Judges 9:7-19

7Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and cried out. And he said to them: “Listen to me, you men of Shechem, That God may listen to you!

8“The trees once 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 cease giving my oil, With which they honor God and men, And go to sway over trees?’

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

11But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I cease my sweetness and my good fruit, And go to sway over trees?’

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

13But the vine said to them, ‘Should I cease my new wine, Which cheers both God and men, And go to sway over trees?’

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

15And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me as king over you, Then come and take shelter in my shade; But if not, let fire come out of the bramble And devour the cedars of Lebanon!’

16“Now therefore, if you have acted in truth and sincerity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him as he deserves—

17for my father fought for you, risked his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian;

18but you have risen up against my father’s house this day, and killed his seventy sons on one stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother—

19if then you have acted in truth and sincerity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.