English Standard Version

Judges 9:21-27 English Standard Version (ESV)

21. And Jotham ran away and fled and went to Beer and lived there, because of Abimelech his brother.

22. Abimelech ruled over Israel three years.

23. And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,

24. that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.

25. And the leaders of Shechem put men in ambush against him on the mountaintops, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way. And it was told to Abimelech.

26. And Gaal the son of Ebed moved into Shechem with his relatives, and the leaders of Shechem put confidence in him.

27. And they went out into the field and gathered the grapes from their vineyards and trod them and held a festival; and they went into the house of their god and ate and drank and reviled Abimelech.