Judges 9:22-29

After Abimelech had ruled Israel for three years, God sent a spirit to stir up hostility between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem, and they rebelled against him. God sent this judgment in order to avenge the brutal murder of Baal-Fighter’s seventy sons and the shedding of their blood. Righteous retribution caught up with both Abimelech, who had instigated the murder of his half brothers, and the citizens of Shechem, who had aided and abetted him. In their uprising against Abimelech, the citizens of Shechem placed bandits on the hilltops to ambush and rob everyone who passed by, and Abimelech heard of their treachery. One day, a man named Gaal son of Ebed moved with his clan into Shechem, and Gaal won the confidence of the people. After the grape harvest, they trod the grapes and celebrated a festival in the temple of Baal, their god. While they were drinking and feasting, they cursed Abimelech. Gaal son of Ebed rose and said, “Who is this Abimelech? We are the Shechemites now! Why should we serve him? Isn’t he Baal-Fighter’s son, and isn’t the governor of our city Zebul his deputy? Why should we take orders from him; we are descendants of Hamor, Shechem’s founder. Why should we be slaves of Abimelech? If only the people of Shechem were under my command, then I would get rid of him. I would say to Abimelech, ‘Assemble your whole army! We’ll defeat them all!’ ”