21. Then because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech, Jotham ran away and went to live at Beer.
22. Abimelech ruled Israel for three years.
23. Then God made Abimelech and the men of Shechem hostile to each other, and they rebelled against him.
24. This happened so that Abimelech and the men of Shechem, who encouraged him to murder Gideon's seventy sons, would pay for their crime.
25. The men of Shechem put men in ambush against Abimelech on the mountain tops, and they robbed everyone who passed their way. Abimelech was told about this.
26. Then Gaal son of Ebed came to Shechem with his brothers, and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.
27. They all went out into their vineyards and picked the grapes, made wine from them, and held a festival. They went into the temple of their god, where they ate and drank and spoke scornfully of Abimelech.
28. Gaal said, “What kind of men are we in Shechem? Why are we serving Abimelech? Who is he, anyway? The son of Gideon! And Zebul takes orders from him, but why should we serve him? Be loyal to your ancestor Hamor, who founded your clan!