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⁶Then all the lords of Shechem and all Beth-millo came together, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar^* at Shechem.

The Parable of the Trees

7 When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and cried aloud and said to them, ‘Listen to me, you lords of Shechem, so that God may listen to you.
⁸ The trees once went out
   to anoint a king over themselves.
So they said to the olive tree,
   “Reign over us.”
⁹ The olive tree answered them,
   “Shall I stop producing my rich oil
     by which gods and mortals are honoured,
     and go to sway over the trees?”
¹⁰ Then the trees said to the fig tree,
   “You come and reign over us.”
¹¹ But the fig tree answered them,
   “Shall I stop producing my sweetness
     and my delicious fruit,
     and go to sway over the trees?”
¹² Then the trees said to the vine,
   “You come and reign over us.”
¹³ But the vine said to them,
   “Shall I stop producing my wine
     that cheers gods and mortals,
     and go to sway over the trees?”
¹⁴ So all the trees said to the bramble,
   “You come and reign over us.”
¹⁵ And the bramble said to the trees,
   “If in good faith you are anointing me king over you,
     then come and take refuge in my shade;
   but if not, let fire come out of the bramble
     and devour the cedars of Lebanon.”