⁵ The king asked her, “What is troubling you?”

She said, “I am a widow; my husband is dead. ⁶ I your servant had two sons. They got into a fight with each other in the field, and no one was there to separate them. One struck the other and killed him. ⁷ Now the whole clan has risen up against your servant; they say, ‘Hand over the one who struck his brother down, so that we may put him to death^(A) for the life of his brother whom he killed; then we will get rid of the heir^(B) as well.’ They would put out the only burning coal I have left,^(C) leaving my husband neither name nor descendant on the face of the earth.”

⁸ One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king.’

⁹ “But the olive tree answered, ‘Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and humans are honored, to hold sway over the trees?’

¹⁰ “Next, the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and be our king.’

¹¹ “But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?’

¹² “Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come and be our king.’

¹³ “But the vine answered, ‘Should I give up my wine,^(A) which cheers both gods and humans, to hold sway over the trees?’

¹⁴ “Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and be our king.’

¹⁵ “The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade;^(B) but if not, then let fire come out^(C) of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’^(D)

A Prophet Condemns Ahab

³⁵ By the word of the Lord one of the company of the prophets^(A) said to his companion, “Strike me with your weapon,” but he refused.^(B)

³⁶ So the prophet said, “Because you have not obeyed the Lord, as soon as you leave me a lion^(C) will kill you.” And after the man went away, a lion found him and killed him.

³⁷ The prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please.” So the man struck him and wounded him. ³⁸ Then the prophet went and stood by the road waiting for the king. He disguised himself with his headband down over his eyes. ³⁹ As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, “Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, ‘Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life,^(D) or you must pay a talent^[a] of silver.’ ⁴⁰ While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.”

“That is your sentence,”^(E) the king of Israel said. “You have pronounced it yourself.”

⁴¹ Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.