Judges 8

1 And the men of Ephraim said to him, Why hast thou treated us thus, that thou calledst us not when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? and they chid with him sharply.

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.

2 And he said to 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?

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?

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, when he had said that, their anger towards him abated.

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.

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

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.

5 And he said to the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread to the people that follow me: for they [are] faint, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.

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.”

6 And the princes of Succoth said, [Are] the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand, that we should give bread to thy army?

Then the officials said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand? Why should we give bread to your army?”

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

Gideon said, “When Yahweh has given us victory over Zebah and Zalmunna, I will tear your skin with the desert thorns and briers.”

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

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.

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

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

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 a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun [had risen],

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

14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he described to him the princes of Succoth, and its elders, [even] seventy seven men.

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.

15 And he came to the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye upbraided me, saying, [Are] the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand, that we should give bread to thy men [that are] weary?

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.'”

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.

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

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

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

18 Then said he to 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.

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.”

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

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.”

20 And he said to Jether his first-born, Arise, [and] slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he [was] yet a youth.

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.

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.

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.

22 Then the men of Israel said to 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.

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.”

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

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

24 And Gideon said to them, I would desire a request of you, that you would give me every man the ear-rings of his prey. (For they had golden ear-rings, because they [were] Ishmaelites.)

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.)

25 And they answered, We will willingly give [them]. And they spread a garment, and cast into it every man the ear-rings of his prey.

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.

26 And the weight of the golden ear-rings that he requested, was a thousand and seven hundred [shekels] of gold; besides ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that [was] on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that [were] about their camels' necks.

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.

27 And Gideon made of it an ephod, and put it in his city, [even] in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither astray after it: which thing became a snare to Gideon, and to his house.

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.

28 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they raised their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.

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.

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

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

30 And Gideon had seventy sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.

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

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

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

32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulcher of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.

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.

33 And it came to pass as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went astray after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god.

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.

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

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.

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

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.