disorder, joined battle with Abimelech, and some of his men fell;
whereupon he fled into the city, and took his men with him. But
Zebul managed his matters so in the city, that he procured them
to expel Gaal out of the city, and this by accusing him of
cowardice in this action with the soldiers of Ahimelech. But
Abimelech, when he had learned that the Shechemites were again
coming out to gather their grapes, placed ambushes before the
city, and when they were coming out, the third part of his army
took possession of the gates, to hinder the citizens from
returning in again, while the rest pursued those that were
scattered abroad, and so there was slaughter every where; and
when he had overthrown the city to the very foundations, for it
was not able to bear a siege, and had sown its ruins with salt,
he proceeded on with his army till all the Shechemites were
slain. As for those that were scattered about the country, and so
escaped the danger, they were gathered together unto a certain
strong rock, and settled themselves upon it, and prepared to
build a wall about it: and when Abimelech knew their intentions,
he prevented them, and came upon them with his forces, and laid
faggots of dry wood round the place, he himself bringing some of
them, and by his example encouraging the soldiers to do the same.
And when the rock was encompassed round about with these faggots,
they set them on fire, and threw in whatsoever by nature caught
fire the most easily: so a mighty flame was raised, and nobody
could fly away from the rock, but every man perished, with their
wives and children, in all about fifteen hundred men, and the
rest were a great number also. And such was the calamity which
fell upon the Shechemites; and men's grief on their account had
been greater than it was, had they not brought so much mischief
on a person who had so well deserved of them, and had they not