¹⁷ Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted^(A) themselves to other gods^(B) and worshiped them.^(C) They quickly turned^(D) from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands.^(E)

¹⁹ But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt^(A) than those of their ancestors,^(B) following other gods and serving and worshiping them.^(C) They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn^(D) ways.

⁴ They gave him seventy shekels^[a] of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith,^(A) and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels,^(B) who became his followers.

⁴⁶ On hearing this, the citizens in the tower of Shechem went into the stronghold of the temple^(A) of El-Berith.