1. Now Abimelech, the son of Jerubbaal, went to Shechem, to his maternal brothers, and he spoke to them, and to all the relatives of the house of his maternal grandfather, saying:
2. "Speak to all the men of Shechem: Which is better for you: that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, should rule over you, or that one man should rule over you? And consider also that I am your bone and your flesh."
3. And his maternal brothers spoke about him to all the men of Shechem, all these words, and they inclined their hearts after Abimelech, saying, "He is our brother."
4. And they gave to him the weight of seventy silver coins from the shrine of Baal-berith. With this, he hired for himself indigent and wandering men, and they followed him.
5. And he went to his father's house in Ophrah, and he killed his brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, upon one stone. And there remained only Joatham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, and he was in hiding.
6. Then all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the families of the city of Millo, and they went and appointed Abimelech as king, beside the oak that stood at Shechem.
7. When this had been reported to Jotham, he went and stood at the top of Mount Gerizim. And lifting up his voice, he cried out and said: "Listen to me, men of Shechem, so that God may listen to you.
8. The trees went to anoint a king over themselves. And they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us.'
9. And it responded, 'How could I abandon my fatness, which both gods and men make use of, and depart to be promoted among the trees?'
10. And the trees said to the fig tree, 'Come and accept royal power over us.'
11. And it responded to them, 'How could I abandon my sweetness, and my very sweet fruits, and depart to be promoted among the other trees?'
12. And the trees said to the vine, 'Come and reign over us.'
13. And it responded to them, 'How could I abandon my wine, which gives joy to God and men, and be promoted among the other trees?'
14. And all the trees said to the bramble, 'Come and reign over us.'
15. And it responded to them: 'If truly you would appoint me as king, come and rest under my shadow. But if you are not willing, let fire go forth from the bramble, and let it devour the cedars of Lebanon.' "
16. So now, if you are upright and without sin in appointing Abimelech as a king over you, and if you have acted well with Jerubbaal, and with his house, and if you have repaid, in turn, the benefits of him who fought on your behalf,