Judges 9:3-13

3 And his mother's kinsmen spoke all these words on his behalf in the ears of all the men of Shechem; and their hearts inclined to follow Abim'elech, for they said, "He is our brother."
4 And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Ba'al-be'rith with which Abim'elech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him.
5 And he went to his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brothers the sons of Jerubba'al, seventy men, upon one stone; but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubba'al was left, for he hid himself.
6 And all the citizens of Shechem came together, and all Beth-millo, and they went and made Abim'elech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem.
7 When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Ger'izim, and cried aloud and said to them, "Listen to me, you men of Shechem, that God may listen to you.
8 The trees once 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, by which gods and men are honored, and go to sway over the trees?'
10 And the trees said to the fig tree, 'Come you, and reign over us.'
11 But the fig tree said to them, 'Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to sway over the trees?'
12 And the trees said to the vine, 'Come you, and reign over us.'
13 But the vine said to them, 'Shall I leave my wine which cheers gods and men, and go to sway over the trees?'
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.