Judges 9:7-20 And when it was told Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lift up his voice and called, and said unto them, "Hearken unto me you citizens of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.

MSTC⁽ⁱ⁾ ⁷ And when it was told Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lift up his voice and called, and said unto them, "Hearken unto me you citizens of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you. ⁸ The trees went to anoint a king over them, and said unto the olive tree, 'Reign over us.' ⁹ But the olive tree said unto them, 'Should I leave my fatness which both God and man praiseth in me, and go to be promoted over the trees?' ¹⁰ Then said the trees to the fig tree, 'Come thou and be king over us.' ¹¹ And the fig tree answered them, 'Should I forsake my sweetness and my good fruit, and should go to be promoted over the trees?' ¹² Then said the trees unto the vine, 'Come thou and be king over us.' ¹³ And the vine answered, 'Should I leave my wine that cheereth both God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?' ¹⁴ Then said all the trees unto the furze-bush, 'Come thou and reign over us.' ¹⁵ And the furze bush said unto the trees, "If it will be true that ye will anoint me king over you, then come and rest under my shadow, and ye shall see that a fire shall come out of the furze-bush and waste the cypress trees of Lebanon!' ¹⁶ And even so, now: if ye have done truly and uncorruptly to make Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands, ¹⁷ — forasmuch as my father fought for you and adventured his life, and rid you out of the hands of the Midianites - ¹⁸ and ye are risen up against my father's house this day. And have slain his children, even seventy persons upon one stone and have made Abimelech — the son of his maidservant — king over the citizens of Shechem, because he is your brother. ¹⁹ If, then, ye have dealt purely and truly with Jerubbaal and with his house this day: then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. ²⁰ But, if ye have not dealt truly, then I pray God a fire may come out of Abimelech and consume the citizens of Shechem and the house of Mello. And that there come a fire out of the citizens of Shechem, and out of the house of Mello and consume Abimelech."