Judges 8

1 Then the men of Ephraim sayde vnto him, Why hast thou serued vs thus that thou calledst vs not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? and they chode with him sharply.

And the men of Ephraim said to Gedeon, What [is] this [that] you have done to us, in that you did not call us when you went to fight with Madiam? and they chode with him sharply.

2 To whom he said, What haue I now done in comparison of you? is not the gleaning of grapes of Ephraim better, then the vintage 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 hath deliuered into your handes the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? and when he had thus spoken, then their spirits abated toward him.

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 And Gideon came to Iorden to passe ouer, hee, and the three hundreth men that were with him, weary, yet pursuing them.

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

5 And he said vnto the men of Succoth, Giue, I pray you, morsels of bread vnto the people that follow me (for they be wearie) that I may follow after Zebah, and Zalmunna 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 And the princes of Succoth sayde, Are the handes of Zebah and Zalmunna nowe in thine hads, that we should giue bread vnto thine army?

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

7 Gideon then sayde, Therefore when the Lord hath deliuered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, I will teare your flesh with thornes of the wildernes and with breers.

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 And he went vp thence to Penuel, and spake vnto them likewise, and the men of Penuel answered him, as the men of Succoth 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 And he sayd also vnto the men of Penuel, When I come againe in peace, I will breake downe this towre.

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, and their hostes with them, about fifteene thousande, all that were left of all the hostes of them of the East: for there was slaine an hundreth and twentie thousand men, that drew swordes.

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 And Gideon went through them that dwelt in Tabernacles on the East side of Nobah and Iogbehah, and smote the hoste: for the hoste was carelesse.

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

12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, hee followed after them, and tooke the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the hoste.

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 So Gideon the sonne of Ioash returned from battel, the sunne being yet hie,

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

14 And tooke a seruant of the me of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he wrote to him the princes of Succoth and the Elders thereof, euen seuentie and seuen men.

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 And he came vnto the men of Succoth, and sayd, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, by whome ye vpbrayded me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thine hands, that we should giue bread vnto thy weary men?

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

16 Then he tooke the Elders of the citie, and thornes of the wildernes and breers, and did teare the men of Succoth with them.

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 Also he brake downe the towre of Penuel, and slew the men of the citie.

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

18 Then saide he vnto Zebah and Zalmunna, What maner of men were they, whom ye slew at Tabor? and they answered, As thou art, so were they: euery one was like the children of a King.

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

19 And he said, They were my brethren, euen my mothers children: as the Lord liueth, if ye had saued their liues, I would not slay you.

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

20 Then he sayde vnto Iether his first borne sonne, Vp, and slay them: but the boy drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet yong.

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

21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna sayd, Rise thou, and fall vpon vs: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and tooke away the ornamentes, that were on their camels neckes.

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

22 Then the men of Israel sayd vnto Gideon, Reigne thou ouer vs, both thou, and thy sonne, and thy sonnes sonne: for thou hast deliuered vs out of the hand of Midian.

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

23 And Gideon sayde vnto them, I will not reigne ouer you, neither shall my childe reigne ouer you, but the Lord shall reigne ouer 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 Againe Gideon sayd vnto them, I would desire a request of you, that you would giue mee euery man the earings of his pray (for they had golden earings because they were Ismaelites)

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

25 And they answered, Wee will giue them. And they spred a garment, and did cast therein euery man the earings of his pray.

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

26 And the weight of the golden earings that he required, was a thousande and seuen hundreth shekels of golde, beside collers and iewels, and purple rayment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the cheynes that were about their camels neckes.

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 And Gideon made an Ephod thereof, and put it in Ophrah his citie: and all Israel went a whoring there after it, which was the destruction of Gideon and his house.

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

28 Thus was Midian brought lowe before the children of Israel, so that they lift vp their heads no more: and the countrey was in quietnes fourtie yeeres in the dayes 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 Then Ierubbaal the sonne of Ioash went, and dwelt in his owne house.

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

30 And Gideon had seuentie sonnes begotten of his body: for he had many wiues.

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

31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, bare him a sonne also, whose name he called Abimelech.

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

32 So Gideon the sonne of Ioash dyed in a good age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Ioash his father in Ophrah, of the father of ye Ezrites.

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 But when Gideon was dead, the children of Israel turned away and went a whoring after Baalim, and 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 And the children of Israel remembred not the Lord their God, which had deliuered the out of the hands of all their enemies on euery 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 Neither shewed they mercy on the house of Ierubbaal, or Gideon, according to al the goodnesse which he had shewed vnto 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.