Study Desk

And they told Jotham, and he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. And he lifted up his voice and cried, and said to them, Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, and God shall listen to you.

Going the trees went forth to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive, Reign over us.

And the olive said to them, Should I cease from my fatness, by which they honor God and man, and go to hold sway over the trees?

And the trees said to the fig, You come, reign over us.

And the fig said to them, Should I cease from my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to hold sway over the trees?

And the trees said to the vine, You come, reign over us.

And the vine said to them, Should I cease from my new wine, which rejoices God and men, and go to hold sway over the trees?

And all the trees said to the bramble bush, You come, reign over us.

And the bramble bush said to the trees, If you truly anoint me king over you, come seek refuge in my shade. And if not, let fire come out of the bramble bush and burn up the cedars of Lebanon.

And now if you have acted in truth and integrity when you made Abimelech king; and if you have done well with Jerubbaal and his house; and you have done to him as his hands did,

in which my father fought for you, and cast aside his life, and delivered you from the hand of Midian;

and you have today risen against my father's house and have killed his sons, seventy men on one stone, and have made Abimelech the son of his slave-girl king over the leaders of Shechem, because he is your brother,

yea, if in truth and in integrity you have acted toward Jerubbaal and his house this day, rejoice in Abimelech; and he shall rejoice, he and you.

If not, fire shall come out from Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and the house of Millo. And fire shall come out from the leaders of Shechem and from the house of Millo and consume Abimelech.

And Jotham hurried and fled, and went to Beer and lived there, away from the face of his brother Abimelech.