Judges 9:6-20

6And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.1

7And when they toldit to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said to them, Hearken to me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken to you. 8The trees went forth once to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive tree, Reign thou over us. 9But the olive tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness, with which by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?2 10And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. 11But the fig tree said to them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? 12Then said the trees to the vine, Come thou, and reign over us. 13And the vine said to them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? 14Then said all the trees to the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.3 15And the bramble said to the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon. 16Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him according to the deserving of his hands; 17(For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you from the hand of Midian:4 18And ye have risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, seventy persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;) 19If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: 20But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.