Judges

And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mother's brothers. And he talked with them and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

I pray you, speak in the ears of all the men of Shechem: Which is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? Remember also that I [am] your bone and your flesh.

And his mother's brothers spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem with all these words. And their hearts were bent toward Abimelech, for they said, He is our brother.

And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless persons who followed him.

And he went to his father's house at Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy persons, upon one stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, was still left; for he hid himself.

And all the leaders of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo. And [they] came and made Abimelech king beside the plain of the pillar in Shechem.

The trees went forth to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive tree, Reign over us.

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

And the trees said to the fig tree, You come and reign over us.

But the fig tree said to 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 and reign over us.

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

Then all the trees said to the bramble-bush, You come and reign over us.

And the bramble-bush said to the trees, If you truly anoint me king over you, come put your trust in my shadow. And if not, let fire come out of the bramble and burn up the cedars of Lebanon.

And now, if you have done truly and sincerely in that you have made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him according to what his hands did,

[in] which my father fought for you and much endangered his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian.

And you have risen up against my father's house today, and have killed his sons, seventy persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his slave woman, king over the men of Shechem, because he [is] your brother;