3. And his mother's brethren spoke of him in the ears of all the citizens of Shechem all these words. And their heart inclined after Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.
4. And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech hired with them vain and wanton men, and they followed him.
5. And he came to his father's house, to Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy persons upon one stone; but there remained Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal; for he had hid himself.
6. And all the citizens of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the memorial-oak that is in Shechem.
7. And they told it to Jotham, and he went and stood on the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said to them, Hearken to me, ye citizens of Shechem, that God may hearken 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. And the olive-tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to wave over the trees?
10. And the trees said to the fig-tree, Come thou, reign over us.
11. But the fig-tree said to them, Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?
12. Then said the trees to the vine, Come thou, reign over us.
13. And the vine said to them, Should I leave my new wine, which cheers God and man, and go to wave over the trees?
14. Then said all the trees to the thorn-bush, Come thou, reign over us.
15. And the thorn-bush said to the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, come, put confidence in my shadow; but if not, fire shall come out of the thorn-bush and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
16. Now therefore, if ye have dealt truly and sincerely in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and if ye have done to him according to the deserving of his hands;
17. --for my father fought for you, and endangered his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian;
18. but ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, seventy men, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his handmaid, king over the citizens of Shechem, because he is your brother;