²⁶ Then Gaal, Ebed’s son, and his relatives came passing through Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem shifted their allegiance to him. ²⁷ They went out into the field, cut off clusters from their vineyards, trampled them out, and had a celebration. They entered their god’s temple and ate, drank, and made fun of Abimelech. ²⁸ Gaal, Ebed’s son, said, “Who is Abimelech, and who are we of Shechem that we ought to serve him? Didn’t this son of Jerubbaal and his deputy Zebul once serve the men of Hamor, Shechem’s father? Why should we of all people serve him? ²⁹ If only this people were under my command! I would push Abimelech aside! I^[a] would tell Abimelech, ‘Build up your army and march out for battle.’”

³⁰ When Zebul the city’s ruler heard the words of Gaal, Ebed’s son, he became angry. ³¹ He sent messengers to Abimelech at Arumah^[b] to say, “Watch out! Gaal, Ebed’s son, and his relatives have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you. ³² Now, you and the men who are with you: Get up tonight and set an ambush in the fields. ³³ Then in the morning, at sunrise, rise early and rush on the city. Just as he and the men with him are marching out to face you, you can do to him whatever you wish.”

³⁴ So Abimelech and all the men who were with him got up that night and set an ambush around Shechem in four companies. ³⁵ When Gaal, Ebed’s son, came out and stood in the entrance of the city’s gate, Abimelech and the men with him sprang up from the ambush. ³⁶ Gaal saw the men and said to Zebul, “Look! People are coming down from the hilltops.”

Zebul replied to him, “The shadows on the hills just look like persons to you.”

³⁷ But Gaal spoke up again, “Look! People are coming down from Tabbur-erez, and one company is coming from the direction of Elon-meonenim.”^[c]

³⁸ Then Zebul replied to him, “Where’s all your talk now, you who said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we ought to serve him?’ Aren’t these the men you despised? Now march out and fight them!” ³⁹ So Gaal marched out at the head of the leaders of Shechem and fought with Abimelech. ⁴⁰ Abimelech routed him, and he ran away. Many fell wounded, all the way up to the entrance of the gate. ⁴¹ Afterward, Abimelech stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove away Gaal and his relatives so they couldn’t stay in Shechem.