Judges 9:39-57 ▼

39 And Gaal will go forth before the lords of Shechem, and he will fight against Abimelech.

40 And Abimelech will pursue him and he will flee from his face, and many will fall wounded at the door of the gate.

41 And Abimelech will dwell in Arumah: and Zebul will drive out Gaal and his brethren from dwelling in Shechem.

42 And it will be from the morrow, and the people will go forth to the field; and they will announce to Abimelech.

43 And he will take the people and will divide them into three heads, and he will lie in wait in the field, and he will see, and behold, the people will come forth from the city, and he will rise up against them and smite them.

44 And Abimelech and the heads which are with him will invade, and they will stand at the door of the gate of the city: and two heads will invade upon all which are in the field, and they will smite them.

45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he will take the city, and the people which in it he killed, and he will tear down the city, and will sow it with salt.

46 And all the lords of the tower of Shechem will hear, and they will go in to the tower of the god of the covenant.

47 And it was announced to Abimelech that all the lords of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.

48 And Abimelech will go up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that with him; and Abimelech will take axes in his hand, and he will cut boughs of the trees, and will lift up and will put upon his shoulder, and he will say to the people which are with him, What ye saw I did, hasten, do like me.

49 And also all the people will cut each a bough, and will go after Abimelech, and they will put upon the tower, and will set the tower on fire upon them, and all the men of the tower of Shechem will die; about a thousand men and women.

50 And Abimelech will go to Thebez, and he will encamp against Thebez and take it.

51 And a strong tower was in the midst of the city, and thither will flee all the men and women and all the lords of the city, and will shut up from after them, and they will go up upon the roof of the tower.

52 And Abimelech will come even to the tower, and will fight against it, and will urge on, even to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

53 And one woman will cast a piece of the upper mill-stone upon the head of Abimelech, and she will break his skull.

54 And he will call quickly to the youth lifting up his weapons, and he will say to him, Draw thy sword and put me to death, lest they shall say of me, A woman killed him. And his youth will thrust him through and he will die.

55 And the men of Israel will see that Abimelech died, and they will go each to his place.

56 And God will turn back the evil of Abimelech which he did to his father for killing his seventy brethren.

57 And all the evil of the men of Shechem God turned back upon their head: and against them will come the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.