1 And Abimelech, the son of Jerubbaal, went to Shechem {shekhema: key city in the hill country} and spoke to his mother’s brothers and to all in his maternal grandfather’s household {beit avi: maternal family line}, saying,
2 “Please speak to all the lords of Shechem {ba‘alei Shekhem: city leaders}, ‘Which is better for you: that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule {meshol: exercise authority} over you, or that one man? And remember that I am your bone and your flesh.’”
3 And his mother’s brothers spoke these words concerning him in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem, and they inclined their heart {libam: inner will} toward Abimelech, for they said, "He is our brother {achinu: kinship tie}."
4 And they gave him seventy silver coins from the house {bayit: local shrine} of Baal-berith, and Abimelech hired men who were empty and reckless {pochazim: violent brigands}, and they followed him.
5 And he came to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerub-Baal, on a single stone {even: execution platform}. Yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerub-Baal was left alive because he hid himself {nekhba: concealed from danger}.
6 And all the lords {ba‘alei: local nobility} of Shechem and all the house of Millo gathered, and they went and made Abimelech king by the oak {elon: prominent meeting tree} of the pillar in Shechem.
7 And they told Jotham, and he went and stood at the top of Mount Gerizim, and he lifted his voice {kol: personal appeal} and called out, and he said to them, “Hear me, lords of Shechem, so that God {Elohim, Sovereign Arbiter} may hear you.”
8 One day the trees {haetsim: leaders in the parable} set out to anoint a king over themselves; they said to the olive tree, “Reign {melekha: take royal authority} over us.”
9 But the olive tree said to them, “Must I give up my fatness {deshen: oil’s richness}, by which gods {Elohim, Divine Beings} and men are honored, only to go and sway over the trees?”
10 Then the trees said to the fig tree {te'enah: symbol of prosperity}, “Come, and preside as king {malchi: assume sovereignty} over us.”
11 But the fig tree said to them, “Should I give up {hekhôḏaltî: stopped completely} my sweetness and my produce {tənūḇātî: valuable yield}, and go to sway over the trees?”
12 Then the trees turned to the vine and said, “Draw near {lechi: approach, join} and reign {malkhi: be sovereign} over us.”
13 But the vine {gefen: fruit-bearing plant} said to them, “Should I cease my new wine, which cheers God {Elohim, Life-Sustainer} and men, and go to sway over the trees?”
14 Then all the trees said to the thornbush {aṭād: thorny shrub}, “Go, you be king {melekh: one who rules and judges} over us.”
15 And the thornbush said to the trees, “If you are truly anointing me as king over you, then come and seek refuge in my shade {tsili: Protective Covering}. But if you are not, let fire burst out from the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon {arzei: Mighty Trees}.”
16 And now, if in truth {beemet: genuine reality} and in integrity {tamim: moral wholeness} you have acted and made Abimelech king, and if you have done good to Jerubbaal and to his household, and if according to the work of his hands you have done to him—
17 Because my father {avi: direct ancestor} fought for you and threw away his life {nafsho: entire being}, he delivered you from the hand of Midian.
18 But you have risen up today against the house of my father {beit avi: family dynasty}, and you have killed his sons, seventy men, on one stone {even: execution site}; then you made Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the lords of Shechem, because he is your brother.
19 And if in truth {be’emet: genuine honesty} and in uprightness {tamim: moral wholeness} you have acted with Jerub-Baal and his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.
20 But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech {Avimelekh: Father-King} and let it devour the leaders {ba’alei: ruling class} of Shechem and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem and from the house of Millo, and let it devour Abimelech.
21 And Jotham fled and he escaped and he went to Beer {be’erah: oasis town}. He dwelt there because he feared Abimelech {Avimelekh: rival claimant}, his brother.
22 And Abimelech {Avimelekh: self-appointed ruler} ruled over Israel for three years {shanim: fixed intervals}.
23 And God {Elohim, Initiator of Division} sent an evil spirit {ruach: hostile influence} between Abimelech and the lords of Shechem, and the lords of Shechem acted treacherously against Abimelech.
24 In order that the violence {chamas: bloodguilt injustice} against the seventy sons of Jerub-Baal and their blood might come to rest upon Abimelech their brother—who killed them—and upon the lords of Shechem who strengthened his hands {yadav: ability to act} to kill his brothers.
25 And the citizens of Shechem set ambushers {mearvim: lying in wait} for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed {vayigzlu: plundered} all who would pass by them on the way, and it was reported to Abimelech.
26 And Gaal son of Ebed {ben-eved: lineage marker} came, along with his brothers, and they passed through Shechem {vaya’avru: crossing action}; the leaders of Shechem put their trust in him {vayivt’chu-vo: expressed reliance}.
27 And they went out to the field and gathered the grapes of their vineyards, and they trod them, and they held festivities {hilulim: celebratory feast}, and they came into the house of their god {eloheihem: local deity}. There they ate and drank, and they cursed Abimelech.
28 And Gaal son of Eved said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer {pekid: appointed manager}? Serve the men of Hamor {Hamor: founding patriarch}, the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him?”
29 And who would give {yiten: fervent plea} this people into my hand? Then I would remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, “Increase your army {rabbe: troop reinforcement} and come out!”
30 When Zebul {zevul: Shechem official} the commander of the city heard the words of Gaal son of Eved, his anger {appo: fierce ire} was kindled.
31 And he sent messengers in secret to Abimelech {Avimelekh: ruler of Shechem}, saying, “Behold, Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers are coming to Shechem, and they are stirring up the city {ha’ir: main urban center} against you.”
32 And now, rise {qum: take decisive action} by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field {sadeh: open countryside}.
33 And it shall be in the morning, as the sun rises, that you shall rise early and rush forth {pashat: military assault} against the city. And behold, he and the people who are with him are coming out toward you, and you shall do to him as your hand {yad: instrument of power} finds.
34 Then Abimelech and the people {am: assembled men} who were with him rose up by night, and they laid an ambush against Shechem in four divisions {rashim: military units}.
35 Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood at the entrance {peṭaḥ: entry point} of the city gate, and Abimelech {Avimelech: adversary} rose up with the people who were with him from the ambush.
36 And Gaal saw the people, and he said to Zebul, “Look {hinneh: summons attention}, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!” But Zebul said to him, “You are seeing the shadow {tsel: shade or darkness} of the mountains as men.”
37 And Gaal {Gaal: challenger} continued speaking and said, “Behold, people are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming from the way of the diviners’ oak {Elon Meon’nim: soothsayers’ oak}.”
38 And Zebul said to him, “Where now is your mouth {pikha: words of challenge}, you who said, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Is this not the people whom you despised {ma’asta: rejected as unworthy}? Go out now, and fight with him!”
39 Then Gaal went out {wayyetse: strategic advance} before the leaders {ba'alei: local rulers} of Shechem and fought against Abimelech.
40 And Abimelech {Avimelekh: rival ruler} pursued him, and he fled from before him, and many slain {chalalim: fallen in battle} fell up to the entrance of the gate.
41 And Abimelech stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers {echav: close kin} from dwelling {mishevet: settled quarter} in Shechem.
42 And it happened on the next day {mimmahorat: immediate following} that the people went out into the field, and they reported {vayyaggidu: conveyed the news} to Abimelech.
43 He took the people {ha-am: assembled men} and divided them into three companies {rashim: organized groups}. He lay in ambush in the field. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose up against them and struck them down.
44 And Abimelech and the company {rosh: leading company} that was with him charged forward and took their position at the gateway {petach: city entrance}. The two other companies then attacked all who were in the fields and struck them down.
45 And Abimelech fought against the city the whole of that day {kol-hayom-hahu: unrelenting duration}, and he captured the city and killed the people who were in it. Then he destroyed the city and sowed it with salt {melach: symbol of utter desolation}.
46 When all the lords of the tower of Shechem heard of this, they went into the stronghold {tzeriach: fortified chamber} of the house of El-Berith {el-berit: Covenant God}.
47 It was reported to Abimelech that all the masters {baale: local rulers} of the tower {migdal: fortified tower} at Shechem had assembled.
48 Abimelech went up Mount Zalmon with all the people who were with him. Then Abimelech took an axe {kardumot: chopping tool}, cut down a branch {sokhat: wood branch}, lifted it, and placed it on his shoulder. He said to the people with him, “What you have seen me do, hurry and do like me.”
49 And all the people also, each man cut a branch {sokho: siege implement} and followed Abimelech. They piled the branches on the stronghold and set it on fire upon them. So all the people of the tower {migdal: lookout structure} of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, also died.
50 And Abimelech {Avimelekh: ruler in conflict} went to Thebez, and he camped {vayikhan: set up a military position} there, and he captured it.