The brother who got away climbs a mountain and tells the city a story about trees choosing a king.
A manga of the Bible: every word spoken and narrated is taken from scripture (the Berean Standard Bible).
Jotham’s Parable, Gideon Defeats Midian, Gaal Conspires with the Shechemites.
The words of this chapter
Gerizim (Judg 9:7)
When this was reported to Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim, raised his voice, and cried out:
Jotham: Listen to me, O leaders of Shechem, and may God listen to you.
The Fable (Judg 9:8-15)
Jotham: One day the trees set out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us.' But the olive tree replied, 'Should I stop giving my oil that honors both God and man, to hold sway over the trees?' Then the trees said to the fig tree, 'Come and reign over us.' But the fig tree replied, 'Should I stop giving my sweetness and my good fruit, to hold sway over the trees?' Then the trees said to the grapevine, 'Come and reign over us.' But the grapevine replied, 'Should I stop giving my wine that cheers both God and man, to hold sway over the trees?' Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, 'Come and reign over us.' But the thornbush replied, 'If you really are anointing me as king over you, come and find refuge in my shade. But if not, may fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon.'
The Charge (Judg 9:16-18; flashback Judg 7:16-22)
Jotham: Now if you have acted faithfully and honestly in making Abimelech king, if you have done well by Jerubbaal and his family, for my father fought for you and risked his life
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies and gave each man a ram's horn in one hand and a large jar in the other, containing a torch.
Gideon: Watch me and do as I do,
Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the outskirts of the camp They blew their horns and broke the jars that were in their hands.
Israelites: A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!
And when the three hundred rams' horns sounded, the LORD set all the men in the camp against one another with their swords.
Jotham: to deliver you from the hand of Midian, but you have risen up against my father's house this day and killed his seventy sons on a single stone, and you have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the leaders of Shechem because he is your brother—
The Curse (Judg 9:19-21)
Jotham: if you have acted faithfully and honestly toward Jerubbaal and his house this day, then may you rejoice in Abimelech, and he in you. But if not, may fire come from Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo, and may fire come from the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo and consume Abimelech.
Then Jotham ran away, escaping to Beer, and he lived there for fear of his brother Abimelech.
Three Years (Judg 9:22-25)
After Abimelech had reigned over Israel for three years, God sent a spirit of animosity between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem and caused them to treat Abimelech deceitfully, in order that the crime against the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come to justice and their blood be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on the leaders of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers. The leaders of Shechem set up an ambush against Abimelech on the hilltops, and they robbed all who passed by them on the road. So this was reported to Abimelech.