Abimelech's Conspiracy

9 Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to ^(A)his mother's relatives and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother's family, ² “Say in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you, that all ^(B)seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?’ Remember also that ^(C)I am ^(D)your bone and your flesh.”

³ And his mother's relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, ^(E)“He is our brother.” ⁴ And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of ^(F)Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired ^(G)worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him. ⁵ And he went to his father's house at ^(H)Ophrah ^(I)and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself. ⁶ And all the leaders of Shechem came together, and all ^(J)Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem.

The Downfall of Abimelech

²² Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. ^23 (A)And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem ^(B)dealt treacherously with Abimelech, ^24 (C)that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. ²⁵ And the leaders of Shechem put men in ambush against him on the mountaintops, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way. And it was told to Abimelech.

⁴³ He took his people and divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. And he looked and saw the people coming out of the city. So he rose against them and killed them. ⁴⁴ Abimelech and the company that was with him ^(A)rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city, while the two companies rushed upon all who were in the field and killed them. ⁴⁵ And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed the people who were in it, and ^(B)he razed the city and ^(C)sowed it with salt.

⁴⁶ When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered ^(D)the stronghold of the house of ^(E)El-berith. ⁴⁷ Abimelech was told that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were gathered together. ⁴⁸ And Abimelech went up to Mount ^(F)Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an axe in his hand and cut down a bundle of brushwood and took it up and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the men who were with him, “What you have seen me do, hurry and do as I have done.” ⁴⁹ So every one of the people cut down his bundle and following Abimelech put it against ^(G)the stronghold, and they set the stronghold on fire over them, so that all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died, about 1,000 men and women.

⁵⁰ Then Abimelech went to Thebez and encamped against Thebez and captured it. ⁵¹ But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women and all the leaders of the city fled to it and shut themselves in, and they went up to the roof of the tower. ⁵² And Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire. ^53 (H)And a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech's head and crushed his skull. ^54 (I)Then he called quickly to the young man his armor-bearer and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” And his young man thrust him through, and he died. ⁵⁵ And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, everyone departed to his home. ^56 (J)Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech, which he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers.