42. The next day Abimelech found out that the people of Shechem were planning to go out into the fields,
43. so he took his men, divided them into three groups, and hid in the fields, waiting. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he came out of hiding to kill them.
44. While Abimelech and his group hurried forward to guard the city gate, the other two companies attacked the people in the fields and killed them all.
45. The fighting continued all day long. Abimelech captured the city, killed its people, tore it down, and covered the ground with salt.
46. When all the leading men in the fort at Shechem heard about this, they sought safety in the stronghold of the temple of Baal-of-the-Covenant.
47. Abimelech was told that they had gathered there,
48. so he went up to Mount Zalmon with his men. There he took an axe, cut a branch off a tree, and put it on his shoulder. He told his men to be quick and do the same thing.
49. So every man cut off a branch of a tree; then they followed Abimelech and piled the wood up against the stronghold. They set it on fire, with the people inside, and all the people of the fort died — about a thousand men and women.
50. Then Abimelech went to Thebez, surrounded that city, and captured it.
51. There was a strong tower there, and every man and woman in the city, including the leaders, ran to it. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof.
52. When Abimelech came to attack the tower, he went up to the door to set the tower on fire.
53. But a woman threw a millstone down on his head and fractured his skull.