37. But Gaal spoke up again: “Look, people are coming down from the central hill, and a company is coming from the direction of the diviners’ tree.”
38. Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your big talk now, you who said, ‘Who is Abimelek that we should be subject to him?’ Aren’t these the men you ridiculed? Go out and fight them!”
39. So Gaal led out the citizens of Shechem and fought Abimelek.
40. Abimelek chased him all the way to the entrance of the gate, and many were killed as they fled.
41. Then Abimelek stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his clan out of Shechem.
42. The next day the people of Shechem went out to the fields, and this was reported to Abimelek.
43. So he took his men, divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose to attack them.
44. Abimelek and the companies with him rushed forward to a position at the entrance of the city gate. Then two companies attacked those in the fields and struck them down.
45. All that day Abimelek pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city and scattered salt over it.