Judges 9:30-57

30When Zebul, the city commissioner, heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he was furious.

31He sent messengers to Abimelech, who was in Arumah, reporting, “Beware! Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers are coming to Shechem and inciting the city to rebel against you.

32Now, come up at night with your men and set an ambush in the field outside the city.

33In the morning at sunrise quickly attack the city. When he and his men come out to fight you, do what you can to him.”

34So Abimelech and all his men came up at night and set an ambush outside Shechem – they divided into four units.

35When Gaal son of Ebed came out and stood at the entrance to the city’s gate, Abimelech and his men got up from their hiding places.

36Gaal saw the men and said to Zebul, “Look, men are coming down from the tops of the hills.” But Zebul said to him, “You are seeing the shadows on the hills – it just looks like men.”

37Gaal again said, “Look, men are coming down from the very center of the land. A unit is coming by way of the Oak Tree of the Diviners.”

38Zebul said to him, “Where now are your bragging words, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the men you insulted? Go out now and fight them!”

39So Gaal led the leaders of Shechem out and fought Abimelech.

40Abimelech chased him, and Gaal ran from him. Many Shechemites fell wounded at the entrance of the gate.

41Abimelech went back to Arumah; Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem.

42The next day the Shechemites came out to the field. When Abimelech heard about it,

43he took his men and divided them into three units and set an ambush in the field. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he attacked and struck them down.

44Abimelech and his units attacked and blocked the entrance to the city’s gate. Two units then attacked all the people in the field and struck them down.

45Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed all the people in it. Then he leveled the city and spread salt over it.

46When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard the news, they went to the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith.

47Abimelech heard that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were in one place.

48He and all his men went up on Mount Zalmon. He took an ax in his hand and cut off a tree branch. He put it on his shoulder and said to his men, “Quickly, do what you have just seen me do!”

49So each of his men also cut off a branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches against the stronghold and set fire to it. All the people of the Tower of Shechem died – about a thousand men and women.

50Abimelech moved on to Thebez; he besieged and captured it.

51There was a fortified tower in the center of the city, so all the men and women, as well as the city’s leaders, ran into it and locked the entrance. Then they went up to the roof of the tower.

52Abimelech came and attacked the tower. When he approached the entrance of the tower to set it on fire,

53a woman threw an upper millstone down on his head and shattered his skull.

54He quickly called to the young man who carried his weapons, “Draw your sword and kill me, so they will not say, ‘A woman killed him.’” So the young man stabbed him and he died.

55When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home.

56God repaid Abimelech for the evil he did to his father by murdering his seventy half-brothers.

57God also repaid the men of Shechem for their evil deeds. The curse spoken by Jotham son of Jerub-Baal fell on them.