Scriptures

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Judges 9
⁷ Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and called out. Thus he said to them, "Listen to me, O men of Shechem, that God may listen to you.
⁸ Once the trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ’Reign over us!’
⁹ But the olive tree said to them, ’Shall I leave my fatness with which God and men are honored, and go to wave over the trees?’
¹⁰ Then the trees said to the fig tree, ’You come, reign over us!’
¹¹ But the fig tree said to them, ’Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?’
¹² Then the trees said to the vine, ’You come, reign over us!’
¹³ But the vine said to them, ’Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to wave over the trees?’
¹⁴ Finally all the trees said to the bramble, ’You come, reign over us!’
¹⁵ The bramble said to the trees, ’If in truth you are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out from the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’
¹⁶ "Now therefore, if you have dealt in truth 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-
¹⁷ for my father fought for you and risked his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian;