Judges 9:28-41

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 1Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? 2923If 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 4stirring 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 5do to them 6whatever you can.”

34So Abimelech and all the people who were with him got up at night, and lay in wait against Shechem, in four 7units. 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, “8Look, 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 9the 10highest part of the land, and one 11unit is coming by way of 12the diviners’ 13oak.” 38Then Zebul said to him, “Where then is your 14boasting 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 15in the sight of the 16leaders 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.