Judges 9:1-20

1And 1Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s 2relatives, and spoke to them and to the whole clan of the household of his mother’s father, saying, 2“Speak, now, in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you, that 3seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or that one man rule over you?’ Also, remember that I am 4your bone and your flesh.” 3And his mother’s 5relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem; and 6they were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is 7our 8relative.” 4They gave him seventy pieces of silver from the house of 9Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, and they followed him. 5Then he went to his father’s house at Ophrah and 10killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, 11seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself. 6All the men of Shechem and all 12Beth-millo assembled together, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the 13oak of the pillar which was in Shechem.

7Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on the top of 14Mount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and called out. Thus he said to them, “Listen to me, O men of Shechem, that God may listen to 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, ‘Shall I leave my fatness with 15which God and men are honored, and go to wave over the trees?’ 10Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come, reign over us!’ 11But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good 16fruit, and go to wave over the trees?’ 12Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come, reign over us!’ 13But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to wave over the trees?’ 14Finally all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come, reign over us!’ 15The bramble said to the trees, ‘If in 17truth you are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out from the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’

16“Now therefore, if you have dealt in 18truth and integrity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with 19Jerubbaal and his house, and 20have dealt with him 21as he deserved-- 17for my father fought for you and 22risked his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian; 18but you have risen against my father’s house today and have killed 23his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, 24the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your 25relative-- 19if then you have dealt in 26truth and integrity with Jerubbaal and his house this day, rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. 20But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume the men of Shechem and 27Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and from 28Beth-millo, and consume Abimelech.”