Judges 8

Gideon Defeats Zebah and Zalmunna

1Then the menH376 of EphraimH669 saidH559 toH413 Gideon, “WhyH4100H1697 have you doneH6213 thisH2088 to us? Why did you failH1115 to callH7121 us whenH3588 you wentH1980 to fightH3898 against MidianH4080?” And they contendedH7378 with him violentlyH854H2394.

2But Gideon answeredH559 themH413, “NowH6258 whatH4100 have I accomplishedH6213 compared to you? Are notH3808 the gleaningsH5955 of EphraimH669 betterH2896 than the grape harvestH1210 of AbiezerH44? 3GodH430 has deliveredH5414 OrebH6159 andH853 ZeebH2062, the two princesH8269 of MidianH4080, into your handH3027. WhatH4100 was I ableH3201 to doH6213 compared to youH227?” When he had saidH1696H1697 thisH2088, their angerH73071 against himH5921 subsidedH7503.

4Then GideonH1439 and hisH854 threeH7969 hundredH3967 menH376 cameH935 to the JordanH3383 and crossed itH5674H1931, exhaustedH5889 yet still in pursuitH7291. 5So Gideon saidH559 to the menH582 of SuccothH5523, “PleaseH4994 giveH5414 my troopsH5971 someH3603 breadH3899, forH3588 theyH1992 are exhaustedH5889, and IH595 am still pursuingH7291H310 ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759, the kingsH4428 of MidianH4080.”

6But the leadersH8269 of SuccothH5523 askedH559, “Are the handsH3709 of ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759 alreadyH6258 in your possessionH3027, thatH3588 we should giveH5414 breadH3899 to your armyH6635?”

7“Very wellH3651,” GideonH1439 repliedH559, “when the LORDH3068 has deliveredH5414 ZebahH2078 andH853 ZalmunnaH6759 into my handH3027, I will tearH1758 your fleshH1320 withH854 the thornsH6975 and briersH1303 of the wildernessH4057H854!”

8From thereH8033 he went upH5927 to PenuelH64392 and askedH1696 the sameH2063 from themH413, but the menH582 of PenuelH6439 gave the same responseH6030 asH834 the menH582 of SuccothH5523. 9SoH1571 Gideon toldH559 the menH582 of PenuelH6439H559, “When I returnH7725 in triumphH7965, I will tear downH5422 thisH2088 towerH4026!”

10Now ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759 were in KarkorH7174 withH5973 their armyH4264 of about fifteenH2568H6240 thousandH505 men—allH3605 that were leftH3498 ofH3605 the armiesH4264 of the peopleH1121 of the eastH6924. A hundredH3967 and twentyH6242 thousandH505 swordsmenH376H8025H2719 had already fallenH5307. 11And GideonH1439 went upH5927 by way of the caravanH7931H168 routeH1870 eastH6924 of NobahH5025 and JogbehahH3011, and he attackedH5221 their armyH4264, taking them by surpriseH1961H983. 12When ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759 fledH5127, Gideon pursuedH7291H310 and capturedH3920 these twoH8147 kingsH4428 of MidianH4080, routingH2729 their entireH3605 armyH4264.

13After this, GideonH1439 sonH1121 of JoashH3101 returnedH7725 fromH4480 the battleH4421 along the Ascent ofH4608 HeresH2776. 14There he capturedH3920 a young manH5288H582 of SuccothH5523 and interrogated himH7592. The young man wrote downH3789 for himH413 the names of the seventy-sevenH7657H7651 leadersH8269 andH853 eldersH2205 of SuccothH5523.

15And Gideon wentH935 toH413 the menH582 of SuccothH5523 and saidH559, “HereH2009 are ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759, about whomH834 you tauntedH2778 meH853, sayingH559, ‘Are the handsH3709 of ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759 alreadyH6258 in your possessionH3027, thatH3588 we should giveH5414 breadH3899 to your wearyH3287 menH582?’” 16Then he tookH3947 the eldersH2205 of the cityH5892, andH853 using the thornsH6975 and briersH1303 of the wildernessH4057, he disciplinedH3045 the menH582 of SuccothH5523. 17He also pulled downH5422 the towerH4026 of PenuelH6439 and killedH2026 the menH582 of the cityH5892.

18Next, Gideon askedH559H413 ZebahH2078H413 and ZalmunnaH6759, “What kindH375 of menH582 did you killH2026 at TaborH8396?”

“Men like youH3644,” they answeredH559, “each oneH259 resemblingH8389 the sonH1121 of a kingH4428.”

19“TheyH1992 were my brothersH251,” Gideon repliedH559, “the sonsH1121 of my motherH517! As surely as the LORDH3068 livesH2416, ifH3863 you had let them liveH2421, I would notH3808 killH2026 youH853.”

20So he saidH559 to JetherH3500, his firstbornH1060, “Get upH6965 and kill themH2026.” But the young manH5288 did notH3808 drawH8025 his swordH2719; he was fearfulH3372 becauseH3588 he was stillH5750 a youthH5288.

21Then ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759 saidH559, “Get upH6965 and killH6293 us yourselfH859, forH3588 as the man isH376, so is his strengthH1369.” So GideonH1439 got upH6965 and killedH2026 ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759, and he tookH3947 the crescent ornamentsH7720 from the necksH6677 of their camelsH1581.

Gideon’s Ephod

22Then the IsraelitesH376H3478 saidH559 toH413 GideonH1439, “RuleH4910 over us—youH859 andH1571 your sonH1121H1571 andH1571 grandsonH1121—forH3588 you have saved usH3467 from the handH3027 of MidianH4080.”

23But GideonH1439 repliedH559H413, “IH589 will notH3808 ruleH4910 over you, norH3808 willH4910 my sonH1121. The LORDH3068 shall ruleH4910 over you.”

24Then heH1439 addedH559, “Let me make a requestH7592H7596 of you, that each of youH376 giveH5414 me an earringH5141 from his plunderH7998.” (ForH3588 the enemies had goldH2091 earringsH5141 becauseH3588 theyH1992 were IshmaelitesH3459.)

25“We will give them gladlyH5414,” they repliedH559.

So they spread outH6566 a garmentH8071, and each manH376 threwH7993 an earringH5141 from his plunderH7998 onto itH8033. 26The weightH4948 of the goldH2091 earringsH5141 he had requestedH7592 wasH1961 1,700H505H7651H3967 shekels,3 in addition toH905H4480 the crescent ornamentsH7720, the pendantsH5188, the purpleH713 garmentsH899 ofH5921 the kingsH4428 of MidianH4080H905H4480, and the chainsH6060 from the necksH6677 of their camelsH1581.

27From all this GideonH1439 madeH6213 an ephodH646, which he placedH3322 in OphrahH6084, his hometownH5892. But soon allH3605 IsraelH3478 prostituted themselvesH2181 by worshiping itH310 thereH8033, and it becameH1961 a snareH4170 to GideonH1439 and his householdH1004.

Forty Years of Peace

28In this way MidianH4080 was subduedH3665 beforeH6440 the IsraelitesH1121H3478 and did notH3808 raiseH5375 its headH7218 againH3254. So the landH776 had restH8252 for fortyH705 yearsH8141 in the daysH3117 of GideonH1439, 29and he—JerubbaalH33784 sonH1121 of JoashH3101—returnedH1980 homeH1004 and settled downH3427.

30GideonH1439 hadH1961 seventyH7657 sonsH1121 of his ownH3318H3409,5 sinceH3588 he hadH1961 manyH7227 wivesH802. 31His concubineH6370, whoH834 dwelt in ShechemH7927, alsoH1571H1931 boreH3205 him a sonH1121, and he namedH7760 himH8034 AbimelechH40.

Gideon’s Death

32Later, GideonH1439 sonH1121 of JoashH3101 diedH4191 at a ripeH2896 old ageH7872 and was buriedH6912 in the tombH6913 of his fatherH1 JoashH3101 in OphrahH6084 of the AbiezritesH33.

33AndH1961 as soon asH834 GideonH1439 was deadH4191, the IsraelitesH1121H3478 turnedH7725 and prostituted themselvesH2181 withH310 the BaalsH1168, and they set upH7760 Baal-berithH1170 as their godH430.

34The IsraelitesH1121H3478 failedH3808 to rememberH2142 the LORDH3068 their GodH430 who had deliveredH5337 themH853 from the handsH3027 of allH3605 their enemiesH341 on every sideH5439. 35They did notH3808 showH6213 kindnessH2617 toH5973 the houseH1004 of JerubbaalH3378 (that is, GideonH1439) for allH3605 the good thingsH2896 he had doneH6213 forH5973 IsraelH3478.