11. But the fig tree said to them,“Should I stop givingmy sweetness and my good fruit,and rule over trees? ”
12. Later, the trees said to the grapevine,“Come and reign over us.”
13. But the grapevine said to them,“Should I stop giving my winethat cheers both God and man,and rule over trees? ”
14. Finally, all the trees said to the bramble,“Come and reign over us.”
15. The bramble said to the trees,“If you really are anointing meas king over you,come and find refuge in my shade.But if not,may fire come out from the brambleand consume the cedars of Lebanon.”
16. “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 —
17. for my father fought for you, risked his life, and delivered you from the hand of Midian,
18. 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’ —
19. 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.
20. 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.”
21. Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and lived there because of his brother Abimelech.
22. When Abimelech had ruled over Israel three years,
23. God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the lords of Shechem. They treated Abimelech deceitfully,
24. so that the crime against the 70 sons of Jerubbaal might come to justice and their blood would be avenged on their brother Abimelech, who killed them, and on the lords of Shechem, who had helped him kill his brothers.
25. The lords of Shechem rebelled against him by putting people on the tops of the mountains to ambush and rob everyone who passed by them on the road. So this was reported to Abimelech.
26. Gaal son of Ebed came with his brothers and crossed into Shechem, and the lords of Shechem trusted him.
27. So they went out to the countryside and harvested grapes from their vineyards. They trampled the grapes and held a celebration. Then they went to the house of their god, and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech.
28. Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem that we should serve him? Isn’t he the son of Jerubbaal, and isn’t Zebul his officer? You are to serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem. Why should we serve Abimelech?
29. If only these people were in my power, I would remove Abimelech.” So he said to Abimelech, “Gather your army and come out.”
30. When Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he was angry.