Judges 9:6-20

6All the 1leaders of Shechem and all 2Beth-millo assembled together, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the 3oak of the memorial stone which was in Shechem.

7Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on the top of 4Mount Gerizim, and raised his voice and called out. And he said to them, “Listen to me, you 5leaders of Shechem, that God may listen to you. 8Once the trees went 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 give up my fatness with 6which God and mankind 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 give up my sweetness and my good 7fruit, 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 give up my new wine, which cheers God and mankind, and go to wave over the trees?’ 14Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You, come, reign over us!’ 15And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If you 8really are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out of the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’

16“Now then, if you have acted with 9honesty and integrity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with 10Jerubbaal and his house, and 11have dealt with him 12as he deserved-- 17for my father fought for you, and 13risked his life and saved you from the hand of Midian; 18but in fact you have risen against my father’s house today and have killed 14his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, 15the son of his female slave, king over the 16leaders of Shechem, because he is your relative-- 19so if you have acted with 17honesty and integrity toward Jerubbaal and his house this day, be joyful about Abimelech, and may he also be joyful about you. 20But if not, may fire come out of Abimelech and consume the 18leaders of Shechem and 19Beth-millo; and may fire come out of the 20leaders of Shechem and from 21Beth-millo, and consume Abimelech.”