Judges 8:18-31

18He asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?” “They were like you,” they said. “Each resembled the son of a king.”

19So he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother! As the Lord lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.”

20Then he said to Jether, his firstborn, “Get up and kill them.” The youth did not draw his sword, for he was afraid because he was still a youth.

21Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Get up and strike us down yourself, for a man is judged by his strength.” So Gideon got up, killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.

22Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you as well as your sons and your grandsons, for you delivered us from the power of Midian.”

23But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.”

24Then he said to them, “Let me make a request of you: Everyone give me an earring from his plunder.” Now the enemy had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.

25They said, “We agree to give them.” So they spread out a cloak, and everyone threw an earring from his plunder on it.

26The weight of the gold earrings he requested was forty-three pounds of gold, in addition to the crescent ornaments and ear pendants, the purple garments on the kings of Midian, and the chains on the necks of their camels.

27Gideon made an ephod from all this and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. Then all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.

28So Midian was subdued before the Israelites, and they were no longer a threat. The land had peace for forty years during the days of Gideon.

29Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) son of Joash went back to live at his house.

30Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, since he had many wives.

31His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.