Judges 9:1-21 - Abimelech Attempts To Become King

¹ Then went Abimelech son of Jerubbaal, to Shechem, unto the brethren of his mother, - and spake unto them, and unto all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying; ² Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the owners of Shechem - Which is better for you, that there should rule over you, seventy men, all sons of Jerubbaal, or that there should rule over you, one man? And remember that, your bone and your flesh, am I.

³ So the brethren of his mother spake for him, in the ears of all the owners of Shechem, all these words, - and their heart inclined after Abimelech, for they said - Our own brother, is he. ⁴ So they gave him seventy pieces of silver, out of the house of Baal-berith, - and Abimelech hired therewith, loose and unstable men, and they followed him. ⁵ And he entered the house of his father, at Ophrah, and slew his brethren, sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, upon one stone, - but there remained Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, for he had hidden himself. ⁶ Then were gathered together all the owners of Shechem, and all the house of Millo, and they went and made Abimelech king, - by the oak of the pillar, that was in Shechem.

⁷ And, when it was told Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried aloud, - and said unto them - Hearken unto me, ye owners of Shechem, and may God, hearken unto you. ⁸ The trees, went their way, to anoint over them, a king, - and they said unto the olive tree - Reign thou over us. ⁹ But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, which, in me, gods and men do honour, - and go to wave to and fro, over the trees? ¹⁰ Then said the trees unto the fig-tree, - Come! thou reign over us. ¹¹ But the fig-tree said unto them, Should I leave my sweetness, and mine excellent increase, - and go to wave to and fro, over the trees? ¹² Then said the trees unto the vine, - Come! thou, reign over us. ¹³ But the vine said unto them, Should I leave my new wine, that rejoiceth gods and men, - and go to wave to and fro, over the trees? ¹⁴ Then said all the trees, unto the bramble, - Come, thou, to reign over us. ¹⁵ And the bramble said unto the trees, If, in truth, ye are about to anoint me to be king over you, come, take refuge in my shade, - but, if not, there shall come forth fire out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

¹⁶ Now, therefore, if, in truth and sincerity, ye have acted, in making Abimelech king, - and if ye have dealt, well, with Jerubbaal and with his house, and if, according to the deserving of his hands, ye have done unto him; ¹⁷ in that my father fought for you, and cast his soul away from before him, and rescued you out of the hand of Midian; - ¹⁸ yet have, ye, risen up against the house of my father, to-day, and slain his sons - seventy men, upon one stone, - and made Abimelech, son of his maidservant, king over the owners of Shechem, because he is, your brother; ¹⁹ if then, in truth and in sincerity, ye have dealt with Jerubbaal and with his house, this day, rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let, him also, rejoice in you; ²⁰ but, if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the owners of Shechem, and the house of Millo, - and let fire come out from the owners of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech! ²¹ And Jotham hasted away, and fled, and went to Beer, - and dwelt there, away from the face of Abimelech his brother.