47 When Abimelech was told that all the lords of Shechem’s Tower had gathered there,
48 he and all the people with him went up to Mount Zalmon. Then Abimelech took an axe in his hand and cut down a branch from the trees and lifted it up and laid it on his shoulder. Then he said to the people who were with him, “What you’ve seen me do, hurry and do likewise.”
49 So all the people likewise each cut down his branch and followed Abimelech. He laid them against the vault and set the vault on fire over them. So all the people of Shechem’s Tower also died—about a thousand men and women.
50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez, camped against Thebez and captured it.
51 But there was a strong tower in the center of the city, and all the men and women with all the city leaders fled there and shut themselves in, and went up to the roof of the tower.
52 So Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and approached the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
53 But a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.