The Downfall of Abimelech

²² Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. ²³ But God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the lords of Shechem, and the lords of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech.^{(A) 24} This happened so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might be avenged^[a] and their blood be laid on their brother Abimelech, who killed them, and on the lords of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.^{(B) 25} So the lords of Shechem set ambushes against him on the mountaintops. They robbed all who passed by them along that way, and it was reported to Abimelech.

⁵⁰ Then Abimelech went to Thebez and encamped against Thebez and took it.^{(A) 51} But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women and all the lords of the city fled to it and shut themselves in, and they went to the roof of the tower. ⁵² Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it and came near to the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire. ⁵³ But a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.^{(B) 54} Immediately he called to the young man who carried his armor and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, so people will not say about me, ‘A woman killed him.’ ” So the young man thrust him through, and he died. ⁵⁵ When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home. ⁵⁶ Thus God repaid Abimelech for the crime he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers;^{(C) 57} and God also made all the wickedness of the people of Shechem fall back on their heads, and on them came the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal.^(D)