29 If only this people were under my authority, I would remove Abimelech!" Then he said to Abimelech, "Gather your army and come out!"
30 When Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard what Gaal, the son of Ebed, said, he became very angry.
31 He secretly sent messengers to Abimelech, saying, "Look, Gaal, son of Ebed, and his brothers have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you.
32 Now then, during the night you and your men should come and lie in wait in the fields.
33 In the morning, as the sun rises, advance against the city. When Gaal and his men come out against you, do whatever is needed to deal with them.
34 So Abimelech and all his troops got up by night and set an ambush near Shechem in four companies.
35 When Gaal, the son of Ebed, came out and stood at the entrance of the city gate, Abimelech and his men arose from their hiding places.
36 When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, "Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!" But Zebul replied, "You are seeing the shadows of the mountains as if they were men."
37 But Gaal spoke again, "Look, people are coming down from the central area of the land, and one company is coming from the direction of the soothsayers’ oak."
38 Then Zebul said to him, "Where now is your boasting, you who said, 'Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?' Aren’t these the people you despised? Go out now and fight them!"
39 So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem and fought against Abimelech.
40 But Abimelech pursued him, and Gaal fled before him. Many fell wounded, all the way to the entrance of the gate.
41 Abimelech stayed in Arumah, while Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem.
42 The following day, the people went out into the fields, and this was reported to Abimelech.
43 So Abimelech took his army, divided them into three companies, and set an ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he attacked them.
44 Abimelech and his company rushed forward and took their position at the entrance of the city gate, while the other two companies struck down those in the fields.
45 Abimelech fought against the city all that day, captured it, killed its inhabitants, tore it down, and sowed it with salt.
46 When all the citizens of the tower of Shechem heard about this, they went into the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith.
47 When Abimelech was told that all the people of the tower of Shechem had gathered there,
48 he and all his men went up to Mount Zalmon. There, Abimelech took an axe, cut off a branch from a tree, lifted it onto his shoulder, and said to his men, "What you have seen me do, hurry and do likewise."