Study Desk

And when they told it to Iotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lift vp his voice, and cried, and said vnto them, Hearken vnto mee, you men of Shechem, that God may hearken vnto you.

The trees went foorth on a time to annoint a King ouer them, and they said vnto the Oliue tree, Reigne thou ouer vs.

But the Oliue tree saide vnto them, Should I leaue my fatnesse, wherewith by mee they honour God and man, and goe to bee promoted ouer the trees?

And the trees said to the Figge tree, Come thou, and reigne ouer vs.

But the Figge tree saide vnto them, Should I forsake my sweetenesse, and my good fruit, and goe to be promoted ouer the trees?

Then saide the trees vnto the Uine, Come thou, and reigne ouer vs.

And the Uine said vnto them, Should I leaue my wine, which cheareth God and man, and goe to bee promoted ouer the trees?

Then said all the trees vnto the Bramble, Come thou, and reigne ouer vs.

And the Bramble said vnto the trees, If in trueth ye anoint me King ouer you, then come, and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the Bramble, and deuoure the Cedars of Lebanon.

Now therefore, if yee haue done truely and sincerely, in that yee haue made Abimelech King, and if yee haue dealt well with Ierubbaal, and his house, and haue done vnto him according to the deseruing of his hands:

(For my father fought for you, and aduentured his life farre, and deliuered you out of the hand of Midian:

And yee are risen vp against my fathers house this day, and haue slaine his sonnes, threescore aud ten persons, vpon one stone, and haue made Abimelech the sonne of his maidseruant, king ouer the men of Shechem, because he is your brother.)

If yee then haue dealt truely and sincerely with Ierubbaal, and with his house this day, then reioyce yee in Abimelech, aud let him also reioyce in you.

But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and deuoure 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 deuoure Abimeleeh.

And Iotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there for feare of Abimeleeh his brother.