Abimelech Attempts to Become King

9 Then Jerubbaal’s son Abimelech went to his mother’s relatives in Shechem. He spoke to the entire family of his mother’s father, telling them, ² “Ask all the “lords”^[a] of Shechem, ‘What’s better for you? That 70 men, each of them Jerubbaal’s sons, rule over you? Or that one man rule over you?’ Keep in mind that I’m like your own close relative.”^[b]

³ So his mother’s relatives spoke all of this on his behalf in the presence^[c] of all the “lords” of Shechem. Since they were inclined to follow Abimelech, they said, “He’s our relative!”