Judges 9:12-13

9:12 “So the trees said to the grapevine, ‘You come and be our king!’ ¹  9:13 But the grapevine said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my wine, which makes gods and men so happy, just to sway above the other trees!’ ² 

Judges 13:14

13:14 She should not drink ³  anything that the grapevine produces. She must not drink wine or beer, and she must not eat any food that will make her ritually unclean. ⁴  She should obey everything I commanded her to do.”

[9:12]  ¹ tn Or “and rule over us!”

[9:13]  ² tn Heb “Should I stop my wine, which makes happy gods and men, and go to sway over the trees?” The negative sentence in the translation reflects the force of the rhetorical question.

[13:14]  ³ tn Heb “eat.”

[13:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “eat anything unclean.” Certain foods were regarded as ritually “unclean” (see Lev 11). Eating such food made one ritually “contaminated.”