Judges 9:6-37

6All the men of Shechem and all 1Beth-millo assembled together, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the 2oak of the pillar which was in Shechem.

7Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on the top of 3Mount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and called out. Thus he said to them, “Listen to me, O men of Shechem, that God may listen to you. 8Once the trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’ 9But the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my fatness with 4which God and men are honored, and go to wave over the trees?’ 10Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come, reign over us!’ 11But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good 5fruit, and go to wave over the trees?’ 12Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come, reign over us!’ 13But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to wave over the trees?’ 14Finally all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come, reign over us!’ 15The bramble said to the trees, ‘If in 6truth you are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out from the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’

16“Now therefore, if you have dealt in 7truth and integrity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with 8Jerubbaal and his house, and 9have dealt with him 10as he deserved-- 17for my father fought for you and 11risked his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian; 18but you have risen against my father’s house today and have killed 12his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, 13the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your 14relative-- 19if then you have dealt in 15truth 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 men of Shechem and 16Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and from 17Beth-millo, and consume Abimelech.” 21Then Jotham escaped and fled, and went to Beer and remained there because of Abimelech his brother.

22Now Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. 2318Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem 19dealt treacherously with Abimelech, 2420so that the violence 21done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and 22their blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. 25The men of Shechem set 23men in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who might pass by them along the road; and it was told to Abimelech.

26Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with his 24relatives, and crossed over into Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him. 27They went out into the field and gathered the grapes of their vineyards and trod them, and held a 25festival; and they went into the house of 26their god, and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech. 28Then Gaal the 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 Zebul not his 27lieutenant? Serve the men of 28Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? 292930Would, therefore, that this people were under my authority! Then I would remove Abimelech.” And he said to Abimelech, “Increase your army and come out.”

30When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger burned. 31He sent messengers to Abimelech 31deceitfully, saying, “Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his 32relatives have come to Shechem; and behold, they are 33stirring up the city against you. 32Now therefore, arise by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field. 33In the morning, as soon as the sun is up, you shall rise early and rush upon the city; and behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you shall 34do to them 35whatever you can.”

34So Abimelech and all the people who were with him arose by night and lay in wait against Shechem in four 36companies. 35Now Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the city gate; and Abimelech and the people who were with him arose from the ambush. 36When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “37Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains.” But Zebul said to him, “You are seeing the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.” 37Gaal spoke again and said, “Behold, people are coming down from 38the 39highest part of the land, and one 40company comes by the way of 41the diviners’ 42oak.”