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 unto him—What is this thing thou hast done to us, in not calling us, when thou wentest to fight with Midian? And they did chide 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 unto them, What have I done, now, in comparison with you? Is not the grape-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.

Into your hand, hath God delivered the princes of Midian—Oreb and Zeeb, what then had I been able to do in comparison with you? Then, was their spirit softened toward him, when he had spoken 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 Gideon came towards the Jordan, being about to pass over—he, and the three hundred men who were with him, faint 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.”

So he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread to the people that are following me; for, faint, they are, and, I, am in pursuit of Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.

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 Succoth said, Are the palms of the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy power, —that we should give to thine army bread?

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 Gideon said, Therefore, when Yahweh hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my power, then will I tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness, and with the nettles.

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.

So he went up from thence, to Penuel, and spake unto them in like manner, —and the men of Penuel answered him, as had answered the men of Succoth.

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

So he spake to the men of Penuel also, saying, —When I return with success, 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.

Now, Zebah and Zalmunna, were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand, all that were left out of all the host of the sons of the east, —and, the fallen, were a hundred and twenty thousand men, who had drawn 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.

So Gideon went up by the way of the tent-dwellers, on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host, when, the host, had become 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 when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, then he pursued them, and captured the two kings of Midian—Zebah and Zalmunna, and, all the host, put he in terror.

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

And Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle, —from the ascent of Heres;

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 caught a young man, of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him, —so he wrote down for him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, 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.'”

Then came he in unto the men of Succoth, and said, Lo! Zebah and Zalmunna, —concerning whom ye did taunt me, saying—Are the palms of the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy power, that we should give to thy weary men bread?

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

So he took the elders of the city, and the thorns of the wilderness and the nettles, and taught therewith the men of Succoth:

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

the tower of Penuel also, brake he down, —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.”

Then said he unto Zebah and unto Zalmunna, What manner of men were they, whom ye slew at Tabor? And they said, As thou art, so were they, each one, as handsome as the sons 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 he said: My brethren, sons of my mother, they were! As Yahweh liveth, if ye had saved 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.

So he said to Jether his firstborn, Up! slay them. But the youth drew not his sword, for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

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.

Then said Zebah and Zalmunna—Up! thou, and fall upon us, for, like the man, is his might. So Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents 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.”

Then said the men of Israel, unto Gideon, Rule over us—even thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, —for thou hast saved us out of the power of Midian.

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

And Gideon said unto them, I, will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you, —Yahweh, 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 Gideon said unto them—I would make to you a request, Give me, then, every man the nose-ring of his spoil. For they had, nose-rings of gold, for, Ishmaelites, they were.

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, freely give. So they spread out a mantle, and cast therein, every man the nose-ring of his spoil.

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 so it was, that the weight of the nose-rings of gold which he requested, was a thousand and seven hundred [shekels] of gold, —besides the crescents, and the pendants, and the raiment of purple that were upon the kings of Midian, and besides the ornaments 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 Gideon made thereof an Ephod, and set it up in his own city, in Ophrah, and all Israel went unchastely astray after it there, —so it became, to Gideon and to his house, a snare.

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.

Thus was Midian subdued, before the sons of Israel, neither did they again lift up their head, —and the land had rest forty years, in the days of Gideon.

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

So then Jerubbaal, son of Joash, went and dwelt in his own house.

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

And, Gideon, had seventy sons, sprung from his own loins, —for, many wives, had he.

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

And, his concubine who was in Shechem, she also, bare him a son, —and he gave him the name of 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 Gideon, son of Joash, died in a good old age, —and was buried in the grave of Joash his father, in Ophrah, of the Abiezrites.

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 that, as soon as Gideon was dead, the sons of Israel turned back, and went unchastely astray after the Baals, —and appointed them Baal-berith, to be 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.

so the sons of Israel remembered not Yahweh, their own God, —who had rescued them out of the hand of all their enemies, on every side;

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.

neither dealt they in lovingkindness with the house of Jerubbaal [namely] Gideon, —according to all the goodness wherewith he had dealt with Israel.