Bible in Basic English
"One day the trees went out to make a king for themselves; and they said to the olive-tree, Be king over us."
— Judges 9:8, Bible in Basic English
“The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us.'”
Then he went to his father's house at Ophrah, and put his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, to death on the same stone; however, Jotham, the youngest, kept himself safe by going away to a secret place.
And all the townsmen of Shechem and all Beth-millo came together and went and made Abimelech their king, by the oak of the pillar in Shechem.
Now Jotham, on hearing of it, went to the top of Mount Gerizim, and crying out with a loud voice said to them, Give ear to me, you townsmen of Shechem, so that God may give ear to you.
One day the trees went out to make a king for themselves; and they said to the olive-tree, Be king over us.
But the olive-tree said to them, Am I to give up my wealth of oil, by which men give honour to God, and go waving over the trees?
Then the trees said to the fig-tree, You come and be king over us.
But the fig-tree said to them, Am I to give up my sweet taste and my good fruit and go waving over the trees?