13 “But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to wave over the trees?’

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

15 “The bramble said to the trees, ‘If in 1truth 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 1truth and integrity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with aJerubbaal and his house, and 2have dealt with him 3as he deserved—

17 for my father fought for you and 1risked his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian;

18 but you have risen against my father’s house today and have killed ahis sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, bthe son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your 1relative—

19 if then you have dealt in 1truth and integrity with Jerubbaal and his house this day, rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.

20 “But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume the men of Shechem and 1Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and from 1Beth-millo, and consume Abimelech.”

21 Then Jotham escaped and fled, and went to Beer and remained there because of Abimelech his brother.

Shechem and Abimelech Fall

22 Now Abimelech ruled over Israel three years.

23 aThen God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem bdealt treacherously with Abimelech,