Judges 9

Abimelech Seizes Power

1Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s brothers and spoke to them and to the whole clan of his mother’s father’s house, saying, 2“Please speak in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem: Which is better for you, that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or that one man rule over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.” 3His mother’s brothers spoke all these words about him in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem, and their hearts inclined after Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.” 4They gave him seventy pieces of silver from the house of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech hired with them 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, for he hid himself. 6Then all the leaders of Shechem and all Beth-Millo gathered together and went and made Abimelech king beside the oak of the pillar at Shechem.

Jotham’s Fable

7When they told Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, lifted his voice, and called out:

“Listen to me, leaders of Shechem,
so that God may listen to you. 8The trees once 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 stop producing my richness,
by which gods and people are honored,
and go wave 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 stop producing my sweetness
and my good fruit
and go wave over the trees?’ 12Then the trees said to the vine,
‘You come and reign over us.’ 13But the vine said to them,
‘Should I stop producing my new wine,
which gladdens gods and people,
and go wave over the trees?’ 14Then all the trees said to the bramble,
‘You come and reign over us.’ 15The bramble said to the trees,
‘If in truth you are anointing me king over you,
come, take refuge in my shade.
But if not,
let fire come out from the bramble
and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’

Jotham Pronounces Judgment

16“Now therefore, if you have acted in truth and integrity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him according to the work of his hands— 17for my father fought for you, risked his life, and delivered you from the hand of Midian, 18but you have risen against my father’s house this day, killed his sons, seventy men on one stone, and made Abimelech, son of his female servant, king over the leaders of Shechem because he is your brother— 19if then you have acted in truth and integrity with Jerubbaal and his house this day, rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. 20But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth-Millo, and let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem and Beth-Millo and consume Abimelech.” 21Then Jotham fled and escaped. He went to Beer and lived there because of Abimelech his brother.

Division Between Abimelech and Shechem

22Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. 23Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, 24so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come back upon Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and upon the leaders of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. 25The leaders of Shechem set men in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed everyone who passed by them on the road. And it was told to Abimelech. 26Gaal son of Ebed came with his brothers and crossed into Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem put their trust in him. 27They went out into the field, gathered the grapes from their vineyards, trod them, and held a festival. They went into the house 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, father of Shechem. Why should we serve this one? 29If only this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech.” And he said to Abimelech, “Increase your army and come out!”

Zebul Warns Abimelech

30When Zebul ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, his anger burned. 31He sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, “Look, Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem, and look, they are stirring up the city against you. 32So now rise by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field. 33Then in the morning, as soon as the sun rises, rise early and rush upon the city. Look, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, do to him as your hand finds opportunity.”

Abimelech Defeats Gaal

34So Abimelech and all the people who were with him rose by night and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies. 35Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate. Then Abimelech and the people who were with him rose from the ambush. 36When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains.” Zebul said to him, “You see the shadows of the mountains as men.” 37Gaal spoke again and said, “Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming from the direction of the Diviners’ Oak.” 38Then 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 you despised? Go out now and fight them.” 39So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem and fought Abimelech. 40Abimelech pursued him, and he fled before him. Many fell wounded as far as the entrance of the gate. 41Abimelech lived at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers so that they could not remain in Shechem.

Shechem Is Destroyed

42The next day the people went out into the field, and it was told to Abimelech. 43He took the people, divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field. He looked, and there were the people coming out of the city. He rose against them and struck them. 44Abimelech and the company with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the city gate, while the other two companies rushed upon all who were in the field and struck them. 45Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city, killed the people who were in it, tore down the city, and sowed it with salt. 46When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the stronghold of the house of El-Berith. 47It was told to Abimelech that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem had gathered together. 48Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people 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. Then he said to the people who were with him, “What you have seen me do, hurry and do as I have done.” 49So all the people also cut down each his branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches against the stronghold and set the stronghold on fire over them. So all the people of the Tower of Shechem died also, about one thousand men and women.

Abimelech Dies at Thebez

50Then Abimelech went to Thebez, camped against Thebez, and captured it. 51But there was a strong tower in the middle of the city, and all the men and women and all the leaders of the city fled there. They shut themselves in and went up onto the roof of the tower. 52Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it. He approached the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire. 53But a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull. 54He quickly called to the young man who carried his weapons and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his young man thrust him through, and he died. 55When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed, each to his place. 56Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech that he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers. 57And God returned all the evil of the men of Shechem upon their heads, and the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came upon them.