Jotham's Parable
7 When they told Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim, raised his voice, and called to them: Listen to me, lords of Shechem, and may God listen to you:
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The trees set out to anoint a king over themselves. They said to the olive tree, "Reign over us."
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But the olive tree said to them, "Should I stop giving my oil that honors both God and man, and rule over the trees?"
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Then the trees said to the fig tree, "Come and reign over us."
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But the fig tree said to them, "Should I stop giving my sweetness and my good fruit, and rule over trees?"
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Later, the trees said to the grapevine, "Come and reign over us."
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But the grapevine said to them, "Should I stop giving my wine that cheers both God and man, and rule over trees?"
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Finally, all the trees said to the bramble, "Come and reign over us."
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The bramble said to the trees, "If you really are anointing me as king over you, come and find refuge in my shade. But if not, may fire come out from the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon."
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"Now if you have acted faithfully and honestly in making Abimelech king, if you have done well by Jerubbaal and his family, and if you have rewarded him appropriately for what he did-
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for my father fought for you, risked his life, and delivered you from the hand of Midian,
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and now you have attacked my father's house today, killed his 70 sons on top of a large stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his slave, king over the lords of Shechem 'because he is your brother'-
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if then, you have acted faithfully and honestly with Jerubbaal and his house this day, rejoice in Abimelech and may he also rejoice in you.
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But if not, may fire come from Abimelech and consume the lords of Shechem and Beth-millo, and may fire come from the lords of Shechem and Beth-millo and consume Abimelech."
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Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and lived there because of his brother Abimelech.