26. Now Gaal son of Ebed had come with his relatives and moved to Shechem, and the lords of Shechem put their trust in him.
27. When they went out into the field, they gathered grapes of their vineyards, trod them and had a party. Then they went into the house of their god, ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.
28. Then Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Isn’t he the son of Jerubbaal? Isn’t Zebul his deputy? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem—but why should we serve him?
29. Now, if this people were under my hand, then I would get rid of Abimelech.” So he said to Abimelech, “Muster your army and come out!”
30. When Zebul the governor of the city heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, his anger burned.
31. So he sent messengers to Abimelech in deceit saying, “Watch out, Gaal son of Ebed and his relatives have moved to Shechem, and look, they are inciting the city against you.
32. So now, arise by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field.
33. So it will be in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, you will rise early and advance on the city; and behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, then you should do to them whatever your hand finds.”
34. So Abimelech and all the people who were with him rose up by night and lay in wait against Shechem in four columns.
35. Now Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate. Then Abimelech and the people who were with him emerged from the ambush.
36. When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!” But Zebul said to him, “You’re seeing the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.”
37. Then Gaal spoke up again and said, “Look, people are coming down from the middle of the land, and one column is coming by the road of the Diviner’s Oak.”
38. Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your mouth now? With it you said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Isn’t this the people that you have trashed? Now go out and fight him!”
39. So Gaal went out ahead of the lords of Shechem and fought with Abimelech.
40. But Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many fell wounded up to the entrance of the gate.
41. While Abimelech stayed in Arumah, Zebul drove Gaal and his relatives out so that they could not stay in Shechem.
42. Now it came to pass the next day that the people went out into the field, and it was reported to Abimelech.
43. So he took his people, divided them into three columns, and lay in ambush in the field. When he looked and saw the people were coming out of the city, he pounced on them and struck them down.