Judges 9:22-57 - The Downfall Of Shechem And Abimelech
22 And Abimelech will have dominion over Israel three years, 23 And God will send an evil spirit between Abimelech and between the lords of Shechem; and the lords of Shechem will act deceitfully with Abimelech, 24 To bring the wrong of the seventy sons of Jerubbaal and to put their blood upon Abimelech their brother who killed them, and upon the lords of Shechem who strengthened his hands to kill his brethren. 25 And the lords of Shechem will set for him liers in wait upon the heads of the mountains, and they will rob all who shall pass over by them in the way: and it was announced to Abimelech.
26 And Gaal son of Ebed will come, and his brethren, and they will pass over to Shechem: and the lords of Shechem will trust in him. 27 And they will go forth to the field, and they will gather their vineyards, and they will tread down, and they will make rejoicings, and go in to the house of their God, and they will eat and drink, and curse Abimelech. 28 And Gaal son of Ebed will say, Who Abimelech, and who Shechem, that we shall serve him? is he not the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his overseer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: and why shall we serve him? 29 And who will give this people into my hand? And I will remove Abimelech. And he will say to Abimelech, Increase thine army and come forth.
30 And Zebul the ruler of the city will hear the words of Gaal, son of Ebed, and his wrath will kindle. 31 And he will send messengers to Abimelech in deceit, saying, Behold, Gaal son of Ebed, and his brethren, came to Shechem; and behold, they pressed the city against thee. 32 And now, rise up by night, thou and the people which are with thee, and lie in wait in the field: 33 And it was in the morning when the sun rose, thou shalt rise early and invade upon the city: and behold, he and the people which with him coming forth against thee; and do thou to him as thy hand shall find. 34 And Abimelech will rise, and all the people which are with him, by night, and they will lie in wait against Shechem in four heads.
35 And Gaal son of Ebed will go forth, and he will stand at the door of the gate of the city: and Abimelech will rise, and the people that are with him, from the ambush. 36 And Gaal will see the people, and he will say to Zebul, Behold, people coming down from the heads of the mountains. And Zebul will say to him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as men.
37 And Gaal will add to speak, and will say, Behold, people coming down from the height of the land, and one head coming from the way of the oak of Meonenim. 38 And Zebul will say to him, Where now thy mouth with which thou wilt say, Who Abimelech, that we shall serve him? is not this the people which thou despised it? now go forth now, and fight with it
39 And Gaal will go forth before the lords of Shechem, and he will fight against Abimelech. 40 And Abimelech will pursue him and he will flee from his face, and many will fall wounded at the door of the gate. 41 And Abimelech will dwell in Arumah: and Zebul will drive out Gaal and his brethren from dwelling in Shechem.
42 And it will be from the morrow, and the people will go forth to the field; and they will announce to Abimelech. 43 And he will take the people and will divide them into three heads, and he will lie in wait in the field, and he will see, and behold, the people will come forth from the city, and he will rise up against them and smite them. 44 And Abimelech and the heads which are with him will invade, and they will stand at the door of the gate of the city: and two heads will invade upon all which are in the field, and they will smite them. 45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he will take the city, and the people which in it he killed, and he will tear down the city, and will sow it with salt.
46 And all the lords of the tower of Shechem will hear, and they will go in to the tower of the god of the covenant 47 And it was announced to Abimelech that all the lords of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. 48 And Abimelech will go up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that with him; and Abimelech will take axes in his hand, and he will cut boughs of the trees, and will lift up and will put upon his shoulder, and he will say to the people which are with him, What ye saw I did, hasten, do like me. 49 And also all the people will cut each a bough, and will go after Abimelech, and they will put upon the tower, and will set the tower on fire upon them, and all the men of the tower of Shechem will die; about a thousand men and women.
50 And Abimelech will go to Thebez, and he will encamp against Thebez and take it. 51 And a strong tower was in the midst of the city, and thither will flee all the men and women and all the lords of the city, and will shut up from after them, and they will go up upon the roof of the tower. 52 And Abimelech will come even to the tower, and will fight against it, and will urge on, even to the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 And one woman will cast a piece of the upper mill-stone upon the head of Abimelech, and she will break his skull 54 And he will call quickly to the youth lifting up his weapons, and he will say to him, Draw thy sword and put me to death, lest they shall say of me, A woman killed him. And his youth will thrust him through and he will die. 55 And the men of Israel will see that Abimelech died, and they will go each to his place.
56 And God will turn back the evil of Abimelech which he did. to his father for killing his seventy brethren. 57 And all the evil of the men of Shechem God turned back upon their head: and against them will come the curse of Jotham the son of JerubbaaL