Judges 9:19
If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:
The verse belongs to a figurative parable or fable in which trees hold an election and make speeches and invite the fig tree to come and reign over them. Their conversation is an imaginary scene used to teach a lesson, not an account of trees actually talking, for the speaking trees are personification in which inanimate objects are given animation with the sentiments, actions, and language of rational beings. The verse states Jotham's conditional challenge to the people of Shechem concerning Jerubbaal, that is Gideon, and his house, that if they had dealt truly and sincerely with him and his family that day, then they could rejoice in Abimelech and he could rejoice in them.
Its setting is Shechem's making Abimelech — Gideon's son by his maid — ruler after he arranged to have Gideon's sons, his brothers, slain in order to make himself ruler, and gathered worthless followers about him, a foolish choice. That rule ended with his utter destruction of Shechem. It belongs to the history showing how Gideon's house degenerated after the victory God had wrought through Gideon with few against many, by trusting in things that are seen instead of the unseen power.
The parable teaches that those doing valuable work for the Lord do not seek rulership over fellow believers, and that ambition to exalt oneself over others proves a person unqualified to rule. Because the Shechemites had betrayed Gideon and Abimelech had murdered Gideon's sons, the condition exposes their injustice and introduces Jotham's prophecy of destruction.