Abimelech went to Thebez, and he encamped against Thebez and took it. 51And there was a strong tower in the city, and there fled all the men and the women, and all the masters of the city, and shut themselves in. And they went up to the top of the tower.

52And Abimelech came as far as the tower and fought against it, and he drew near the door of the tower to burn it with the fire. 53And one woman dropped an upper millstone on the head of Abimelech, and it crushed his skull. 54And he called quickly to the young man bearing his armor and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’”

And his young man thrust him through, and he died. 55And the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, and every man departed to his place.

56And God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers. 57And all the evil of the men of Shechem God returned on their own heads, and came upon them the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal.

Footnotes:

1 Jerubbaal is another name for Gideon and probably means let Baal contend; here and throughout this chapter; see Judges 6:32.
4 70 shekels is approximately 1.76 pounds or 797.8 grams of silver.
6 Or terebinth or great tree
23 Or a harmful spirit
29 LXX; Hebrew And he said
31 Or he sent messengers to Abimelech in Arumah; see verse 41.
31 Or besieging or closing up
37 Or the Diviners’ Terebinth or the diviners’ tree
46 El-berith was another name for Baal-berith; see verse 4.