Abimelech son of Baal-Fighter (or Gideon) went to his mother’s brothers and to the rest of her clan in Shechem and said to them, “Ask all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Which do you prefer: to have just one man as your ruler or have seventy of Baal-Fighter’s sons rule over you?’ And don’t forget, I’m your own flesh and blood.”
When the brothers repeated these words to the leaders of Shechem, their hearts were drawn to Abimelech, for they said, “He is from our hometown and from our own clan.” They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech used it to hire reckless scoundrels to follow him. He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and on one stone executed his seventy brothers, the sons of Baal-Fighter. Jotham, Baal-Fighter’s youngest son, escaped and went into hiding. All the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered beside the sacred tree at the pillar in Shechem and crowned Abimelech king.
When Jotham learned about this, he climbed up on the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted: “Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you. All the trees one day determined to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king.’
“But the olive tree answered, ‘What? Give up my rich oil that is used to honor both gods and men, to hold sway over the trees?’
“Next, the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and be our king.’
“But the fig tree replied, ‘What? Give up my good, sweet fruit to hold sway over the trees?’
“Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come and be our king.’
“But the vine answered, ‘What? Give up my wine, which cheers both gods and men, to hold sway over the trees?’
“Finally, all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and be our king.’
“The thornbush replied, ‘If you really want to anoint me your king, then come and put your trust in my shade. If you don’t, then let fire blaze out of my thorny branches and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’
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