Berean Standard Bible

Judges 9:7-19

7When this was reported to Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim, raised his voice, and cried out:

“Listen to me, O leaders of Shechem,and may God listen to you.

8One day the trees set outto anoint a king for themselves.They said to the olive tree,‘Reign over us.’

9But the olive tree replied,‘Should I stop giving my oilthat honors both God and man,to hold sway over the trees?’

10Then the trees said to the fig tree,‘Come and reign over us.’

11But the fig tree replied,‘Should I stop giving my sweetnessand my good fruit,to hold sway over the trees?’

12Then the trees said to the grapevine,‘Come and reign over us.’

13But the grapevine replied,‘Should I stop giving my winethat cheers both God and man,to hold sway over the trees?’

14Finally all the trees said to the thornbush,‘Come and reign over us.’

15But the thornbush replied,‘If you really are anointing me as king over you,come and find refuge in my shade.But if not, may fire come out of the thornbushand consume the cedars of Lebanon.’

16Now if you have acted faithfully and honestly in making Abimelech king, if you have done well by Jerubbaal and his family, and if you have done to him as he deserves— 17for my father fought for you and risked his life to deliver you from the hand of Midian, 18but you have risen up against my father’s house this day and killed his seventy sons on a single stone, and you have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the leaders of Shechem because he is your brother— 19if you have acted faithfully and honestly toward Jerubbaal and his house this day, then may you rejoice in Abimelech, and he in you.

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Commentaries on Judges 9