27. They went out into the field, harvested their vineyards, trod the grapes, celebrated, and went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.
28. Gaal the 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 officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem, but why should we serve him?
29. I wish that this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech.” He said to Abimelech, “Increase your army, and come out!”
30. When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger burned.
31. He sent messengers to Abimelech craftily, saying, “Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem; and behold, they incite the city against you.
32. Now therefore, go up by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field.
33. It shall be that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, you shall rise early, and rush on the city. Behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, then may you do to them as you shall find occasion.”
34. Abimelech rose up, and all the people who were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.
35. Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city. Abimelech rose up, and the people who were with him, from the ambush.
36. When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Behold, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains.”Zebul said to him, “You see the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.”
37. Gaal spoke again and said, “Behold, people are coming down by the middle of the land, and one company comes by the way of the oak of Meonenim.”