Judges 9:1-15 ▼

1 And Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to the brothers of his mother, and he spoke to them and to all the family of the house of the father of his mother, saying,

2 “Speak, please, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, ‘What is better for you?, that seventy men reign over you?, all sons of Jerubbaal, or that one man reigns over you??’ And remember that I am your? bone and your? flesh.”

3 And the brothers of his mother spoke concerning him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words, and their heart was inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.”

4 And they gave to him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-berith, and Abimelech hired with them worthless and reckless men, and they followed him.

5 And he went into the house of his father at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. And Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, was left, because he hid himself.

6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all of Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king beside the oak at the pillar that was in Shechem.

7 And they told Jotham, and he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and he lifted his voice and cried out and said to them, “Listen to me, O masters of Shechem, that God may listen to you?.

8 The trees have diligently gone to anoint over them a king. And they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’

9 And the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I cease giving my oil, with which they honor God and men, and go to sway over the trees?’

10 And the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come you, reign over us.’

11 And the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I cease my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to sway over the trees?’

12 And the trees said to the vine, ‘Come you, reign over us.’

13 And the vine said to them, ‘Should I cease my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to sway over the trees?’

14 And all the trees said to the bramble, ‘Come you, reign over us.’

15 And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you? anoint me as king over you?, come, take refuge in my shade. But if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’