Judges 8

Zebah and Zalmunna Routed

1Then the menH376 of EphraimH669 saidH559 to him, “1WhatH4100 is thisH2088 thingH1697 you have doneH6213 to us, not callingH7121 us whenH3588 you wentH1980 to fightH3898 against MidianH4080?” And they contendedH7378 with him vigorouslyH2394. 2But he saidH559 to them, “WhatH4100 have I doneH6213 nowH6258 in comparison with you? Is not the gleaningH5955 of the grapes of EphraimH669 betterH2896 thanH4480 the vintageH1210 of AbiezerH44? 3GodH430 has givenH5414 the leadersH8269 of MidianH4080, OrebH6159 and ZeebH2062 into your handsH3027; and whatH4100 was I ableH3201 to doH6213 in comparison with you?” ThenH227 their 2angerH7307 towardH4480H5921 him subsidedH7503 when he saidH1696 3that.

4Then GideonH1439 and the 300H7969H3967 menH376 whoH834 were with him cameH935 4to the JordanH3383 and crossedH5674 overH5674, wearyH5889 yet pursuingH7291. 5He saidH559 to the menH376 of 5SuccothH5523, “PleaseH4994 giveH5414 loavesH3603 of breadH3899 to the peopleH5971 whoH834 are followingH7272 me, for they are wearyH5889, and I am pursuingH7291 ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759, the kingsH4428 of MidianH4080.” 6The leadersH8269 of SuccothH5523 saidH559, “67Are the handsH3709 of ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759 alreadyH6258 in your handsH3027, that we should giveH5414 breadH3899 to your armyH6635?” 7GideonH1439 saidH559, “8All rightH3651, 9when the LordH3068 has givenH5414 ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759 into my handH3027, then I will 10thrashH1758 your 11bodiesH1320 with the thornsH6975 of the wildernessH4057 and with briersH1303.” 8He wentH5927 up from thereH8033 to 1213PenuelH6439 and spokeH1696 similarlyH2088 to them; and the menH376 of PenuelH6439 answeredH6030 him justH3512 as the menH376 of SuccothH5523 had answeredH6030. 9So he spokeH559 alsoH1571 to the menH376 of PenuelH6439, sayingH559, “When I returnH7725 safelyH7965, 14I will tearH5422 downH5422 thisH2088 towerH4026.”

10Now ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759 were in KarkorH7174, and their 15armiesH4264 with them, about 15,000H2568H6240H505 men, allH3605 who were leftH3498 of the entireH3605 16armyH4264 of the sonsH1121 of the eastH6924; 17for the fallenH5307 were 120,000H3967H6242H505 18swordsmenH376H8025H2719. 11GideonH1439 wentH5927 up by the wayH1870 of those who livedH7931 in tentsH168 on the eastH6924 of NobahH5025 and JogbehahH3011, and 19attackedH5221 the campH4264 when the campH4264 was 20unsuspectingH983. 12When ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759 fledH5127, he pursuedH7291 them and capturedH3920 the twoH8147 kingsH4428 of MidianH4080, ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759, and routedH2729 the wholeH3605 21armyH4264.

13Then GideonH1439 the sonH1121 of JoashH3060 returnedH7725 from the battleH4421 22by the ascentH4608 of HeresH2776. 14And he capturedH3920 a youthH5288 23from SuccothH5523 and questionedH7592 him. Then the youth wroteH3789 downH3789 for him the princesH8269 of SuccothH5523 and its eldersH2205, seventy-sevenH7657 menH376. 15He cameH935 to the menH376 of SuccothH5523 and saidH559, “BeholdH2009 ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759, concerning whomH834 you tauntedH2778 me, sayingH559, ‘2425Are the handsH3709 of ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759 alreadyH6258 in your handH3027, that we should giveH5414 breadH3899 to your menH376 who are wearyH3287?’” 16He tookH3947 the eldersH2205 of the cityH5892, and thornsH6975 of the wildernessH4057 and briersH1303, and he 26disciplinedH3045 the menH376 of SuccothH5523 with them. 1727He toreH5422 downH5422 the towerH4026 of PenuelH6439 and killedH2026 the menH376 of the cityH5892.

18Then he saidH559 to ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759, “WhatH375 kindH375 of menH376 were they whomH834 you killedH2026 at TaborH8396?” And they saidH559, “They were likeH3644 you, each oneH259 28resemblingH8389 the sonH1121 of a kingH4428.” 19He saidH559, “They were my brothersH251, the sonsH1121 of my motherH517. As the LordH3068 livesH2416, ifH3863 onlyH3863 you had let them liveH2421, I would not killH2026 you.” 20So he saidH559 to JetherH3500 his firstbornH1060, “RiseH6965, killH2026 them.” But the youthH5288 did not drawH8025 his swordH2719, for he was afraidH3372, becauseH3588 he was stillH5750 a youthH5288. 21Then ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759 saidH559, “RiseH6965 up yourselfH859, and fallH6293 on us; for as the manH376, so is his strengthH1369.” 29So GideonH1439 aroseH6965 and killedH2026 ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759, and 30tookH3947 the crescentH7720 ornamentsH7720 whichH834 were on their camels’H1581 necksH6677.

22Then the menH376 of IsraelH3478 saidH559 to GideonH1439, “RuleH4910 over us, bothH1571 you and your sonH1121, alsoH1571 your son’sH1121 sonH1121, for you have deliveredH3467 us from the handH3027 of MidianH4080.” 23But GideonH1439 saidH559 to them, “I will not ruleH4910 over you, norH3808 shall my sonH1121 ruleH4910 over you; 31the LordH3068 shall ruleH4910 over you.” 24Yet GideonH1439 saidH559 to them, “I would 32requestH7596H7592 of you, that eachH376 of you giveH5414 me 33an earringH5141 from his spoilH7998.” (For they had goldH2091 earringsH5141, becauseH3588 they were 34IshmaelitesH3459.) 25They saidH559, “We will surelyH5414 giveH5414 them.” So they spreadH6566 out a garmentH8071, and everyH376 oneH376 of them threwH7993 an earringH5141 thereH8033 from his spoilH7998. 26The weightH4948 of the goldH2091 earringsH5141 that he requestedH7592 was 1,700H505H7651H3967 shekels of goldH2091, besidesH905H4480 the crescentH7720 ornamentsH7720 and the pendantsH5188 and the purpleH713 robesH899 whichH7945 were on the kingsH4428 of MidianH4080, and besidesH905H4480 the neckH6060 bandsH6060 that were on their camels’H1581 necksH6677. 27GideonH1439 madeH6213 it into 35an ephodH646, and placedH3322 it in his cityH5892, OphrahH6084, and allH3605 IsraelH3478 playedH2181 the harlotH2181 with it thereH8033, so that it becameH1961 a snareH4170 to GideonH1439 and his householdH1004.

Forty Years of Peace

28So MidianH4080 was subduedH3665 beforeH6440 the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478, and they did not liftH5375 up their headsH7218 anymoreH3254. And the landH776 was undisturbedH8252 for fortyH705 yearsH8141 in the daysH3117 of GideonH1439.

29Then 36JerubbaalH3378 the sonH1121 of JoashH3060 wentH1980 and livedH3427 in his own houseH1004. 30Now GideonH1439 hadH1961 37seventyH7657 sonsH1121 who 38were his directH3409 descendantsH3318, for he hadH1961 manyH7227 wivesH802. 31His concubineH6370 whoH834 was in ShechemH7927 alsoH1571 boreH3205 him a sonH1121, and he 39namedH8034H7760 him AbimelechH40. 32And GideonH1439 the sonH1121 of JoashH3060 diedH4191 at a ripeH2896 oldH7872 ageH7872 and was buriedH6912 in the tombH6913 of his fatherH1 JoashH3060, in OphrahH6084 of the AbiezritesH33.

33Then it cameH1961 about, as soonH3512 as GideonH1439 was deadH4191, 40that the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 againH7725 playedH2181 the harlotH2181 with the BaalsH1168, and madeH7760 41Baal-berithH1170 their godH430. 34Thus the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 42did not rememberH2142 the LordH3068 their GodH430, who had deliveredH5337 them from the handsH3027 of allH3605 their enemiesH340 on everyH5439 sideH5439; 3543norH3808 did they showH6213 kindnessH2617 to the householdH1004 of JerubbaalH3378 (that is, GideonH1439) in accord with allH3605 the goodH2899 that he had doneH6213 to IsraelH3478.