Judges 9:8-15

LEB^{(i) 8} "The trees went certainly, to anoint a king over themselves. And they said to the olive tree, 'Rule over us.' ⁹ And the olive tree replied, 'Should I stop producing my oil, which by me gods and men are honored, to go sway over the trees?' ¹⁰ Then the trees said to the fig tree, 'You, come rule over us.' ¹¹ But the fig tree said to them, 'Should I stop producing my sweetness, and my good crop, to go sway over the trees?' ¹² And the trees said to the vine, 'You, come rule over us.' ¹³ But the vine said to them, 'Should I stop producing my wine that makes the gods and men happy, to go sway over the trees?' ¹⁴ So all the trees said to the thornbush, 'You, come rule over us.' ¹⁵ And the thornbush said to the trees, 'If in good faith* you are anointing me as king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; if not, may fire go out from the thornbush and devour the cedars of Lebanon.'