9 Now Gideon’s son Abimelek went to Shekem to his mother’s brothers and spoke to those uncles and to all the extended family of his mother’s father, saying, 2 “Please ask around all the citizens of Shekem: ‘What is better for you: Gideon’s seventy sons ruling over you, or having a single man in charge?’ Remember that I’m your flesh and bone.” 3 So his uncles working on his behalf, passed that onto all the citizens of Shekem, and they became convinced in Abimelek, because they said, “He’s our brother.” 4 Then they gave him seventy silver coins from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelek used them to entice some rough lay-abouts to work for him. 5 Then they went to his father’s house at Ofrah, and he killed his seventy half-brothers (Gideon’s sons) there on one stone. But Gideon’s youngest son Yotam survived because he had hidden from them. 6 Then all of the prominent citizens of Shekem and all of Beyt-Millo assembled themselves, and they went and installed Abimelek as king beside an oak tree near the standing pillar[fn] that was in Shekem.