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And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mother's brothers, and spoke with them, and to all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

And his mother's brothers spoke all these words about him in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, and their heart inclined after Abimelech. For they said, He is our brother.

And he went into his father's house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men on one stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, was left; for he had hidden.

And they told Jotham, and he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. And he lifted up his voice and cried, and said to them, Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, and God shall listen to you.

And now if you have acted in truth and integrity when you made Abimelech king; and if you have done well with Jerubbaal and his house; and you have done to him as his hands did,

in which my father fought for you, and cast aside his life, and delivered you from the hand of Midian;

and you have today risen against my father's house and have killed his sons, seventy men on one stone, and have made Abimelech the son of his slave-girl king over the leaders of Shechem, because he is your brother,

yea, if in truth and in integrity you have acted toward Jerubbaal and his house this day, rejoice in Abimelech; and he shall rejoice, he and you.

And Jotham hurried and fled, and went to Beer and lived there, away from the face of his brother Abimelech.

that the violence against Jerubbaal's seventy sons, even their blood, might be put on their brother Abimelech who killed them, and on the leaders of Shechem, who made his hands strong to kill his brothers.

And Gaal, the son of Ebed, and his brothers came. And they passed on into Shechem. And the leaders of Shechem trusted in him.

And Gaal, the son of Ebed, said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and Zebul his commander? Serve the men of Hamorthe father of Shechem! And why should weserve him?

And Zebul, the leader of the city, heard the words of Gaal, the son of Ebed; and his anger glowed.

And craftily he sent messengers to Abimelech, saying, Behold, Gaal, the son of Ebed, and his brothers have come to Shechem. And, behold, they are fortifying the city against you.

And Abimelech remained in Arumah. And Zebul threw Gaal and his brothers out from living in Shechem.

And Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people with him. And Abimelech took the axes in his hand and cut off a bough of the trees, and lifted it up, and set it on his shoulder. And he said to the people with him, You haveseen what I have done; you hasten and do the same.

And all the people also, each man, cut down his bough, and went after Abimelech, and set them at the stronghold, and kindled the stronghold with fire over them. And all the men of the towerof Shechem also died, about a thousand menand women.

And a certain woman threw a piece of a riding millstone on Abimelech's head and crushed his skull.

And he quickly called to the young man bearing his weapons, and said to him, Draw your sword and cause me to die, that they not say of me, A woman killed him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, then each one went to his place.