Judges 8

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.

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 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 Abi–ezer?

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 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.

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 towards him, when he spoke this word.

4 And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, 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 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.

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 said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto 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 And Gideon said, Therefore when Yhwh hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with 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 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.

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 spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break 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, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the armies of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew 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 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the army: for the army was secure.

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, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the army.

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

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

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.

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 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?

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

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

And he overthrew the tower of Phanuel, and killed 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.

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, even the sons of my mother: as Yhwh liveth, if ye had saved them alive, 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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: Yhwh shall rule over you.

And Gedeon said to them, I will not rule, and my son shall not rule amongst 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.)

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

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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

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

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

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

31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, 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 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 Abi–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 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 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 remembered not Yhwh their God, who had delivered them out of the hands 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 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto 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.