Judges 09 Abimelech defeats Gaal and the Shechemites

Judges 09

Abimelech defeats Gaal and the Shechemites

34 So Abimelech and all the people who were with him got up at night and ambushed Shechem with four groups.

35 And Gaal the son of Ebede went out and stood at the entrance to the city gate: and Abimelech and all the people who were with him arose from the ambushes.

36 And when Gaal saw that people, he said to Zebul, Behold, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains. On the contrary, Zebul said to him: The shadows of the mountains you see for men.

37 But Gaal spoke again, and said, "Behold, people are coming down from the middle of the earth, and a troop is coming from the path of Meonenim's oak."

38 Then Zebul said to him, Where is your mouth now, with which you said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? Is not this the people you have despised? So get out, I beg you and fight against him.

39 And Gaal went out in the sight of the people of Shechem, and fought against Abimelech.

40 And Abimelech pursued him, because he fled before him: and many wounded fell down to the entrance to the city gate.

41 And Abimelech stayed at Aruma. And Zebul expelled Gaal and his brothers, so that they could not live in Shechem.

42 And it came to pass that the next day the people went out into the field, and they told Abimelech.

43 Then he took the people, and divided them into three groups, and set ambushes in the field: and he looked, and, behold, the people went out of the city, and rose up against them, and smote them.

44 For Abimelech, and the troops that were with him, ran into them unexpectedly, and stopped at the entrance to the city gate: and the other troops ran over all those in the field, and wounded them.

45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and took the city, and killed the people that were in it: and devastated the city, and sowed it with salt.

46 When all the citizens of the tower of Shechem heard it, they entered the fortress, at the home of the god Berite.

47 And Abimelech was told that all the citizens of the tower at Shechem had come together.

48 So Abimelech went up to Mount Salmon, he and all the people who were with him: and Abimelech took axes in his hand, and cut a branch from the trees, and lifted it up, and put it on his shoulder, and said to the people , that with him there was: What you saw me do, hurry up to do it just like me.

49 So all the people also cut off their branches, and they followed Abimelech, put them near the fortress, and burned the fortress with them with fire: so that all those in the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women.