8 ^zThe trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ^a‘Reign over us.’ 9 But the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my abundance, by which gods and men are honored, and go hold sway over the trees?’ 10 And the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us.’ 11 But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go hold sway over the trees?’ 12 And the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us.’ 13 But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my wine that ^bcheers God and men and go hold sway over the trees?’ 14 Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us.’ 15 And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and ^ctake refuge in my shade, but if not, ^dlet fire come out of the bramble and devour ^ethe cedars of Lebanon.’

2 “Say in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you, that all ^qseventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?’ Remember also that ^pI am ^ryour bone and your flesh.”

Samuel’s Farewell Address

1 And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed ⁿyour voice in all that you have said to me ^oand have made a king over you. 2 And now, behold, the king ^pwalks before you, ^qand I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. 3 Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before ^rhis anointed. ^sWhose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me¹ and I will restore it to you.” 4 They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.”

5 The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of ^oGeba.

6 Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these ^puncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, ^qfor nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” 7 And his armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Do as you wish.¹ Behold, I am with you heart and soul.”