Judges 9:7-21
New American Standard Bible
7 Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on the top of (A)Mount Gerizim, and raised his voice and called out. And he said to them, “Listen to me, you [a]leaders of Shechem, that God may listen to you. 8 Once the trees went to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’ 9 But the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I give up my fatness with [b]which God and mankind are honored, and go to wave over the trees?’ 10 Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You, come, reign over us!’ 11 But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I give up my sweetness and my good [c]fruit, and go to wave over the trees?’ 12 Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You, come, reign over us!’ 13 But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I give up my new wine, which cheers God and mankind, and go to wave over the trees?’ 14 Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You, come, reign over us!’ 15 And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If you [d]really are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out of the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’
16 “Now then, if you have acted with [e]honesty and integrity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with (B)Jerubbaal and his house, and [f]have dealt with him [g]as he deserved— 17 for my father fought for you, and [h]risked his life and saved you from the hand of Midian; 18 but in fact you have risen against my father’s house today and have killed (C)his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, (D)the son of his female slave, king over the [i]leaders of Shechem, because he is your relative— 19 so if you have acted with [j]honesty and integrity toward Jerubbaal and his house this day, be joyful about Abimelech, and may he also be joyful about you. 20 But if not, may fire come out of Abimelech and consume the [k]leaders of Shechem and [l]Beth-millo; and may fire come out of the [m]leaders of Shechem and from [n]Beth-millo, and consume Abimelech.” 21 Then Jotham escaped and fled, and went to Beer; and he stayed there because of his brother Abimelech.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Judges 9:7 Or landowners
- Judges 9:9 Lit which by me
- Judges 9:11 Lit produce
- Judges 9:15 Or sincerely
- Judges 9:16 Or sincerity
- Judges 9:16 Lit if you have
- Judges 9:16 Lit according to the accomplishment of his hands
- Judges 9:17 Lit threw his soul away
- Judges 9:18 Or landowners
- Judges 9:19 Or sincerity
- Judges 9:20 Or landowners
- Judges 9:20 Or the house of Millo
- Judges 9:20 Or landowners
- Judges 9:20 Or the house of Millo
Judges 9:7-21
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jotham’s Parable
7 When they told Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim,(A) raised his voice, and called to them:
Listen to me, lords of Shechem,
and may God listen to you:
8 The trees set out
to anoint a king over themselves.
They said to the olive tree, “Reign over us.”
9 But the olive tree said to them,
“Should I stop giving my oil
that honors both God and man,
and rule[a] over the trees?”
10 Then the trees said to the fig tree,
“Come and reign over us.”
11 But the fig tree said to them,
“Should I stop giving
my sweetness and my good fruit,
and rule[b] 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 wine
that cheers both God and man,
and rule[c] 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 me
as king over you,
come and find refuge in my shade.
But if not,
may fire come out from the bramble
and consume the cedars of Lebanon.”
16 “Now if you have acted faithfully(B) and honestly(C) 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.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Judges 9:9 Lit and go to sway
- Judges 9:11 Lit and go to sway
- Judges 9:13 Lit and go to sway
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