17
(For my father fought for you and cast his life far
from him to deliver you out of the hand of Midian;
18
and ye are risen up against my father’s house this day and have slain his sons, seventy men, upon a stone and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem because he
is your brother;)
19
if ye then have dealt in truth and integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day,
then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.
20
But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and from the house of Millo and devour Abimelech.
21
And Jotham ran away and fled and went to Beer and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
22
When Abimelech had dominated over Israel three years,
23
then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech
24
that the cruelty
done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal and their blood might come to be laid upon Abimelech their brother who slew them and upon the men of Shechem, who aided him in the killing of his brethren.
25
And the men of Shechem set ambushers for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them; and it was told Abimelech.
26
And Gaal, the son of Ebed, came with his brethren and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.
27
And they went out into the fields and gathered their vineyards and trod
the grapes and made merry and went into the house of their gods and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech.