Judges 8

1 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why have you served us thus, that you called us not, when you went to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.

Orang Efraim berkata kepada Gideon, "Mengapa kami tidak diajak waktu engkau berangkat untuk memerangi orang Midian? Apa sebab kami kauperlakukan demikian?" Begitulah mereka mengomel terhadap Gideon.

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 Abiezer?

Tetapi Gideon menjawab, "Apa yang saya lakukan tidaklah begitu berarti bila dibandingkan dengan apa yang sudah kalian lakukan. Walaupun yang kalian lakukan hanya sedikit, tetapi yang sedikit itu jauh lebih berharga daripada semua yang telah dilakukan oleh seluruh pasukan kaum saya.

3 God has 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 decreased toward him, when he had said that.

Kalianlah yang mendapat kuasa dari Allah sehingga dapat membunuh Oreb dan Zeeb, kedua tokoh Midian itu! Dibandingkan dengan itu, apakah jasa saya?" Setelah Gideon berkata demikian, mereka tidak marah lagi.

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

Pada saat itu Gideon dengan ketiga ratus anak buahnya sampai ke seberang Sungai Yordan. Mereka lelah sekali tetapi masih terus saja mengejar musuh.

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.

Kemudian mereka sampai di Sukot. Di situ Gideon berkata kepada penduduk kota, "Tolonglah berikan kepada anak buahku sedikit makanan. Mereka lelah sekali sedangkan kami masih mengejar Zebah dan Salmuna, raja-raja Midian itu."

6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread unto your army?

Tetapi pemimpin-pemimpin di Sukot itu menjawab, "Ah, kalian belum lagi menangkap Zebah dan Salmuna, kalian sudah minta makanan! Untuk apa anak buahmu harus diberi makan?"

7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

Maka kata Gideon, "Baiklah! Nanti kalau TUHAN telah memberikan kepadaku kemenangan atas Zebah dan Salmuna, kalian akan kucambuk dengan duri dan onak dari padang pasir!"

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

Kemudian Gideon meneruskan perjalanan lalu sampai di Pnuel. Di sana juga ia minta makanan untuk anak buahnya. Tetapi jawaban orang Pnuel sama dengan jawaban orang Sukot.

9 And he spoke also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

Oleh karena itu Gideon berkata kepada mereka, "Nanti saya akan kembali dengan selamat. Dan pada saat itu saya akan merobohkan menara kota ini!"

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

Sementara itu Zebah dan Salmuna dengan seluruh pasukan mereka sedang berada di Karkor. Dari seluruh pasukan orang-orang padang pasir, hanya ada kira-kira 15.000 orang saja yang sisa; 120.000 tentaranya sudah tewas.

11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and stroke the host; for the host was secure.

Gideon menyusuri perbatasan padang pasir di sebelah timur Nobah dan Yogbeha lalu menyerang musuh secara mendadak.

12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and humiliated all the host.

Zebah dan Salmuna, kedua raja Midian itu lari, tetapi Gideon mengejar dan menangkap mereka, sehingga seluruh angkatan perang mereka menjadi panik.

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

Kemudian dalam perjalanan pulang dari pertempuran, Gideon mengambil jalan yang melewati pendakian Heres.

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.

Di situ ia menangkap seorang muda dari Sukot, lalu ia menanyai orang itu tentang nama-nama para pemuka di Sukot. Maka orang itu menuliskan nama-nama itu untuk Gideon--semuanya ada 77 orang.

15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom all of you did reproach me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread unto your men that are weary?

Sesudah itu Gideon pergi menemui pemuka-pemuka di kota itu lalu berkata, "Pasti kalian masih ingat bahwa kalian pernah menolak untuk menolong saya, karena saya belum menangkap Zebah dan Salmuna, bukan? Kalian tak mau memberi makanan kepada anak buah saya; padahal mereka sedang lelah pada waktu itu. Lihat, ini Zebah dan Salmuna."

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.

Sesudah itu Gideon mengambil duri dan onak dari padang pasir, lalu menghajar para pemuka kota Sukot itu.

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

Di Pnuel pun ia merobohkan menara dan membunuh semua orang laki-laki di kota itu.

18 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom all of you slew at Tabor? And they answered, As you are, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.

Sesudah itu Gideon bertanya kepada Zebah dan Salmuna, "Bagaimana rupa orang-orang yang kalian bunuh di Tabor itu?" Zebah dan Salmuna menjawab, "Mereka semuanya mirip engkau, seperti keturunan bangsawan."

19 And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the LORD lives, if all of you had saved them alive, I would not slay you.

"Itu saudara-saudara saya--anak-anak ibu saya," kata Gideon. "Seandainya kalian tidak membunuh mereka, sungguh mati saya tidak akan membunuh kalian juga."

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.

Lalu kata Gideon kepada Yeter, anak sulungnya, "Bunuhlah mereka!" Tetapi Yeter masih muda. Jadi, ia takut sehingga ia tidak mencabut pedangnya untuk membunuh.

21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise you, 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.

Kata Zebah dan Salmuna kepada Gideon, "Ayo, kalau kau laki-laki, bunuhlah kami dengan tanganmu sendiri!" Maka Gideon pun membunuh mereka lalu mengambil semua perhiasan yang ada pada leher unta mereka.

22 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule you over us, both you, and your son, and your son's son also: for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.

Kemudian berkatalah umat Israel kepada Gideon, "Kau sudah melepaskan kami dari kekuasaan orang Midian. Sebab itu hendaklah kau menjadi pemimpin kami--kau dan keturunanmu."

23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.

Sahut Gideon, "Tidak. Saya tidak akan menjadi pemimpinmu; anak saya pun tidak. Tuhanlah pemimpinmu."

24 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that all of you would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

Tetapi kemudian Gideon berkata lagi, "Hanya satu permintaan saya; anting-anting yang kalian rampas dari musuh, hendaklah kalian serahkan semuanya kepada saya." (Orang Midian biasanya memakai anting-anting emas; sama seperti orang-orang lainnya yang tinggal di padang pasir.)

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.

"Baik," jawab mereka, "dengan senang hati kami akan memberikannya kepadamu." Lalu mereka membentangkan sehelai kain, kemudian setiap orang datang dan meletakkan di situ anting-anting yang telah dirampasnya dari musuh.

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.

Semua anting-anting emas yang diserahkan kepada Gideon pada waktu itu beratnya hampir dua puluh kilogram, belum termasuk perhiasan-perhiasa kalung, kain ungu yang dipakai raja-raja Midian, dan kalung yang terdapat pada leher unta-unta mereka.

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.

Dari emas itu, Gideon membuat sebuah patung berhala, lalu menempatkannya di desanya, yaitu di Ofra. Semua orang Israel pergi ke sana untuk menyembah patung berhala itu, sehingga mereka tidak lagi memperhatikan Allah. Dan hal itu menjadi seperti jerat bagi Gideon dan keluarganya.

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.

Orang Midian tak dapat berkutik lagi; mereka telah dikalahkan oleh orang Israel. Maka amanlah negeri itu empat puluh tahun lamanya selama Gideon masih hidup.

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

Setelah pertempuran itu, Gideon kembali ke kampung halamannya dan tinggal di sana.

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

Ia mempunyai tujuh puluh orang anak laki-laki, sebab istrinya banyak.

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

Ada juga selirnya di Sikhem; dari selirnya ini ia mendapat seorang anak laki-laki yang dinamainya Abimelekh.

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

Setelah lanjut sekali usianya barulah Gideon anak Yoas itu meninggal. Ia dimakamkan di kuburan Yoas, ayahnya. Kuburan itu terletak di Ofra, yaitu kota kaum Abiezer.

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 Baalberith their god.

Setelah Gideon meninggal, orang Israel tidak setia lagi kepada Allah. Mereka menyembah dewa-dewa Baal dan menjadikan Baal-Berit dewa mereka.

34 And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:

Mereka tidak beribadat lagi kepada Allah, TUHAN mereka, yang telah melepaskan mereka dari kekuasaan semua musuh di sekeliling mereka.

35 Neither showed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had showed unto Israel.

Mereka juga tidak membalas budi kepada keluarga Gideon atas segala jasa Gideon bagi umat Israel.