46. The citizens who were in the tower of Shechem heard about what was happening. So they went to the safest place in the temple of the god El-Berith.
47. Abimelech heard that they had gathered together there.
48. He and all of his men went up Mount Zalmon. He got an ax and cut off some branches. He carried them on his shoulders. He ordered the men who were with him to do the same thing. "Quick!" he said. "Do what you have seen me do!"
49. So all of the men cut branches and followed Abimelech. They piled them against the place where the people had gone for safety. Then they set the place on fire with the people inside. There were about 1,000 men and women in the tower of Shechem. All of them died.
50. Next, Abimelech went to Thebez. He surrounded it. Then he attacked it and captured it.
51. But inside the city there was a strong tower. All of the people in the city ran to it for safety. All of the men and women went into it. They locked themselves in. They climbed up on the roof of the tower.
52. Abimelech went to the tower and attacked it. He approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire.
53. But a woman dropped a large millstone on him. It broke his head open.
54. He quickly called out to the man who was carrying his armor. He said, "Pull out your sword and kill me. Then people can't say, 'A woman killed him.' " So his servant stuck his sword through him. And Abimelech died.
55. When the people of Israel saw he was dead, they went home.
56. That's how God paid Abimelech back for the evil thing he had done to his father. He had murdered his 70 brothers.