12. “Then they said to the grapevine,‘You be our king!’
13. But the grapevine also refused, saying,‘Should I quit producing the winethat cheers both God and people,just to wave back and forth over the trees?’
14. “Then all the trees finally turned to the thornbush and said,‘Come, you be our king!’
15. And the thornbush replied to the trees,‘If you truly want to make me your king,come and take shelter in my shade.If not, let fire come out from meand devour the cedars of Lebanon.’”
16. Jotham continued, “Now make sure you have acted honorably and in good faith by making Abimelech your king, and that you have done right by Gideon and all of his descendants. Have you treated him with the honor he deserves for all he accomplished?
17. For he fought for you and risked his life when he rescued you from the Midianites.
18. But today you have revolted against my father and his descendants, killing his seventy sons on one stone. And you have chosen his slave woman’s son, Abimelech, to be your king just because he is your relative.
19. “If you have acted honorably and in good faith toward Gideon and his descendants today, then may you find joy in Abimelech, and may he find joy in you.
20. But if you have not acted in good faith, then may fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leading citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo; and may fire come out from the citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo and devour Abimelech!”
21. Then Jotham escaped and lived in Beer because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.
22. After Abimelech had ruled over Israel for three years,
23. God sent a spirit that stirred up trouble between Abimelech and the leading citizens of Shechem, and they revolted.
24. God was punishing Abimelech for murdering Gideon’s seventy sons, and the citizens of Shechem for supporting him in this treachery of murdering his brothers.
25. The citizens of Shechem set an ambush for Abimelech on the hilltops and robbed everyone who passed that way. But someone warned Abimelech about their plot.
26. One day Gaal son of Ebed moved to Shechem with his brothers and gained the confidence of the leading citizens of Shechem.
27. During the annual harvest festival at Shechem, held in the temple of the local god, the wine flowed freely, and everyone began cursing Abimelech.