1Abimelech, the son of Jerubbaal, went to Shechem to his mother's brothers and spoke with them and with all the family of his mother's father.
2He said, "Please ask all the men of Shechem, 'Is it better for you that all seventy sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that just one person rules over you?' Also, remember that I am your own flesh and blood."
3His mother's brothers repeated all these words to the men of Shechem. The men of Shechem were persuaded to follow Abimelech, because they said, "He is our brother."
4They gave him seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Baal Berith. With this money, Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men, who then followed him.
5He went to his father's house in Ophrah and killed his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. However, Jotham, Jerubbaal's youngest son, was left alive because he had hidden himself.
6All the men of Shechem and everyone from the house of Millo gathered together and went to make Abimelech king by the oak tree that stood in Shechem.
7When Jotham was told about this, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim. He shouted loudly and said to them, "Listen to me, men of Shechem, so that God may listen to you.
8Once, the trees decided to choose a king from among themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’
9But the olive tree replied, ‘Should I stop producing my oil, which is used to honor God and people, just to go and sway back and forth over the other trees?’
10Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and reign over us.’
11But the fig tree replied to them, ‘Should I give up my sweetness and my good fruit just to go and sway back and forth over the other trees?’
12So the trees said to the vine, ‘Come and reign over us.’
13The vine replied to them, ‘Should I give up my new wine, which makes both God and people happy, just to go and sway back and forth over the other trees?’
14Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘Come and reign over us.’
15The bramble replied to the trees, ‘If you truly want to make me your king, then come and find shelter in my shade. But if not, may fire come out of me, the bramble, and burn up the cedars of Lebanon.’
16Jotham continued, “Now, if you have acted truthfully and honorably in making Abimelech king, and if you have treated Jerubbaal and his family well, and have rewarded him fairly for his deeds—
17for my father fought for you, risked his life, and rescued you from the power of Midian;
18yet today you have turned against my father’s family, killed his seventy sons on one stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the people of Shechem simply because he is your relative—
19if you have acted truthfully and honorably toward Jerubbaal and his family today, then may you be happy with Abimelech, and may he be happy with you.
20But if not, may fire come from Abimelech and consume the people of Shechem and the house of Millo; and may fire come from the people of Shechem and the house of Millo and consume Abimelech.”
21Jotham ran away, fled, and went to Beer, where he lived, because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.
22Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years.
23Then God created conflict between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, and the men of Shechem turned against Abimelech.
24This happened so that the violence done to Jerubbaal's seventy sons would come back on Abimelech, their brother who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who helped him kill his brothers.
25The men of Shechem set an ambush for Abimelech on the mountaintops and robbed everyone who passed by. Abimelech was told about it.
26Gaal son of Ebed came with his brothers and moved into Shechem, and the men of Shechem trusted him.
27They went out into the fields, harvested their vineyards, pressed the grapes, celebrated, and went into the temple of their god. They ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech.
28Gaal son of Ebed asked, "Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Isn't he Jerubbaal's son? And isn't Zebul his officer? You should serve the men of Hamor, Shechem's father, but why should we serve Abimelech?
29If only these people were under my command! Then I would get rid of Abimelech." He told Abimelech, "Increase your army and come out to fight!"
30When Zebul, the city's leader, heard what Gaal son of Ebed said, he became very angry.
31He secretly sent messengers to Abimelech, saying, "Listen, Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem, and they are turning the city against you.
32So now, you and your men should go up tonight and hide in the field.
33Then in the morning, as soon as the sun rises, get up early and rush the city. When Gaal and his men come out against you, you can do to them whatever opportunity arises."
34Abimelech and all his men got up during the night and set an ambush near Shechem in four groups.
35Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate. Abimelech and his men then rose up from their ambush.
36When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, "Look, people are coming down from the top of the mountains." Zebul replied, "You are just seeing the shadows of the mountains as if they were men."
37Gaal spoke again and said, "Look, people are coming down through the middle of the land, and one group is coming by the road of the Diviner's Oak."
38Then Zebul said to him, "Where is your big talk now? You who said, 'Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?' Aren't these the people you made fun of? Go out now and fight them!"
39Gaal went out leading the men of Shechem and fought with Abimelech.
40Abimelech chased him, and Gaal fled before him. Many fell wounded, right up to the city gate's entrance.
41Abimelech stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out so they could no longer live in Shechem.
42The next day, the people went out into the field, and someone told Abimelech.
43He took his men, divided them into three groups, and set an ambush in the field. He watched, and when he saw the people coming out of the city, he attacked them and struck them down.
44Abimelech and the groups with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the city gate. The other two groups rushed those who were in the field and struck them down.
45Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city, killed its inhabitants, tore it down, and sowed it with salt.
46When all the men in the tower of Shechem heard about it, they went into the stronghold of the temple of Elberith.
47Abimelech was told that all the men from the tower of Shechem had gathered there.
48Abimelech and all his people went up to Mount Zalmon. Abimelech took an axe in his hand, cut a branch from the trees, picked it up, and put it on his shoulder. Then he told the people with him, “Do quickly what you’ve seen me do!”
49So all the people each cut down a branch and followed Abimelech. They piled the branches against the base of the stronghold and set the stronghold on fire. In this way, about a thousand men and women died, all the people in the tower of Shechem.
50Then Abimelech went to Thebez, set up camp against it, and captured it.
51But inside the city, there was a strong tower, and all the city’s men and women fled to it, locked themselves in, and went up to the tower's roof.
52Abimelech came to the tower, fought against it, and approached the tower door to burn it down.
53A certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.
54He quickly called his young armor-bearer and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that people won't say about me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his young man stabbed him, and he died.
55When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they each went home.
56In this way, God punished Abimelech for the evil he did to his father by killing his seventy brothers.
57And God also punished the men of Shechem for all their wickedness, bringing Jotham son of Jerubbaal’s curse upon them.