3 His uncles repeated everything he said to all citizens of Shechem. They were persuaded to follow Abimelech because he was their relative.
4 So they gave him 70 pieces of silver from the temple of Baal Berith. With the silver, Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men to follow him.
5 Then he went to his father’s home in Ophrah. There he executed his 70 brothers, Jerubbaal’s sons. But Jotham, Jerubbaal’s youngest son, survived because he hid.
6 All the citizens from Shechem and Beth Millo united. They went to the oak tree that was still standing in Shechem and proclaimed Abimelech king.
7 When Jotham was told about this, he went to a high spot on Mount Gerizim. He shouted to them, “Listen to me, you citizens of Shechem, so that God might listen to you.
8 “The trees went to anoint someone to be king over them.They said to the olive tree,‘Be our king!’
9 But the olive tree responded,‘Should I stop producing oil,which people use to honor gods and humans,in order to rule the trees?’