Study Desk

Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and raised his voice and called out. And he said to them, "Listen to me, you leaders of Shechem, that God may listen to you.

And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.

"Once the trees went to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us!'

The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.

"But the olive tree said to them, 'Shall I give up my fatness with which God and mankind are honored, and go to wave over the trees?'

But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

"Then the trees said to the fig tree, 'You, come, reign over us!'

And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us.

"But the fig tree said to them, 'Shall I give up my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?'

But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

"Then the trees said to the vine, 'You, come, reign over us!'

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

"But the vine said to them, 'Shall I give up my new wine, which cheers God and mankind, and go to wave over the trees?'

And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

"Then all the trees said to the bramble, 'You, come, reign over us!'

Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.

"And the bramble said to the trees, 'If you really are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out of the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.'

And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

"Now then, if you have acted with honesty and integrity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have dealt with him as he deserved—

Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made 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;

for my father fought for you, and risked his life and saved you from the hand of Midian;

(For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:

but in fact you have risen against my father's house today and have killed his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his female slave, king over the leaders of Shechem, because he is your relative—

And ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)

so if you have acted with honesty and integrity toward Jerubbaal and his house this day, be joyful about Abimelech, and may he also be joyful about you.

If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:

"But if not, may fire come out of Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo; and may fire come out of the leaders of Shechem and from Beth-millo, and consume Abimelech."

But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.

Then Jotham escaped and fled, and went to Beer; and he stayed there because of his brother Abimelech.

And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.