Judges 09 The parable of Jotham

Judges 09

The parable of Jotham

7 And when he said to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of the mountain of Gerizim, and raised his voice, and cried out, and said to them, Hear me from me, citizens of Shechem, and God. will hear you.

8 The trees once went to anoint a king for themselves: and they said to the olive tree, You reign over us.

9 But the olive tree said to them, "Would I leave my fatness, which God and the men in me cherish, and go to toil on the trees?"

10 Then the trees said to the fig tree, Come, and reign over us.

11 But the fig tree said to them, "Would I leave my sweetness, my good fruit, and go to work on the trees?"

12 Then the trees said to the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.

13 But the vine said to them, "Shall I leave my must, which makes God and men happy, and go to work on the trees?"

14 Then all the trees said to the bramble, You come and reign over us.

15 And the hawthorn said to the trees, If indeed you anoint me king over you, come, and trust yourselves under my shadow: but if not, let fire come out of the hawthorn that consumes the cedars of Lebanon.

16 Now therefore, if in truth and sincerity did you work, making Abimelech king, and if you did well with Jerubaal and his house, and if you used it according to the merit of his hands

17 (For my father fought for you, and despised your life, and saved you from the hand of the Midianites:

18 But today you rose up against my father's house, and killed his sons, seventy men, on a stone: and Abimelech, his servant's son, made you reign over the citizens of Shechem, because he is your brother);

19 For if in truth and sincerity you have used Jerubaal and his house today, rejoice with Abimelech, and he too rejoices with you:

20 But if not, fire from Abimelech, and consume the citizens of Shechem, and the house of Milo: and fire from the citizens of Shechem, and from the house of Milo, which consumes Abimelech.

21 Then Jotham departed, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there for fear of his brother Abimelech.