JOTHAM’S PARABLE

7 When they told Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim,e raised his voice, and called to them:

Listen to me, citizens of Shechem,

and may God listen to you:

8 The trees decided

to anoint a king over themselves.

They said to the olive tree, “Reign over us.”

9 But the olive tree said to them,

“Should I stop giving my oil

that people use to honor both God and men,

and rule* over the trees?”

10 Then the trees said to the fig tree,

“Come and reign over us.”

11 But the fig tree said to them,

“Should I stop giving

my sweetness and my good fruit,

and rule over trees?”

12 Later, the trees said to the grapevine,

“Come and reign over us.”

13 But the grapevine said to them,

“Should I stop giving my wine

that cheers both God and man,

and rule over trees?”

14 Finally, all the trees said to the bramble,

“Come and reign over us.”

15 The bramble said to the trees,

“If you really are anointing me

as king over you,

come and find refuge in my shade.

But if not,

may fire come out from the bramble

and consume the cedars of Lebanon.”

16 “Now if you have acted faithfullyf and honestlyg in making Abimelech king, if you have done well by Jerubbaal and his family, and if you have rewarded him appropriately for what he did—17 for my father fought for you, risked his life, and rescued you from Midian, 18 and now you have attacked my father’s family today, killed his seventy sons on top of a large stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his slave woman, king over the citizens of Shechem ‘because he is your brother’—19 so if you have acted faithfully and honestly with Jerubbaal and his house this day, rejoice in Abimelech and may he also rejoice in you. 20 But if not, may fire come from Abimelech and consume the citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo, and may fire come from the citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo and consume Abimelech.”