¹⁶ “Now then, if you have acted with ^[a]honesty and integrity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with ^(A)Jerubbaal and his house, and ^[b]have dealt with him ^[c]as he deserved— ¹⁷ for my father fought for you, and ^[d]risked his life and saved you from the hand of Midian; ¹⁸ but in fact you have risen against my father’s house today and have killed ^(B)his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, ^(C)the son of his female slave, king over the ^[e]leaders of Shechem, because he is your relative— ¹⁹ so if you have acted with ^[f]honesty and integrity toward Jerubbaal and his house this day, be joyful about Abimelech, and may he also be joyful about you. ²⁰ But if not, may fire come out of Abimelech and consume the ^[g]leaders of Shechem and ^[h]Beth-millo; and may fire come out of the ^[i]leaders of Shechem and from ^[j]Beth-millo, and consume Abimelech.” ²¹ Then Jotham escaped and fled, and went to Beer; and he stayed there because of his brother Abimelech.

Shechem and Abimelech Fall

²² Now Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years. ^23 (D)Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the ^[k]leaders of Shechem; and the ^[l]leaders of Shechem ^(E)dealt treacherously with Abimelech, ^24 (F)so that the violence ^[m]done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal would come, and the responsibility for ^(G)their blood would be placed on their brother Abimelech, who killed them, and on the ^[n]leaders of Shechem, who ^[o]encouraged him to kill his brothers. ²⁵ The ^[p]leaders 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.