Jotham’s Fable of the Trees

ABIMELECH, the son of Jerubbaal, went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying:

“Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether it is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.”

And his mother’s brethren spake of him, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, all these words. And their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, “He is our brother.”

And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, who followed him.

And he went unto his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren, the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone. Notwithstanding, Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, was left; for he hid himself.

And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.

And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them:

“Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.

“The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive-tree, ‘Reign thou over us.’ But the olive-tree said unto them, ‘Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?’

“And the trees said to the fig-tree, ‘Come thou, and reign over us.’

“But the fig-tree said unto them, ‘Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?’

“Then said the trees unto the vine, ‘Come thou, and reign over us.’

“And the vine said unto them, ‘Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?’

“Then said all the trees unto the bramble, ‘Come thou, and reign over us.’

“And the bramble said unto the trees, ‘If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’

“Now, therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands:

“(For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian; and ye are risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maid servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother):

“If ye, then, have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you; but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.”

And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

Contents -Volume INDEX -AUTHOR INDEX -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD