1Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother's brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother's clan,2"Ask all the citizens of Shechem, 'Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal's sons rule over you, or just one man?' Remember, I am your flesh and blood."3When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, "He is our brother."4They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech used it to hire reckless adventurers, who became his followers.5He went to his father's home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, escaped by hiding.6Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered beside the great tree at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelech king.7When Jotham was told about this, he climbed up on the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, "Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you.8One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, 'Be our king.'9"But the olive tree answered, 'Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and men are honored, to hold sway over the trees?'10"Next, the trees said to the fig tree, 'Come and be our king.'11"But the fig tree replied, 'Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?'12"Then the trees said to the vine, 'Come and be our king.'13"But the vine answered, 'Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and men, to hold sway over the trees?'14"Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, 'Come and be our king.'15"The thornbush said to the trees, 'If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!'16"Now if you have acted honorably and in good faith when you made Abimelech king, and if you have been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family, and if you have treated him as he deserves-17and to think that my father fought for you, risked his life to rescue you from the hand of Midian18(but today you have revolted against my father's family, murdered his seventy sons on a single stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his slave girl, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is your brother)-19if then you have acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today, may Abimelech be your joy, and may you be his, too!20But if you have not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelech!"21Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and he lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.22After Abimelech had governed Israel three years,23God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem, who acted treacherously against Abimelech.24God did this in order that the crime against Jerub-Baal's seventy sons, the shedding of their blood, might be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers.25In opposition to him these citizens of Shechem set men on the hilltops to ambush and rob everyone who passed by, and this was reported to Abimelech.26Now Gaal son of Ebed moved with his brothers into Shechem, and its citizens put their confidence in him.27After they had gone out into the fields and gathered the grapes and trodden them, they held a festival in the temple of their god. While they were eating and drinking, they cursed Abimelech.28Then Gaal son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should be subject to him? Isn't he Jerub-Baal's son, and isn't Zebul his deputy? Serve the men of Hamor, Shechem's father! Why should we serve Abimelech?29If only this people were under my command! Then I would get rid of him. I would say to Abimelech, 'Call out your whole army!'"30When Zebul the governor of the city heard what Gaal son of Ebed said, he was very angry.31Under cover he sent messengers to Abimelech, saying, "Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you.32Now then, during the night you and your men should come and lie in wait in the fields.33In the morning at sunrise, advance against the city. When Gaal and his men come out against you, do whatever your hand finds to do."34So Abimelech and all his troops set out by night and took up concealed positions near Shechem in four companies.35Now Gaal son of Ebed had gone out and was standing at the entrance to the city gate just as Abimelech and his soldiers came out from their hiding place.36When Gaal saw them, he said to Zebul, "Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!" Zebul replied, "You mistake the shadows of the mountains for men."37But Gaal spoke up again: "Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and a company is coming from the direction of the soothsayers' tree."38Then Zebul said to him, "Where is your big talk now, you who said, 'Who is Abimelech that we should be subject to him?' Aren't these the men you ridiculed? Go out and fight them!"39So Gaal led out the citizens of Shechem and fought Abimelech.40Abimelech chased him, and many fell wounded in the flight-all the way to the entrance to the gate.41Abimelech stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem.42The next day the people of Shechem went out to the fields, and this was reported to Abimelech.43So he took his men, divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose to attack them.44Abimelech and the companies with him rushed forward to a position at the entrance to the city gate. Then two companies rushed upon those in the fields and struck them down.45All that day Abimelech pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city and scattered salt over it.46On hearing this, the citizens in the tower of Shechem went into the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith.47When Abimelech heard that they had assembled there,48he and all his men went up Mount Zalmon. He took an ax and cut off some branches, which he lifted to his shoulders. He ordered the men with him, "Quick! Do what you have seen me do!"49So all the men cut branches and followed Abimelech. They piled them against the stronghold and set it on fire over the people inside. So all the people in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, also died.50Next Abimelech went to Thebez and besieged it and captured it.51Inside the city, however, was a strong tower, to which all the men and women-all the people of the city-fled. They locked themselves in and climbed up on the tower roof.52Abimelech went to the tower and stormed it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire,53a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull.54Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can't say, 'A woman killed him.'" So his servant ran him through, and he died.55When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home.56Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father by murdering his seventy brothers.57God also made the men of Shechem pay for all their wickedness. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal came on them.
Scripture quoted by permission. The passage above is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online)