Abimelech's Conspiracy

9 Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to ^(A)his mother's relatives and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother's family, ² “Say in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you, that all ^(B)seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?’ Remember also that ^(C)I am ^(D)your bone and your flesh.”

³ And his mother's relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, ^(E)“He is our brother.” ⁴ And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of ^(F)Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired ^(G)worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him.

¹⁸ and you have risen up against my father's house this day ^(A)and have killed his sons, seventy men on one stone, and have made ^(B)Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the leaders of Shechem, ^(C)because he is your relative—