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,
17. and who gave his life to dangers, so that he might rescue you from the hand of Midian,
18. though you now have risen up against my father's house, and have killed his sons, seventy men, upon one stone, and have appointed Abimelech, the son of his handmaid, as a king over the inhabitants of Shechem, since he is your brother,
19. if therefore you are upright and have acted without fault with Jerubbaal and his house, then you should rejoice on this day in Abimelech, and he should rejoice in you.
20. But if you have acted perversely, may fire go forth from him and consume the inhabitants of Shechem and the town of Millo. And may fire go forth from the men of Shechem and from the town of Millo, and devour Abimelech."
21. And when he had said these things, he fled and went away to Beer. And he lived in that place, out of fear of Abimelech, his brother.
22. And so Abimelech reigned over Israel for three years.
23. And the Lord put a very grievous spirit between Abimelech and the inhabitants of Shechem, who began to detest him,