Judges 9:23-41

231Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the 2leaders of Shechem; and the 3leaders of Shechem 4dealt treacherously with Abimelech, 245so that the violence 6done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal would come, and the responsibility for 7their blood would be placed on their brother Abimelech, who killed them, and on the 8leaders of Shechem, who 9encouraged him to kill his brothers. 25The 10leaders of Shechem set up men in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed everyone who would pass by them on the road; and it was reported to Abimelech.

26Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with his relatives, and crossed over into Shechem; and the 11leaders of Shechem trusted him. 27So they went out to the field and gathered the grapes of their vineyards and trampled them, and held a festival; and they went into the house of 12their 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 governor? Serve the men of 13Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? 291415If only this people were under my authority! Then I would do away with Abimelech.” And he said to Abimelech, “Enlarge your army and come out!”

30When Zebul the leader of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger burned. 31So using deception, he successfully sent messengers to Abimelech, saying, “Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem; and behold, they are 16stirring up the city against you. 32So now, arise 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 is up, you shall rise early and attack the city; and behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you shall 17do to them 18whatever you can.”

34So Abimelech and all the people who were with him got up at night, and lay in wait against Shechem, in four 19units. 35Now Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood at 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, “20Look, 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 people.” 37And Gaal spoke yet again and said, “Look, people are coming down from 21the 22highest part of the land, and one 23unit is coming by way of 24the diviners’ 25oak.” 38Then Zebul said to him, “Where then is your 26boasting with which you said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Is this not the people whom you rejected? Go out now and fight them!” 39So Gaal went out 27in the sight of the 28leaders of Shechem and fought Abimelech. 40But Abimelech chased him, and he fled from him; and many fell wounded up to the entrance of the gate. 41Then Abimelech stayed in Arumah, but Zebul drove out Gaal and his relatives so that they could not stay in Shechem.