Abimelech by conspiracy with the Shechemites, and murder of his brethren, is made king.

1 ¶ And Abimelechº the sonº of Jerubbaalº went¹ª² to Shechemº unto² his mother'sº brethren,º and communedºª with² them, and with² all² the familyº of the houseº of his mother'sº father,º saying,ºª 2 Speak,ºª I pray you,² in the earsº of all² the menº of Shechem,º Whether² [is] betterº for you, either that all² the sonsº of Jerubbaal,º [which are] threescore and tenº persons,º reignºª over you, or² that oneº reignºª over you? rememberºª also that² I² [am] your boneº and your flesh.º 3 And his mother'sº brethrenº spakeºª of² him in the earsº of all² the menº of Shechemº² all² these² words:º and their heartsº inclined¹ª to followº² Abimelech;º for² they said,ºª He² [is] our brother.º 4 And they gaveºª him threescore and tenº [pieces] of silverº out of the houseº² of Baalberith,º wherewith Abimelechº hiredºª vainº and lightºª persons,¹² which followed¹ª²² him.¹ 5 And he wentºª unto his father'sº houseº at Ophrah,º and slewºª² his brethrenº the sonsº of Jerubbaal,º [being] threescore and tenº persons,º upon² oneº stone:º notwithstanding yet Jothamº the youngestº sonº of Jerubbaalº was left;ºª for² he hid¹ª himself.² 6 And all² the menº of Shechemº gathered together,ºª and all² the house¹ of Millo,º¹ª and went,¹ª² and madeºª² Abimelechº king,º by² the plainº of the pillarºª that² [was] in Shechem.º

Jotham by a parable rebuketh them, and foretelleth their ruin.

7 ¶ And when they toldºª [it] to Jotham,º he went¹ª² and stoodºª in the topº of mountº Gerizim,º and lifted upºª his voice,º and cried,ºª and saidºª unto them, Hearkenºª unto² me, ye menº of Shechem,º that Godº may hearkenºª unto² you. 8 The treesº went forthºªªª [on a time] to anointºª a kingº over² them; and they saidºª unto the olive tree,º Reignºª thou over² us. 9 But the olive treeº saidºª unto them, Should I leaveºª² my fatness,º wherewith² by me they honourºª Godº and man,¹² and goºª to be promotedºª over² the trees?º 10 And the treesº saidºª to the fig tree,º Come¹ª² thou,² [and] reignºª over² us. 11 But the fig treeº saidºª unto them, Should I forsakeºª² my sweetness,º and my goodº fruit,º and goºª to be promotedºª over² the trees?º 12 Then saidºª the treesº unto the vine,º Come¹ª² thou,² [and] reignºª over² us. 13 And the vineº saidºª unto them, Should I leaveºª² my wine,º which cheerethºª Godº and man,¹² and goºª to be promotedºª over² the trees?º 14 Then saidºª all² the treesº unto² the bramble,º Come¹ª² thou,² [and] reignºª over² us. 15 And the brambleº saidºª unto² the trees,º If² in truthº ye² anointºª me kingº over² you, [then] comeºª [and] put your trustºª in my shadow:º and if² not,² let fireº come outºª of² the bramble,º and devourºª² the cedarsº of Lebanon.º 16 Now² therefore, if² ye have doneºª trulyº and sincerely,º in that ye have made Abimelech¹ king,ºª²² and if² ye have dealtºª wellº with² Jerubbaalº and his house,º and have doneºª unto him according to the deservingº of his hands;º 17 (For² my fatherº foughtºª for² you, and adventuredºª² his lifeº far,º² and deliveredºª you out of the handº² of Midian:º 18 And ye² are risen upºª against² my father'sº houseº this day,º and have slainºª² his sons,º threescore and tenº persons,º upon² oneº stone,º and have made² Abimelech,º the sonº of his maidservant,º kingºª over² the menº of Shechem,º because² he² [is] your brother;)º 19 If² ye then have dealtºª trulyº and sincerelyº with² Jerubbaalº and with² his houseº this² day,º [then] rejoiceºª ye in Abimelech,º and let him² also² rejoiceºª in you: 20 But if² not,² let fireº come outºª from Abimelech,º² and devourºª² the menº of Shechem,º and the houseº of Millo;ºª¹ and let fireº come outºª from the menº² of Shechem,º and from the houseº² of Millo,ºª¹ and devourºª² Abimelech.º 21 And Jothamº ran away,¹ª² and fled,¹ª² and went¹ª² to Beer,º and dweltºª there,² for fearº² of Abimelechº his brother.º

Gaal conspireth with the Shechemites against him.

22 ¶ When Abimelechº had reignedºª threeº yearsº over² Israel,º 23 Then Godº sentºª an evilº spiritº between² Abimelechº and the menº of Shechem;º and the menº of Shechemº dealt treacherouslyºª with Abimelech:º 24 That the crueltyº [done] to the threescore and tenº sonsº of Jerubbaalº might come,ºª and their bloodº be laidºª upon² Abimelechº their brother,º which² slewºª them; and upon² the menº of Shechem,º which² aidedººª² him in the killingºª of² his brethren.º 25 And the menº of Shechemº setºª liers in waitºª for him in² the topº of the mountains,º and they robbedºª² all² that² came¹ª along² that wayº by² them: and it was toldºª Abimelech.º 26 And Gaalº the sonº of Ebedº cameºª with his brethren,º and went overºª to Shechem:º and the menº of Shechemº put their confidenceºª in him. 27 And they went outºª into the fields,º and gatheredºª² their vineyards,º and trodeºª [the grapes], and madeºª merry,º and went¹ª into² the houseº of their god,º and did eatºª and drink,ºª and cursedºª² Abimelech.º 28 And Gaalº the sonº of Ebedº said,ºª Who² [is] Abimelech,º and who² [is] Shechem,º that² we should serveºª him? [is] not² [he] the sonº of Jerubbaal?º and Zebulº his officer?º serveºª² the men¹² of Hamorº the fatherº of Shechem:¹² for why² should we² serveºª him? 29 And would to God²²² this² peopleº were under¹ª my hand!º then would I removeºª² Abimelech.º And he saidºª to Abimelech,º Increaseºª thine army,º and come out.ºª

Zebul revealeth it.

30 ¶ And when Zebulº the rulerº of the cityº heardºª² the wordsº of Gaalº the sonº of Ebed,º his angerº was kindled.ºª 31 And he sentºª messengersº unto² Abimelechº privily,º saying,ºª Behold,² Gaalº the sonº of Ebedº and his brethrenº be comeºª to Shechem;º and, behold,² they fortifyºª² the cityº against² thee. 32 Now² therefore upºª by night,º thou² and the peopleº that² [is] with² thee, and lie in waitºª in the field:º 33 And it shall be,² [that] in the morning,º as soon as the sunº is up,ºª thou shalt rise early,ºª and setºª upon² the city:º and, behold,² [when] he² and the peopleº that² [is] with² him come outºª against² thee, then mayest thou doºª to them as² thou¹ shalt find² occasion.¹ª²

Abimelech overcometh them, and soweth the city with salt.

34 ¶ And Abimelechº rose up,ºª and all² the peopleº that² [were] with² him, by night,º and they laid waitºª against² Shechemº in fourº companies.º 35 And Gaalº the sonº of Ebedº went out,ºª and stoodºª in the enteringº of the gateº of the city:º and Abimelechº rose up,ºª and the peopleº that² [were] with² him, from² lying in wait.º 36 And when Gaalº sawºª² the people,º he saidºª to² Zebul,º Behold,² there come¹ª people¹ downºª² from the topº² of the mountains.º And Zebulº saidºª unto² him, Thou² seestºª² the shadowº of the mountainsº as [if they were] men.¹² 37 And Gaalº spakeºª againºª and said,ºª See² there come¹ª people¹ downºª² by²² the middleº of the land,º and anotherº companyº comeºª along by²² the plainº of¹ Meonenim.ºª 38 Then saidºª Zebulº unto² him, Where² [is] nowº thy mouth,º wherewith² thou saidst,ºª Who² [is] Abimelech,º that² we should serveºª him? [is] not² this² the peopleº that² thou hast despised?ºª go out,ºª I pray² now,¹² and fightºª with them. 39 And Gaalº went outºª beforeº the menº of Shechem,º and foughtºª with Abimelech.º 40 And Abimelechº chasedºª him, and he fledºª beforeº² him, and manyº were overthrownºª [and] wounded,º [even] unto² the enteringº of the gate.º 41 And Abimelechº dweltºª at Arumah:º and Zebulº thrust outºª² Gaalº and his brethren,º that they should not dwellºª² in Shechem.º 42 And it came to pass² on the morrow,º² that the peopleº went outºª into the field;º and they toldºª Abimelech.º 43 And he tookºª² the people,º and dividedºª them into threeº companies,º and laid waitºª in the field,º and looked,ºª and, behold,² the peopleº [were] come forthºª out of² the city;º and he rose upºª against² them, and smoteºª them. 44 And Abimelech,º and the companyº that² [was] with² him, rushed forward,ºª and stoodºª in the enteringº of the gateº of the city:º and the twoº [other] companiesº ran² upon¹ª² all² [the people] that² [were] in the fields,º and slewºª them. 45 And Abimelechº foughtºª against the cityº all² that² day;º and he tookºª² the city,º and slewºª the peopleº that² [was] therein, and beat downºª² the city,º and sowedºª it with salt.º

He burneth the hold of the god Berith.

46 ¶ And when all² the menº of the towerº of Shechemº heardºª [that], they enteredºª into² an holdº of the houseº of the godº Berith.º 47 And it was toldºª Abimelech,º that² all² the menº of the towerº of Shechemº were gathered together.ºª 48 And Abimelechº gat him upºª to mountº Zalmon,º he² and all² the peopleº that² [were] with² him; and Abimelechº tookºª² an axeº in his hand,º and cut downºª a boughº from the trees,º and tookºª it, and laidºª [it] on² his shoulder,º and saidºª unto² the peopleº that² [were] with² him, What² ye have seenºª me do,ºª make haste,ºª [and] doºª as Iº [have done]. 49 And all² the peopleº likewise² cut downºª every manº his bough,º and followedº¹ª² Abimelech,º and putºª [them] to² the hold,º and setºª² the holdº on fireº upon² them; so that all² the men¹² of the towerº of Shechemº diedºª also,² about a thousandº menº and women.º

At Thebez he is slain by a piece of a millstone.

50 ¶ Then went¹ª² Abimelechº to² Thebez,º and encampedºª against Thebez,º and tookºª it. 51 But there was² a strongº towerº withinº the city,º and thither² fledºª all² the men¹² and women,º and all² theyº of the city,º and shutºª [it] to² them, and gat them upºª to² the topº of the tower.º 52 And Abimelechº cameºª unto² the tower,º and foughtºª against it, and went hardºª unto² the doorº of the towerº to burnºª it with fire.º 53 And a certainº womanº castºª a pieceº of a millstoneº upon² Abimelech'sº head,º and all to brakeºª² his skull.º 54 Then he calledºª hastilyº unto² the young manº his armourbearer,ººª and saidºª unto him, Drawºª thy sword,º and slayºª me, that² men sayºª not of me, A womanº slewºª him. And his young manº thrust him through,ºª and he died.ºª 55 And when the menº of Israelº sawºª that² Abimelechº was dead,ºª they departed¹ª² every manº unto his place.º

Jotham's curse is fulfilled.

56 ¶ Thus Godº renderedºª² the wickednessº of Abimelech,º which² he didºª unto his father,º in slayingºª² his seventyº brethren:º 57 And all² the evilº of the men¹² of Shechemº did Godº renderºª upon their heads:º and upon² them cameºª the curseº of Jothamº the sonº of Jerubbaal.º