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General Information:
Jotham continues telling the parable he begins in Judges 9:7, where the trees represent the Israelites.
the olive tree said to them ... fig tree said to them
In this parable, Jotham describes the trees as doing things that humans do. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parables and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-personification)
Should I give up my abundance ... over the other trees?
The olive tree is asking this question to refuse to be king. This question can be expressed as a statement. AT: "I will not give up my abundance ... over the other trees." (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion)
abundance
This word for "wealth" is a metonym for the olives that come from the tree. People ate olives as food and crushed them to make oil for lamps. AT: "oil" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy)
by which gods and men are honored
This can be translated in active form. AT: "by which people honor both gods and other men"
gods
It is possible to translate the same Hebrew word as "god," "God," or "gods," so possible meanings here are 1) "gods" or 2) "God."
sway over
To sway is to move back and forth. Trees sway when the wind blows them. Here this is a metaphor for ruling over people. Jotham is also using irony, saying that the work of any ruler will be useless because the "trees," the people, will not obey anyone who rules them. AT: "rule over" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-irony)
Should I give up my sweetness ... over the other trees?
The fig tree is asking this question to refuse to be king. This question can be expressed as a statement. AT: "I will not give up my sweetness ... over the other trees." (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion)