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.

And the men of Ephraim said unto him, What is this thing that thou hast done unto us, not to call for us, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they quarrelled with him vehemently.

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?

And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi'ezer?

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.

Into your hand God delivered the princes of Midian, 'Oreb and Zeeb: and what have I been able to do in comparison with you? Then was their anger abated from him, when he had spoken this speech.

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

And Gid'on came to the Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, and 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.”

And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, a few loaves of bread unto the people that are in my train; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebach 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?”

And the princes of Succoth said, Is the sole of the foot of Zebach and Zalmunna' now already in thy hand, that we should give unto thy army bread?

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!”

And Gid'on said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebach and Zalmunna' into my hand, then will I thresh your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

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.

And he went up thence to Penuel, and spoke unto them in the same manner: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.

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

And he said also unto the men of Penuel thus, When I return again in peace, I will break 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.

Now Zebach and Zalmunna' were in Karkor, and their camps with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that had been left of all the camp of the children of the east; but those who had fallen were one hundred and twenty thousand men that drew the sword.

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.

And Gid'on went up by the way of those that dwelt in tents, to the east of Nobach and Yogbehah, and smote the camp; but the camp thought itself secure.

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

And Zebach and Zalmunna' fled; but he pursued after them, and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebach and Zalmunna', and all the camp he discomfited.

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

And Gid'on the son of Joash returned from the battle before the rising of the sun,

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.

And he caught a young man of the people of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he wrote down for him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, seventy and seven men.

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?’”

And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold here are Zebach and Zalmunna', with whom ye derided me, saying, Is the sole of the foot of Zebach and Zalmunna' now already in thy hand, that we should give unto thy weary men bread?

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

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

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

And the tower of Penuel he beat down, and slew 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.”

And he said unto Zebach and Zalmunna', What kind of men were those whom ye slew at Tabor! And they answered, As thou art, so were they; one was in form like that of the children 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.”

And he said, They were my brothers, the sons of my mother; as the Lord liveth, if ye had spared them alive, I would not slay 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.

And he said unto Yether his first-born, Rise up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword; for he was afraid, because he was yet 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.

Then said Zebach and Zalmunna', Rise thou, and fall upon us; for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gid'on arose, and slew Zebach and Zalmunna'; and he took away the crescent ornaments that were on 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.”

And the men of Israel said unto Gid'on, Rule thou over us, both thou and thy son, and thy son's son also; for thou hast delivered us out of the hand of Midian.

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

And Gid'on said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: 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.)

And Gid'on said unto them, I would ask one request of you, that ye should give me every man the earring of his booty; for they had had golden 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.

And they answered, We will willingly give. And they spread out a garment, and they cast therein every man the earring of his booty.

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.

And the weight of the golden earrings that he had requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; besides the crescent ornaments, and ear-drops, and purple garments that were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were about their camels' necks.

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.

And Gid'on made thereof an ephod, and set it up in his city, in 'Ophrah: and all Israel went astray after it thither; and it became a snare unto Gid'on, and to his house.

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,

And Midian was humbled before the children of Israel, so that they lifted not up their head any more. And the country was quiet forty years in the days of Gid'on.

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

And Yerubba'al the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.

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

And Gid'on had seventy sons begotten of his body; for he had many wives.

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

And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he gave him the name, 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.

And Gid'on the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in 'Ophrah of the Abi'ezrites.

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.

And it came to pass, when Gid'on was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went astray after the Be'alim, and made themselves Ba'al-berith for a 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.

And the children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God, who delivered them out of the hand 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.

Neither showed they kindness to the house of Yerubba'al, namely, Gid'on, in accordance with all the good which he had done unto Israel.