But the people were silent, and they did not respond at all to him. For indeed, they had received an instruction from the king that they should not respond to him.
And when evil was spoken against him, he did not speak evil. When he suffered, he did not threaten. Then he handed himself over to him who judged him unjustly.
And Zebul said to him: "Where is your mouth now, with which you said, 'Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?' Is this not the people that you were despising? Go out and fight against him."
Yet the sons of Belial said, "How could this one be able to save us?" And they despised him, and they brought him no presents. But he pretended not to hear them.