Judges 8

1 Then the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, “Why have you done this to us? Why did you fail to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they contended with him violently.

2 But Gideon answered them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer?

3 God has delivered Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian, into your hand. What was I able to do compared to you?” When he had said this, their anger against him subsided.

4 Then Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it, exhausted yet still in pursuit.

5 So Gideon said to the men of Succoth, “Please give my troops some bread, for they are exhausted, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”

6 But the leaders of Succoth asked, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give bread to your army?”

7 “Very well,” Gideon replied, “when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with the thorns and briers of the wilderness!”

8 From there he went up to Penuel and asked the same from them, but the men of Penuel gave the same response as the men of Succoth.

9 So Gideon told the men of Penuel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower!”

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army of about fifteen thousand men—all that were left of the armies of the people of the east. A hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had already fallen.

11 And Gideon went up by way of the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked their army, taking them by surprise.

12 When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, Gideon pursued and captured these two kings of Midian, routing their entire army.

13 After this, Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle along the Ascent of Heres.

14 There he captured a young man of Succoth and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven leaders and elders of Succoth.

15 And Gideon went to the men of Succoth and said, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give bread to your weary men?’”

16 Then he took the elders of the city, and using the thorns and briers of the wilderness, he disciplined the men of Succoth.

17 He also pulled down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

18 Next, Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?” “Men like you,” they answered, “each one resembling the son of a king.”

19 “They were my brothers,” Gideon replied, “the sons of my mother! As surely as the LORD lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.”

20 So he said to Jether, his firstborn, “Get up and kill them.” But the young man did not draw his sword; he was fearful because he was still a youth.

21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Get up and kill us yourself, for as the man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon got up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments from the necks of their camels.

22 Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you and your son and grandson—for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”

23 But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD shall rule over you.”

24 Then he added, “Let me make a request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his plunder.” (For the enemies had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)

25 “We will give them gladly,” they replied. So they spread out a garment, and each man threw an earring from his plunder onto it.

26 The weight of the gold earrings he had requested was 1,700 shekels, in addition to the crescent ornaments, the pendants, the purple garments of the kings of Midian, and the chains from the necks of their camels.

27 From all this Gideon made an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.

28 In this way Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. So the land had rest for forty years in the days of Gideon,

29 and he—Jerubbaal son of Joash—returned home and settled down.

30 Gideon had seventy sons of his own, since he had many wives.

31 His concubine, who dwelt in Shechem, also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.

32 Later, Gideon son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

33 And as soon as Gideon was dead, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves with the Baals, and they set up Baal-berith as their god.

34 The Israelites failed to remember the LORD their God who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side.

35 They did not show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) for all the good things he had done for Israel.

1 ¶ And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.

2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? [Is] not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

4 ¶ And Gideon came to Jordan, [and] passed over, he, and the three hundred men that [were] with him, faint, yet pursuing [them].

5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they [be] faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.

6 And the princes of Succoth said, [Are] the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?

7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered [him].

9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna [were] in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand [men], all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure.

12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.

13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun [was up],

14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, [even] threescore and seventeen men.

15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, [Are] the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men [that are] weary?

16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.

17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.

18 ¶ Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men [were they] whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou [art], so [were] they; each one resembled the children of a king.

19 And he said, They [were] my brethren, [even] the sons of my mother: [as] the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.

20 And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, [and] slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he [was] yet a youth.

21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man [is, so is] his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that [were] on their camels' necks.

22 ¶ Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.

23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.

24 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they [were] Ishmaelites.)

25 And they answered, We will willingly give [them]. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.

26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred [shekels] of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that [was] on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that [were] about their camels' necks.

27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, [even] in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.

28 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.

29 ¶ And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.

30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.

31 And his concubine that [was] in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.

32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god.

34 And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:

35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, [namely], Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.

1 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou done this unto us, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to battle against the Midianites? And they quarreled with him fiercely.

2 And he said unto them: What have I now done that is like unto your deed? Is not one vine of Ephraim better than all the vintage of Abieser?

3 God has given the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, into your hands. How could I have done what you have done? When he spoke these things, their anger departed from him.

4 And when Gideon was come to Jordan, he passed over with the three hundred men that were with him: and they were weary, and pursued.

5 And he said unto the men of Sukhoth, Give some loaves unto the people that are under me: for they are weary, because I go after the kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunah.

6 And the princes of Shukhtoth said, Are the fists of Zebah and Zalmunah already in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy host?

7 And Gideon said, Well, if the LORD deliver Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, I will bruise your flesh with thorns out of the wilderness, and with hedges.

8 And he went up from thence unto Pnuel, and spake so unto them. And the men of Pnuel answered him, as did the men of Sukhoth.

9 And he said also unto the men of Pnuel, If I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

10 And Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor, and their host with them, about five and ten thousand, all that remained of all the host of the east. For an hundred and twenty thousand were fallen that could draw the sword.

11 And Gideon went up by the way of the tabernacle, toward the east, to Nobah and to Jagbeha, and smote the army: for the army was sure.

12 And Zebah and Zalmunna fled: but he pursued after them, and caught the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and destroyed all the host.

13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle before the sun was up,

14 And he caught a lad of the people of Shukhtoth, and asked him; and he wrote unto him the princes of Shukhtoth, and their elders, seventy and seven men.

15 And he came to the men of Shukhtoth, and said, Behold, here is Zebah and Zalmunna, of whom ye mocked me, saying, Is Zebah's fist and Zalmunna's fist already in thine hands, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?

16 And he took the elders of the city and domes out of the wilderness and hedges, and made the people of Sukhoth to feel it.

17 And he brake down the tower of Pnuel, and slew the men of the city.

18 And he said unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What were the men whom ye slew in Tabor? And they said, They were as thou art, and every one of them fair, as the children of a king.

19 And he said, They were my brethren, my mother's sons. As the LORD liveth, if ye had let them live, I would not have slain you.

20 And he said unto Jether his firstborn son, Arise, slay them. But the lad drew not his sword: for he was afraid, because he was yet a lad.

21 And Zebah and Zalmunna said, Arise, thou, and make thyself at us: for after that the man is, so is his strength. So Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the braces that were on their camels' necks.

22 And some of Israel said unto Gideon, Be thou lord over us, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son; because thou hast delivered us out of the hand of Midian.

23 But Gideon said unto them: I will not be lord over you, neither shall my son be lord over you: but the LORD shall be lord over you.

24 And Gideon said unto them: One thing I desire of you, that every man give me the headbands which he hath stolen: for because they were Ishmaelites, they had headbands of gold.

25 They said: These we will give. And they spread out a garment, and every man cast thereon the headbands which he had stolen.

26 And the golden headbands which he required were of the weight of a thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, beside the clasps, and the chains, and the scarlet garments, which the kings of Midian wear, and beside the collars of their camels.

27 And Gideon made an ephod of it, and put it in his city at Ophrah. And all Israel took offense at it there; and it was an offence unto Gideon, and to his house.

28 So the Midianites were humbled before the children of Israel, and lifted up their heads no more. And the land was quiet forty years, as long as Gideon lived.

29 And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his house.

30 And Gideon had seventy sons, which came out of his loins: for he had many wives.

31 And his concubine, which he had in Shechem, bare him also a son; and he called his name Abimelech.

32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father in Ophrah, the father of the Ezrites.

33 And it came to pass, when Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and whored after Baalim, and made them Baal-Berith their god.

34 And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, which had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies round about.

35 And did not shew mercy unto the house of Jerubbaal-gideon, as he had shewed all goodness unto Israel.