³⁸ Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your big talk now, you who said, ‘Who is Abimelek that we should be subject to him?’ Aren’t these the men you ridiculed?^(A) Go out and fight them!”

³⁹ So Gaal led out^[a] the citizens of Shechem and fought Abimelek. ⁴⁰ Abimelek chased him all the way to the entrance of the gate, and many were killed as they fled.

Saul Takes His Life^(A)

31 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa.^(B)

¹⁰ So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated^(A) and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers.

³⁹ and then the Israelites would counterattack.

The Benjamites had begun to inflict casualties on the Israelites (about thirty), and they said, “We are defeating them as in the first battle.”^(A)

²⁸ Then Gaal son of Ebed^(A) said, “Who^(B) is Abimelek, and why should we Shechemites be subject to him? Isn’t he Jerub-Baal’s son, and isn’t Zebul his deputy? Serve the family of Hamor,^(C) Shechem’s father! Why should we serve Abimelek?

¹⁶ The people of Joseph replied, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have chariots fitted with iron,^(A) both those in Beth Shan^(B) and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel.”^(C)

¹⁷ But Joshua said to the tribes of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—“You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment^{(D) 18} but the forested hill country^(E) as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron^(F) and though they are strong, you can drive them out.”

⁴¹ Then you replied, “We have sinned against the Lord. We will go up and fight, as the Lord our God commanded us.” So every one of you put on his weapons, thinking it easy to go up into the hill country.

⁴² But the Lord said to me, “Tell them, ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.’”^(A)

⁴³ So I told you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the Lord’s command and in your arrogance you marched up into the hill country. ⁴⁴ The Amorites who lived in those hills came out against you; they chased you like a swarm of bees^(B) and beat you down from Seir^(C) all the way to Hormah.^(D)