Judges 9:7-16

7Now when they told Jotam, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, lifted up his voice, called out and said to them, “Listen to me, O lords of Shechem, that God may listen to you!

8Once the trees set out to anoint a king over them. So they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’

9But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I stop yielding my oil, that honors God and man, and go wave over the trees?’

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

11But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I stop yielding my sweetness and my delicious fruit, and go wave over the trees?’

12So the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us.’

13But the vine said to them, ‘Should I stop yielding my new wine, which cheers God and man, and go wave over the trees?’

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

15And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If you truly are going to anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shadow; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’

16“So now, if you have acted in truth and integrity by making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt kindly with Jerubbaal and his household, and have done for him as he deserved—