Judges 9:7-16

7When they told Jotham, he went and stood at the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, “Hear me, O men of Shechem, so that God may hear you.

8Once the trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’

9But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I give up my fatness by which God and men are honored, and go to wave over the trees?’

10Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us!’

11But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I give up my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?’

12Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us.’

13And the vine replied, ‘Should I give up my new wine, which makes God and men happy, and go to wave over the trees?’

14Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us.’

15So the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’

16“Now then, if you acted in truth and integrity when you made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have dealt with him as he deserved—