The trees set out
to anoint a king over themselves.
They said to the olive tree, “Reign over us.”

But the olive tree said to them,
“Should I stop giving my oil
that honors both God and man,
and rule over the trees?”

Then he ignited the torches and released the foxes into the standing grain of the Philistines. He burned up the piles of grain and the standing grain as well as the vineyards and olive groves.

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

But the fig tree said to them,
“Should I stop giving
my sweetness and my good fruit,
and rule over trees?”