Judges 8

1 The men of Ephraim said to Gideon, “What is this you have done to us? You did not call us when you went to fight against Midian.” Then they had a violent argument with him.

And the men of Ephraim said to Gedeon, What [is] this [that] thou hast done to us, in that thou didst not call us when thou wentest to fight with Madiam? and they chode with him sharply.

2 He said to them, “What have I done now compared to you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim's grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer?

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

3 God has given you victory over the princes of Midian—Oreb and Zeeb! What have I accomplished compared to you?” Their anger toward him died down when he said this.

The Lord has delivered into your hand the princes of Madiam, Oreb and Zeb; and what could I do in comparison of you? Then was their spirit calmed toward him, when he spoke this word.

4 Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over it, he and the three hundred men who were with him. They were exhausted, yet they still kept up the pursuit.

And Gedeon came to Jordan, and went over, himself and the three hundred with him, hungry, yet pursuing.

5 He said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”

And he said to the men of Socchoth, Give, I pray you, bread to feed this people that follow me; because they are faint, and behold, I am following after Zebee and Salmana, kings of Madiam.

6 Then the officials said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand? Why should we give bread to your army?”

And the princes of Socchoth said, [Are] the hands of Zebee and Salmana now in thy hand, that we should give bread to thy host?

7 Gideon said, “When Yahweh has given us victory over Zebah and Zalmunna, I will tear your skin with the desert thorns and briers.”

And Gedeon said, Therefore when the Lord gives Zebee and Salmana into my hand, then will I tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness, and the Barkenim.

8 He went up from there to Peniel and spoke to the people there in the same way, but the men of Peniel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered.

And he went up thence to Phanuel, and spoke to them likewise: and the men of Phanuel answered him as the men of Socchoth [had] answered him.

9 He spoke also to the men of Peniel and said, “When I come again in peace, I will pull down this tower.”

And Gedeon said to the men of Phanuel, When I return in peace, I will break down this tower.

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about fifteen thousand men, all who remained out of the entire army of the people of the East, for there had fallen 120,000 men who drew the sword.

And Zebee and Salmana [were] in Carcar, and their host [was] with them, about fifteen thousand, all that were left of all the host of the aliens; and they that fell [were] a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew the sword.

11 Gideon went up the road taken by tent dwellers, past Nobah and Jogbehah. He defeated the enemy army, because they were not expecting an attack.

And Gedeon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents, eastward of Nabai and Jegebal; and he smote the host, and the host was secure.

12 Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and as Gideon pursued them, he captured the two kings of Midian—Zebah and Zalmunna—and set their whole army into a panic.

And Zebee and Salmana fled; and he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Madiam, Zebee and Salmana, and discomfited all the army.

13 Gideon, son of Joash, returned from the battle going through the pass of Heres.

And Gedeon the son of Joas returned from the battle, down from the battle of Ares.

14 He caught a young man of Succoth and questioned him. The young man wrote down the names of seventy-seven officials and elders of Succoth.

And he took prisoner a young lad of the men of Socchoth, and questioned him; and he wrote to him the names of the princes of Socchoth and of their elders, seventy-seven men.

15 Gideon came to the men of Succoth and said, “Look at Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you mocked me and said, 'Have you already conquered Zebah and Zalmunna? We do not know that we should give bread to your army.'”

And Gedeon came to the princes of Socchoth, and said, Behold Zebee and Salmana, about whom ye reproached me, saying, [Are] the hands of Zebee and Salmana now in thy hand, that we should give bread to thy men that are faint?

16 Gideon took the elders of the city, and he punished the men of Succoth with the desert thorns and briers.

And he took the elders of the city with the thorns of the wilderness and the Barkenim, and with them he tore the men of the city.

17 Then he pulled down the tower of Peniel and killed the men of that city.

And he overthrew the tower of Phanuel, and slew the men of the city.

18 Then Gideon said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?” They answered, “As you are, so were they. Every one of them looked like the son of a king.”

And he said to Zebee and Salmana, Where [are] the men whom ye slew in Thabor? and they said, As thou, so [were] they, according to the likeness of the son of a king.

19 Gideon said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As Yahweh lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you.”

And Gedeon said, They were my brethren and the sons of my mother: [as] the Lord lives, if ye had preserved them alive, I would not have slain you.

20 He said to Jether (his firstborn), “Get up and kill them!” But the young man did not draw his sword for he was afraid, because he was still a young boy.

And he said to Jether his first-born, Rise and slay them; but the lad drew not his sword, for he was afraid, for he was yet very young.

21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Get up yourself and kill us! For as the man is, so is his strength.” Gideon rose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna. He also took off the crescent-shaped ornaments that were on their camels' necks.

And Zebee and Salmana said, Rise thou and fall upon us, for thy power [is] as that of a man; and Gedeon arose, and slew Zebee and Salmana: and he took the round ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.

22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son, and your grandson—because you have saved us out of the hand of Midian.”

And the men of Israel said to Gedeon, Rule, [my] lord, over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son; for thou hast saved us out of the hand of Madiam.

23 Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, neither will my son rule over you. Yahweh will rule over you.”

And Gedeon said to them, I will not rule, and my son shall not rule among you; the Lord shall rule over you.

24 Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you: Every one of you would give me the earrings from his plunder.” (The Midianites had golden earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)

And Gedeon said to them, I will make a request of you, and do ye give me every man an earring out of his spoils: for they had golden earrings, for they were Ismaelites.

25 They answered, “We are glad to give them to you.” They spread out a cloak and every man threw on it the earrings from his plunder.

And they said, We will certainly give them: and he opened his garment, and each man cast therein an earring of his spoils.

26 The weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold. This plunder was in addition to the crescent ornaments, the pendants, the purple clothing that was worn by the kings of Midian, and in addition to the chains that had been around their camels' necks.

And the weight of the golden earrings which he asked, was a thousand and seven hundred pieces of gold, besides the crescents, and the chains, and the garments, and the purple cloths that were on the kings of Madiam, and besides the chains that were on the necks of their camels.

27 Gideon made an ephod out of the earrings and put it in his city, in Ophrah, and all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there. It became a trap for Gideon and for those in his house.

And Gedeon made an ephod of it, an set it in his city in Ephratha; and all Israel went thither a whoring after it, and it became a stumbling-block to Gedeon and his house.

28 So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel and they did not raise their heads up again. So the land had peace for forty years in the days of Gideon.

And Madiam, was straitened before the children of Israel, and they did not lift up their head any more; and the land had rest forty years in the days of Gedeon.

29 Jerub Baal, son of Joash, went and lived in his own house.

And Jerobaal the son of Joas went and sat in his house.

30 Gideon had seventy sons who were his descendants, for he had many wives.

And Gedeon had seventy sons begotten of his body, for he had many wives.

31 His concubine, who was in Shechem, also bore him a son, and Gideon gave him the name Abimelech.

And his concubine was in Sychem, and she also bore him a son, and gave him the name Abimelech.

32 Gideon, son of Joash, died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, at Ophrah of the clan of Abiezer.

And Gedeon son of Joas died in his city, and he was buried in the sepulchre of Joas his father in Ephratha of Abi-Esdri.

33 It came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, the people of Israel turned again and prostituted themselves by worshiping the Baals. They made Baal-Berith their god.

And it came to pass when Gedeon was dead, that the children of Israel turned, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made for themselves a covenant with Baal that he should be their god.

34 The people of Israel did not remember to honor Yahweh, their God, who had rescued them from the hand of all their enemies on every side.

And the children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God who had delivered them out of the hand of all that afflicted them round about.

35 They did not keep their promises to the house of Jerub Baal (that is, Gideon), in return for all the good he had done in Israel.

And they did not deal mercifully with the house of Jerobaal, (the same is Gedeon) according to all the good which he did to Israel.