46Then all the townsmen of the tower of Shechem, hearing of it, went into the inner room of the house of El-berith.
47And word was given to Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were there together.
48Then Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, with all his people; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand and, cutting down branches of trees, took them and put them on his back. And he said to the people who were with him, Be quick and do as you have seen me do.
49So all the people got branches, every man cutting down a branch, and they went with Abimelech at their head and, massing the branches against the inner room, put fire to the room over them; so all those who were in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, were burned to death with it.
50Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and put his army in position against Thebez and took it.
51But in the middle of the town there was a strong tower, to which all the men and women of the town went in flight and, shutting themselves in, went up to the roof of the tower.
52And Abimelech came to the tower and made an attack on it, and got near to the door of the tower for the purpose of firing it.
