³³ No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals.^(A) They set up Baal-Berith^(B) as their god^{(C) 34} and did not remember^(D) the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. ³⁵ They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-Baal^(E) (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them.^(F)

Abimelek

9 Abimelek^(G) son of Jerub-Baal^(H) went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother’s clan, ² “Ask all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal’s sons rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember, I am your flesh and blood.^(I)”

³ When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelek, for they said, “He is related to us.” ⁴ They gave him seventy shekels^[a] of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith,^(J) and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels,^(K) who became his followers. ⁵ He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers,^(L) the sons of Jerub-Baal. But Jotham,^(M) the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, escaped by hiding.^{(N) 6} Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo^(O) gathered beside the great tree^(P) at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelek king.

⁷ When Jotham^(Q) was told about this, he climbed up on the top of Mount Gerizim^(R) and shouted to them, “Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you. ⁸ One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king.’

⁹ “But the olive tree answered, ‘Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and humans are honored, to hold sway over the trees?’

¹⁰ “Next, the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and be our king.’

¹¹ “But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?’

¹² “Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come and be our king.’

¹³ “But the vine answered, ‘Should I give up my wine,^(S) which cheers both gods and humans, to hold sway over the trees?’

¹⁴ “Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and be our king.’

¹⁵ “The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade;^(T) but if not, then let fire come out^(U) of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’^(V)

¹⁶ “Have you acted honorably and in good faith by making Abimelek king? Have you been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family? Have you treated him as he deserves? ¹⁷ Remember that my father fought for you and risked^(W) his life to rescue you from the hand of Midian. ¹⁸ But today you have revolted against my father’s family. You have murdered his seventy sons^(X) on a single stone and have made Abimelek, the son of his female slave, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is related to you. ¹⁹ So have you acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today?^(Y) If you have, may Abimelek be your joy, and may you be his, too! ²⁰ But if you have not, let fire come out^(Z) from Abimelek and consume you, the citizens of Shechem^(AA) and Beth Millo,^(AB) and let fire come out from you, the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelek!”

²¹ Then Jotham^(AC) fled, escaping to Beer,^(AD) and he lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelek.