Judges 9:7–15

⁷And they declare it to Jotham, and he goeth and standeth on the top of mount Gerizim, and lifteth up his voice, and calleth, and saith to them, ‘Hearken unto me, O masters of Shechem, and God doth hearken unto you:

⁸‘The trees have diligently gone to anoint over them a king, and they say to the olive, Reign thou over us. ⁹And the olive saith to them, Have I ceased from my fatness, by which they honour gods and men, that I have gone to stagger over the trees? ¹⁰And the trees say to the fig, Come thou, reign over us. ¹¹And the fig saith to them, Have I ceased from my sweetness, and my good increase, that I have gone to stagger over the trees?

¹²‘And the trees say to the vine, Come thou, reign over us. ¹³And the vine saith to them, Have I ceased from my new wine, which is rejoicing gods and men, that I have gone to stagger over the trees? ¹⁴And all the trees say unto the bramble, Come thou, reign over us. ¹⁵And the bramble saith unto the trees, If in truth ye are anointing me for king over you, come, take refuge in my shadow; and if not—fire cometh out from the bramble, and devoureth the cedars of Lebanon.